Bruges in 7 Days on a Budget (Daily Costs)
Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use.
A full week in Bruges, closing on the cheapest day of the trip
Days 1-6 here are the exact plan in the 6-day itinerary : the Markt and the Burg, Michelangelo and the museums, Ghent, a solemn Ypres day, the Belgian coast, and Brussels. Day 7 is a deliberately slow, near-free day: a bike ride to Damme and the ramparts windmills, free the whole way beyond the rental. If a week is more than you need, the 6-day itinerary covers the core plus all 4 day trips. Most days run 70-210 euros a person; day 7 is the cheapest of the week.
Book these before you go
- Your onward train from Brussels to Bruges, book at belgiantrain.be
- Ghent (day 3), Ypres via Kortrijk (day 4), Ostend (day 5), and Brussels (day 6) day-trip trains
- A room booked ahead for the summer peak or the Bruges Beer Festival weekend (12-13 September 2026)
Day 1: the Markt, the Burg, and the canals
The Markt is free, the Belfry ticketed for the climb (verify current price and hours). The Burg holds the Stadhuis and the Basilica of the Holy Blood, free to enter. Walk to the Rozenhoedkaai, free.
| Day 1 cost (euros, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 35 | 90 |
| Breakfast | 6 | 15 |
| Frituur lunch | 8 | 15 |
| Belfry climb (verify) | 0 (skip) | 15 |
| Dinner | 20 | 38 |
| Day 1 total | 69 | 173 |
Day 2: Michelangelo, the museums, and the Begijnhof
The Church of Our Lady holds Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child; its brick tower, 115.6m, is the third-tallest brickwork church tower in the world. The Groeningemuseum covers the Flemish Primitives. Minnewater and the Begijnhof are free. Finish at Choco-Story, around €14 (verify).
| Day 2 cost (euros, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 35 | 90 |
| Breakfast | 6 | 15 |
| Groeningemuseum (verify) | 0 (skip) | 12 |
| Lunch | 10 | 20 |
| Choco-Story | 14 | 14 |
| Dinner | 20 | 38 |
| Day 2 total | 85 | 189 |
Day 3: Ghent day trip
Ghent is 25-30 minutes by train (verify). St Bavo’s Cathedral, the Ghent Altarpiece, Gravensteen castle, and the Graslei.
| Day 3 cost (euros, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 35 | 90 |
| Breakfast | 6 | 15 |
| Ghent round-trip train (verify) | 12 | 16 |
| Lunch in Ghent | 10 | 20 |
| Dinner back in Bruges | 20 | 38 |
| Day 3 total | 83 | 179 |
Day 4: Ypres and Flanders Fields
Ypres sits roughly 1-1.5 hours away, often via Kortrijk (verify current routing). The In Flanders Fields Museum, the Menin Gate and its nightly Last Post at 20:00, and Tyne Cot Cemetery further out. Treat this as the day’s only activity.
| Day 4 cost (euros, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 35 | 90 |
| Breakfast | 6 | 15 |
| Ypres round-trip train (verify) | 25 | 35 |
| In Flanders Fields Museum entry (verify) | 0 (skip) | 12 |
| Lunch in Ypres | 10 | 20 |
| Quiet dinner back in Bruges | 20 | 38 |
| Day 4 total | 96 | 210 |
Day 5: the Belgian coast and the Kusttram
Ostend is about 15 minutes away by direct train (verify). The Kusttram, the world’s longest metre-gauge tram line, runs the length of the coast, operated by De Lijn.
| Day 5 cost (euros, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 35 | 90 |
| Breakfast | 6 | 15 |
| Ostend round-trip train (verify) | 10 | 14 |
| Kusttram single fare (verify) | 3 | 5 |
| Lunch at the coast | 12 | 22 |
| Dinner back in Bruges | 20 | 38 |
| Day 5 total | 86 | 184 |
Day 6: Brussels day trip
Brussels is a confirmed ~1 hour by train, roughly every 30 minutes through the day. The Grand Place, a UNESCO World Heritage square, anchors the day before the train back to a quiet Bruges evening.
| Day 6 cost (euros, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 35 | 90 |
| Breakfast | 6 | 15 |
| Brussels round-trip train (verify) | 18 | 26 |
| Lunch in Brussels | 12 | 25 |
| Dinner back in Bruges | 20 | 38 |
| Day 6 total | 91 | 194 |
Day 7: Damme, the ramparts windmills, and a free-day farewell
After six days mixing free sights with four paid day trips, close the week on the cheapest day of the whole plan. Rent a bike, roughly €8 for 4 hours or €12 for a full day (verify current rates), and ride the ramparts past Sint-Janshuismolen and its neighboring windmills, free to view from outside, then on to Damme, a small historic town a short ride north along the Damse Vaart canal (verify current path conditions). Back in Bruges, wander ’t Zand’s Saturday market if your date lines up, free to browse, and take a last free walk along the quieter Groenerei and Dijver quaysides before a farewell dinner.
| Day 7 cost (euros, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 35 | 90 |
| Breakfast | 6 | 15 |
| Bike rental (verify) | 8 | 12 |
| Lunch in Damme | 10 | 20 |
| Farewell dinner | 22 | 40 |
| Day 7 total | 81 | 177 |
Getting around on 7 days: what needs booking ahead
Days 1 and 2 are walkable. Days 3 through 6 run on normal NMBS/SNCB regional trains plus a De Lijn fare on day 5; day 7 needs only a rented bike. Full details are in the main Bruges guide .
Save your slowest, cheapest day for last, riding out to Damme and back beats squeezing in one more paid sight on a week that’s already covered the core and 4 day trips.