7-Day Bruges Itinerary
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Seven days is the 6-day plan (city, Ghent, Ypres, coast, Damme) plus a final free day with no fixed plan, the honest answer to what Bruges needs beyond a full week. With less time, drop back to the 6-day itinerary .
Day 1: The Markt and the Belfry
Morning
The Belfry (EUR 15 to 16 for adults), then the Burg for the Basilica of the Holy Blood.
Afternoon
The Church of Our Lady (museum EUR 10 for adults) and a canal boat tour (EUR 15 for adults).
Evening
Dinner near the Markt.
Day 2: Canals and the Begijnhof
Morning
The Begijnhof and Minnewater, then the Groeningemuseum (EUR 15, closing on 11 January 2027 for a refurbishment of about four years).
Afternoon
De Halve Maan brewery tour (EUR 16 including a beer).
Evening
An early night ahead of the Ghent day trip.
Day 3: Day trip to Ghent
Morning
Train to Ghent (around €9-14, roughly 25-30 minutes) for St Bavo’s Cathedral.
Afternoon
Gravensteen castle and the Graslei.
Evening
Dinner back in Bruges.
Day 4: Ypres and Flanders Fields
Morning
Train or bus to Ypres, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours, for the In Flanders Fields Museum (EUR 12 for adults).
Afternoon
Tyne Cot and the Menin Gate.
Evening
Back to Bruges, or stay for the 20:00 Last Post.
Day 5: The Belgian coast and the Kusttram
Morning
Train to Ostend (around 15 minutes), then a Kusttram ride (a De Lijn day ticket is EUR 9 for ages 12 and over, valid 24 hours).
Afternoon
Explore the coastline at your own pace.
Evening
Train back to Bruges.
Day 6: Damme by bike
Morning
Rent a bike (around €12 for the day) and ride to Damme along the towpath.
Afternoon
Explore Damme, then ride back.
Evening
A relaxed dinner in Bruges.
Day 7: A free day, on purpose
Morning
Revisit whichever sight got rushed earlier in the week, or simply walk the ramparts and the quieter canals like the Groenerei one more time without an agenda.
Afternoon
Browse chocolate shops near the Markt, or sit with a Belgian beer somewhere that isn’t De Halve Maan for a change of pace.
Evening
A last dinner and an early night before departure. One concrete tip: keep this day genuinely unplanned rather than squeezing in a sixth museum. A week in a city this small rewards slowing down more than it rewards seeing one more thing.
Read more: the full Bruges guide ties this whole week together, and the 6-day itinerary covers the same plan minus this final day.