3 Cities, 2 nights, 1 epic festival – OH MY!
Planning a family trip to Belgium with kids? Our American family of five spent several days exploring Brussels, Ghent and Bruges (Brugges for the Dutch spelling), discovering that Belgium is surprisingly easy—and incredibly fun—to explore with children. From Belgian chocolate and famous frites to medieval castles, canals and the spectacular Ommegang Festival in Brussels, our Belgium family itinerary was packed with memorable experiences. We went in early July 2026 – thankfully right after the European heat wave finished!
Traveling with kids can be intimidating. I consider myself a world traveler (30+ countries and counting!) but even I was a little nervous about spending a month driving around Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands with our American family of five. Our youngest was a few days shy of turning four so it was dicey how long days, lots of walking and new foods would go over with the group. Thankfully, I’m happy to report Belgium with kids was actually a lot more fun than I even realized it would be! Were there unexpected naps? For sure. Did we have to bail on public transportation and spring for Ubers when everyone was exhausted? Yep. Did we have French fries at almost every meal? Guilty. But a new country explored as a family was worth any small hiccup along the way.
Beating Jet Lag With Kids
I wanted to give our family a few days to recover from the long journey to get to our Home Exchange house in Arolsen, Germany before we headed to new cities. I’ve written about how traveling with kids in Europe is actually a lot easier than in the States but jet lag gets the best of us. So after a few quiet days exploring nearby, I packed us for six nights (that turned into seven) sleeping in FIVE different cities. Aggressive Europe itinerary with little kids to be sure, but thankfully we loved it!
Our Belgium Itinerary at a Glance
| City | What We Did |
|---|---|
| Brussels | Grand Place, Manneken Pis, chocolate, Ommegang Festival |
| Ghent | St. Bavo’s Cathedral, Mystic Lamb, Frites Atelier, Gravensteen Castle |
| Bruges | Canals, waffles, chocolate shops, walking tour |
Brussels With Kids
Our first stop was Brussels. Neither Tim nor I had ever been to Belgium so we were excited to check another country off our travel wish list. More than a year ago I was reading through “1,000 Places To See Before You Die” and came across a mention of the Ommegang Festival that takes place every year at the Grand Place in Brussels. You are probably asking, “The Omme-what??”
What Is the Ommegang Festival in Brussels?
The Ommegang Festival in Brussels is a production that includes 1,400 performers in period costume recreating the 1549 entrance of Emperor Charles V and his son. It sounded so unique and memorable that I made a mental note to see if the timing worked for our summer plans. Lo and behold, we would be available the first of July and tickets could be purchased through Ticketmaster.
Getting To Brussels With Kids
We were headed to the Ommegang! But first we had to get there. The hotels in the city were crazy expensive because of the production — think $1,600/night minimum. So I found a B&B outside the city that was affordable and fit our family of five. We checked in and decided we would drive to the nearby Park and Ride and take public transportation. It was our first time on the metro with our youngest daughters and I always am a fan of teaching them young how to navigate and move around a big city. Our oldest had ridden the metro in Washington DC a few times so he was eagerly watching the stops and following the route.
Once we exited, we enjoyed walking around and exploring Brussels as a family. We stopped by the impressive Grand Place to see it ahead of the big event. Found dinner that was enjoyable on a side street and kept the kids busy with a trusty game of Go Fish. I always pack cards for sit-down dinners!
Manneken Pis and Belgian Chocolate
Next we made our way over to see the small gentleman famous for peeing in a fountain… the legendary Manneken Pis! It’s such a funny little tourist spot but I love that he has 1,200 outfits (and a museum dedicated to them!) We popped into a chocolate shop and found the most amazing Gingerbread Cookies that I regret not buying more of. But we did get some of the best Belgian chocolate to get us through the main event.
The Ommegang Festival in Brussels with Kids
Is the Ommegang Festival kid-friendly? I say absolutely yes! After waiting in a line that snaked around a few blocks but thankfully moved quickly, we were at our nearly front row seats. Well, most of us were. Annie had fallen asleep in her stroller and the kind volunteers were fine with letting us leave her snoozing while we took our seats two rows away. I had wondered if we’d be able to bring the stroller inside the ticketed area and I found ZERO information online about it. So I can happily report that, yes, not only could we bring our stroller but we could leave our daughter snoozing in it! She ended up sleeping for nearly two hours of the performance, which was actually easier on all of us! The Ommegang show itself was incredible. Flag wavers, stilt walkers, performers, and dancers filled the square. It all offered a unique glimpse into what life in 1549 looked like. The production was narrated in French, Dutch, German, and English – though the English sections were pretty brief but they still let you knew what was happening.
Finally, long after 11pm, the production concluded with fireworks and we made our way out of the square to find food. A lot of kitchens close around 9:30pm or 10pm so we ended up at a Greek restaurant (not complaining) for a midnight dinner. The kids thought it was amazing to be eating French fries so late! Once we finished, the metro had long since shut down so we ordered an Uber to take us to the Park and Ride. Then, we drove to the B&B and crawled into bed around 2am. Quite a day exploring Belgium with kids!
Ghent With Kids – Cathedrals, Castles and ChatGPT Fails
The next morning we packed up and had breakfast at the hotel and headed to Ghent. Again, we thought driving into the city wasn’t a good option because they limit which cars are allowed to enter. I learned my lesson that ChatGPT can’t always be trusted. It took us to a Park & Ride only to have it be closed for maintenance. Then we transferred to a bus but it gave us the wrong stop so we definitely took a circuitous route to central Ghent.
St. Bavo’s Cathedral and the Mystic Lamb
We finally made it to St. Bavo’s Cathedral and paid to see the famous Altarpiece, the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. Impressive work of art from the 1430s. It’s slightly stressful keeping small children entertained (but respectfully quiet!) inside an echo-y cathedral but I think it’s really important that we show them just how incredible these buildings are to have survived for hundreds upon hundreds of years. Also, most places we visited across Europe offered free or highly discounted tickets for children.
Where to Find the Best Belgian Fries in Ghent
After that we were all getting hungry and by happenstance walked directly in front of Frites Atelier, a famous gourmet French fry shop that was opened by a former Michelin-starred chef. I had seen it online and was so excited to run into it. It did not disappoint. The best French fries of my life were consumed and no French fry will ever compare. Check out my IG videos for more. You cannot plan a trip to Belgium with kids and not take advantage of the amazing frites!
Visiting Gravensteen Castle with Kids
After that, Trey and I toured the Castle of the Counts which was really neat and our first European castle experience. The girls had fallen asleep so Tim stayed with them while I took Trey around with the audio guide. We didn’t have time to do the “Comedy” audio guide that was recommended but we enjoyed the traditional one that was shorter. I will warn that a few walkways were pretty high with no guardrails so if you have littles, I would be careful. After the castle, we were all pretty tired so we splurged for an Uber to take us back to our van.
Bruges with Kids – Exploring Picturesque Canals and Medieval Streets
It was an easy drive to Bruges and there we could park right in the downtown garage with no issues and be just a few blocks from our rental. Bruges has been high up on my travel wishlist for years. Bruges ended up being my favorite city the whole trip and the one I want to return to the most. One night was definitely not enough. When you plan a trip to Belgium with kids, make sure to do things you as the parents enjoy! I think that’s why our trip was so enjoyable.
A Mom’s Solo Morning Walk in Bruges
I took an early morning walk BY MYSELF (a miracle, indeed) and each bridge and canal was like a postcard. The swans swimming gracefully in the canals, the flowers blooming, the old buildings that all have unique characteristics – so pretty! I highly recommend a quiet walk around the city if you can manage.
Belgian Waffles and Chocolate in Bruges
Let’s talk about the GOOD STUFF. We walked around the charming streets and got lost. We also, naturally, tried fresh Belgian waffles from OTTO! We all loved them and chose different toppings. How in the world do they get them so crispy?? Magic, I imagine. Before leaving, we stopped in a few different gourmet chocolate shops and they were all incredible. Again, a proper Belgium itinerary with kids requires multiple chocolate stops for tastings. We especially loved Dumon and The Chocolate Line. Another unique memory was a cute little coffee shop called Paradise where we met the owner who was from Turkey (a country we love and have visited). He was so welcoming and we discovered he has a machine to put you picture on your cappuccino. The kids thought it was hilarious that we were immortalized… in FOAM! He called it a “Selficinno” which made us all laugh.
Is Belgium a Good Destination for Families?
The answer is a resounding YES! Our kids loved Belgium and we could have stayed lots more days in this country. Tim and I can’t wait to go back to Bruges on a romantic getaway and just live in a postcard for a few days. Highly recommend if you are traveling in Belgium with kids!
Tips for Traveling in Belgium with Kids
- Decide which transportation makes the most sense for your family but adjust as needed.
- Rely on Google maps rather than ChatGPT when looking up the metro and bus system.
- Bring raincoats just in case.
- When in doubt, stop for snacks!
- Choose activities the adults will love but make it fun for the kids.
- Don’t be afraid to try new things and go all in on a culture activity like the Ommegang Festival!
Make sure to check out my blog as I’ll be adding more posts about our month in Europe and other cities visited like Amsterdam, Haarlem, Efteling and German cities across Bavaria!
