Antwerp in 2 days suits travellers who like art, clothes and railway architecture in equal parts, and who are happy to move on foot and by tram. This plan (the city is Antwerpen in Dutch) links three anchors: the Cathedral of Our Lady, the Rubens House and Antwerpen-Centraal, a station whose domed hall counts as a sight in its own right. One practical reason to plan now: in 2026 the historic residence of the Rubens House is closed for restoration, yet the Rubens Experience and the garden stay open, so the painter's story is still easy to follow.
Quick facts
- Country and region: Belgium, in Flanders, on the river Scheldt.
- Main airport: Brussels Airport (BRU) in Zaventem, with a railway station under the terminal and direct trains to Antwerp. The smaller Antwerp International Airport is linked by bus to Berchem station.
- Main station: Antwerpen-Centraal.
- Getting around: walking, tram, bus, shared Velo bikes and the DeWaterbus river boats.
- Currency: euro (EUR).
- Language: Dutch (Flemish).
- Time zone: Central European Time, with summer time in season.
- Best months: April to June and September to October.
Best time to visit
Late spring and early autumn suit this plan: mild weather makes the walks between museums easy. The Rubens House garden holds more than 22,000 plants, laid out with advice from the Antwerp fashion designer Dries Van Noten to give colour across all seasons, so it works outside the peak months too. Summer brings long daylight for the Scheldt riverbank, and winter pushes you indoors, which the station, the cathedral and the museums handle well.
Check opening patterns before fixing a date. The cathedral opens from 1 pm on Sundays and closes at 3 pm on Saturdays, and its site lists exceptions for late 2026, including Sunday 20 December, when it is closed to tourism. For events, use the Visit Flanders page for Antwerp and each venue's own calendar.
Getting there and around
Brussels Airport is Belgium's main international airport. Its station sits under the terminal, and direct trains run to Antwerp on the Diabolo line, open since 2012; check the SNCB journey planner for times. The smaller Antwerp International Airport says buses 51, 52 and 53 reach Antwerpen-Berchem about every 15 minutes, taking around 10, and a train from Berchem to Antwerpen-Centraal takes about 5 minutes (see its transport page).
Antwerpen-Centraal is the rail hub. Eurostar and NS International trains link Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Brussels, Eurostar continuing to Paris, and SNCB Intercity trains to Ghent, Bruges, Mechelen and Leuven. For the neighbours, see Amsterdam in 2 days and Brussels in 2 days.
In town, the Rubens House is a 10-minute walk from the station. Tram 4 and buses 22 and 180 to 183 stop at Groenplaats near the cathedral. MoMu warns that from 4 May 2026 to the end of March 2027, tram lines 3, 5, 9 and 15 run only to the Opera stop, so check De Lijn first. DeWaterbus runs river boats, Velo bikes stand at Hopland and on the Meir, and the centre is a low-emission zone for cars.
Where to stay
Around Antwerpen-Centraal you have the rail hub for early departures and day trips, and the Rubens House is a 10-minute walk away. You will tram or walk into the old town for the evening.
The old town around Groenplaats puts the cathedral at your door, and MoMu lists Groenplaats stops for tram 4 and several buses. Choose it for sights on foot, accepting that some tram lines are affected by the works.
Antwerpen-Berchem, in the south, suits arrivals by the airport buses and anyone happy to ride about 5 minutes by train to the centre. Trams 9 and 11 also run from Berchem into the city. Whichever base you pick, check the tram diversions first, because the tunnel works change which lines reach the centre.
Day 1: The station, Rubens and the cathedral
Morning: Antwerpen-Centraal and the Rubens House
Start at Koningin Astridplein. Louis Delacenserie designed the stone station building, which was built between 1895 and 1905 and opened on 11 August 1905. Its dome earned the nickname spoorwegkathedraal, the railway cathedral. The iron and glass train hall, by the engineer Clement Van Bogaert, is about 185 metres long. Of the four levels, the original terminal tracks sit on top and the through tracks lie 18 metres below street level, in use since the 2007 tunnel. Look up for a wave in the roof, left by V-2 damage in the Second World War.
Walk about 10 minutes to the Rubens House at Hopland 13. Rubens converted his home into an Italian city palace, and he lived, worked and died there. The artist's residence will reopen in 2030 at the earliest, but the Rubens Experience is open. A show starts every half hour, alternating between Dutch and English, and lasts 30 to 45 minutes, so reserve online and arrive 15 minutes early. Then walk the garden. The house is closed on Wednesdays, so swap days if you arrive then.
Afternoon: the Cathedral of Our Lady
Head to Groenplaats. The cathedral's site calls it a house of God and one of the masterpieces of Gothic architecture, and the building holds Rubens's Descent from the Cross. Audio description for the highlights, including the Rubens works, plays through a QR code beside each work. A three-dimensional scale model stands in St Anthony's Chapel, and the reception team offers free guided tours in several languages at set times (see the cathedral visit page).
Evening: Groenplaats, the Grote Markt and the Scheldt
Visit Flanders names the Grote Markt, the cathedral and the Scheldt riverbanks together as the city's historic core. Walk from the cathedral to the market square and down to the river as the light drops, then pick a table in the old town for dinner.
Day 2: Fashion, books and paintings
Morning: MoMu and the Plantin-Moretus Museum
Open at MoMu, the Fashion Museum Antwerp. Its exhibition LOOKS, LOOKS, LOOKS, about how the Antwerp fashion department works, runs from 28 March 2026 to 17 January 2027. The museum is open until 6 pm with last entry at 5 pm, and admission is free for under-18s and Antwerp City Pass holders (see the MoMu visitor page). All galleries are wheelchair accessible. The Rubens House garden was planted with Dries Van Noten's advice, so this is a natural second look at the city's fashion side.
Then turn to books. UNESCO calls the Plantin-Moretus complex the only surviving printing workshop and publishing house from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Christophe Plantin and his son-in-law Jan Moretus I built the business, and the family printed there from 1576 to 1867. The museum announced a renovation closure from 3 August to 4 December, and Visit Flanders gives Saturday 5 December as the reopening. If you travel earlier, its reading room stays open (see the museum site).
Afternoon: KMSKA, the MAS or Beloved
Visit Flanders names the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) and the Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp (M HKA) among the major museums. KMSKA offers a free cloakroom and lifts, and food is not allowed in the halls. The MAS is an alternative, with its Martial Arts exhibition scheduled from 3 April to 29 November 2026 and a restaurant on the top floor. The Museum Mayer van den Bergh is closed until 2030, but its exhibition Beloved, in which 43 museum enthusiasts from Antwerp each chose a work, runs in the Maagdenhuis until 17 September 2028.
Evening: a last walk and the trains
Spend the last hours between Groenplaats and the station, and use the SNCB planner to pick a connection that leaves time for a coffee near the hall.
If it rains, on a budget, with kids
If it rains
Indoor stops fill both days: the station hall, the Rubens Experience, the cathedral, MoMu, KMSKA and the MAS.
On a budget
Walking the old town and the riverbank costs nothing. Under-18s enter the cathedral, MoMu and the Rubens House free, and Antwerp City Pass holders enter MoMu and the Rubens House free, according to their sites. The Rubens House also sells garden-only tickets, and the cathedral's reception team runs free guided tours.
With kids
The Rubens House says families are welcome, noting that Rubens had quite a few children himself. Pushchairs can go in the garden but wait in the cloakroom inside, and baby carriers are free at the desk. MoMu lends headphones for a low-stimulus visit. The cathedral's tower and garden are not open to prams.
Day trip or a third day
Bruges
SNCB Intercity trains run Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges and Ostend. Read Bruges in 2 days to plan the stop, and check the SNCB planner for journey times.
Brussels
Brussels sits on several Intercity lines and on the Eurostar route between Amsterdam and Paris through Antwerp. The Brussels guide linked above covers the city itself.
A slower third day in Antwerp
Return for the Plantin-Moretus Museum once it reopens, spend longer at KMSKA, visit M HKA, or look at the Rubens House library, which holds thousands of documents about Rubens.
Practical tips
Book the Rubens Experience online. It has limited capacity and fixed start times, and the Rubens House is cash-free, so bring a card. The house closes on Wednesdays, 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. The cathedral opens every day except 1 January, but it is first a house of worship, so keep your voice low during services.
For access, the cathedral offers wheelchairs and ramps to the ambulatory and chapels, while its high altar, crypt, garden and tower are not wheelchair accessible. The Rubens House has a lift, adapted toilets and two free wheelchairs. Read the Rubens House visit page before you book, and recheck hours and exhibition dates in the week you travel.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still go inside the Rubens House?
Not the historic residence. The Rubens House says it will reopen in 2030 at the earliest. The Rubens Experience, the garden and the library remain open, and the collection travels to other museums meanwhile. Check the official site for the day you travel.
What is the wave in the roof of the station hall?
It comes from a V-2 rocket hit in the Second World War. The structure stayed stable, but the impact left a lasting wave-distortion in the roof. After the station closed on 31 January 1986 for safety reasons, the restored roof used polycarbonate sheets instead of glass.
Can I visit the cathedral on a Sunday morning?
Sightseeing starts later on Sundays. The cathedral's site lists Sunday opening from 1 pm to 5 pm, Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm and weekdays from 10 am to 5 pm. It also lists exceptions near the end of 2026, so check the visit page for your date.
Where can I see Antwerp fashion?
MoMu is the dedicated museum, with LOOKS, LOOKS, LOOKS on show until 17 January 2027. The Rubens House garden also links fashion and Rubens, because it was planted with the advice of the Antwerp designer Dries Van Noten.
More city guides
- Brussels in 2 days: the capital, on the Intercity and Eurostar lines from Antwerpen-Centraal.
- Bruges in 2 days: the Intercity line to the coast through Ghent.
- Amsterdam in 2 days: the northern end of the Eurostar and NS International services through Antwerp.
- Paris in 2 days: reached by Eurostar through Brussels.
