6 Charming Things to do for 4 Days in Brussels

If you want to see Brussels, Belgium on a long weekend or as part of a greater Europe trip, use this foodie-friendly travel guide (enough for 4 days in Brussels) and check off your list of essential things to do in Brussels.

Take This Free Day Tour in Brussels

During your 4 days in Brussels, you must definitely take a local-led tour. They are the best ways to get your grounding in a city, in my opinion.

Brussels is decorated with history and clashing, albeit beautiful, styles of architecture. Too bad you’ll have no idea what any of it means unless you’re a history buff (or tour guide).

A free Brussels day tour is essential to begin wrapping your head around Brusselian quirks and sights. This is how you will encounter some of Brussels’ most iconic sights – an essential part of your Brussels itinerary.

Head over to Grand Place any day and kick off your Brussels vacation bucket list with a Bravo Discovery free two-hour tour around Brussels. It will prepare you for the city adventure you’re about to have.

Add This Belgium Chocolate & Beer Tour to Your Brussels Itinerary

You know when you experience something so mind-blowingly beautiful that you can’t feel your legs? Yeah. Multiply that by ten. 

You cannot possibly leave after 4 days in Brussels without trying their beer and chocolate (and fries, and waffles, and everything else). I really don’t care for beer or chocolate and I was still a fan. Brussels is really a foodie city.

Get acquainted with Brussels as you taste filling chocolate (and macaron) samples from acclaimed shops and exclusive chocolatiers.

On a tour you can visit local bars and taverns to taste Abbey beers, Lambics, Belgian IPAs, Triple Blonds, and Double Browns (and more) and become tipsy with 10 new best friends by the evening. 

For my beer and chocolate experience, I booked with The Brussels Journey, which is now called Hungry Mary. The seven-hour tour is run by a beautiful, witty Parisienne who now calls Brussels her home. When you book their Beer and Chocolate tour you also get 10% off any chocolate and beer from the shops you visit. If you can only do one tour the whole trip, I’d recommend this one.

Experience the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert Like This

The famous Galeries Royals dates back to the 19th century when nobility couldn’t stand to cross the dirty, dimly lit streets and needed a special path built for them so as not to be robbed or feel filthy.

The Galeries were created as bright shopping courtyards with arched, windowed roofs and luxury shops and cafes. So of course some part of your 4 days in Brussels should include a visit there to shop!

Fast forward to now, the luxury of these Galeries still lives on. When planning your 4 days in Brussels itinerary, why not plan to stay near the Galeries and experience life passing through the arcades?

I even booked an apartment rental right around the corner from the Galeries Royales and just steps from Grand Salbon and Grand Place. It is no longer on Airbnb but there are plenty of others to choose from if you don’t do a hotel.

Built atop a 16th-century house, I stayed in a luxurious Airbnb duplex designed with a large terrace, two large bedrooms, and bathrooms, and features like a jacuzzi, antique art, and a fully equipped kitchen. I woke up every morning stepping outside of my building and feeling like royalty.

Taste True Belgian Fries from Here

Just because you eat French fries in Belgium doesn’t mean you are actually eating genuine Belgian fries. 

What makes a Belgian french fry? Beef fat! Without graisse de boeuf, french fries are just cut-up potatoes in need of flavor. The Belgian fry is traditionally prepared with beef fat, double-fried, and served in a cone-shaped cardboard paper. 

I personally loved walking up to the order window at Cafe Georgette to order traditional Belgian fries and would add a side order of pepper-aioli dip and the secret Georgette sauce.

Oh, and I know it’s good because even the locals recommend it. 

Try Belgian Waffles in Different Ways

If there is one thing to do in the world before you die, it is eat Belgian waffles. Now these waffles are not the Belgian waffles you’re thinking of from that one favorite diner you frequent for hangover food. 

Belgian waffles are actually an array of different styles of waffle – none of which include the North American-style breakfast food with syrup.

The yeast-leavened Belgian waffles, like the Brussels waffle, can be found in waffle shops throughout the city and are ready to eat at any time of the day.

You won’t find maple syrup or butter to pair with these dessert foods, but chocolate syrup, mixed fruit, and ice cream are addicting alternatives. 

Order a Brussels waffle for as low as one Euro and eat the takeaway food as you continue to explore the city. 

Take an Epic Day Trip to Bruges

You can’t visit Belgium without making a stop in Bruges as part of your Brussels itinerary. Luckily Belgium is so small that a visit to the old medieval town is a short train ride away from Brussels!

Lined with cobblestone streets (weak ankles, beware) and canals, Bruges still has horse-drawn carriage rides and 17th-century homes. Now primarily a tourist attraction, it really does feel like you’ve slipped into a time machine.

Bravo Discovery is a tour company I used to take a full-day trip (9 hours) to explore Bruges. Complete with train tickets, a tour guide, and a romantic canal ride, I explored the nooks of the old provincial town feeling very Beauty and the Beast-esque.

In my free time, I crept into dark alleys and spotted lively pubs serving Corne du Bois des Pendus (Triple and Blonde Ale Belgium Beer) served in a glass horn on a wooden platform.

Bump up your 4 days in Brussels Itinerary to include these enticing Belgian experiences

Check my guide to find the best flight deals or take a Megabus ride if you coming from a nearby country or city.

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