Brussels in 2 Days: everything you need to know

Brussels is not a particularly large city. It can be walked around, especially if we talk about the central area, but because it has many interesting proposals, you should have a fairly tight itinerary to try to see all the attractions that Brussels offers to its visitors.

On your first day of your 2-day tour of Brussels, you should check out some of the best Brussels tours of this magnificent city.

By booking a guided tour of Brussels you can see places like the Grand Place, the Stock Exchange building, the Palace of Justice, the garden of the Place du Petit Sablon, the Gothic church of Notre-Dame du Sablon and other spectacular sites.

Start the day with a tour of the Grand Place

The Grand Place is the central square of the city of Brussels. Its main attractions are the ornaments, of which it is full, but that's not all. It is considered one of the most beautiful squares in the world and is also declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Here, you will stop and want to take lots of pictures. Also, don't miss touching the arm of the bronze statue of Everard t'Serclaes, they say it brings good luck to those who do! It is, frankly, one of the things you must do in Brussels. You never know.

Walk to the Stock Exchange building and visit the Manneken Pis

Next, I recommend going to the Stock Exchange building, which is one of the most impressive buildings in the city. It is a neoclassical building and is one of the great emblems of Brussels.

From there, walk a few meters down the Rue du Midi: another great symbol of Brussels awaits you, the Manneken Pis. It is a small statue made of bronze, dating from the seventeenth century. It is a representation of a boy urinating and has the peculiarity of changing his clothes depending on the occasion.

In fact, in the Grand Place itself, you can visit the Maison du Roi and see the entire collection of costumes that have dressed him. There are more than 800 of them!

Have a delicious waffle for breakfast: you just have to choose among the stalls

You are already at the Manneken Pis. All around, you have at your disposal stalls from which you can choose to taste a delicious waffle. In case you don't know, a waffle is a Brussels sweet similar to a waffle, but different in the way it is cooked and, consequently, also in taste.

What better way to start the day than having a typical dish for breakfast? Any experience that claims to be complete should include such an element, don't you think?

Visit the imposing Palais de Justice and Place du Petit Sablon

The Palace of Justice is located in the neighborhood of Le Sablon. You can enter for free and when you do you will find an incredible lobby, which measures more than 100 meters.

On your way out, you can walk down Rue de la Régence, leading to the garden of the Place du Petit Sablon. First, take a break. Choose one of the benches, give yourself a break. Then, you can see one of the 48 bronze statues around the park. Each of them represents one of the ancient medieval guilds.

• Hours of the Palace of Justice: Monday from 9 am to 5 pm.
• Price: Free of charge.
• Address: Pl. Poelaert 1, 1000

Don't miss the Gothic church of Notre-Dame du Sablon

This church is located next to the small Place du Petit Sablon and should definitely be part of your 2-day tour of Brussels. It is a 15th century church that was patronized by the nobles and wealthiest citizens of Brussels.

The most attractive feature is the wooden pulpit, not to mention the huge stained glass windows that you can see inside.

• Hours: Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am to 6 pm.
• Price: Free.
• Address: Rue des Sablons, 1000

Place du Grand Sablon and lunch break

If you are going to visit Brussels in two days you should have a busy itinerary. But that's not why I'm going to encourage you to skip every meal of the day. It wouldn't be healthy and you probably won't have the energy to keep up.

That's why, when you leave the church, you can check out the Place du Grand Sablon. In this neighborhood there are many chocolate shops, antique shops and boutiques. If you are a sweet tooth, like me, be sure to discover thebest chocolate tastings you should do in Brussels.

However, my recommendation is that you stop to eat real food and not so much sweets. So you can go to a local eatery, for example the C'est bon c'est belge and order the dish of your choice. Of course, I encourage you to try some typical recipe, to maximize the experience. How about a carbonnades flamandes? The choice is yours.

Brussels Atomium Tour

In the afternoon, I recommend you to resume the itinerary by visiting the Brussels Atomium. This is an audio tour that will start near the Heysel metro station. Once at the Atomium, you will enjoy a breathtaking view of the city of Brussels. And an audio guide on your mobile app will accompany you on your tour of the museum. This tour will take you an hour and a half.

In addition, after the tour you can visit the ADAM Brussels Design Museum.

The tour includes admission to the Atomium and the museum, access to the permanent and temporary exhibitions of both, audio guide in English and skip-the-line service. You must remember to bring your own headphones: this is essential, as you will not be given any. You can find in this article all the information about tickets to the Atomium.

• Hours: From 10 am to 4 pm.
• Price: 20 €.
• Address: Pl. de l'Atomium 1, 1020

A trip within a trip: visit Mini-Europe

Mini-Europe is less than two hundred meters from the Atomium, making it ideal to end the first of 2 days in Brussels. In the park, you will see 350 miniature buildings, representing 80 European cities.

It's like a trip within a trip: you will get to know all of Europe, smaller than usual, while getting to know the Belgian city. It's among the top 10 things to do in Brussels with kids, too. Due to the opening hours, this will be a good option to add to your itinerary if you travel to Brussels in summer.

• Opening hours: From March 14 to June 30: 9:30 am to 6:00 pm.

From July 1 to August 31: 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. From October 1 to January 6: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. From January 4 to March 12: closed.

• Price: Adults: 16,50 € (18,10 US$)

Children under 12: 12 euros (13.20 US$) Seniors over 65: 16.50 euros (18.10 US$) Children under 120 centimeters: free admission.

• Address: Av. du Football 1, 1020

Evening in Brussels: end your day with a tasty meal

Near the Atomium you will find several tourist restaurants to end the first of two days in Brussels with a full belly. If you want, you can have a beer in one of the best breweries in Brussels, book a beer tasting or choose a restaurant in the area, such as Gou or Jon's Garden. Choose what you most want to eat and wait your turn. Then, take a rest.

On the second of your 2-day tour of Brussels you can visit the Comic Strip Route, the European Parliament, the Cinquantenaire Palace, the Sacré Coeur Basilica, Rue Neuve and... beer!

You can't miss the Comic Strip Route

The comic route is a must-see, especially for those who love, of course, comics. But not only for them, as it is a very picturesque route, where you can see incredible building facades painted with murals of the most famous Belgian comics.

It is another point of the tour also ideal to do with children. Of course, do not forget to get a map at the tourist office.

The route ends at the Comic Museum, which is a must for fans of this genre.

The European Quarter is full of attractions

You will need to take bus 71 and head to the Luxembourg stop. Once in the European Quarter, you can visit the European Parliament. It is free and you will be given a multimedia guide in English.

• Hours: Tuesday to Friday from 9 am to 6 pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 6 pm.
• Address: Pl. du Luxembourg 100, 1050

Then, I recommend you to go and see the Justus Lipsius building, the Belayrmont and the Leopold Park.

If you walk a few more meters from this point you will find the following must-see attractions:

• The Museum of Military History, which is sure to be among the best museums to visit in Brussels.
• The Cinquantenaire Palace, whose tickets can be booked online.
• Also, I recommend you to book tickets for the Autoworld museum: it has one of the most magnificent collections of cars in the world.

Lunchtime: Do you like Italian food?

Yeah, right. You want to keep touring. But first things first. You need to recharge your batteries. In this area, I recommend the Costa D'Amalfi, which sells delicious Italian food and is one of the best restaurants in the Belgian capital.

Buy souvenirs on Rue Neuve

You have finished your tour. But one thing is missing: gifts, souvenirs or souvenirs. For this, head to the Rue Neuve, which is Brussels' pedestrian street full of stores.

Buy everything you want and then you can head to Place Ste. Catherine to find a place to drink a nice Belgian beer or just have dinner.

You can't leave Brussels without tasting its famous beers.

Yes, I told you: drink a nice Belgian beer or just have dinner. That depends on you, if you drink or not or if you feel like it.

If your answer is yes, you can choose between several options: you have numerous bars at your disposal... or you can try the traditional Belgian beer tasting tour. In my opinion, this is a wonderful alternative. So you're not left wanting to try anything.

The tour includes an interactive beer course and the tasting of five types of beers. You think about it, but I think you should sign up without hesitation.

Buying the Brussels Card is a good option to visit the city in two days, as you will have the possibility to enter for free to 49 museums and monuments in Brussels, and it will help you to save some euros.

In addition, with the Brussels Card you can get discounts in stores, restaurants and bars. Among other things, it includes admission to the Belgian Comic Strip Center and the Cinquantenaire Museum. It will also offer discounts on other attractions, such as the Mini-Europe with up to 35% savings.

Moreover, to speed up the movement and get closer to the main monuments of the city I recommend booking a seat on the tourist bus Toot of Brussels, with which you will be able to move with the greatest comfort, while still learning about the city while you move. If you do not want to miss anything, you should consider the option of using the tourist buses to gain comfort and time.