Oh, Belgium. How I love you. Brussels is one of the coolest places I’ve ever been! With a castle on every corner and a peeing child as the country’s national symbol, how can you go wrong? When the three iconic foods are waffles, chocolate, and fries, how could you possibly not go!? The great thing about Brussels is that it’s beautiful, but you really only need one day to see all the sights. Therefore, I’m here to help you eat all the best food, see all the coolest things, and learn all the best history, all in a day’s work. Here is your one day budget itinerary for Brussels!
One thing I appreciate about this city is that it is very walkable. As a broke college kid, if I can find a way to not pay for a taxi, bus, or scooter, I’m happy! You can walk to every one of the main areas of Brussels very easily. I’ve made a handy little map so that you can see what I mean (see map at the bottom!)
One other tip before we get started; Brussels is home to the meeting spot of the European Council, which is super cool! However, it does make food and other general items pretty expensive. This is tough for a budget traveler. Just be prepared to spend a little more money here.
WHERE TO STAY
We had a great stay at Meininger Hotel (which is a hostel). It’s in a great spot location-wise. You’re right next to some great breakfast and coffee places, and it only takes 15 minutes to walk to the heart of Brussels! It also has a bar, restaurant, and coffeeshop downstairs. The central room of Meininger is very cool and honestly a little crazy, but I had a great time exploring it! There are also a ton of tables, couches, and chairs where you can sit and get work done. The rooms are large and cozy; my sister and I felt very safe. There are also lockers to put your things in. It’s a very good price as well! You can check it out here!
P.S. We had an Uber driver drop us off from the train station (because it’s a bit of a walk from there), and he told us we were staying in a not-so-great part of town. However, we felt very safe during the day time. The area you walk through on your way to central Brussels also is very safe. I recommend not walking to the hostel at nighttime and also not exploring back behind the hostel, just in case!
BREAKFAST
On your way to the first stop on the itinerary, grab breakfast at Woodpecker! It’s a bit pricey but has GREAT food, including vegan and vegetarian options! So get ready to FEAST on some pancakes, smoothie bowls, and coffee! You can check it out here!
STOP 1
This place might be my favorite of the whole day. For some reason, the people of Belgium love this strange little statue and fountain of a small kid peeing. I don’t know why. I love it though. It cracks me up. The entire city and country is full of mini statues, postcards, and paintings featuring this kid. So that is the first stop of the day! It will be full of tourists taking photos and selfies with “Mannekin Pis” later in the day, so head there first to avoid the crowds!
STOP 2
Next up on the schedule is the Grand Place of Brussels! This famous square blew my mind. My jaw dropped to the ground as I turned in a circle and realized I was surrounded on every side by giant castle-looking buildings! You could sit and gawk for hours.
There’s no way to capture how insane it is in photos… but hoping these give you some idea.
STOP 3
Stop 3 is inside the Grand Place. It’s called Brussels City Museum. Its relatively cheap to enter; while prices vary, its only 10 euros generally (4 euros for students). The inside is full of history and also the original Mannekin Pis statute along with its wardrobe (because yes, they dress up the peeing kid and keep all of its outfits. I told you. It’s awesome). There’s also live music on the top floor. I definitely recommend checking this out! Find out more about tickets and entry here!
STOP 4
Next up is Brussels Town Hall. You can get a guided tour of the inside, or pay 5 euros to enter, but as a budget traveler, I opted to just check out the outside and a little of the inside courtyard. You can also pay to climb to the top if desired.
STOP 5
After leaving the Grand Place, head over to Mont des Arts. It’s a beautiful garden with an overlook of some of the huge buildings of Brussels. You could spend hours wandering around the gardens and surrounding area!
LUNCHTIME!
Whew! You’ve worked hard the past few hours. Time for a solid lunch in a neat spot in Brussels. Next up on our one day itinerary is the Royal Galleria. Take a bit to explore the gallery; it’s truly incredible and has a ton of little shops.
STOP 6
After lunch, walk over to Saint Michael and St Gudula Cathedral. It’s free to enter and absolutely incredible! You can also pay a few euros to go underneath the church and enter ancient crypts to see the ruins from the original church which was built in 1047.
STOP 7
There’s a beautiful garden called Parc de Bruxelles which is right next to the Palis de Coudenberg and the Royal Palace of Brussels! While at this time, both of those buildings are temporarily closed, you can still stroll by, take some photos, and explore the park.
OPTIONAL
There is a LOT to see here! However, the above list covers most of the main things that you just can’t miss! If you’re wanting to see more or adding one extra day to your Brussels adventure, here are a few more things that will blow your mind!
- Belgium actually has 7 different parliaments, according to our Uber driver. Pretty cool. If you want, go check out the Parliament building in Brussels!
- If you’re super into music (or just feeling bored), head over to the Musical Instruments Building! Apparently it’s pretty cool.
- Maison Dandoy has great waffles! You’re in Belgium. You simply have to get waffles. Non-negotiable.
- Another non-negotiable is Belgian chocolate! There’s chocolate shops pretty much on every street. Be sure to confirm that Belgian chocolate does indeed live up to the hype!
- Fun fact: french fries were invented in Belgium. Feeling like the name of this particular food is a bit misleading… anyways, be sure to get some authentic Belgian “french” fries!
THAT WAS FUN! SEE YA LATER!
That concludes our EPIC one day budget itinerary for Brussels, Belgium! But there’s so many more countries to explore! So glad you’re here! Click below, scrolllll on down, and subscribe if you want to keep getting tips on how to go on (and afford!) the most epic adventures! You’re awesome!