Grand-Place, Manneken Pis and the Old Town: Guided Tour or on Your Own?
4 min read
You can see the Grand-Place and Manneken Pis on your own; a guide is worth paying for when you want the history behind them and a route through the upper town. The most-reviewed option is the guided walking tour of Brussels: it costs €25, is rated 4.6 from 4,355 reviews, lasts 2.5 hours and meets at Grand-Place 29.
What you see without a guide
The Grand-Place is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 1998. Its best-known building is the Gothic Town Hall, built in the early 15th century. The King’s House, begun under Charles V in 1515, houses the City of Brussels Museum, and the guild houses around the square were built after the 1695 bombardment. The square itself is public.
Manneken Pis has its own fountain. The statue at the fountain is a reproduction: according to visit.brussels, Jérôme Duquesnoy made the bronze in 1619, and the original is kept in the King’s House on the Grand-Place. His wardrobe runs to more than a thousand costumes; part of it is shown at the GardeRobe MannekenPis in Rue du Chêne, and the City of Brussels says a City of Brussels Museum ticket gives access to it. Opening hours change, so check them before you go.
What a guide adds
The walking tour’s page says the route is split into the Lower City and the Upper City. It lists the Grand-Place, the Everard ‘t Serclaes monument, Manneken Pis, the Royal Galleries of Saint-Hubert, Saint Michael and Saint Gudula Cathedral, the Royal Park, the Royal Palace and the Royal Square, and it includes a Belgian chocolate tasting. Guides speak Spanish, English and French. The page labels the tour wheelchair accessible; ask the operator about the route before booking if you use a wheelchair.
Two other guided walks add food or drink. The historical tour with chocolate and waffle tasting costs €45, is rated 4.8 from 1,558 reviews and is limited to 14 guests. It begins with a waffle tasting at the Waffle Heritage shop in Rue Lebeau, passes the Grand-Place, City Hall, the Royal Galleries, the cathedral, Manneken Pis and the Royal Palace, and ends at the Royal Square with a view over the city. It is led in English and French.
The guided walk with optional beer tasting lasts 2.5 hours and costs €19; the beer tasting is an option, so check what you select before paying.
Guided or alone: how to choose
| If you… | Choose |
|---|---|
| have a few free hours and a good map | Walk alone and add the City Museum |
| want the story of the city and a route | The guided walking tour |
| like small groups and a tasting | The tour with chocolate and waffles |
Our recommendation
Book the guided walking tour if this is your first day in Brussels, then visit the GardeRobe on your own. If a small group matters more than a bigger route, choose the chocolate and waffle tour. More options are on our page for walking tours in Brussels and museums and tickets; if you would rather ride between sights, read about the hop-on hop-off bus.
