Antwerp Off the Beaten Path: 6 Day Itinerary
Six days keeps everything from the 5 day itinerary and adds a deliberately slower day back in Eilandje, plus the one Antwerp museum that tells an entirely different story: emigration, not art. See also the 2 day , 3 day , 4 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.
Day 5: Fashion and craft
Morning at MoMu for “The Antwerp Six,” its 40th-anniversary show (28 March 2026 to 17 January 2027), roughly EUR 12. Afternoon: De Koninck’s self-guided brewery tour (EUR 16-20) or a jenever proeflokaal instead, plus Antwerpse Handjes from Philip’s Biscuits.
Day 6: A slower day in Eilandje
Spend the morning at the Red Star Line Museum in Eilandje, which tells the story of the transatlantic emigration port Antwerp once was, a different Antwerp than the diamond and fashion trades covered so far. Give the afternoon back to whichever neighborhood earned a second look this week, whether that is Zurenborg, Het Zuid or the old town.
If you are visiting between 18 June and 30 August 2026, check the Zomer van Antwerpen program for free and ticketed outdoor theatre, circus and music before you fix your evening plans; if it is early December, the Christmas market spread across Grote Markt, Suikerrui and Groenplaats runs a similar window to 2025’s 5 December to 4 January dates, though confirm exact 2026-27 dates closer to your trip.
| 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 |
| Day 6 | Red Star Line Museum, a slower repeat neighborhood |
A full week, in the 7 day itinerary , spends this same six-day core in the city and adds one half-day trip out.