Antwerp travel guide: where to go, what to do, what to eat (from a local)
A local's guide to Antwerp for a group trip: the best things to do, where to go, and what to eat, from someone who actually lives there.
Belgium has more underrated cities than people realize. Tell someone you live here, and Brussels is usually all they know, maybe Tomorrowland if they're into music festivals. But when I first moved to Antwerp, I fell for it immediately. It's a city where modern architecture and centuries-old buildings sit right next to each other, somehow clean and polished but still full of character. Not too small, not too big. I got attached fast.
And it's not just me. Antwerp had 16.3 million day visitors in 2025, and overnight stays grew 17% from the year before, according to the city's own tourism figures. It's becoming a real group trip destination whether it's with friends or family or a couple, not just a Brussels day trip add-on, or a stopover on your way to Tomorrowland.
The reason it works so well for groups is boring but true: everything is close together. You're not spending half the trip on transit debates. Here's the actual guide for Antwerp, and if you haven't sorted the group and dates yet, start with how to plan a group trip.
Where to go
The classic landmarks, mostly because the architecture and history are worth the detour on their own:
- Cathedral of Our Lady, Belgium's largest church
- Grote Markt, the historic central square lined with guild houses and the city hall
- Antwerp Central Station, one of the most beautiful train stations in Europe
- Meir, the main shopping street
- MAS, the best viewpoint over the city
- Vleeshouwersstraat, home to the Vleeshuis, the old Gothic butchers' guild hall
- Het Steen, built between 1200 and 1225 as a gateway/gatehouse for a larger fortress
Good to know before you go
- Best season to travel: summer, for better odds against the rain, though Belgian weather never really commits either way, it's luck of the draw most years. December works too. Winter in Antwerp turns the main squares into markets, plus an ice rink and mulled wine.
- Daylight: summer daylight runs long here, the sun doesn't set until around 10pm in June and July. Terraces and outdoor plans can run later than you'd expect. Winter flips that entirely, it's dark again by 4:30pm, part of why the Christmas markets can feel atmospheric with lights.
- Apps you need: De Lijn (to buy tram and bus tickets inside the city) and Google Maps.
Where locals actually hang out
If you just want to chill at nice terrace bars and restaurants, these are the feel-good places and popular areas that locals like to go.
North
- Water & bars: Wolf & Godefriduskaai (easy to pair with MAS or the Antwerpse Brouw Compagnie at Eilandje).
- Cozy cafés & bars: Near the university (University of Antwerp or Royal Academy of Fine Arts), the whole Melkmarkt street is packed with student cafés, plus Stadswaag nearby for a cluster of beer cellars.
Center
- Reasonably priced: nothing fancy, just solid central options like Graanmarkt (near Toneelhuis) or Theaterplein / Wapper.
- Big terraces: around the National Bank (Leopoldplaats) or Mechelseplein, with a quick walk through the Plantentuin (botanical garden) nearby.
South (recommended)
- Park & bars: Zuidpark and Vlaamsekaai or Waalsekaai, worth checking out the riverside area at Scheldetuin (Zuidersluis, not to be confused with Het Steen).
- Terrace bars & restaurants: around KMSKA (Leopold de Waelplaats) and Marnixplaats.
What to do
Activity-specific (especially good to do with a group)
- Beer brewery, De Koninck (official site), Mechelsesteenweg 291: a tour through Antwerp's oldest surviving brewery, ending with a tasting. Worth booking a group slot ahead if there's more than a few of you.
- Workshop at Chocolate Nation (official site): hands-on chocolate making, more fun than just watching through glass. Group bookings available.
- Sightseeing tram/bus tour: a good option if the group wants to sit back and cover ground without much walking.
- Antwerp beer bike (a few operators run these, e.g. Antwerp Beer Bike, Feestfiets, or Beer Bike Tours): a pedal-powered bar on wheels, everyone pedals together while cycling a slow loop around the city with drinks in hand. Best with a group of around 10, since that's how many pedals there are, though it seats up to 19 total.
If you're into history
If you're into history, the Antwerp Canal (De Ruien) tour takes you underground into the city's original sewer and waterway system, the channels Antwerp was actually built around, now restored and open to walk through. A historical walking tour (bookable through Get Your Guide, Viator, or Cool Destinations) covers entirely different ground: the guild houses, the cathedral, the stories behind the squares you'd otherwise just be walking past. Worth looking for the private group option if there's a lot of you.
If you're into art and museums
- Plantin-Moretus Museum, a 16th-century printing house preserved exactly as it was, UNESCO World Heritage listed.
- Rubenshuis, Rubens' actual house and studio.
- KMSKA, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, home to Antwerp's major classical art collection.
- MoMu, the Fashion Museum, tracing Antwerp's reputation as a global fashion city.
- FOMU, dedicated entirely to photography.
- M HKA, contemporary art, if the older stuff isn't your thing.
- MAS, less a traditional museum, more a building that tells the story of Antwerp's port and its connections to the rest of the world.
The Antwerp City Pass
The Antwerp City Pass covers most of this in one go (official site), from €45 for 24 hours to €65 for 72 hours. Check the site for the current price and full list.
- Free admission to 4 historical churches, including the Cathedral of Our Lady
- Sixteen top museums, including KMSKA, MAS, the Red Star Line Museum, and MoMu, plus Rubenshuis and Chocolate Nation
- Four attractions, including the Antwerp Canal tour (De Ruien) and the Antwerp brewery
If you're into markets
Locals love markets, there are many happening around Antwerp every month, especially if you're visiting during summer. These are the "regular" ones that happen every week.
- Saturday — Exotic Market: Theaterplein, 8:00–16:00 (open on public holidays). Mostly international food, produce, and fresh ingredients.
- Sunday — Vogelenmarkt: Theaterplein, 8:00–13:00 (open on public holidays). Antwerp's biggest general market, plants, flowers, clothing, food, and the small pets it's named for.
- Sunday — Antique market: Sint-Jansvliet, 9:00–17:00 (closed on public holidays). Antiques, vintage finds, and bric-a-brac.
Globe
Planning Antwerp with a group?
That's a lot of spots to agree on. In Globe, everyone drops the places they want, you vote on what makes the cut, and the bookings, budget, and day-by-day plan stay in one place, instead of scattered across a group chat.
What to eat
Belgian classics
This isn't Antwerp specific, but if you're visiting Belgium for the first time you should definitely try stofvlees (Flemish beef stew), vol-au-vent (chicken and mushroom ragout in a puff pastry shell), mussels, shrimp croquettes (often on the appetizer menu), witloof in de oven (Belgian endive gratin), and fries with mayonnaise on the side.
Worth booking ahead if your group's bigger than four or five, the good spots fill up. To try authentic Belgian dishes, I recommend De Bomma (wide range of classic dishes) or Bistro Ernest (smaller menu but tastes good and cozy).
Frituur snacks
Belgians love frituur snacks. It's not only potato fries, with different types of minced meats and your sauce of choice, plus a classic snack on the side. There are so many options, but to give some go-to suggestions: Frikandel special or Viandel special, Bicky Cheese (burger), Bitterballen (beef ball) or Kip corn (chicken nugget), Kaaskroket (cheese croquette), Juliantje (potato fries with several snacks) with stofvlees sauce.
Waffles
Liège waffles and Brussels waffles are genuinely different, try both and decide which you prefer. Some recommendations in the city: Wafelhuis Van Hecke (Nationalestraat), Waffle World (Nationalestraat), and Chez Albert (Sint-Pieterstraat 10, 2000 Antwerpen).
Bakeries and cafés
Many bakeries and cafés are also popular and good. Check these places if you're nearby: Andy Roasters, Caffenation, Kolonel, Mundi, Bakkerij FUNK, Goossens, Broodatelier, and more.
Brown cafés
The Belgian version of a pub. Beer-focused, warm, cozy, and easy to find, they're all over the city.
A local brewery taproom
Antwerpse Brouw Compagnie, Brouwerij & Taproom (official site) — a tasting menu of five different Antwerp beers in Eilandje (north area). A big, used-to-be brewery space that's wide inside and outside, a perfect place for your group.
What is Antwerp famous for?
- The economic and cultural capital of Flanders
- One of the world's largest diamond trading and cutting centers
- Fashion and art, home to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and its famous fashion school (the Antwerp Six)
- Home turf of Rubens, the Baroque painter
- Home to the second-largest port in Europe, after Rotterdam
- Back in the 16th century, it was one of the richest cities in Europe
Souvenir tips
- Antwerpse Handjes (Antwerp hands): hand-shaped cookies tied to the legend behind the city's name, a hero throwing a giant's severed hand into the river ('hand werpen' → Antwerpen). Philip's Biscuits is the most famous spot, though it's a protected local recipe, so you'll find them at most bakeries around town too.
- Chocolate: Leonidas is the name every Belgian grew up with (a national chain, huge domestically, though oddly not that well known internationally). For something more local, Del Rey, Burie, or Chocolatier Goossens are worth the stop.
- Antwerp-illustrated magnets, keychains, or postcards: the easy classic.
- Beer: grab a bottle of Bolleke (the nickname for De Koninck), Triple D'Anvers, Seefbier, or Bootjes Bier from any supermarket (Delhaize, Albert Heijn, Carrefour, Lidl, etc.).
- Elixir d'Anvers: a Belgian liqueur, good for cocktails.
- Small lifestyle/home goods: not Antwerp-specific, but worth a browse — Dille & Kamille and Stad Leest.
Antwerp doesn't really need a checklist to enjoy. Beyond whatever's on this list, the charm mostly shows up while you're just walking around, letting your feet decide the route. It's a safe city to wander without a plan for an afternoon, small shops and cafés turn up in places you didn't expect, and the architecture does most of the work on its own. Bring your group, or don't, either way it holds up.
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