In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Ghent is 22 to 27 minutes from Brugge on a direct Intercity train, with about four an hour, arriving at Gent-Sint-Pieters; trams 1 and 3 run from there to the centre every 10 minutes. The Gravensteen castle costs €15, the Belfry €13 and the Ghent Altarpiece €12.50, so the three together are €40.50. Or book a tour: the Ghent: 50-Minute Medieval Centre Guided Boat Tripad (from €11, 4.5 stars from 7,214 reviews) covers the canal-side sights without any route planning, and the Ghent Walking Tour with Optional Boat Tripad (from €19, 3.9 stars from 159 reviews) links the castle, the cathedral and the Belfry in about two hours. The other trips are in day trips from Bruges.
⚠️ The Ghent Altarpiece is in two places. The restored outer shutters and the lower row are in the cathedral. The upper row is being restored at the MSK in Citadelpark, and the cathedral shows colour photographs where those panels hang. The MSK shows the restoration until 31 December 2026, and the cathedral gives spring 2027 for its end (MSK, St Bavo’s Cathedral).
Getting from Bruges to Ghent
Take a train from Brugge station, not Brugge-Sint-Pieters, which is in the north-west of the city.
| Detail | Brugge to Gent-Sint-Pieters |
|---|---|
| Fastest trains | Intercity, 22 to 27 minutes |
| Frequency | About four Intercity trains an hour, plus a slower local train of about 40 minutes |
| Fare | Set by distance and shown in the SNCB app or at belgiantrain.be before you pay |
| Station to centre | Trams 1 and 3, every 10 minutes. A De Lijn ticket costs €3 and is valid for 60 minutes |
| Luggage | The Gravensteen has no lockers or cloakroom, so travel light |
The Discovery Ticket gives 40% off the same-day return train fare if you buy a Gravensteen ticket, and the Gravensteen’s own page tells you how to claim it. The tram is extra.
A vaulted hall inside the Gravensteen. Photo: Zairon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Tours worth paying for
A guide saves you working out an order between the castle, the cathedral and the Belfry, which stand in different corners of the old centre. The boat trips need no booking skill, only a ticket.
Ghent boat trip
From €11 · 4.5 stars from 7,214 reviews · 50 minutes · guided
Ghent: 50-Minute Medieval Centre Guided Boat Tripad takes you through the medieval centre past the birthplace of Charles V, historic churches and the castle. Gent-Watertoerist, one of the operators, runs a 40-minute guided trip from the Graslei jetty along the Leie and the Lieve to the Rabot towers for €11, and the CityCard covers it (Gent-Watertoerist).
Walking tour with an optional boat trip
From €19 · 3.9 stars from 159 reviews · 2 to 2.5 hours
Ghent Walking Tour with Optional Boat Tripad discovers the centre on foot and, if you choose the add-on, by water. The price is the cheapest option in the product.
Guided bike tour
From €45 · 4.7 stars from 278 reviews · 2.5 hours
Ghent: City Highlights and Hidden Gems Guided Bike Tourad rides past abbeys and churches and through historic and contemporary parts of the city. It suits a reader who has seen the big sights and wants the streets between them.
Gravensteen
Sint-Veerleplein 11 · €15 adult, €7.50 aged 19 to 25, €3 aged 13 to 18, free to 12 · daily 10:00 to 18:00, last tickets 16:40
A medieval castle in the middle of the city, with narrow spiral staircases and over 480 steps in all. The ticket includes an audio guide, and you choose between the Comedy Tour, made with the comedian Wouter Deprez, and the Big Five tour, a “speed date” with five figures from the castle’s past. The castle has no lift and is not wheelchair accessible. Book online to be sure of entry, or buy at the desk while tickets last; the price is the same either way. It is shut on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January (Historische Huizen Gent).
St Bavo’s Cathedral and the Ghent Altarpiece
Sint-Baafsplein · altarpiece €12.50 for 25 minutes, €16 with the AR tour · cathedral Mon to Sat 08:30 to 17:30, Sun 13:00 to 17:30
The 25-minute altarpiece visit is timed around the opening of the panels at 10:15 and their closing at 17:15. The 60-minute augmented-reality tour starts in the crypt and ends at the altarpiece. It costs €16, or €8 for children aged 6 to 10 on the children’s version, and the last entry is 16:00. The AR glasses fit over your own glasses, and the cathedral does not recommend the tour to anyone very prone to epilepsy. Entry to the altarpiece closes at 17:00 from Monday to Saturday. Buy tickets in advance on the cathedral’s site.
The tower and west window of St Bavo’s Cathedral. Photo: John Samuel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
MSK, Museum of Fine Arts
Fernand Scribedreef 1, Citadelpark · closed Mondays · Tue to Fri 09:30 to 17:30, Sat and Sun 10:00 to 18:00
The upper row of the altarpiece, with God enthroned between the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist, the music-making angels, and Adam and Eve, is restored here behind glass. The restorers work from Tuesday to Friday and are absent at weekends, on public holidays and from 24 December to 2 January, when the panels stay on display. A ticket costs €19 until 9 January 2027 while the current exhibition runs, then €15 from 10 January 2027, and also covers the permanent collection (MSK tickets). The museum is shut on 25 and 26 December and 1 and 2 January and closes at 16:00 on 24 and 31 December. It is about 15 minutes’ walk from Gent-Sint-Pieters, so it suits the first stop of the day.
Belfry
Sint-Baafsplein · €13 adult, €6.50 aged 19 to 25, €2.60 aged 13 to 18, free to 12 · daily 10:00 to 18:00, last tickets 17:00
A fiery dragon guards the top of the spire. The lift runs only from the first floor, so the lower part of the climb is on foot and the building is not suitable for visitors with reduced mobility. Book online, or buy at the desk while there is capacity. It is shut on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January (Historische Huizen Gent).
The Belfry and the Cloth Hall beside Sint-Baafsplein. Photo: Davidh820, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Is the CityCard worth it?
The CityCard Gent costs €49 for 48 hours or €55 for 72 hours and covers the Gravensteen, the Belfry, the MSK, trams and buses, one guided boat trip and a day’s bike hire. For a day trip, the Gravensteen (€15), the Belfry (€13), the MSK (€19 until 9 January 2027) and a boat trip (€11) add up to €58 at the gate, so the card wins if you do all four. It also takes €10 off an altarpiece ticket if you book that online in advance and choose the CityCard option. If you only want the castle and the cathedral, pay at the gate.
The Leie between the Graslei and Korenlei quays. Photo: User:LimoWreck, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Next
Ostend is 13 to 14 minutes from Brugge by Intercity, in the Ostend day trip, and the canal village of Damme is in the Damme day trip. The full comparison is in day trips from Bruges, and getting to Bruges covers the station.
Common questions
How long is the train from Bruges to Ghent?
The fastest Intercity trains take 22 to 27 minutes from Brugge to Gent-Sint-Pieters, and about four leave every hour. A slower local train takes about 40 minutes.
How do you get from Gent-Sint-Pieters station to the centre?
Trams 1 and 3 run from the station to the city centre every 10 minutes. A single De Lijn ticket costs €3 and is valid for 60 minutes, so a change within the hour is free.
How much do the Gravensteen, the Belfry and the Ghent Altarpiece cost?
The Gravensteen costs €15 for an adult and the Belfry €13. The Ghent Altarpiece costs €12.50 for a 25-minute visit, or €16 with the 60-minute augmented-reality tour.
Is the Ghent CityCard worth buying for a day trip?
The 48-hour card costs €49 and covers the Gravensteen, the Belfry, the MSK, one guided boat trip and trams and buses. The Gravensteen (€15), Belfry (€13), MSK (€19 until 9 January 2027) and a boat trip (€11) come to €58 at the gate, and the card also takes €10 off a pre-booked altarpiece ticket.
Can you see the whole Ghent Altarpiece in St Bavo's Cathedral?
Not at present. The upper row of panels is being restored at the Museum of Fine Arts (MSK) and the cathedral shows colour photographs in their place. The cathedral gives spring 2027 as the end of the restoration.
