Brussels was one of the last Western European countries that I hadn’t visited, so it was fairly high up on my bucket list. Friends had told me you don’t need longer than three days to explore Brussels, so I went from Friday-Monday morning during late-May (in hopes the weather would hold up). Well, it rained half of the weekend, but I didn’t let that spoil my weekend away. One of my best friends and I had never been, so decided to book a fairly cheap flight about 2 months in advance, and venture off for a weekend girls trip. See what we got up to, and what we liked and didn’t like in my very own Brussels itinerary.
The Vibe
Brussels was surprisingly expensive, although I don’t know what I was really expecting. It’s the hub of the European Union, so many professionals travel to and from Brussels which causes the hotels and food to go up in price. One thing cheaper was the alcohol – it was about in line with Spain and France prices.
I felt very safe in just about every neighborhood we were in, and felt the city overall had very impressive and modern infrastructure in place. The town boasts fascinating historical roots, and its central area is adorned with charming old buildings.
Something important to note is that Brussels has a crazy amount of rain each year because the whole city is below sea-level. It rains more than 250 days per year on average, so it’s always a good idea to plan for rain so you’re not disappointed. Also good idea to dress and pack accordingly. The rain isn’t typically very heavy (very light showers), so it was fine to do walking tours and didn’t really ruin any of our plans.
Where we stayed
Given the hotels were so expensive, we decided to stay about a 10 minute walk from the main town square. The hotel was a really solid price, and most importantly it was very clean. It was in a safe neighborhood – we felt comfortable walking around at night.
Our hotel
The hotel was called Moxy, it’s a Marriott chain hotel but slightly cheaper and a little more youthful. I’ve stayed at Moxy hotels before and they have never disappointed. I think if I could re-do it again, I would stay a bit closer to the center of town (especially if you don’t like to walk). Otherwise, I would highly recommend this hotel if you’re looking for a clean and fairly budget-friendly option.
Other recommended hotels
Before I went I received a few recommendations from friends as to where we should stay. Here were some that made the Brussels itinerary list:
- Rocco Forte Hotel Amigo ($$$)
- Hotel Fleur de Ville ($$)
- The Hoxton ($$)
- L-Avenue ($)
- Hotel Manos Stephanie ($$)
- Pillows City Hotel Brussels Centre ($$)
What To Pack
As I mentioned before, it rains a lot in Brussels (pack an umbrella – my favs listed here). Even in May, the temperature was shifting a lot depending on the precipitation levels, so best to be prepared and pack a few additional layers, no matter what time of the year you’re visiting. If you’re still unsure, visit my post What To Pack For A Weekend Trip for some tips and suggestions. My friends and I were the most overdressed pretty much everywhere we went, so heads-up for packing purposes (i.e. we saw one Chanel bag the entire weekend).
As for what I wore, I made a TikTok video here (and below) showcasing the different outfits I brought. I never ended up wearing the shorts because the temperature was below 15 degrees Celsius the entire time, but gives you some inspiration nonetheless.
If I would do it over, see my Amazon Storefront or click on a product from my selection below for some of my current favorites and recommendations for a trip to Brussels, now I know what the vibe of the city is:
Brussels Itinerary: 2-3 days
Brussels Itinerary Day 1: Exploring The Heart of Brussels
Morning Travel
We flew into Brussels South Charleroi on the way there, and then it was 1 hour bus ride to Brussels city center (use Flibco Bus). The overall travel time wasn’t bad at all, and we arrived at the hotel around 9:30am after leaving from Stockholm around 5:50am. Given we had decided to travel on a bit of a budget, we found some cheap options through Trip.com and ended up flying with RyanAir, a low-cost carrier. This airport was mainly home to the low-cost carriers, so the trip into the city is longer vs. flying into Brussels Airport directly.
We didn’t mind spending a bit more time getting to the city center, as the countryside was so beautiful and green (because of all the rain). It was also really nice to take a nap after our early flight. The train and bus cost about the same so we opted for the bus because we simply could not find the train station.
12:00: Walking Tour
Once we arrived in Brussels, we took a walking tour (I do in every city I go to). The guide showed us around all the sites in the heart of Brussels. They’re all within walking distance of each other, and the tour in total took 2.5 hours. List of sites we visited (in order):
- Grand Palace: considered one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. Originally an 11th-century marketplace in the early city of Brussels, it became associated with the city’s merchants and tradesmen by the 14th century. A UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Everard ‘T Serclaes Statue: Commemorates the citizen who played a key role in recovering the city from the Flemings in 1356. Locals believe that touching the statue brings luck and grants wishes, particularly rubbing the arm.
- Tintin Comic Mural: A vibrant and colorful mural dedicated to the beloved Belgian comic book character Tintin and his adventures.
- Manneken Pis: A small bronze statue of a little boy urinating into a fountain (very random, but super famous).
- Old Wall of Brussels: The remnants of the medieval city walls that once surrounded Brussels, now integrated into the cityscape.
- Palais de Justice: The grand Law Courts building, an imposing golden neoclassical structure overlooking the city.
- Eglise Notre-Dame des Victoires au Sablon: A beautiful church in the Sablon neighborhood, known for its intricate stained glass windows.
- Square du Petit Sablon: A charming square with statues representing medieval guilds and surrounded by manicured and colorful gardens.
- Palace Royale: The official residence of the Belgian royal family, situated in the heart of Brussels.
- Palais du Coudenberg: The archaeological site of the former Coudenberg Palace, showcasing the city’s historical layers.
- Musée des Instruments de Musique: A museum dedicated to musical instruments, housed in the Art Nouveau Old England building.
- Mont des Arts: A landscaped hill offering panoramic views of Brussels, dotted with gardens, museums, and cultural institutions.
TikTok Video:
Here’s my TikTok video from all the sites we saw during our tour & trip:
Follow this link for your very own Google Maps Brussels itinerary of these things. This makes it easy to jump from one place to the other, in no particular order.
If you want tour inspiration, Get Your Guide has some awesome tours in Brussels that cover these important sites.
2:30pm: Coffee
After our tour, we went to a café called Bouche. By far my favorite coffee place I found in the city (9.5/10) and hence made it into the Brussels itinerary. If you are a coffee fanatic, I recommend going here. The vibe is cozy inside, and the coffee is super tasty. We had to wait a few minutes for a table, but it was worth the wait.
3:30pm: Relax
Given we had been awake since 3am, we decided to head back to the hotel, shower and relax for a little while ahead of dinner.
6:30pm: Dinner @ Pura
We had dinner at Pura, which had really good ratings. It was located in an area we hadn’t seen during the day, so wanted to go explore. We got there at 6:30pm, and it was literally empty. Vibes were off and we sank in our seats realising the Belgians likely eat later (similar to Spain, Italy, etc.). Sure enough, as we were leaving, the crowd picked up. I would say the food was actually very good, and the servers were very attentive. Overall I do recommend but would suggest going later on in the evening (8:00pm onwards).
9:00pm: Plumette Cocktail Bar
After dinner we went to a bar called Plumette, which was also extremely high rated on Google. The drinks were fantastic and the vibes were very cozy and chill. The interior is really cool, too. It’s quite small and quaint, so if you end up going I would book in advance (we booked 3 hours in advance and got a spot on a Friday night).
Brussels Itinerary Day 2: Further Site Visiting & Beer Exploration
8:30am: Coffee
Started our morning with coffee (of course), checked out some highly rated places in the area. We came across Café Le Coq. I would say it was decent coffee, but the owner of the café was just lovely.
9:00am: Walking & Exploring
We wanted to cover some other areas and sites in the morning, so we could enjoy the Brussels beer culture in the afternoon. We headed over to the European Parliament for a quick look at the buildings. Afterwards, we headed over to the Art & History Museum and Monument du Cinquantenaire – Arcades du Triumph. Both were incredible, I truly recommend making your way over to this area.
- European Quarters: Brussels is not only the capital of Belgium but also the de facto capital of the European Union. Explore the European Quarter, where imposing glass-and-steel buildings house EU institutions. Visit the European Parliament and attend a guided session if you’re interested!
- About this area: Stroll through Parc du Cinquantenaire, a vast green oasis flanked by triumphal arches (see pic below!). The park’s central esplanade is perfect for walks, and the Cinquantenaire Museum houses an impressive collection of art and artifacts. This landmark has historical significance —it was built to commemorate 50 years of Belgian independence.
10:00am: Coffee (again)
Coffee at L’Atelier en Ville. It’s a beautiful coffee shop / furniture shop with character housed in an old industrial building in the Marolles area. It was very cozy, filled with plants and people meeting up. Food looked really good and fresh / healthy, but we just got a coffee, which was delicious. I would give this coffee a 8/10 – my mocha was absolutely delicious, but my friend had a cappuccino which tasted like straight milk. Worth a visit though because the setting was gorgeous.
10:30am: More Site-Seeing
I had been recommended from friends to go to the Basílic of the Sacred Heart, which is a little way away from the rest of the tourist attractions (about 1-1.5 hour walk from the Monument du Cinquantenaire), but I personally think walking around a city is the best way to get a feeling for it. We made our way over to the church, and it was beautiful from the outside. I may point out that inside was a little underwhelming, but we soon learnt that it was actually built in the 1900s, which makes sense – it was very modern and plain. Nonetheless it’s worth making a trip over there, as you get to explore neighborhoods that you otherwise wouldn’t. Free entry to the church, too.
12:30pm: Lunch at Lloyds
By this point we were absolutely starving as we realized we were only running on coffee. We saw Lloyds restaurant in the center of town and decided to stop by. It was delicious – a lot of breakfast / brunch type dishes, with delicious bagels, toasts, and salads. We each paid about €15 for a meal and a juice, so good price for a 7.5/10 meal.
1:30pm: Freshen Up
Went back to hotel, freshened up after our morning of long walking, and finally ready to immerse ourselves in Belgium’s famous beer culture.
2:30pm: Beer at Delirium Bar
The sun was finally out for the first time all weekend, so we decided it was time to go to the must-visit Delirium bar – which holds the Guinness World Record for the highest amount of beer tasting available at one venue (they had over 2,000 different types!). It was absolutely amazing, the vibes were on point and everyone was super friendly. It was fairly packed outside (obviously because of the good weather), so we decided to find a spot indoors next to a group of outgoing, friendly locals. We had a few pints of beer and then decided we wanted to go drink in the sun instead.
3:30pm: Beer & Wine in the Sun @ Le Grand Cafe
Had beer / wine and fries (don’t call them French fries!) in the sun at Bourse de Bruxelles, watching people walk past. Luckily enough there was a jazz festival on at the same time we were there, so it was very busy and a great atmosphere with music playing in the background.
6:00pm: Dinner @ Nona
Starting to get hungry, so we went to an Italian restaurant that was recommended to us by our hotel. It’s called Nona (a local chain), but this specific location we went to only served pasta. It was still delicious, but I was hoping for pizza. I do recommend going here if you like Italian and want something fairly inexpensive and tasty – 7/10
8:00pm: Back To Delirium Bar
We decided to go back to Delirium and experience the bar scene here at night. Obviously we bought the famous 1-meter beer, it was absolutely popping here and there was loud music, people everywhere, but managed to get a table inside. On our journey we met some locals along the way who wanted to join us, so we shared stories and played some drinking games with them until we finally decided to call it a night around midnight. See below my TikTok video on what the atmosphere was like at the bar!
Brussels Itinerary Day 3: Bonus Day!
So the third day of our Brussels itinerary, we had to decide whether to make it out to the Atrium (45 min train ride from city center) or do a day trip to somewhere outside the city, and we decided on the latter. Note that if you only have a weekend or you are leaving on the third day, then the two day Brussels itinerary is also fantastic (plus Atrium in the morning of the 3rd day). This is just a bonus day for those wanting to explore outside the city and who have a little more time.
To make our lives easier, we decided to book a day tour to Bruges and Ghent via Get Your Guide. In retrospect, I am so glad we did this versus venturing there ourselves. For perspective, the total cost of transport alone would have been more expensive than this tour (not including the tours at each city), so well worth it. Also given the fact we were fairly hungover from our 1-meter of beer, so not really in the mood to plan a day trip and use our brain any more than we needed to.
8:30am: Start Tour
We met the tour guide at Carr de l’Europe, and left to explore other parts of Belgium. Each city we had 1-2 hour tours, and then 1-1.5 hours of free time to see and do as we pleased. The full itinerary and tour information can be found at this link, and we are so happy we did it. The link will also give you information about what we saw, and how long you’re spending doing different things. The other people on the tour were interesting, and the tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable.
7:00pm: Note that it is a long day, as we arrived back to Brussels at around 7pm. We were so exhausted, and got a quick dinner at the restaurant connected to our hotel and went straight to bed, ready to wake up early for our flight.
Travel Home:
Not surprisingly, we got the bus back to Brussels South Charleroi for our morning flight back to Stockholm. We had a quick stop at The Lounge (I made a TikTok reel about it here), where we had breakfast and stocked up on snacks before the flight. We had a nice view of the planes – something I truly love about airports. Because I love to travel, I always need to go to an airport lounge. I personally have Priority Pass, which is an airport lounge provider that offers lounges in almost every city in the world (you can also bring one guest for free). You can read more about it here, but it’s worth taking a look at before your next trip if you like traveling in style.
Conclusion
After three days of exploring the vibrant streets of Brussels and discovering the city’s rich history, you’ll leave Brussels remembering its unique blend of old-world charm and modern flair. I went to Brussels with not really any expectations, but left with a warm feeling and great memories with my bestie. If you end up going, I would love to know what you got up to and if you found any of the Brussels itinerary helpful!