We took our toddler, Ari, on his first city break to Brussels. The capital of Belgium is all about cool combos, like French and Dutch culture, and medieval architecture and modern art – plus, delicious food. If you think cities don’t work for family hols, think again… Here’s what we got up to on our five-day trip to Brussels.
Day 1 – arriving in Brussels
We landed in Brussels in the evening, then it was a short taxi to our stay, nhow Brussels Bloom, which is just outside the old town. The hotel is so cool and arty, with statement lighting, huge paintings and colourful murals covering the walls. It was a really nice touch, especially because some of pieces were by local artists and available to buy. The staff were super friendly and helpful, and we were checked into our room in no time. Our duplex suite was so spacious and featured a downstairs living area, toilet and dining room, then on the first floor was the bedroom with a super king bed, large bathroom, designated dressing area and walk-in wardrobe. It was fun to see the arty décor in here, too, with paint splatters on the walls, contemporary furniture and large gallery style windows. It was the perfect setting for a toddler who needs a lot of space to explore, and it was so handy to be able to put him to bed and then chill out downstairs in the separate living area in the evenings. There’s also a great room service menu, but we ordered some Japanese food on Uber Eats before heading to bed
Day 2 – tour with a local guide
We were feeling fresh after a good night’s sleep and went down for breakfast. The first thing we saw was the waffle van in the middle of the restaurant – what’s more dreamy than freshly-made Belgian waffles for breakfast? The other highlight was the secret sweets room, which was a challenge keeping our two-year-old away from. Ofc, there was also a selection of traditional breakfast items, continental pastries, deli options and cereal, so we had more than enough to fill us and our 2-year-old up for the day. ready for the day ahead…
After brekkie, we left the hotel for an experience, a tour of the city with a local. Our friendly professional guide, Eric, had so much knowledge and pointed out the city’s best architecture, from churches and cathedrals to medieval alleys lined with restaurants and cafés. He gave us plenty of suggestions on where to eat and visit during our stay. He was great with our toddler, too, chatting away to Ari and even helped with the pram. The tour was only an hour but we ticked off so many sights, including the St Michael and St Gudula cathedrals, a college campus which was once a bank and beautiful bronze statues of Congolese men that serve as a reminder of colonialism. Our fave part of the tour by far was visiting the Royal Gallery of St Hubert, a traditional shopping gallery home to famous chocolatier, fashion boutiques and restaurants. We loved it so much, we actually came back three times before we flew home… Our tour ended at the main square, where Eric pointed us in the direction of La Chaloupe ďOr, where we ate a Belgian waffle, frites with homemade tartar sauce and the best hot chocolate we’ve ever had.
We took Ari back to the hotel for a much-needed nap, before heading back to the Royal Gallery of St. Hubert to explore a bit more. We browsed the shops and bought some gifts for family, before strolling over to Rambo Ste Catherine for dinner. It had an American diner vibe and the menu is all about comfort food – we had the most incredible smash burgers. We were still hungry after all our steps, so we crossed the road to Frites Atelier for another round of chips. We were full and happy, so walked back to the hotel to get Ari ready for bed and relax for the rest of the evening.
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Day 3 – Planet Happiness, patisseries and pasta
Another day, another Belgian waffle for breakfast. Then, we headed out to visit some of Brussels’ best activities for families. It was a 10-minute tram to Mont des Arts to see the Planet Happiness exhibition. The interactive exhibits were created using AI, augmented reality and mega 360° immersive projections to showcase human progress and space exploration. Ari loved it and so did we, and there was even a fun AI photobooth where we took a family pic. After this, we went for brunch at Crème – the fluffiest tiramisu-flavour pancakes topped off our morning in the best way.
Ari was due a nap back at the suite, so we took the afternoon easy in the living area. Then, surprise, surprise, it was back to the shopping gallery for more pressies and some macarons, which Ari took a liking to… expensive taste, but I can’t blame him. A short stroll from here was a new authentic Italian restaurant called Nona, where we decided to get dinner. We were amazed by how good the pasta was and the restaurant itself was really cosy. Before our trip, we already knew how good the chocolate and waffles were going to be, but we never realised what a thriving foodie scene Brussels had
Day 4 – Viral sandwiches and the Balloon Museum
On our last full day in Brussels, we were determined to check out the viral sandwich shop we’d seen all over our socials, Tonton Garby. It’s known for its rogue sandwich filling combos like strawberries, grapes and goat’s cheese with salami. The way it works is, you say what you like, then it’s left in the sandwich-maker’s hands… you have to trust the process and it was definitely worth the hype – it even has a ‘don’t like, don’t pay’ policy, so there’s no excuse not to be brave and try something a bit out-there. We arrived early to avoid waiting, because this place can get pretty busy.
After a Ari’s afternoon nap, we took him to the Balloon Museum, which became the highlight of our trip. We knew he would love it, but it’s a great time for the parents, too. There were big balloon structures in every room, inflatable art installations and a dark bubble room, plus fun activities like a wind powered balloon space and ball pit with a light show every 15 minutes. We had so much fun as a family and could’ve stayed for hours.
We were exhausted after all the excitement, so we went back to the hotel and grabbed some food from the hotel’s self-service shop and ordered room service. After eating, all that was left to do was pack for our flight home in the morning, which was a struggle after all the gifts we’d bought on our visits to the gallery…
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Day 5 – home time
We stopped at the waffle truck for the final time before checking out and headed to the airport for the short flight back to Manchester. We had the best time on our first city break with our toddler, and can’t wait for our next family adventure!
If @aleena_rzq’s city break sounds like a bit of you, have a look at our Brussels holidays and you can find all her picks on our Insiders Hub.
Keep an eye out for the ‘Insider pick’ tag when you’re browsing our best deals and in your holiday search results, too.
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Author: @aleena_rzq
Last updated: 14/04/2025
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