Brussels To Ghent Day Trip: What To See & Do

This post will share the details of my Brussels to Ghent day trip.

After dealing with all the crazy crowds in Italy in June and Spain in July, I decided to close out the Summer by returning to Belgium.

I visited Belgium in April, and my trip focused primarily on Brussels, the capital city, and Bruges.

That experience alone was enough to send me back again in August.

After spending four days in Belgium, I can categorically say Brussels is now my comfort city.

I mean, what’s not to love?!

It’s just an hour’s flight from Manchester, and it’s mostly always cheap.

During off-peak season, you can get a return ticket between £10-15.

The vibes are immaculate, and the people are proper friendly and nice.

There was none of that fake niceness like in Spain and Italy.

You could tell from their eyes that they were genuinely pleased to have conversed with you.

Plus, the food is cheap too.

You can survive on Belgian waffles and fries if you’re picky like me.

There are tons to see and do, and public transport to all the major cities is less than 90 minutes away.

Again, what’s not to love?! Yes, I know it’s a small country, making it even more appealing.

After exploring Brussels and Bruges on my previous trips, I decided to explore Ghent, Antwerp, and Ostend this time.

This post will be about Ghent, and subsequent posts will be about the two other cities.

Getting To Ghent From Brussels

One of my favourite things about Belgium is how easy it is to travel from one city to another via train.

Unlike some other countries where the rail tickets are extortionate, travelling around Belgium is pretty affordable.

Brussels to Ghent typically takes around 35 minutes depending on which train station you’re travelling from.

I travelled from Brussels Central Station because it was easier to get to with my schedule.

After struggling with the lack of English directions back in April, it was super easy to navigate this time.

Instead of buying my tickets from third-party sites such as Trainline, I downloaded the official Belgian Railways app; the SNCB.

This way, I got the cheapest prices for all my journeys.

Like every other rail app, you can buy the ticket in-app and show the QR code to the inspector.

Brussels Central to Ghent Sint Pieters costs €9.30/£8.19 one way.

Moving Around Ghent

Like most European cities, Ghent is also completely walkable and pedestrian-friendly.

But if you have limited time, you can always hop on one of the buses directly in front of the train station to and from the city centre.

You can use your contactless to pay, and I paid about €5/£4.22 for a return journey.

Here Are All The Best Things To Do On A Brussels To Ghent Day Trip

I never really paid attention to Ghent until I was going through the r/solotravel, and Redditors were comparing the various cities in Belgium.

Many people were talking about how they prefer Ghent to Bruges because the latter has become a tourist hotspot compared to the former.

Based on my experience this Summer, Ghent was equally popular with the tourists.

Maybe not crazy busy, but decently active.

At first impression, I was expecting to be blown away by Ghent, but I just kept mentally comparing it to Bruges.

I honestly couldn’t help myself.

Despite the busyness, I think Ghent is charming in its way as well.

It has very chilled, laid-back vibes that will force you to relax.

With enough attractions to keep you occupied and entertainment to keep you busy, Ghent is worth visiting if you have the time.

As always, I’ll split the attractions into interest-based categories.

Iconic Landmarks

• Gravensteen: 10th-century medieval castle formerly used as a court, prison, mint, and cotton factory but is now a historical landmark and museum.
• Saint Bavo’s Cathedral: 10th-century Gothic cathedral of the Catholic Church known for its Ghent Altarpiece.
• Saint Nicholas’ Church: 13th-century Gothic church with a unique Scheldt style known for being one of the oldest landmarks in Ghent.
• Het Belfort van Gent: 14th-century Belfry similar to the one in Bruges.
• Graffiti Street: A unique alleyway showcasing vibrant street art similar to the East Side Gallery in Berlin.
• Citadel Park: 19th-century park with monuments and museums.
• Stadshal / City Pavilion: Another newly constructed large canopy juxtaposed with ancient buildings is Ghent’s government’s attempt to redevelop the public squares.
• Saint Bavo’s Abbey: 7th-century ruins of a former abbey
• Sint-Michielsbrug: The iconic stone-arch bridge is the perfect spot for solo or group picnics.
• De Post: Stunning former post office building converted to a shopping centre.
• Korenmarkt: Iconic city square in the centre of Ghent surrounded by several historic buildings.

Museums

• SMAK – Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art: Newly opened contemporary art museum with permanent exhibitions.
• Museum of Fine Arts: A classical art museum focusing on Flemish Art with an extensive collection of over 9000 artworks from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.
• Museum Dr Guislain: A museum that focuses on psychiatry’s history in a former asylum.
• Museum of Industry, Work and Textiles: A pivotal industrial museum in a cotton mill.
• Huis van Alijn: A cultural museum about the daily life of the 20th century.
• Design Museum Ghent: A 19th-century museum of furniture and product design.

Shopping, Food & Drink

There are tons of high-street stores in the historical city centre, including the more popular mainland European brands like Bershka, Stradivarius, Pull & Bear, etc.

If you’re on a budget and need to pick up some basics, you’ll find a Primark as well.

Learn more about Ghent’s shopping districts.

The rule of thumb for food is to avoid buying from restaurants near tourist attractions as they tend to be overpriced.

The farther you go, the cheaper the meals typically are.

But if you’re on a budget, you can always pop into a grocery store and have a picnic by the Sint-Michielsbrug bridge.

I promise you won’t feel alone as you will find people doing the same.

In Summary

While Ghent had its character, I think I still prefer Bruges to it.

Something is charming about the city that captured my heart for the first time.

Now, I’m not saying you should skip Ghent.

On the contrary, I think you should experience the city for yourself to form your opinions.

Nevertheless, with the mild temperatures, Ghent and Belgium are great countries to explore without worrying about heat waves in the middle of Summer.

However, you might get some rain, so it’s a good idea to pack a mini umbrella or a parka jacket.