3 days in Brussels: itinerary

Three days works when you split the city by district rather than by checklist. Day 1 is the lower town: Grand-Place, the covered galleries, the comic-strip museum and the Marolles. Day 2 is the upper town and the EU quarter: Royal Museums of Fine Arts, the Musical Instruments Museum, Mont des Arts and the Cinquantenaire. Day 3 is a day trip — Bruges or Ghent by train — or a slower Brussels day in Ixelles and the Art Nouveau houses.

Book the paid museums online the day before; the popular ones sell timed slots in summer. Keep the Grand-Place for early morning or after 18:00, when the coach groups thin out.

Brussels is small enough to walk between the main sights, but the city is hilly and the metro saves time. The centre is Grand-Place, Bourse and the pedestrian streets around Rue Neuve. The upper town sits above it: Mont des Arts, the Royal Palace and the museums. Ixelles and Saint-Gilles are south, reached by tram or metro; the EU quarter is east around Schuman and Maelbeek.

Use the STIB network (metro, tram, bus) for anything over 20 minutes on foot. A single ticket is around €2.50–3, and a day pass around €8 (2026 estimate). The airport is about 30 minutes from the centre by train or bus.

Buy train tickets for day trips at the station machines or online; Belgian railways price by distance, not by how early you book, so there is no saving in booking weeks ahead. Bruges and Ghent are the two easiest day trips and both fit a single day. Antwerp and Leuven are shorter rides if you want a half day back in Brussels.

Check the calendar before you fix dates. National Day on 21 July brings a parade and fireworks plus road closures in the centre. In December the Winter Wonders market fills the centre and hotels cost more. In August, when EU business slows, Brussels hotel prices often drop.

Eat at lunch rather than dinner if you want the cheaper end of Belgian cooking: mussels, stoemp and sandwiches cost less at midday. Tipping is not expected; service is included.