Antwerp in 3 days: itinerary with walking times

Spending 3 days in Antwerp? This plan fits 18 sights into 3 relaxed days, ordered so you walk as little as possible. Highlights include Grote Markt & City Hall, Het Steen and Cathedral of Our Lady. Every stop lists opening hours, prices, the walk to the next one and good places to eat nearby.

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Day 1 Old town · Meir/Rubens

09:30
Grote Markt & City Hall

Square · Old town · 30 min

Guildhall-lined main square with the Renaissance City Hall and the Brabo fountain.

Opening hours: Always open
Price: Free

Eat nearby: Frituur N°1 (Frites · € · Old town) · 2 min walk
't Hofke (Belgian · €€ · Old town) · 3 min walk
🚶 0.4 km · 4 min walk → Het Steen
10:05
Het Steen

Landmark · Old town · 45 min

Medieval riverside castle, now the visitor centre with a free rooftop and the Antwerp Story.

Opening hours: Daily 10:00–17:00
Price: Free (Antwerp Story experience €7)

Eat nearby: Maritime (Seafood · €€€ · Old town) · 4 min walk
RAS (Belgian · €€€ · Old town) · 5 min walk
🚶 0.5 km · 7 min walk → Cathedral of Our Lady
11:00
Cathedral of Our Lady

Church · Old town · 60 min

Belgium's tallest Gothic cathedral, home to four Rubens masterpieces.

Opening hours: Mon–Fri 10:00–17:00, Sat 10:00–15:00, Sun 13:00–17:00
Price: €12

Eat nearby: Het Elfde Gebod (Belgian · €€ · Old town) · 2 min walk
Fritkot Max (Frites · € · Old town) · 2 min walk
🚶 0.2 km · 3 min walk → Vlaeykensgang
12:05
Vlaeykensgang

Landmark · Old town · 15 min

Hidden 16th-century cobbled alley tucked away behind the cathedral.

Opening hours: Always open
Price: Free

Eat nearby: 't Hofke (Belgian · €€ · Old town) · 1 min walk
Den Rooden Hoed (Belgian · €€ · Old town) · 2 min walk
🚶 0.3 km · 3 min walk → DIVA Diamond Museum
Lunch suggestion 't Hofke (Belgian · €€ · Old town)
near Vlaeykensgang · 🚶 0.1 km · 1 min walk
14:00
DIVA Diamond Museum

Museum · Old town · 75 min

Five centuries of Antwerp diamonds, jewellery and silver, just off the Grote Markt.

Opening hours: Thu–Tue 10:00–18:00 (closed Wed)
Price: €12

Eat nearby: Maritime (Seafood · €€€ · Old town) · 2 min walk
inVINcible (French · €€€ · Old town) · 2 min walk
🚶 0.6 km · 8 min walk → St Charles Borromeo Church
14:45
St Charles Borromeo Church

Church · Meir/Rubens · 30 min

Lavish Baroque Jesuit church on a quiet square, its facade designed with Rubens.

Opening hours: Mon–Sat 10:00–12:30 and 14:00–17:00 (closed to visitors Sun)
Price: €5

Eat nearby: Marolus (Belgian · € · Meir/Rubens) · 1 min walk
De Peerdestal (Belgian · €€€ · Meir/Rubens) · 3 min walk
🚶 0.6 km · 7 min walk → St James' Church
15:45
St James' Church

Church · Meir/Rubens · 30 min

Restored Gothic church with a rich Baroque interior and the chapel where Rubens is buried.

Opening hours: Daily 14:00–17:00 (not during services)
Price: Free

Eat nearby: Grand Café Horta (Brasserie · €€ · Meir/Rubens) · 7 min walk
Marolus (Belgian · € · Meir/Rubens) · 7 min walk
🚶 1.1 km · 13 min walk → MoMu Fashion Museum
16:30
MoMu Fashion Museum

Museum · Old town · 75 min

Antwerp's fashion museum; 'The Antwerp Six' runs until 17 Jan 2027.

Opening hours: Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00 (last tickets 17:00, closed Mon)
Price: €13

Eat nearby: De Groote Witte Arend (Belgian · €€ · Old town) · 4 min walk
La Pizza è Bella (Pizza · €€ · Old town) · 4 min walk
Dinner suggestion De Groote Witte Arend (Belgian · €€ · Old town)
near MoMu Fashion Museum · 🚶 0.3 km · 4 min walk

Day 2 Station/Zoo · Meir/Rubens

09:30
Diamond quarter

Landmark · Station/Zoo · 20 min

The streets beside the station where most of the world's rough diamonds are traded.

Opening hours: Always open (shops roughly Mon–Sat daytime)
Price: Free

Eat nearby: Qin (Chinese · €€ · Station/Zoo) · 4 min walk
Hoffy's (Jewish · €€ · Station/Zoo) · 5 min walk
🚶 0.3 km · 4 min walk → Antwerpen-Centraal station
09:55
Antwerpen-Centraal station

Station · Station/Zoo · 20 min

The 'railway cathedral': a domed 1905 hall of marble, iron and glass.

Opening hours: Always open (station hall)
Price: Free

Eat nearby: Qin (Chinese · €€ · Station/Zoo) · 3 min walk
Bier Central (Belgian · €€ · Station/Zoo) · 5 min walk
🚶 0.3 km · 3 min walk → ZOO Antwerpen
10:20
ZOO Antwerpen

Zoo · Station/Zoo · 120 min

One of the world's oldest zoos (1843), with historic buildings next to the station.

Opening hours: Daily from 10:00; closing time varies by season (17:00 in autumn)
Price: €30.50–€33.50 (varies by date; €2 off online)

Eat nearby: Qin (Chinese · €€ · Station/Zoo) · 5 min walk
Bier Central (Belgian · €€ · Station/Zoo) · 7 min walk
🚶 1.2 km · 16 min walk → Rubens House
Lunch suggestion Qin (Chinese · €€ · Station/Zoo)
near ZOO Antwerpen · 🚶 0.4 km · 5 min walk
14:00
Rubens House

Museum · Meir/Rubens · 75 min

Rubens Experience and baroque garden at the painter's home; the house itself is under restoration.

Opening hours: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 10:00–17:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00 (closed Wed)
Price: €12 (garden only €8)

Eat nearby: Grand Café Horta (Brasserie · €€ · Meir/Rubens) · 2 min walk
Bourla (Brasserie · €€ · Meir/Rubens) · 3 min walk
🚶 0.8 km · 10 min walk → Snijders&Rockoxhuis
15:30
Snijders&Rockoxhuis

Museum · Meir/Rubens · 50 min

Two neighbouring patrician houses with Flemish Baroque art, incl. Bruegel and Snijders.

Opening hours: Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00 (closed Mon)
Price: €10

Eat nearby: Marolus (Belgian · € · Meir/Rubens) · 3 min walk
Bistrot De Pottenbrug (French · €€€ · Meir/Rubens) · 3 min walk
Dinner suggestion Marolus (Belgian · € · Meir/Rubens)
near Snijders&Rockoxhuis · 🚶 0.2 km · 3 min walk

Day 3 Eilandje · Zuid

09:30
Port House

Landmark · Eilandje · 20 min

Zaha Hadid's glass 'diamond ship' perched on a former fire station by the docks.

Opening hours: Exterior always; atrium during office hours; tours on set dates only
Price: Free (exterior)

Eat nearby: Cella (International · €€€ · Eilandje) · 13 min walk
The London (French · €€€ · Eilandje) · 18 min walk
🚶 1.2 km · 15 min walk → Red Star Line Museum
10:05
Red Star Line Museum

Museum · Eilandje · 90 min

Emigrant stories in the old shipping-line halls, with a viewing tower over the port.

Opening hours: Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00 (closed Mon)
Price: €10 (€12 with temporary exhibition)

Eat nearby: The London (French · €€€ · Eilandje) · 6 min walk
Cella (International · €€€ · Eilandje) · 6 min walk
🚶 0.7 km · 8 min walk → MAS (Museum aan de Stroom)
11:45
MAS (Museum aan de Stroom)

Museum · Eilandje · 60 min

Red stone tower of stacked galleries on the docks, crowned by a free panoramic rooftop.

Opening hours: Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00 (last entry 16:00, closed Mon); free rooftop Tue–Sun 09:30–22:00 (Apr–Oct until 24:00)
Price: €12 (rooftop free)

Eat nearby: Zilte (Fine dining · €€€ · Eilandje) · 1 min walk
U Eat & Sleep (Brasserie · €€€ · Eilandje) · 3 min walk
🚇 25 min by tram (line 7 + 4: MAS → Museum) · 3.0 km · 37 min walk → KMSKA Royal Museum of Fine Arts
Lunch suggestion Zilte (Fine dining · €€€ · Eilandje)
near MAS (Museum aan de Stroom) · 🚶 0.1 km · 1 min walk
14:00
KMSKA Royal Museum of Fine Arts

Museum · Zuid · 120 min

Seven centuries of art from Van Eyck and Rubens to Ensor and Magritte.

Opening hours: Mon–Fri 10:00–17:00 (Thu until 22:00), Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00
Price: €20

Eat nearby: Finjan (Middle Eastern · € · Zuid) · 2 min walk
Ferrier 30 (Italian · €€€ · Zuid) · 3 min walk
🚶 0.7 km · 8 min walk → FOMU Photo Museum
16:15
FOMU Photo Museum

Museum · Zuid · 75 min

Belgium's photography museum, with changing exhibitions in a former warehouse.

Opening hours: Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00 (closed Mon)
Price: €12

Eat nearby: l'Amitié (Sharing · €€ · Zuid) · 4 min walk
Pilar (Café · €€ · Zuid) · 6 min walk
Dinner suggestion l'Amitié (Sharing · €€ · Zuid)
near FOMU Photo Museum · 🚶 0.3 km · 4 min walk

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Last updated: 1 October 2026