Antwerp Attractions: What to Book Ahead
Antwerp Attractions: What to Book Ahead
Some Antwerp sights sell out of timed slots, others take anyone at the door. Sorting your list by how far ahead you need to act saves a wasted queue, especially on a short stay.
Reserve first: timed slots
KMSKA (Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Het Zuid) charges €20 for adults, €10 for under-26s and nothing for under-18s, and everyone needs a free timed slot, which you book at kmska.be . Opening hours are 10:00 to 17:00, later on Thursdays (to 22:00) and weekends (to 18:00). Pick Thursday evening if you prefer fewer people.
MAS (Museum aan de Stroom, Eilandje) asks €12 from adults, €8 for ages 18 to 25, and nothing under 18, again with a reserved time. The rooftop panorama needs no ticket at all; see mas.be .
Red Star Line Museum (Montevideostraat 3) sells timed tickets online only, in 30-minute slots, Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00. Tickets are €10, or €12 when a temporary exhibition is running; a new show opens on 20 November 2026. Details are at redstarline.be .
Book a few days out: busy-weekend venues
Chocolate Nation, across from Centraal station, is open daily from 09:30 to 18:30. The route takes 60 to 90 minutes and ends with ten kinds of liquid chocolate; adults pay about €19.90. Check slots at chocolatenation.be before a weekend visit.
ZOO Antwerpen is open all year, and booking online ahead of the day takes about €2 off an adult ticket and €1 off a child ticket. Adult prices run from roughly €32.50 to €34 depending on the date.
Decide on the day
MoMu, the fashion museum on Nationalestraat, is showing The Antwerp Six until 17 January 2027 and LOOKS, LOOKS, LOOKS until 8 November 2026. It closes at 18:00 with last entry at 17:00. Adults pay about €12; confirm on momu.be .
DIVA, the diamond and silver museum on Suikerrui, tells the story of the city’s diamond trade. Antwerp trades diamonds rather than cutting them, and DIVA explains how. Check hours and prices at the museum’s own site before you set out.
Walk up without a ticket
The Cathedral of Our Lady takes walk-ups at €12 for adults. Opening is Monday to Friday 10:00 to 17:00, Saturday 10:00 to 15:00 and Sunday 13:00 to 17:00. The courtyard and rooftop of Het Steen, and the MAS panorama, are free.
Is the City Pass worth it?
The Antwerp City Pass costs about €45, €55 or €65 for 24, 48 or 72 hours. MAS and the Red Star Line are confirmed free with it, so add up the single tickets you actually plan to use before buying. A day of KMSKA plus MAS plus Red Star Line comes to €42 at full price, so the pass pays off only when it covers more of what you want than that.
Guided options
Operators run museum and city tours; compare Antwerp tours on GetYourGuide . For the free parts of the city on foot, see the walking routes page . Official planning help is at visit.antwerpen.be .
Tip: reserve the KMSKA slot and the Red Star Line ticket as soon as you know your dates, and leave MoMu and the cathedral for whichever day the weather turns.