In a nutshell
- Ghent is a medieval city in Belgium packed with historical highlights — old guild houses, stunning churches, and an impressive castle right in the city center.
- We’ll walk you through the top 9 things to do in Ghent that you absolutely can’t miss, and tell you honestly whether a boat tour and a guided city tour are worth your time and money.
- The good news: you can easily explore Ghent in one to two days, entirely on foot. That’s exactly how we did it.
- Also check out our Ghent travel tips — everything you need to know about parking, costs, getting around, and more.
Ghent Old Town
What do you need to know? Ghent’s old town stretches along the Leie and Scheldt rivers and takes in all of the city’s major attractions — Gravensteen Castle, the Belfry, and some of the oldest churches in Belgium. It dates back to the Middle Ages, when Ghent was one of the largest and most powerful cities in Europe.
Is it worth it? Absolutely! If you’re visiting Ghent, the old town is THE place to be. You can pretty much skip the modern neighborhoods altogether. It’s beautiful, seriously impressive, and delivers one highlight after another — even if you only have a single day.
Our tip: That said, you don’t necessarily need to stay in the old town itself. The historic center is easily walkable from the surrounding neighborhoods. Further down, you’ll find our hotel recommendations for Ghent.
Gravensteen Castle
What do you need to know? Gravensteen is one of Ghent’s most famous attractions. The castle sits right in the city center — which is extremely rare for a medieval fortress from the 12th century. It was once the residence of the Counts of Flanders and a military stronghold. Today it’s open to the public as a museum, and you can buy tickets on-site.
Is it worth it? 100%! We visited ourselves and were completely blown away — honestly, it’s even better than Edinburgh Castle in Scotland. Everything is beautifully restored, the free audio guide is excellent, and the views over Ghent are truly stunning. A definite must-see, and great for kids too.
Discover even more amazing castles & palaces across Europe
Graslei and Korenlei
What do you need to know? Graslei and Korenlei are two picturesque waterfront streets along the Leie River in Ghent’s historic district. Centuries-old guild houses line the riverbank, and in the Middle Ages both streets were important trade routes.
Is it worth it? We’d say Graslei and Korenlei are the best photo spot in all of Ghent — we just couldn’t stop taking pictures. Come in the morning for the best experience; it’s completely empty then.
Our tip: It may seem out of place, but one of those old guild houses is now home to a burger joint — Manhattn’s Burgers. Supposedly the best burgers in the city.
St. Bavo's Cathedral
What do you need to know? St. Bavo’s Cathedral stands in the center of Ghent, right next to the Belfry (more on that in a moment). Built between the 13th and 16th centuries, its standout feature is the famous Ghent Altarpiece — you’ll need a ticket to see it, available on-site.
Is it worth it? The cathedral is a key part of Ghent’s stunning cityscape. Inside, it’s at least as impressive as it looks from the outside — there’s even a small shop selling incense and religious figurines. The only thing that gave us pause was the €12 admission fee for the altarpiece.
Our tip: If €12 feels steep but you still want to see van Eyck’s masterpiece, consider picking up the CityCard Ghent. It costs €42 and covers all of Ghent’s major attractions — so the savings add up quickly. We missed out on it ourselves, unfortunately. The pass is only available in person at these sales locations.
Ghent Altarpiece
What do you need to know? The Ghent Altarpiece — also known as the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb — is a painting by brothers Hubert and Jan van Eyck from the 15th century. It has been housed in St. Bavo’s Cathedral for around 600 years. The entry fee to view it is €12.
Is it worth it? The altarpiece is incredibly old and enormous — 3.5 meters tall and 7 meters wide. On top of its historical significance, it’s an extraordinarily beautiful work packed with detail, vivid colors, and striking imagery. That said, we still found €12 to be a lot to ask.
Again, our recommendation: on your first day in Ghent, grab the Ghent CityPass at one of the sales locations. It gets you into the altarpiece — and everything else — at a much better price.
Ghent Belfry
What do you need to know? The Belfry stands in Ghent’s old quarter, between St. Bavo’s Cathedral and St. Nicholas’ Church (our number 7). Built in the 14th century, it served as the city’s administrative center and watchtower. Today it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and houses a small museum.
Is it worth it? The Belfry is another truly special building in the historic center and home to a great little history museum. If you have the time, definitely go inside. But even just admiring it from the outside is totally worth it.
Fun Fact: Atop the 91-meter-tall Ghent Belfry, a golden dragon has been perched since 1930. It doesn’t actually belong there — it originally came from Bruges. When the two cities were competing for dominance in Flanders, Ghent stole the dragon and placed it triumphantly on the tower. Bruges still won in the end.
St. Nicholas' Church
What do you need to know? St. Nicholas’ Church stands near the Graslei and forms part of Ghent’s iconic “tower skyline” — St. Nicholas, the Belfry, and St. Bavo. It dates back to the 12th century and was dedicated to Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors and merchants — a common dedication in medieval trading cities.
Is it worth it? St. Nicholas’ is Gothic architecture at its absolute finest! The massive bell tower makes the church feel monumental and genuinely awe-inspiring — especially in the misty winter air. Honestly, it gives Notre-Dame in Paris a run for its money. Inside it’s just as beautiful, with soaring vaulted ceilings and numerous works of art.
Our tip: For a small fee, you can climb the tower when no services are taking place and enjoy a fantastic panorama over Ghent.
Huis van Alijn
What do you need to know? The Huis van Alijn is located in the Patershol neighborhood, one of Ghent’s oldest and most charming districts. In the 15th century, this was home to the Alijn family — a wealthy patrician family surrounded by legends, hence the name. Today it’s a museum dedicated to everyday life in Flanders. Tickets are available on-site.
Is it worth it? The museum is really entertaining, cleverly set up, and has plenty of hands-on elements. It focuses on the modern era, which we found a little limiting — but it was still well worth a visit.
Fun Fact: Ghent has so many great historical stories! When you’re standing in front of the Huis van Alijn, look up at the gable — you’ll spot a flute player, one of the symbols of Flemish folk art.
Huis Arnold Vander Haeghen
What do you need to know? The Huis Arnold Vander Haeghen is a free museum right in Ghent’s city center. It’s named after Arnold Vander Haeghen, a wealthy Ghent merchant from the 16th century.
Is it worth it? A visit here gives you a real feel for the Flemish Renaissance. You walk through a series of beautifully furnished rooms and get a genuine sense of what life was like for Ghent’s prosperous bourgeois families. Really interesting — and free!
The Best Ghent Attractions on a Map
To help you get your bearings, we’ve marked all the top things to do in Ghent on a map.
As you can see: everything is close together in the old town. You can easily tackle all your sightseeing on foot.
City Tour & Boat Trip Through Ghent
In a historic city like Ghent, learning the stories behind the amazing sights makes everything so much richer.
City tours and boat tours are perfect for that!
We actually did both to make the most of a weekend in Ghent. Here’s what we tried:
Evening Walking Tour Through the Dark Side of Ghent
The evening tour through Ghent is a (more or less) free walking tour. You just pay a booking fee of around €3 and, if you enjoyed it, a tip for the guide at the end.
These tours are usually led by students earning a little extra money on the side. You can book in English or Spanish, and the tour runs for about one and a half to two hours.
For €3 plus a tip, the walking tour was genuinely good value. We had hoped for a few more spooky anecdotes rather than the endless historical facts — but honestly, who’s complaining at that price?
Fair warning: it’s actually quite hard to find a guided tour in Ghent. The kind of full-scale guided tours you’d find on GetYourGuide for cities like Amsterdam simply don’t exist here. That’s exactly why we went with this alternative — and it helped us explore Ghent so much better over the weekend.
Book the evening tour through the dark side of Ghent online
Classic Boat Tour Through Ghent
The boat tour through Ghent was exactly what we expected. You glide slowly along the rivers winding through the city and take in Ghent at a leisurely pace from the water. Along the way, the captain shares stories in English about the city, the architecture, and life on the river.
The ride costs €10 — we think that’s completely reasonable for an almost one-hour boat tour. You can book tickets in advance online or buy them spontaneously on-site at a small booth at the dock in the old town.
Book the classic boat tour through Ghent online
Our Hotel Recommendations for Ghent
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