In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Book the Belfry climb online: it costs €15 on winter weekdays and €16 at weekends and in summer, and Musea Brugge sells it by time slot. The Groeningemuseum closes on 11 January 2027 for four years. Canal boats cost €15 and are bought on the quay, never online. De Halve Maan brewery tour is €16 with one beer. Hotels add €4.20 per person per night in accommodation tax. Trains from Brussels-South take 56 to 59 minutes, and a De Lijn bus ticket is €3.
⚠️ Museum closing days differ. Groeningemuseum, Sint-Janshospitaal and BRUSK close on Mondays, the Gruuthusemuseum on Wednesdays, and the Volkskundemuseum on Mondays and, from 3 November to 31 March, Tuesdays. The Belfry, the Church of Our Lady museum and the Stadhuis open every day. Plan around them before you book.
What to book
| Sight | Book | Adult price | What decides the visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belfry | Online, by time slot | €15 on winter weekdays, €16 at weekends and in summer | 366 steps, no lift; arrive at your slot time |
| Canal boat | On the quay, never online | €15 | 30 minutes; from November to February only one jetty is guaranteed open each day |
| Church of Our Lady | Online, or at the museum pavilion beside the Gruuthusemuseum | €10 for the museum; the church is free | Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child is in the museum |
| Groeningemuseum | Online or at the desk | €15 | Closes 11 January 2027; closed Mondays |
| Sint-Janshospitaal | Online or at the desk | €15 | Memling paintings; closed Mondays |
| Basilica of the Holy Blood | At the door | Church free, museum €5 | The relic is shown 14:00 to 16:00 daily |
| De Halve Maan | Online | €16 with one beer | About 45 minutes; 220 steps |
| Musea Brugge Card | Online | €49 for 72 hours | Covers the open Musea Brugge sites once each; see whether three or more are worth it |
Bruges has no ticket you must book months ahead. The Belfry is the one to reserve: Musea Brugge calls it busy and says that a ticket expires if you miss your slot. You can also buy at the Belfry’s ticket machine or counter.
Sights
- Belfry and Markt. The 83-metre Belfry stands on the Markt. Free things to do in Bruges lists what costs nothing, from the Begijnhof to the four medieval city gates and the windmills on the ramparts.
- Canals. A canal boat runs a half-hour loop between Jan van Eyck Square and the Begijnhof.
- Churches and relics. The Church of Our Lady holds Michelangelo’s marble Madonna and Child; the Basilica of the Holy Blood on the Burg is free to enter.
- Early Flemish painting. The Groeningemuseum and the Sint-Janshospitaal hold Van Eyck, Memling and Gerard David; Bruges museums compares every Musea Brugge site and the card.
- The Begijnhof. The Beguinage, founded in 1245, is free and asks for silence.
- Beer. De Halve Maan is a working family brewery in the centre; beer bars and tours covers the bars.
Where to stay and what the tax is
Bruges charges an accommodation tax on every overnight stay. For 2026 to 2027 it is €3.75 per person per night, or €4.20 with 12% VAT, for room-related accommodation, and the city says children under 18 are exempt. The hotel adds it as a separate line on the invoice, and campsites and camper sites pay €1.68. Where to stay in Bruges compares the historic centre, Sint-Gillis and the station area, with nine hotels, their addresses and their parking charges.
The Spiegelrei canal in the evening. Photo: Acediscovery, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
Arriving and getting around
Take trains to Brugge station, south of the old town. Brugge-Sint-Pieters is a different station in the north-west, and it is not the one for the centre. The Markt is a 20-minute walk from Brugge station, and a bus on line 1 or 2 runs between the two about every 5 minutes. A standard De Lijn ticket costs €3 and lasts 60 minutes, a day ticket is €9, and on the bus you pay by contactless card only.
The Groenerei canal at dusk. Photo: Dietmar Rabich, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- From London: Eurostar runs to Brussels-Midi in 1 hour 53 minutes, and you change for Bruges; Eurostar counts the whole journey at about 3 hours 30 minutes and sells it as one booking. See getting to Bruges and London to Brussels by Eurostar.
- From Brussels: Getting to Bruges covers trains from Brussels-South (56 to 59 minutes, three an hour) and the airport (a direct train every hour, about 1 hour 26 minutes), Charleroi coaches, Ostend-Bruges airport and flat-rate taxi fares.
- In town: Getting around Bruges covers walking, bikes (a city bike is €13 a day), buses and parking. The free Park & Ride car parks are on the edge of town, and the Centrum-Station car park costs €7.10 for 24 hours with a bus ride into the centre included.
- Luggage: lockers at the station start at one day’s rental, and Historium on the Markt has lockers from 10:00 to 18:00.
- Pickpockets and strikes: the UK Foreign Office says theft and pickpocketing are common in crowded areas, and that Belgian rail strikes can be announced at short notice; see is Bruges safe?.
Food, chocolate and beer
- Where to eat in Bruges covers the restaurants worth booking, with their closed days: Cafedraal, Den Amand, Bistro Refter and Den Gouden Karpel are shut on Sunday and Monday. Stoofvlees, the Flemish beef stew braised in beer, is at De Vlaamsche Pot and ‘t Zwart Huis, and set lunches run from €35 to €39.
- Chocolate shops lists the chocolatiers and Choco-Story.
- Beer bars and tours covers ‘t Brugs Beertje, De Garre and the brewery visits.
Day trips
Day trips from Bruges compares the options. Ghent is 22 to 27 minutes by train, Ostend about 14, Ypres about an hour and a half with a change, and Damme is a 5 km canal ride by bike or boat.
A canal in Bruges at dusk, from the Snaggaardstraat bridge. Photo: Trougnouf, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
When to visit and how long to stay
- Best time to visit Bruges compares the months and lists the dates for 2027.
- Bruges in winter and the Bruges Christmas market, which runs from 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027.
- Bruges in one day sets out a route whose four main entries come to €56 or €57, and 2 or 3 days in Bruges adds the museum card and a day trip.
- Is Bruges safe? covers pickpockets, the emergency numbers, the police stations and the local rules.
- Bruges vs Brussels sets the two side by side, with the Belfry and museum prices, the passes, the accommodation tax and the hour-long train between them.
- Romantic city breaks for couples has the canal boat, the Belfry and a table to book, long weekend city breaks fits Bruges into two days, and the Christmas market cities has the Winter Glow dates.
Entry rules for Belgium
Belgium is in the Schengen area, so the 90 days count across every Schengen country you visit.
| Citizen of | Visa | Passport | At the border |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | None for up to 90 days in any 180 | Issued less than 10 years before you arrive, and valid for at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area | Fingerprints and a photo taken at your first entry |
| United States | None for up to 90 days in any 180 | Valid for at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area, and issued less than 10 years ago | Fingerprints and a photo taken at your first entry |
| Canada | None for up to 90 days in any 180 | Valid for at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area, and issued less than 10 years ago | Fingerprints and a photo taken at your first entry |
| Australia | None for up to 90 days in any 180 | Valid for at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area, and issued less than 10 years ago | Fingerprints and a photo taken at your first entry |
| EU citizens | None | Valid passport or national ID card | No registration |
The photo and fingerprints are the EU’s Entry/Exit System, which replaces passport stamps for non-EU visitors and has been fully operational since 10 April 2026. It costs nothing and needs nothing before you travel (EU). The ETIAS travel authorisation, a €20 online form for visa-free visitors, is not yet required: the EU says ETIAS is not in operation and will announce the start date several months ahead (ETIAS). For official safety advice, see the UK Foreign Office and US State Department pages for Belgium.
Money
Belgium uses the euro. Most Musea Brugge sites take cards only; cash is accepted at the museum pavilion beside the Gruuthusemuseum and in the main museum shop at Dijver 16 (Musea Brugge). Tipping is optional: service is already in the price, and 5 to 10% for good service is the usual extra (Visit Bruges).
Itineraries
Day-by-day plans for a first visit.
Itinerary
2 or 3 Days in Bruges: Itinerary With Day Trips
A 2 or 3 day Bruges itinerary: day one in the centre, day two for museums on the €49 card, day three in Ghent, Damme or Ypres, with closing days by weekday and train times.
Itinerary
Bruges in One Day: Itinerary and Timings
Bruges in one day: the Belfry, a canal boat, the Holy Blood relic at 14:00, the Church of Our Lady, a brewery tour and the Begijnhof, with prices, closing days and train times.
Which ticket to buy
The official ticket, the tours that include entry, and which sells out first.
Tickets
Belfry of Bruges Tickets: Prices, Hours, 366 Steps
Belfry of Bruges tickets from Musea Brugge: €15 in winter and €16 at weekends and in summer, opening hours by season, the 366 steps and the carillon concerts.
Tickets
Bruges Canal Cruise: €15 Price, Jetties, Winter
Bruges canal boat tours cost €15 and are bought on the quay: the five jetties, March to October sailings, the winter rota, the 30-minute route and what you pass.
Tickets
Church of Our Lady Bruges: Tickets & Madonna
Church of Our Lady in Bruges: the church is free, the museum with Michelangelo's Madonna and Child costs €10, plus opening hours, Sunday afternoons only and where to buy.
Tickets
Groeningemuseum Tickets: Prices, Hours and Closure
Groeningemuseum tickets in Bruges: €15, opening hours, closed Mondays, and the four-year closure from 11 January 2027 when the collection moves to BRUSK.
Tickets
Sint-Janshospitaal Bruges: Memling Tickets & Hours
Museum Sint-Janshospitaal in Bruges: €15 tickets, closed Mondays, Hans Memling's paintings, the St Ursula Shrine, the attic experience and the 17th-century pharmacy.
Tickets
Basilica of the Holy Blood Bruges: Times & Entry
Basilica of the Holy Blood in Bruges: free entry to both chapels, the relic shown 14:00 to 16:00 daily, the €5 museum and the procession on 6 May 2027.
Tickets
De Halve Maan Brewery Tour Bruges: €16 Tickets
De Halve Maan brewery tour in Bruges: the €16 classic tour with a beer, the €26 weekend XL tour, 220 steps, the rooftop view and the 3.3 km underground beer pipeline.
Tickets
Bruges Museums: Prices, Closing Days & Museum Card
Bruges museums compared: Musea Brugge prices from €3 to €20, which day each one closes, and whether the €49 72-hour Musea Brugge Card pays for itself.
Day trips from Bruges
Out and back in a day, with the tours compared against going on your own.
Day trip
Day Trips From Bruges: Ghent, Ypres, Ostend, Damme
Compare day trips from Bruges: Ghent is 22 to 27 minutes by train, Ostend 13 to 14, Ypres about 1 hour 30 with a change, and Damme is a 5 km canal ride by bike or boat.
Day trip
Ghent Day Trip From Bruges: Trains and Tickets
Ghent is 22 to 27 minutes from Bruges by Intercity train. Train and tram links, Gravensteen €15, Belfry €13, the Ghent Altarpiece at €12.50, and where its upper panels are being restored.
Day trip
Damme Day Trip From Bruges: Boat, Bike and Sights
Damme is a 5 km canal ride from Bruges and has no railway station. Lamme Goedzak boat fares from €12, the 2026 season, the monthly book market and what is open.
Day trip
Ostend Day Trip From Bruges: Museums and Trains
Ostend is 13 to 14 minutes from Bruges by Intercity train. Prices and opening days for the James Ensor House (€14), Mu.ZEE (€12), the Mercator, Fort Napoleon and the Kusttram.
Day trip
Ypres Day Trip From Bruges: Trains and Last Post
Ypres is about 1 hour 30 minutes from Bruges by train, with a change at Kortrijk. The 20:00 Last Post, winter hours at the In Flanders Fields Museum, and buses to Hooge and Zonnebeke.
Where to stay
Areas and hotels, chosen for a visitor rather than a resident.
Airport transfers
From the airport to the centre, every option priced and timed.
Getting around
Tickets, passes and the transport a visitor actually uses.
What's on, month by month
Festivals, holidays and closures that change a visit.
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Food and drink
Where to eat, what to order and when to book.
Food and drink
Bruges Beer Bars and Brewery Tours: Hours and Prices
Bruges beer bars and breweries with opening days and prices: De Garre, 't Brugs Beertje, Café Vlissinghe, the Bourgogne des Flandres brewery tour and De Halve Maan.
Food and drink
Bruges Chocolate Shops: Chocolatiers and Choco-Story
Bruges chocolate shops with addresses and opening hours: The Chocolate Line, Dumon, Mary and Sukerbuyc, plus Choco-Story museum prices and chocolate workshops.
Food and drink
Where to Eat in Bruges: Restaurants and Flemish Food
Where to eat in Bruges: Flemish stew, croquettes, North Sea fish and waffles at places with addresses, closed days, set-menu prices and booking rules, plus food tours.
More guides
Guide
Best Time to Visit Bruges: Months, Events, Weather
The best time to visit Bruges: daffodils in late March, boats daily from March, the Holy Blood Procession on 6 May 2027, the Triennial from 24 April and Winter Glow.
Guide
Beguinage Bruges (Begijnhof): Hours and Visiting Rules
The Begijnhof in Bruges is free and open daily from 07:30, to 18:30 in winter and 20:30 in summer. What to expect, the silence the city asks for, and how to get there.
Guide
Is Bruges Safe? Emergency Numbers and Local Rules
Is Bruges safe for visitors: emergency numbers (112 and 101), police stations, out-of-hours doctors, pickpocketing advice, alcohol and drug rules, and Foreign Office advice.
Guide
Bruges in Winter: What's Open, Closed and Cheaper
Bruges in winter: Belfry and museum hours, which sites close from 3 November, the canal boat rota, Winter Glow to 31 January and cheaper January to March stays.
Guide
Free Things to Do in Bruges: Sights That Cost Nothing
Free things to do in Bruges: the Begijnhof, the Basilica of the Holy Blood, the Church of Our Lady nave, Minnewater, four medieval city gates, the ramparts and windmills, and the markets.
Plan your trip
The rules and costs that apply to every city on the site.
Common questions
What do I need to book in advance in Bruges?
The Belfry, which Musea Brugge says is busy and asks you to book online by time slot. Every other Musea Brugge site also sells time slots online, and De Halve Maan sells its brewery tour online. Canal boats cannot be booked in advance: you buy a ticket on the quay.
When does the Groeningemuseum close?
On 11 January 2027, for a four-year refurbishment. Musea Brugge says the heart of the Groeninge collection will then be shown at BRUSK, the art gallery on the same street.
How much is the accommodation tax in Bruges?
For 2026 to 2027 it is €3.75 per person per night, or €4.20 with 12% VAT, on room-related accommodation. Under-18s are exempt, and it appears as a separate line on your invoice.
How do I get from Brussels to Bruges?
Three trains an hour run from Brussels-South to Brugge station and take 56 to 59 minutes. From Brussels Airport there is a direct hourly train, about 1 hour 26 minutes.
How do I get to Bruges from London?
There is no direct train. Eurostar runs from London St Pancras to Brussels-Midi in 1 hour 53 minutes, and you change there for a local train to Brugge. Eurostar puts the whole journey at about 3 hours 30 minutes and sells it as one booking.
How do I get around Bruges?
On foot: the Markt is a 20-minute walk from Brugge station. A De Lijn bus on line 1 or 2 runs about every 5 minutes for €3 (60 minutes) or €9 for a day, and a city bike costs €13 a day to hire.
Do I need a visa for Belgium?
Not as a UK, US, Canadian or Australian citizen for a stay of up to 90 days in any 180. Belgium is in the Schengen area, so your passport must have been issued less than 10 years ago and be valid for at least 3 months after you leave. The EU's Entry/Exit System takes a photo and fingerprints at your first entry. ETIAS is not yet required.
Is Bruges safe?
Visit Bruges publishes the emergency numbers (112 and 101) and the local rules. The UK Foreign Office says theft and pickpocketing are common in crowded areas of Belgium, and raises terrorism and strike disruption. See the full guide.