Belgium 6 Day Itinerary

June 23, 2026

A country the size of Maryland gave the world Tintin, the saxophone, and a beer culture with more styles than France has cheeses. Six days is enough to see four cities properly if you resist the urge to sleep in Brussels every night, though basing yourself there works fine too since nothing in this itinerary is more than an hour away by rail.

Day 1: Brussels

Land at Zaventem and take the train straight into town rather than a taxi. It runs six times an hour, takes about seventeen minutes to Brussels-Central, and costs roughly 10.80 euros standard class once the mandatory airport supplement is added, cheaper than most guides quote because they forget that surcharge exists. Skip the Manneken Pis line for a photo and move on fast, the statue is smaller than every photo makes it look and the real draw is the Grand Place at golden hour, when the gilded guild facades catch the light. For fries, ignore whichever stand is nearest your hotel and walk to Maison Antoine near Flagey, a family-run frituur open since 1948 that locals still queue for on weeknights. Pair it with a Duvel or a lambic at a nearby cafe rather than a generic tourist bar.

Things to Know:

Belgium uses the Euro. Contactless cards work almost everywhere, but small frituurs and market stalls often want cash.
Most shops close on Sundays outside the main tourist strips, so buy chocolate and souvenirs on a weekday if you can.
Brussels-Midi, the Eurostar terminal, is the pickpocket hotspot locals warn about most. Groups work in pairs, one distracts while the other lifts a bag or phone, so keep valuables zipped and in front of you there specifically.

Transportation:

STIB/MIVB runs Brussels buses, trams, and metro. A MOBIB Basic card holds contactless fares and is worth it if you are moving around the city more than twice.
Taxis exist but are pricier than almost anywhere else in the trip, the train is the better call for every intercity leg below.

Day 2: Bruges

The train from Brussels-Central to Bruges takes about an hour and runs frequently, so there is no need to book ahead. Climb the Belfry if your knees are willing, 366 narrow spiral steps with no elevator, tickets run 15 euros for adults and the tower caps entry at 70 people at a time, so book online in advance for summer visits or you will queue outside for the better part of an hour. Go early on a weekday morning, afternoons get packed. Afterward a canal boat tour is the fastest way to see the city’s real shape, the boats loop for about 30 minutes and the guides’ commentary is worth more than any guidebook. Bruges earns the Venice of the North label fairly, its whole medieval core is a UNESCO site, but it also empties out by early evening as day-trippers leave, which is honestly the best time to be there.

Things to Know:

The city is compact enough to walk end to end in 25 minutes, do not bother with taxis inside it.
Chocolate shops here range from genuinely excellent small producers to overpriced tourist traps selling the same mass-made pralines as everywhere else, ask a local for a shop name rather than picking whichever has the flashiest window.

Day 3: Antwerp

Another hour by train from Brussels-Central. Antwerp is Belgium’s second city and its busiest port, and it feels different from Bruges immediately, grittier, more fashion-forward, less precious about its own history. The Cathedral of Our Lady holds four Rubens paintings and is worth the entry fee alone. The Diamond District near Centraal Station still handles a serious share of the world’s rough diamond trade, worth a walk through even if you are not buying. Skip a generic lunch spot and head to the MoMu fashion museum area for the newer designer boutiques that grew out of the “Antwerp Six” movement, this city’s fashion reputation is not marketing, it is real.

Things to Know:

Antwerp Centraal station itself is a sight, a cathedral-like iron-and-glass hall from 1905 that is worth ten minutes just standing in.
The diamond trade here means jewelry shops can offer serious value compared to elsewhere in Europe, but only buy from an established dealer with certification, never a street approach.

Day 4: Ghent

Only about 30 to 40 minutes from Brussels by train, and arguably the most underrated stop on this list. Climb the Gravensteen castle, a genuine medieval fortress with a torture museum that does not sanitize the history. St Bavo’s Cathedral houses the Ghent Altarpiece, one of the most fought-over and stolen paintings in European history, it has been the target of multiple thefts since the 15th century and is worth seeing specifically for that reason. Ghent has a much younger energy than Bruges thanks to its university population, which shows up in the bar scene around the Vrijdagmarkt.

Things to Know:

Ghent gets a fraction of Bruges’ tourist volume despite comparable canals and medieval architecture, which makes it feel far less staged.
The Museum of Fine Arts is free on the last Sunday of most months, worth timing a visit around if your dates line up.

Day 5: Waterloo and Namur

Waterloo is a 25 to 30 minute train ride from Brussels. The Battle of Waterloo happened in 1815, not some vaguer “historic battle” as older guides tend to gloss it, and the site includes a memorial mound, the Wellington Museum, and a visitor center with a 360-degree painted panorama of the battle. Give it two to three hours, it rewards people with even a passing interest in Napoleonic history and drags for anyone else. From there, backtrack toward Namur, about an hour by train, and walk up to the Citadel, one of the largest fortified sites in Europe, perched where the Meuse and Sambre rivers meet.

Things to Know:

Waterloo the battlefield is genuinely underwhelming without the museum context, do not skip the visitor center to save money, the flat field alone tells you nothing.
Namur is a proper Walloon city, not a village, and gets far fewer foreign tourists than the Flemish stops earlier in the week.

Day 6: Leuven and Flemish Brabant

Leuven is barely 25 minutes from Brussels by train. It is a serious university town, home to KU Leuven, one of the oldest universities in Europe, and its Gothic Town Hall is one of the most elaborately carved in the country, more ornate honestly than Brussels’ own. St Peter’s Church next door holds the tallest church tower in Belgium. Stella Artois has brewed here since the 14th century and the AB InBev roots run deep in the local identity, a brewery tour if you can fit one in beats a generic beer bar. Spend the afternoon in the Flemish Brabant countryside around Tervuren or Overijse if you want a slower final day before heading back for a last dinner in Brussels.

Things to Know:

Leuven’s student population means the bar district around the Oude Markt gets loud on weekend nights, plan accordingly if you want a quiet evening.
The Flemish countryside villages are best reached by regional bus or a rented car, train coverage thins out fast outside the main cities.

Visa Requirements:

Citizens of most Schengen-exempt countries, including the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, do not need a visa for stays under 90 days within a 180-day period. Belgium is a full Schengen member, so the same 90-day clock applies across all Schengen countries combined, not per country. Check your specific situation with the Belgian embassy before booking if you have any recent Schengen travel that might eat into that window.

One last practical note: buy a rail pass or individual e-tickets through the SNCB app before travel days rather than at station counters, weekday morning trains between these cities fill up faster than most first-time visitors expect.