Ghent itinerary: 1 to 2 days
Plans for one or two days in Ghent, day by day: St Bavo's Cathedral, the Belfry, Saint Nicholas' Church, the Dulle Griet cannon and the Gravensteen first, then Saint Michael's Church by the Leie on the second day. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 2 days
Ghent in 1 day
Day 1
St Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent
Gothic cathedral holding the Van Eyck brothers' Ghent Altarpiece of 1432, with an augmented-reality visit in the crypt.
Belfry of Ghent
A 91 m medieval bell tower with a carillon and a gilded dragon on top; a lift goes up to the viewing gallery.
Dulle Griet
A 15th-century giant wrought-iron cannon, painted red, beside the Vrijdagmarkt; a short stop on the way to the Patershol.
Gravensteen
Moated 12th-century Castle of the Counts in the centre, with an audio tour, weapons and views from the ramparts.
Saint Nicholas' Church, Ghent
Early 13th-century church on the Korenmarkt in Scheldt Gothic style, built of blue-grey Tournai stone.
Ghent in 2 days
Day 1
Gravensteen
Moated 12th-century Castle of the Counts in the centre, with an audio tour, weapons and views from the ramparts.
Dulle Griet
A 15th-century giant wrought-iron cannon, painted red, beside the Vrijdagmarkt; a short stop on the way to the Patershol.
St Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent
Gothic cathedral holding the Van Eyck brothers' Ghent Altarpiece of 1432, with an augmented-reality visit in the crypt.
Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent
An art museum by Citadelpark with works from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, including Flemish masters.
Day 2
Graslei and Korenlei
Two medieval quays facing each other across the Leie, lined with guildhouses and a favourite spot for walks and boat trips.
Saint Nicholas' Church, Ghent
Early 13th-century church on the Korenmarkt in Scheldt Gothic style, built of blue-grey Tournai stone.
Belfry of Ghent
A 91 m medieval bell tower with a carillon and a gilded dragon on top; a lift goes up to the viewing gallery.
Saint Michaels Church Ghent
Gothic church by the Leie with an unfinished tower and a Crucifixion by Anthony van Dyck.
Watch: Ghent
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Ghent
May to September has the mildest weather for walking the canals and the old harbour, and the Gentse Feesten, a ten-day music and street festival, fills the centre in July. Winter is cold, damp and grey, but the Christmas market runs from late November to early January. Ghent is usually less crowded than Bruges.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Ghent on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Ghent on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Ghent on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Belgium from Airalo
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Tips for Ghent
- The Ghent Altarpiece in St Bavo's needs a separate timed ticket; book online. On Sundays the cathedral opens to visitors only in the afternoon.
- Most museums, including MSK, S.M.A.K., STAM and the Design Museum, close on Mondays; the Gravensteen and the Belfry open daily.
- The CityCard Gent (48 or 72 hours) covers the main museums, the Belfry, the Gravensteen, a boat trip and trams and buses.
- Gent-Sint-Pieters station is about 2 km south of the centre; tram 1 runs to the Korenmarkt.
- St Michael's Bridge gives the classic view of the three towers and the Graslei and Korenlei; come back after dark, when the old town is floodlit.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Belfry of Ghent: Trougnouf (Benoit Brummer), CC BY 4.0
- Dulle Griet: Karelj, Public domain
- Graslei and Korenlei: Michiel Hendryckx, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gravensteen: Marc Ryckaert ( MJJR ), CC BY 3.0
- Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent: marie-julie, Public domain
- Saint Michaels Church Ghent: Johan Bakker, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Saint Nicholas' Church, Ghent: Trougnouf (Benoit Brummer), CC BY 4.0
- St Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent: Moody 75, CC BY-SA 2.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
