Looking for the perfect Belgium road trip itinerary? This route takes you through fairytale towns, medieval castles, scenic canals, and some of the most beautiful places to visit in Belgium, including Bruges, Ghent, Dinant, Durbuy, and Brussels.

Between medieval canal cities, cliffside citadels, legendary beer culture, hidden alleyways, and enough waffles and Flemish stew to put you into a food coma, Belgium completely surprised us in the best way possible.

Belgium Road Trip: Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, Dinant & Durbuy

We spent 4 days road-tripping through some of the country’s most iconic cities and hidden gems including Brussels, Dinant, Durbuy, Ghent, and Bruges. One minute we were wandering through the “smallest city in the world,” the next we were cruising down the Meuse River beneath a cliffside citadel before ending the night drinking beer out of a shoe in Ghent.

This itinerary combines famous highlights with quirky local spots, incredible food, and a few “this place should be way more famous” moments along the way.

This Belgium road trip ended up becoming one of the most unexpectedly fun legs of our Europe trip and honestly? Belgium deserves way more hype.

If you’re planning a Belgium itinerary that goes beyond just Brussels, this road trip takes you through hidden gems, castles, beer culture, canal cities, and some of the prettiest medieval towns we’ve ever seen.

Stop 1: Brussels - 12 Hours in Belgium’s Capital

Before starting our Belgium road trip, we spent one night in Brussels and to be honest, Brussels wasn't exactly our cup of tea.

We had high hopes for Brussels but unfortunately Brussels didn’t completely steal our hearts the way Bruges, Ghent, and Dinant did. But Grand Place? Grand Place absolutely understood the assignment. The towering historic buildings, gold details, and atmosphere made it one of the most stunning squares we visited anywhere in Europe. Brussels may not have been our favorite stop of the trip, but Grand Place absolutely made the city worth visiting.

📍Grand Place

Grand Place completely lived up to the hype.

The ornate buildings surrounding the square are absolutely stunning, especially at night when everything lights up.

It’s easily one of the most beautiful city squares we’ve seen in Europe.

If you only see one thing in Brussels, make it this.

📍The Peeing Statues of Brussels

Brussels really leaned into the peeing statue theme.

First there’s the famous Manneken Pis.

Then we discovered there’s also a peeing girl statue called Jeanneke Pis.

And because apparently Belgium fully commits to a bit, there’s even a peeing dog statue called Zinneke Pis.

Finding all three somehow became one of the funniest parts of our time in Brussels.

📍Atomium

We also visited the Atomium which genuinely looks like a giant futuristic science experiment dropped into Belgium.

It’s weird, iconic, and somehow perfectly matches Brussels’ chaotic energy.

After our quick stop in Brussels, we picked up our rental car and officially began our Belgium road trip.

Stop 2: Durbuy - The Smallest City in the World

The first stop on our Belgium road trip was a place you've probably never heard of - Durbuy. Immediately, we understood why people rave about this place.

Durbuy is often referred to as “the smallest city in the world,” and while tiny, it somehow packs in cobblestone streets, stone houses, cozy cafés, and major fairytale energy.

We spent a few hours simply wandering the narrow streets, checking out little shops, and soaking in the atmosphere before continuing our drive deeper into Belgium.

If you’re road tripping through Belgium, Durbuy is 100% worth adding as a stop.

Stop 3: Dinant - Belgium’s Hidden Gem

Dinant ended up being one of the biggest surprises of our trip.

Built dramatically along the Meuse River and backed by steep cliffs, Dinant almost looks fake when you first arrive.

We spent one night here but we wished we had stayed longer.

📍Dinant Citadel

The giant cliffside citadel completely dominates the skyline.

This is a must when in Dinant. The views overlooking the river and town were incredible and the entire experience inside the citadel was incredibly informative and immersive.

This is a great stop for people of all ages.

📍Meuse River Cruise

We also took a 45-minute Meuse River cruise which gave us a completely different perspective of Dinant.

Seeing the cliffs, cathedral, and citadel from the water was absolutely worth it.

📍Saxophone Bridge

Dinant is the birthplace of Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone, and the entire city embraces it.

The colorful saxophones lining the bridge ended up being one of the most photogenic spots in town.

📍Maison Leffe

Beer lovers won't want to miss Maison Leffe, an interactive museum dedicated to one of Belgium's most famous beers, where you can learn about the brewery's history, enjoy a draft Leffe, and take home a souvenir glass.

Belgium really treats beer like a personality trait and honestly? Respect.

🌟 Exploring Dinant & Durbuy?

Dinant ended up being one of the biggest surprises of our Belgium road trip, while tiny Durbuy felt like stepping directly into a storybook.

From cliffside citadels and river cruises to kayaking and medieval streets, we dive much deeper into both destinations in our full guide.

👉 Read our DINANT & DURBUY guide here: Dinant & Durbuy Belgium Travel Guide: Belgium’s Most Underrated Fairytale Towns

Stop 4: Ghent - Castles, Graffiti & Shoe Beer

About a 2 - 2.5 hour drive from Dinant takes you to Ghent... and immediately we loved the energy and vibe of this city.

Ghent somehow manages to feel historic, edgy, and slightly unhinged all at the same time.

📍Saint Bavo’s Cathedral

This cathedral is absolutely massive and worth stepping inside.

📍Gravensteen Castle

A must do when in Ghent is tour Gravensteen Castle, a medieval fortress right in the middle of the city.

It honestly looked like the kind of castle you’d expect in Game of Thrones.

📍Dulle Griet - The Shoe Beer

This was one of the weirdest and funniest experiences of the trip.

At Dulle Griet, if you order one of their giant beers, they literally take one of your shoes as collateral.

Yes. Your actual shoe.

Apparently Belgium takes beer theft very seriously.

🌟 Want More Ghent Travel Tips?

Ghent ended up being one of our biggest surprises in Belgium and honestly may have been our favorite city of the trip. Between medieval castles, canals, quirky beer bars, and hidden alleyways, there’s so much more to see than we could fit into this itinerary.

👉 Read our GHENT guide here: Ghent Belgium Travel Guide: Europe’s Most Underrated Fairytale City

Stop 5: Bruges - Belgium’s Fairytale City

After Ghent we drove about 45 minutes to Bruges where we spent two nights.

Bruges is touristy. There’s no denying that.

But it’s also ridiculously beautiful.

Canals, medieval buildings, horse carriages, chocolate shops, beer bars, tiny alleyways… Bruges somehow still manages to feel magical despite how popular it is.

📍Belfry of Bruges

We visited at 9am right when it opened.

While the views are nice, this was probably one of the few things in Bruges we personally didn’t think was fully worth the price point at around €18 per person.

If climbing towers is your thing, you may love it. But if you’re short on time or budget, we’d prioritize canal wandering and food instead.

📍The Old Chocolate House

If you only stop for one sweet treat in Bruges, make it this place.

The hot chocolate is rich and the waffles were easily some of the best we had in Belgium.

📍De Halve Maan Brewery

One of Bruges' most unique attractions is the historic De Halve Maan Brewery, a family-run brewery that has been producing beer in the city for generations. Visitors can tour the brewery, learn about the brewing process, and enjoy panoramic views of Bruges from the rooftop.

But the coolest part? 🍻

To avoid sending delivery trucks through Bruges' narrow medieval streets, the brewery built a 3.2-kilometer (2-mile) underground beer pipeline beneath the city. The pipeline transports freshly brewed beer from the brewery in the historic center to the bottling plant on the outskirts of town - making it one of the most unusual beer transportation systems in the world.

Even if you're not a huge beer drinker, the story alone makes this one of the most fascinating stops in Bruges.

🌟 Planning More Time in Bruges?

Bruges completely lived up to its fairytale reputation. From canal cruises and cozy beer bars to chocolate shops and hidden corners beyond the main squares, there’s a lot more to explore.

👉 Read our BRUGES guide here: Bruges Travel Guide: Belgium’s Real-Life Fairytale City

Final Thoughts

Belgium completely exceeded our expectations.

Between cliffside river towns, medieval cities, quirky beer traditions, fairytale canals, castles, waffles, and some of the coziest atmosphere we’ve experienced in Europe, this trip felt packed with variety despite covering relatively short distances.

If you’re planning your own Belgium itinerary, we’d highly recommend combining iconic cities like Bruges and Ghent with smaller places like Dinant and Durbuy. Those quieter stops ended up becoming some of our favorite memories from the trip.

If you got this far, thanks for reading and remember to STAY CLASSLESS 😉

🇧🇪 Planning Your Belgium Adventure?

Still building your itinerary? We’ll continue adding more Belgium guides including:

🍫🍺 Belgian food experiences

✨ Fairytale towns in Belgium

🚆 Best Day Trips from Brussels

Check back soon as we continue expanding our Belgium travel series.

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Dinant & Durbuy Belgium Travel Guide: Belgium’s Most Underrated Fairytale Towns

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