The Best Tours in Brussels: Walking Tours, Food Experiences and Unique Things to Do

Looking for the best Brussels tours? Here’s my guide to the Brussels walking tours, food experiences, chocolate workshops, Belgian beer tickets, day trips and nightlife tours actually worth considering for your trip. From someone who’s been to Brussels again and again!

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I used to think Brussels was one of those cities you could more or less understand by standing in Grand-Place, taking a photo with Manneken Pis and eating something covered in chocolate.

I was wrong.

Very wrong!

I first visited Brussels in 2018, when it was one of my earliest European trips, and came back years later determined to see more than the handful of places most visitors are funnelled towards.

I followed the city’s Comic Strip Walk, explored Matongé, tried more Belgian cafés and Belgian restaurants, and finally felt I was getting a better understanding of what the city was about.

And at the end of it all, although Brussels is easy to walk around, a Brussels tour really brings the city to life in a way that’s hard to replicate.

That might mean hearing why Grand-Place looks the way it does, tasting a proper Liège waffle rather than choosing the first overloaded one you see, making your own Belgian chocolates or letting somebody else handle the transport for a long day in Bruges and Ghent.

Bruges & Ghent Day Tour – 2 Fairytale Cities

With that said, here’s my list of the top tours I recommend based on visiting Brussels multiple times, travelling independently around Brussels, Bruges and Ghent, and eating my way through Belgium along the way.

Shall we?

About the Author

Hi, I’m Candace — a London-based travel writer and content creator who traded the East Coast of the US for the charm of the UK back in 2016. London’s been my home ever since.

On this blog, you’ll find hundreds of thoughtfully crafted London, UK, Europe and Worldwide travel guides alongside lots of insider London tips, honest hotel and restaurant reviews and advice for content creators.

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Quick Picks: The Best Brussels Tours

If you’re short on time, here’s the Brussels tour I’d choose depending on your trip.

My top pick for most first-time visitors is the Historical Tour with Chocolate & Waffle Tasting.

It gives you a useful introduction to central Brussels, its history and its food in one 2.5-hour walk without swallowing your entire day.

Quick Answer: What Is the Best Tour in Brussels?

For most first-time visitors, I’d book the Brussels Historical Tour with Chocolate & Waffle Tasting.

Their small-group route lasts 2.5 hours and covers central Brussels from Grand-Place to the Royal Quarter, with a Belgian waffle and praline tasting included.

It’s the strongest all-round choice for me since it combines the city’s main historical sights, enough context to understand what you’re seeing and two food stops you were probably planning to make anyway, all in one lovely tour.

If you’ve already covered central Brussels, I’d choose either the guided food tour, the chocolate-making workshop or something more specific like the city’s Comic Strip Walk.

Best Brussels Tours: Quick Comparison

At the time of writing.

1. Brussels: Historical Tour with Chocolate & Waffle Tasting

Best for: First-time visitors who want Brussels history and food in one go
Duration: 2.5 hours
Group: Small-group with a maximum of 14 guests
Includes: Guided walking tour, Belgian waffle, praline tasting and local recommendations
My verdict: The Brussels tour I’d book first.

If you’re only booking one tour in Brussels, I’d choose the Historical Tour with Chocolate & Waffle Tasting.

It gives you the major central sights, enough history to understand what you’re looking at and two foods you were probably going to try in Brussels anyway.

The route begins with a freshly prepared waffle and moves through Grand-Place, where Brussels’ Gothic City Hall faces the richly decorated former guildhouses.

The square looks beautiful today, but it was largely rebuilt after the French bombardment of Brussels in 1695, and a guide will help turn the façades into real Brussels history!

From there, the tour continues past Manneken Pis, the nineteenth-century Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, the Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula, the Royal Palace of Brussels and Mont des Arts.

The tasting portion includes chocolate and the route ends around the gorgeous Royal Quarter, giving you a nice base to continue towards Sablon, the museums or the park afterwards.

I’d book it for a fabulous first introduction to the city.

2. From Brussels: Bruges & Ghent Day Tour – 2 Fairytale Cities

Best for: Travellers using Brussels as a base who want to see Bruges and Ghent in one day
Duration: 10.5 hours
Includes: Air-conditioned coach travel and guided walking tours in both cities
Good to know: Lunch, attraction tickets and the optional Bruges boat ride are not included
My verdict: A long day, but the most practical guided day trip if your Belgium itinerary is tight.

But if Brussels is your base and you have only one day available for the rest of Flanders, this Bruges & Ghent Day Tour from Brussels is a good option if you want to remove train planning, transfers, building your route and constant clock-checking.

I’ve visited Bruges twice and Ghent twice, including travelling between them independently, so I can say with certainty that they’re not interchangeable versions of the same canal city.

Ghent is larger, more lived-in and still very much a working university city. And with your guide, you’ll pass through the area around St Bavo’s Cathedral, home to the Ghent Altarpiece, the medieval harbour around Graslei and Korenlei, and Gravensteen Castle.

Bruges is smaller and more immediately storybook-looking, with its canals, medieval centre, Begijnhof and Markt.

I’d book it for a useful introduction to both Belgian cities.

P.S. – Prefer to travel independently? Use my Brussels to Bruges day-trip guide, Brussels to Ghent train guide or full Bruges and Ghent itinerary.

3. Brussels: City Centre Guided Food Tour with Tastings

Best for: Foodie-first travellers who want lunch and sightseeing handled together
Duration: 3 hours
Group: Limited to 10 participants
Includes: Personal guide, walking tour and several savoury and sweet tastings
Good to know: Vegetarian options are available, but individual tastings can change seasonally
My verdict: The Brussels food tour I’d prioritise.

If your best travel memories usually involve something fried, filled, baked or covered in chocolate, look at the City Centre Guided Food Tour with Tastings.

Here you can shamelessly indulge—it is a tasting after all!—in fries cooked in beef fat, homemade frikadelle, fish croquettes, a Liège waffle and Belgian chocolate.

The tour begins near the Bourse and stays in the city centre, so it’s easy to combine with Grand-Place, the comic murals or the Dansaert and Sainte-Catherine neighbourhoods before or afterwards.

I’d book this one over any expensive sit-down lunch near Grand-Place. You’ll try more, learn more and leave with recommendations you can use for the rest of your trip.

Still choosing your meals? I’ve rounded up my personal favourites in my best restaurants in Brussels guide.

4. Brussels: Belgian Chocolate Making Workshop with Tastings

Belgian Chocolate Making Workshop with Tastings

Best for: Families with children aged six and over, couples and anyone who wants a hands-on Brussels activity
Duration: 90 minutes
Includes: Cacao tastings, chocolate-making instruction and your creations to take away
Good to know: Not suitable for children under six, people with food allergies or people with lactose intolerance
My verdict: One of the strongest unique things to do in Brussels when you want more than another tasting.

The Belgian Chocolate Making Workshop with Tastings is what I’d book when everybody’s already eaten their fair share of chocolate but still wants to appreciate the process behind it.

During the workshop, you’ll make a personalised bar, mendiants and truffles, then package everything to take home.

Beyond that, you’ll handle and taste cacao at different stages, learn how a bean becomes a bar and look at the machinery used in bean-to-bar production.

On a beautiful human note, all the cacao you’ll use during your workshop is fully traceable, sourced directly from farmers and free from deforestation, child labour and exploitation, with 30% of the ticket price going back to cacao farmers.

I’d book this one for a hands-on Brussels experience or a rainy-day option, especially if you’re keen on a Brussels souvenir that goes beyond a keychain.

5. Brussels: Belgian Beer World Ticket with Rooftop & Beer

Best for: Beer lovers, rainy days and travellers who prefer a self-guided experience
Duration: Ticket valid for one day
Includes: Belgian Beer World entry, interactive exhibits, tastings and one rooftop beer
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
My verdict: The most flexible Brussels beer experience in this guide.

Technically, the Belgian Beer World Ticket with Rooftop & Beer is an attraction ticket rather than a guided Brussels tour.

But it earns its place because Belgian beer is not something I’d reduce simply to “try a pint while you’re here”.

Belgium’s beer culture was added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016, recognising the traditions surrounding production, service and the place beer holds in Belgian life.

Belgian Beer World explores that history inside Brussels’ former Stock Exchange, the monumental Bourse on Boulevard Anspach.

The exhibition covers brewing processes, brewing families and more than 100 Belgian breweries, then sends you up to the rooftop Beerlab for a drink chosen from around 150 beers.

I’d book this one if you don’t want to spend several hours following a beer guide between bars, or you’re travelling with people who want the history and architecture without an evening built entirely around drinking.

Visitors under 18 can enter, but won’t be served alcohol.

But if you do want those things, read my guide to The Best Brussels Beer Tours and Tastings!

6. Brussels: Pub Crawl and Nightlife Party Experience

Brussels Pub Crawl and Nightlife Party Experience.

Best for: Solo travellers, students and groups who want a sociable night out
Duration: 3.5 hours
Includes: Four venues, welcome drinks, drink discounts and a party guide
Good to know: Adults only, English-language and considerably larger on Friday and Saturday nights
My verdict: Useful for meeting people, but not a Brussels culture or history tour.

Lastly, if you want a very social tour in Brussels, check out the Brussels Pub Crawl and Nightlife Party Experience.

The pub crawl visits four venues, includes an introductory Jägerbomb shot at the meeting point, three further welcome shots and discounted drinks through the night. In other words, yes. It’s that kind of night!

It begins at 9:30pm and reaches the final venue at around 1am—and if you’re visiting Brussels alone, want to meet other travellers and don’t fancy walking into an unfamiliar bar by yourself, it’ll give you an immediate group.

There’ll be around 20 people from Sunday to Thursday and more than 50 on Fridays and Saturdays, so be sure to choose which experience you want beforehand!

I’d book this one for a very social night out in Brussels.

P.S. – Remember to bring photo ID, and note their dress code: no sportswear, sandals or flip-flops.

More Brussels Tours and Experiences Worth Considering

Brussels Comic Strip Walk and Comic Art Museum

Brussels has more than 80 comic murals across the city, with characters including Tintin, the Smurfs and Lucky Luke all painted directly onto neighbourhood walls.

I followed part of the route myself and loved how it took me away from a standard monument-to-monument Brussels walk.

You can follow the free official route, book a private guided option or add the Comic Art Museum to understand more about the artists, publishing history and Belgium’s place in European comics.

Read More: Brussels Comic Strip Walk: Full Route, Map and My Favourite Murals

Brussels Hop-On Hop-Off Bus

I wouldn’t make a Brussels Hop-On Hop-Off Bus tour my first choice if you’re comfortable walking, unless you’d prefer it.

The central sights around Grand-Place, the Royal Quarter, Sablon and Sainte-Catherine work better on foot, and the metro is very easy to navigate.

With that said, a hop-on hop-off bus can make sense if somebody in your group has limited walking stamina, you’re travelling with young children or you want to connect the historic centre with the Atomium without repeatedly navigating public transport.

Free Walking Tours in Brussels

Free walking tours in Brussels are generally tip-based rather than truly free, but with that said, they can work well for budget travellers.

If you want a smaller group, confirmed food inclusions and more room to ask questions, I’d still choose the historical chocolate and waffle tour.

Brussels Cycling Tours

A Brussels cycling tour is also very useful if you’d like to move beyond the compact historic core into the European Quarter or larger parks. This is the one I’d look at!

P.S. – I wouldn’t choose this one solely for Grand-Place and Manneken Pis. The central streets are busy, often cobbled and much easier to appreciate slowly on foot than by cycle.

How to Choose the Right Brussels Tour

In my opinion:

• First visit: choose the Historical Tour with Chocolate & Waffle Tasting.
• Only one spare day in Belgium: choose the Bruges & Ghent Day Tour.
• Food is the main event: choose the City Centre Guided Food Tour.
• Travelling with children aged six or over: consider the Belgian Chocolate Making Workshop.
• Rain in the forecast: choose the chocolate workshop or Belgian Beer World.
• Travelling alone and looking for nightlife: choose the Pub Crawl and Nightlife Party.
• Comics and street art: follow my Brussels Comic Strip Walk.

P.S. – My two-day Brussels itinerary will also help you fit your trip together without repeatedly crossing Brussels.

Are Brussels Tours Worth It?

Yes, the right Brussels tours are worth it—but in all honesty, you don’t need a guide for every part of the city.

Brussels is walkable enough to explore independently, particularly around Grand-Place, Sainte-Catherine, Sablon and the Royal Quarter.

But a tour becomes valuable when it gives you something a map cannot:

• historical context behind buildings you would otherwise photograph and leave;
• food stops selected as one experience rather than six unrelated snacks;
• access to a hands-on workshop;
• transport and timings for a complicated day trip;
• or a ready-made social group for the evening.

Should You Book Brussels Tours in Advance?

For any specific guided walk, food tour, chocolate workshop or full-day trip, I would book in advance.

The smaller tours have firm group limits, while workshops are tied to a set number of places, ingredients and instructors, so walk-ins are a lot less likely.

I’d also be especially organised for Friday and Saturday tours, school holidays, spring and summer weekends, the Christmas-market period and anything central to a one-day in Brussels itinerary.

And bear in mind there’s lots of flexible booking and cancellation options too.

For more practical planning advice, read my Brussels travel tips.

What Should You Bring on a Brussels Tour?

Comfortable shoes, a light waterproof layer, water and a portable phone charger.

The centre includes cobbled streets and a noticeable climb between the lower city around Grand-Place and the upper city around the Royal Quarter, so you’ll want to be prepared!

And if you have allergies or dietary requirements, make sure you tell them in advance (and for the pub crawl, bring your photo ID and check the dress rules before leaving your hotel).

Final Thoughts: Which Brussels Tour Would I Book?

If I were planning a first trip to Brussels, I’d book the Historical Tour with Chocolate & Waffle Tasting.

It covers the best of the city centre, adds food without becoming a full afternoon of eating and leaves enough time for you to explore Brussels independently.

If I had already seen the main sights and wanted the most enjoyable afternoon, I’d choose the City Centre Guided Food Tour.

For a family trip or bad-weather day, the Belgian Chocolate Making Workshop is lovely.

And if Brussels is your base for a short Belgium trip, the Bruges & Ghent Day Tour handles an enormous amount of planning for you.

Just be sure to use the tour to understand one part of the city, then spend the rest of your time eating somewhere you didn’t plan, following a comic mural down the wrong street or discovering a new Brussels neighbourhood.

Have the best trip.

Happy travels,

Candace x

FAQ: The Best Tours in Brussels

What Is the Best Tour in Brussels for First-Time Visitors?

For most first-time visitors, I’d book the Historical Tour with Chocolate & Waffle Tasting. It combines Brussels’ major central sights with a waffle, Belgian praline and a very easy 2.5-hour route.

Are Brussels Walking Tours Worth It?

Yes, a Brussels walking tour is worth it when the guide adds historical and cultural context. The centre is easy to walk independently, but a good tour helps explain Grand-Place, Belgium’s monarchy, the city’s architecture and the stories behind places that can otherwise become quick photo stops.

What Is the Best Brussels Food Tour?

I’d choose the City Centre Guided Food Tour with Tastings. It lasts three hours, is limited to 10 participants and currently includes a mix of savoury and sweet foods rather than only chocolate and waffles.

What Is the Best Day Tour from Brussels?

For a first Belgium trip, the Bruges & Ghent Day Tour is the most useful guided option. It includes return coach transport and introductory walks through both cities, although it is a long 10.5-hour day.

Can You Visit Bruges and Ghent in One Day from Brussels?

Yes, but expect an overview rather than an in-depth visit. A guided day tour makes the transport and timings easier, but if you’re an independent traveller, you’ll generally have a better experience giving each city its own day. Here’s how to spend one day in Ghent and one day in Bruges.

Are There Free Walking Tours in Brussels?

Yes, there’s lots of walking tours in Brussels. Here’s the one I recommend. But the name is a bit misleading: although they’re marketed as free, you should budget an appropriate tip for the guide at the end.

Is the Brussels Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Worth It?

A Brussels Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour can be useful for families, travellers with limited walking stamina or people visiting attractions outside the compact centre. But if you’re comfortable walking and using the metro, I’d explore the historic centre on foot instead.

What Is the Best Chocolate Experience in Brussels?

For a quick introduction, choose the historical tour with chocolate and waffle tastings. For something more hands-on, book the Belgian Chocolate Making Workshop to learn about cacao and make chocolates to take home.

Are Brussels Tours Accessible?

The Belgian Beer World and pub crawl are wheelchair accessible at the time of writing. The Bruges and Ghent coach tour unfortunately is not.

What Is the Best Brussels Beer Tour?

For a flexible, self-guided option, I’d choose the Belgian Beer World ticket. You’ll learn about Brussels’ brewing history, explore interactive exhibits, have a tasting and a rooftop beer without an evening bar crawl.

Are Brussels Tours Good for Families?

Yes, particularly the historical chocolate-and-waffle walk, Belgian Beer World and the chocolate workshop for children aged six and over.

How Long Are Brussels Tours?

Most Brussels walking and food tours last between 2.5 and three hours. The chocolate workshop lasts 90 minutes, the pub crawl lasts 3.5 hours and the Bruges & Ghent Day Tour lasts approximately 10.5 hours.

Should You Book Brussels Tours in Advance?

Yes, I’d book guided walks, food tours, workshops and day trips in advance, especially for weekends, school holidays, summer and the Christmas period. Small-group tours also have limited spots!

Can You Explore Brussels Without a Tour?

Absolutely. Brussels is easy to explore independently with a sensible route. Use my best things to do in Brussels guide or two-day Brussels itinerary to plan the city without a guide.

Plan the rest of your Brussels trip

Still planning? Here’s more of my Brussels guides to help you decide where to stay, what to book and how to make the most of your trip.

Before you book

• Is Brussels Worth Visiting? My Honest Review After Exploring the City
• Brussels Tips: Everything to Know Before Your Trip

Brussels itineraries and day trips

• One Day in Brussels: My Perfect Brussels Day Trip Itinerary
• My Brussels Weekend Itinerary: How I’d Spend 2 Days in the City
• Eurostar to Brussels from London: Travel Time, Tickets and What to Expect
• The Best Day Trips from Brussels by Train: Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp and More
• The Perfect Day Trip from Brussels to Bruges: Train, Tours & My Itinerary
• Brussels to Ghent by Train: My Experience, Ticket Tips & Day Trip Guide
• How to Visit Groot-Bijgaarden Castle: Belgium’s Hidden Spring Flower Garden Near Brussels

Where to stay and what to book

• The Best Hotels Near Brussels Central Station: Where I Stayed and My Top Picks
• NH Collection Brussels Centre Review: My Honest Stay in Brussels
• The Best Tours in Brussels: Walking Tours, Food Experiences and Unique Things to Do
• The Best Brussels Beer Tours and Tastings: Which One Is Best for Your Trip?

What to do and where to eat

• The Best Things to Do in Brussels: Grand-Place, Comic Murals, Belgian Food & More
• Brussels Comic Strip Walk: Full Route, Map and My Favourite Murals
• Exploring Matongé Brussels: Black Culture, Food and My Favourite Stops
• The Best Restaurants in Brussels, Belgium: My Favourite Places to Eat
• The Best Cafés in Brussels: My Favourite Coffee and Brunch Spots