Antwerp Off the Beaten Path: 5 Day Itinerary
Five days adds a full day of fashion history and beer culture on top of the diamonds, prints and free river views covered in the 4 day itinerary . This is the version for travelers who want Antwerp’s craft side, not just its sightseeing checklist. See also the 2 day , 3 day , 6 day and full week versions, or the guide to Antwerp’s hidden gems .
Book these before you go:
- Check rates near Centraal on Booking.com
- Book a diamond district tour for Day 3
- Book an old town walking tour for Day 1
- Browse more Antwerp tours on Viator
Day 1: Grote Markt and the railway cathedral
Grote Markt, the Brabo Fountain’s hand-throwing legend, and Antwerpen-Centraal, the “railway cathedral” Mashable named the world’s most beautiful station in 2014. Afternoon: the Cathedral of Our Lady (EUR 12, free under 18) for Rubens’ own altarpieces, since the Rubenshuis stays closed until 2030. Evening: a Bolleke of De Koninck, roughly EUR 2.50-3.50.
Day 2: The river, for free
The MAS rooftop, free with no ticket (galleries EUR 10 plus EUR 2 for temporary shows), then Het Steen’s free courtyard and rooftop. Afternoon: the free Sint-Annatunnel (1933, 572 meters) out and the free Sint-Anna ferry back, running 24/7 since September 2025. De Lijn’s premetro tram tunnel closes under the river from May 2026 to roughly the end of March 2027, so this pedestrian crossing is the reliable route this year.
Day 3: Diamonds and prints
The Diamond District on a weekday (much closes Saturdays), then the DIVA museum (EUR 12) for the trading-hub story; Antwerp trades roughly 84 percent of the world’s rough diamonds but does not cut most of them today. Afternoon: the Plantin-Moretus Museum (EUR 12, free first Wednesday), the only individually UNESCO-listed museum in the world, then a walk down Meir shopping street.
Day 4: Art Nouveau and the Rubens redirect
Cogels-Osylei in Zurenborg, a free Art Nouveau street with 170 protected facades built 1894-1906, near Antwerpen-Berchem station. Late morning in Het Zuid. Afternoon: KMSKA, reopened 2022 after an 11-year renovation, timed online entry, roughly EUR 12, a genuine second answer to the closed Rubenshuis.
Day 5: Fashion and craft
Spend the morning at MoMu, Antwerp’s fashion museum, open on its normal schedule and running “The Antwerp Six,” its 40th-anniversary exhibition (28 March 2026 to 17 January 2027) marking the six Royal Academy graduates who put the city on the international fashion map in 1986. Ticket roughly EUR 12.
For the afternoon, choose one: De Koninck’s self-guided city-brewery tour (EUR 16-20, about an hour, two tastings included), or skip it for an ordinary jenever proeflokaal, since Antwerp has a documented juniper-spirit recipe dating to 1552 and the bar experience often delivers more atmosphere per euro than the audiovisual tour. Either way, stop at Philip’s Biscuits for Antwerpse Handjes before the day ends.
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Grote Markt, Antwerpen-Centraal, Cathedral of Our Lady |
| Day 2 | MAS free rooftop, Het Steen, the free Sint-Anna tunnel and ferry |
| Day 3 | Diamond District, DIVA museum, Plantin-Moretus UNESCO print house |
| Day 4 | Cogels-Osylei Art Nouveau street, Het Zuid, KMSKA |
| Day 5 | MoMu and the Antwerp Six show, De Koninck or a jenever proeflokaal |
A sixth day picks up in the 6 day itinerary with the Red Star Line Museum and a slower pace through Eilandje.