Brussels & Bruges Day Trip from Amsterdam

The Atomium

The first stop in Brussels is a photo break at the Atomium, the giant steel structure built for the 1958 World Fair. Its nine shining spheres, linked by tubes, form the shape of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times, and at about 102 metres high it has become one of the most recognisable symbols of Belgium.

On this day trip the Atomium is a 30-minute photo stop from the outside, enough to capture the whole structure against the sky and stretch your legs after the drive from Amsterdam. Entry inside is not included, as the day focuses on the historic centres of Brussels and Bruges. The structure stands in the Heysel area in the north of the city, so the coach stops there first before heading into the old centre.

Brussels: Grand-Place, Town Hall and the Royal Galleries

In the centre of Brussels your guide leads you through the Royal Galleries of Saint-Hubert, an elegant glass-roofed shopping arcade opened in 1847 and lined with chocolate shops, bookshops and cafés. It opens straight onto the Grand-Place, the city’s magnificent main square and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, surrounded by ornate guildhalls decorated with gilded statues and carvings.

Dominating the square is the Gothic Town Hall, built in the fifteenth century, with its slender spire rising almost 100 metres. Facing it is the King’s House, now the City Museum. Many travellers say the Grand-Place is the most beautiful square in Europe, and it is the highlight of any Brussels day trip from Amsterdam.

Manneken Pis, comic murals and the Mont des Arts

A few streets from the Grand-Place stands Manneken Pis, the small bronze fountain statue of a little boy that has been a symbol of the irreverent spirit of Brussels since 1619. It is famously smaller than people expect, and on many days of the year it is dressed in one of its hundreds of costumes. On the way your guide also points out one of the colourful comic strip murals painted on the walls of the old centre, a nod to Belgium’s love of comics.

The walk ends at the Mont des Arts, a terraced garden between the lower and upper town with one of the best views over Brussels, with the Town Hall spire on the skyline. Then you have about two hours of free time in total in Brussels to try Belgian waffles, chocolate or fries before boarding for Bruges.

Bruges: the Lake of Love and the Beguinage

After about two and a half hours on the road you reach Bruges, whose medieval centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The guided walk starts in the calm southern part of the city at the Minnewater, the Lake of Love, a peaceful lake surrounded by willow trees and swans that once served as the inner harbour of the town.

Next to it lies the Beguinage, founded in the thirteenth century for the beguines, religious women who lived in community without taking full vows. Its white houses around a quiet green courtyard full of trees create one of the most serene places in Bruges, and visitors are asked to keep silent as they walk through.

Bruges canals, Markt and the Belfry

The walk continues past the Bonifacius Bridge, a small stone bridge hidden among old houses and one of the most romantic corners of the city, to the Rozenhoedkaai, the canal quay often called the most photographed spot in Bruges, with the Belfry rising above the rooftops.

Your guide then leads you to the Markt, the main square framed by colourful stepped-gable houses, and to the Belfry of Bruges, an 83-metre medieval bell tower with 366 steps to the top (entry not included). Nearby on the Burg square stands the City Hall of 1376, one of the oldest Gothic town halls in the Low Countries. Free time in Bruges lets you enjoy chocolate shops and the canals before the coach returns to Amsterdam.