Day Trips from Brussels

There are several must-do things to enjoy during a trip to Brussels: touring the city on a guided tour, tasting its chocolate and beer and getting to know its surroundings. Here is my selection of the best experiences so you don't leave anything undone:

The first thing to do when you visit a city for the first time is to explore every corner of it. However, if we do it individually it is common that we miss many details and that there are monuments or places of interest that go unnoticed before the eyes of a tourist. To avoid this, the best option is to have someone local to guide us in our visit.

This guided tour of Brussels is one of the best options to get to know the Belgian capital in depth. It is an excursion in a fully equipped vehicle with walking sections.

Details of interest

The tour departs several days a week and you can book your place online. Once your booking is confirmed you will receive an email with details of the meeting point and the time to meet your guide. If your plans change, cancellations are available up to 24 hours before your scheduled tour time.

Why I like this tour

This experience is ideal for getting to know the city in depth in just half a day , saving you walking and enjoying commentary on its culture, history and customs.

Itinerary

Who hasn't heard of Belgian beer? This is undoubtedly the most popular drink in Brussels and you can enjoy it in any bar in the city, but with a beer tasting organized by Brussels you will have the opportunity to be accompanied by a local guide who will take you through the most significant places in the city.

This experience is available in English, French and Spanish and lasts about two and a half hours. The feeling is very similar to going out for a beer with a friend who also knows all about the city and the manufacture and importance of its star drink. During the tour you will taste three different types of beer and you will have a free drink.

Once you book your place online on this tour, you will meet your guide at a central point of the city and from there the tour will begin, passing through some of the most central streets of the city.

Why I like this tour

This beer tasting tour is ideal if you already know the city and want to have a good time with expert guidance while tasting authentic Belgian beer.

Itinerary

If the drink par excellence in Belgium is beer, the best known food is undoubtedly chocolate and nowhere better than Brussels to taste it. In many cities there is a chocolate museum aimed at tourists, but the experience of the chocolate tour in Brussels is not comparable to the one you can have in any other city.

When I took this tour I not only learned the theory of how chocolate is made, but I was able to see it being made live by even tasting the raw materials from which it is made. With this panorama, it is inevitable that you get irresistible desire to try it; for that we were taken to different bakeries in the city to taste different types of chocolate and the also known Belgian waffle.

The tour starts from a central point in the center of Brussels, lasts two hours and is available in English and Spanish. Reservations can be made online.

Why I like this experience

I recommend this experience if you are a chocolate lover (as I am) and are curious to learn more about how chocolate is made and the differences between the different types of chocolates.

Brussels is a very accessible city; it has several things to see, but all of them are close and that makes it possible to see it in one or two days. Does that mean that your trip is over? Not at all! My recommendation is that, in order to make some excursions to nearby cities, you extend your stay in the Belgian capital a few more days. The excursion to Antwerp, for example, seems to me essential to complete your trip to Belgium.

Antwerp is one of the most important cities in Belgium and is located an hour's drive from Brussels. With this organized tour you will be in Antwerp for about five hours with a guide who speaks English, Spanish or French.

Why I like this tour

I recommend this tour if you want to see more during your trip and want to leave other larger cities for a separate trip. Antwerp is the perfect size to see in a day trip.

Itinerary

Of course, there is Bruges. That fairytale corner that will become a thorn in your side if you leave it out during your trip. This small city, called the cradle of the Western Renaissance, is almost as popular as Brussels itself and a tourist and cultural attraction in itself. With this tour to Bruges from Brussels you can spend a whole day in this city and, thanks to the services of the guide who accompanies you, you will not leave any corner to see.

First the details: you can do it in English or Spanish and it includes the services of an expert guide and the train tickets to Bruges. The train transportation is much faster than the road trip as it will take you only an hour and a quarter to get to Bruges. Once there, in addition to the guided tour, you will also have time to explore the city at your leisure before returning to Brussels.

Why I like this tour

This tour is a must for anyone who has never been to Bruges and wants to visit it with the advice of a guide who will give you the historical and cultural context of the city.

What you will see in Bruges

If you want to make the most of your time, in the same day you can visit Bruges and Ghent departing from Brussels. This excursion is designed for those who have little time and do not want to miss these two wonderful cities near Brussels. The trip in a private vehicle and the services of an expert guide will allow you to make the most of your time.

You can book this tour online and choose between English, Spanish or French speaking guide and includes transportation (lunch is on your own, you can bring a picnic or eat in one of these two cities during the free time you will have at lunch time).

Itinerary

The first stop will be Ghent where you will see the cathedral of St. Bavon with its mythical painting of the Mystic Lamb, the historic center, the castle of the Counts of Flanders, the port of Graslei or the church of St. Nicholas.

Then it will be the turn of Bruges, a city known as the "Venice of the North" for its architecture and the charm of its canals. At all times the guide will enlighten you with comments about the history and culture of the two cities.

Why I like this tour

This tour suits you if you are one of those who want to see as many places as possible during your trip and you like to see them while making the most of your time and learning about their history and culture without getting caught up in a superficial view.

The Dutch capital is located about two and a half hours by road from Brussels. It goes without saying that Amsterdam deserves a trip in itself to soak up the city and get to know it in detail. However, if you want to revisit this city or have a first contact with it you can visit it with a day trip to Amsterdam from Brussels.

In Amsterdam you will find a totally different panorama than in Brussels. While Brussels is a stately and regal city, Amsterdam is modern and carefree. The canals and coffee houses are its main attraction, but they are not the only one.

This tour is available in English, Spanish or French. The best part is the local guide services as Amsterdam is a city with a subculture that grabs you and to really get a feel for it it is good to have someone with knowledge of the city to immerse you in its landmarks and meanings.

Why I like this tour

This tour is for you if you want to take advantage of your visit to Brussels for a quick look at the Dutch capital with the goal of completing your trip another time.

What you will see in Amsterdam

Visiting Bruges is one of the most sought after experiences for people traveling to this area of the world, and honestly it is something I highly recommend as its medieval European charm is something that will hardly fade from your memory. I have written a dedicated article about this excursion with everything you should know before going to Bruges from Brussels, and you can read it here: Day Trips to Bruges from Brussels.