In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Royal Palace of Brussels opens for about six weeks each summer: 3 July to 16 August in 2026, daily except Mondays, 10:30 to 17:00. It cost €10 for visitors aged 13 and over in 2026, the first year it charged, and tickets are sold online only, for timed slots. There are no tickets at the door and no guided tours. The visit takes about 60 minutes. Backpacks over 30 litres are refused and there is no cloakroom. The Royal Greenhouses of Laeken open for about three weeks each spring. The Brussels Card does not cover the palace. Prices are in euros. Or book a tour: the palace has no listing on GetYourGuide, and the guided walking tourad is from €25 (GetYourGuide).
Tickets and prices
The visit is run by BELSPO, the Belgian federal science-policy office, and tickets are sold on the palace’s own site. Searches for the palace return sites that are not the operator, so book there.
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Visitor aged 13 and over | €10 |
| Visitor aged 12 and under on the day | Free |
- Online only. On-site reservations and ticket purchases are not possible. Each slot admits a limited number of visitors.
- Up to 10 people can be booked at once, children included.
- No changes. Once a visit is booked it cannot be changed. If your slot is full, choose another, because the palace keeps no waiting lists.
- Late means no entry. Arrive within your time slot.
- Why it costs money. The palace explains that BELSPO’s dedicated budget for the opening was discontinued in the federal government’s cost-saving measures, and that ticket revenue covers security, cleaning and visitor services.
Where to buy
| What | The palace | GetYourGuide | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer opening ticket | €10, online only | No listing | The palace’s own site |
Tours worth paying for
The palace organises no guided tours and GetYourGuide sells no ticket for it, so the visit is self-guided. A walking tour of the centre is the way to add a guide to the day. Prices are the lowest “from” prices, per person.
Brussels guided walking tour
From €25 · 4.6 stars from 4,320 reviews
Brussels: Guided Walking Tourad is a guided walk of the city centre. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. Brussels walking tours compares the others.
Must-see attractions walking tour
From €28 · 4.8 stars from 211 reviews
Brussels Must-See Attractions Walking Tourad is another walk of the centre. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
What to see
The palace is the administrative residence and main workplace of the King and Queen, The 2026 opening was the first after a period of extensive renovation.
The Royal Palace of Brussels beyond its box-hedge parterres. Photo: Martin Falbisoner, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- The Staircase of Honour. The visit climbs it to the first-floor salons, which are accessible to wheelchair users.
- The Throne Room. Built under Leopold II, with four low reliefs by Auguste Rodin in the centre, which stand for the economic activities of the Belgian provinces. Thomas Vinçotte’s figures of the Scheldt and the Meuse, for Flanders and Wallonia, sit above the doors.
- The Large Gallery. A gala room for dinners and receptions, with ceiling paintings by Charles-Léon Cardon showing the moments of the day.
- The garden. The visit ends with a short walk of 250 metres outdoors, over cobblestones. The link from the garden to the exit runs through a gallery with stairs and no lift.
- The shop. Books, guides and postcards at the end of the route. The palace recommends paying by card.
The Staircase of Honour in the Royal Palace. Photo: KingBaudoin, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
The order that works: follow the route, which is one way, and allow about 60 minutes. What to skip: nothing; the visit is short. The palace has no benches, no cloakroom and no food or drink, so eat before you go.
The Throne Room, with its gilded pilasters and crystal chandelier. Photo: Marc Ryckaert, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Royal Greenhouses of Laeken
The Royal Greenhouses stand in the Royal Domain at Avenue du Parc Royal 61, Laeken. They open for about three weeks each spring, and the operator announces each year’s dates on its own site. Alphonse Balat, the tutor of Victor Horta, began designing the complex in 1873 as a glass city in the park.
A glass dome and glasshouse roofs of the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken. Photo: Daderot, Wikimedia Commons.
- The routes. A short route of 2 km or a long one of 3 km. Evening visits offer only the short route. The long route starts in the gardens, with the temple ruins beside a pond and the rose arch, before the greenhouses.
- What is open. The Palm, Azalea, Diana and Mirror greenhouses and the Geranium Gallery, and the Orangery, which shelters the camellia, orange and laurel trees over the winter. The largest greenhouse, the Winter Garden, is under renovation and was not open in 2026.
- The 2026 addition. The tour began in the Grand Gallery of Honour at Laeken Castle.
- Getting there. The Atomium and Mini-Europe are the other big sights with a 1020 postcode.
Hours, rules and getting there
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Opening, 2026 | 3 July to 16 August, daily except Monday, 10:30 to 17:00, last entry 16:00 |
| Opening, 2027 | The operator will announce the dates in 2027 |
| Bags | Backpacks up to 30 litres allowed; large backpacks and trolleys refused; baby carriers allowed |
| Photos | Allowed; tripods and long photo sessions are not |
| Pushchairs | The route has several flights of stairs |
| Wheelchairs | The first part is accessible; mention it when booking, since numbers per slot are limited. The second part is not |
| Food, pets, drones | No picnics, no pets except guide dogs, no drones |
- Getting there: the palace is in the centre of Brussels. The operator gives walking times of 6 minutes from Trône (metro lines 2 and 6), 7 minutes from Parc (lines 1 and 5), 9 minutes from Arts-Loi and 10 minutes from Brussels-Central. Brussels public transport has the fares.
- Facilities: two toilets on the route, no benches and no cloakroom.
- The one thing that ruins a visit: turning up in autumn, winter or spring expecting to go in. The palace is open to visitors in summer only, and the day’s slot has to be booked online.
What to book in Brussels has the closed days for every sight. The Magritte Museum is on Place Royale and is shut on Mondays, like the palace’s opening. The old town walk passes the palace front and the Coudenberg, which is open all year. The Grand-Place is the other half of a royal day, with the Town Hall tour. Free things to do in Brussels lists the sights that cost nothing. 3 days in Brussels places the palace in a July or August visit. For a bed, see where to stay in Brussels.
Common questions
When is the Royal Palace of Brussels open to visitors?
For about six weeks each summer. In 2026 it opened from 3 July to 16 August, daily except Mondays, from 10:30 to 17:00 with the last entry at 16:00. The opening is an annual event, not a year-round attraction.
How much is a ticket for the Royal Palace?
€10 for visitors aged 13 and over in 2026, and free for those aged 12 and under. It is the first year the palace has charged: the body that runs the opening, the federal science-policy office BELSPO, lost the budget that paid for it.
Can I buy Royal Palace tickets at the door?
No. Booking in advance is mandatory and tickets are sold online only, for timed slots. You can book for a maximum of 10 people, a booked visit cannot be changed, and there are no waiting lists. If you are late for your slot you are not admitted.
Are there guided tours of the Royal Palace?
No. The operator organises no guided tours. The visit is self-guided and takes about 60 minutes.
Can I take a backpack into the Royal Palace?
Backpacks up to 30 litres are allowed. Large backpacks and trolleys are not, and there is no cloakroom.
When are the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken open?
For about three weeks each spring. The Greenhouses announce each year's dates on their own site, and the opening period for 2026 has ended.
Is the Royal Palace the King's home?
No. It is the administrative residence and main workplace of the King and Queen. The visit covers the historic state rooms where royal activities take place during the year.
