Budget · Bruges · Belgium
Bruges on a budget
What a trip to Bruges really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Zeisterre, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Bruges is moderately priced for most international visitors. Budget roughly $80–$130 per person per day on a tight budget, $170–$300 mid-range and $350–$800 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in January–February.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- $80–$130 a day
- Mid-range
- $170–$300 a day
- Luxury
- $350–$800 a day
- Local currency
- EUR
- Free sights
- 8
Daily budget and trip cost
AMZBooking estimates per person in US dollars, excluding flights, reviewed October 2026. Accommodation is the biggest variable; prices rise in peak months.
| Style | Per day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $80–$130 | $240–$390 | $400–$650 | $560–$910 |
| Mid-range | $170–$300 | $510–$900 | $850–$1,500 | $1,190–$2,100 |
| Luxury | $350–$800 | $1,050–$2,400 | $1,750–$4,000 | $2,450–$5,600 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in Bruges, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| De Lijn bus single ticket | about €2.50–€3 |
| Cone of frites at the Markt | about €4–€6 |
| Belgian beer in a café | about €4–€7 |
| Canal boat tour | about €13–€16 |
| Museum or Belfry ticket | about €12–€18 |
| Moules-frites in a restaurant | about €28–€36 |
| Bike hire for a day | about €12–€20 |
Money-saving tips
- The Begijnhof, the Basilica of the Holy Blood, St. Salvator's Cathedral, the windmills and the canal-side walks are free.
- A combined museum pass pays off if you plan to see three or more city-run museums.
- Hotels are noticeably less expensive from Sunday to Thursday and in January and February.
- Eat lunch rather than dinner at popular restaurants; many offer a lower-priced weekday menu.
- Walk or cycle instead of taking a horse-drawn carriage or tourist minibus; the old town is small.
- Pick up picnic supplies at the Wednesday market on the Markt or the Saturday market on 't Zand.
Free things to do
- Markt — The main square is framed by colourful step-gabled guild houses, the neo-Gothic Provincial Court and the Belfry, with a statue of the medieval rebel leaders Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck in the middle.
- Basilica of the Holy Blood — On the corner of the Burg, a dim 12th-century Romanesque chapel lies beneath an ornate Gothic upper chapel that houses a relic believed to contain a cloth with the blood of Christ.
- Begijnhof and Minnewater — The Beguinage Ten Wijngaerde, founded in the 13th century for religious laywomen, is a walled garden of whitewashed houses around tall trees, now home to Benedictine nuns and part of the UNESCO-listed Flemish Béguinages.
- Rozenhoedkaai — The Quay of the Rosary is the classic Bruges view: a bend in the canal with old houses on the water and the Belfry rising behind.
- Bonifacius Bridge and Arentshof — A small stone footbridge over a narrow canal behind the Church of Our Lady and the Gruuthusemuseum, reached through the Arentshof garden with its sculptures.
- St. Salvator's Cathedral — Bruges's oldest parish church became its cathedral in the 19th century.
Where to stay on a budget
$$ · Best for quiet stays, budget and couples
Sint-Anna
Quiet residential quarter across the canal with windmills, almshouses and a lace centre
$$ · Best for budget, shopping and first-timers
't Zand
A large square with the Concertgebouw, mid-range hotels and the main shopping street
$$ · Best for quiet stays, budget and solo travellers
Ezelstraat and Sint-Jakobs
Quieter streets north-west of the Markt leading to the medieval Ezelpoort gate
Eating well for less
- Frites — The two frites stalls at the foot of the Belfry on the Markt, and neighbourhood frituurs away from the centre.
- Kletskoppen — Bakeries and biscuit shops in the old town; they are sold in tins as gifts.
Getting around for less
Musea Brugge Museum Pass
A combined pass covering the city-run museums, including the Groeningemuseum, Old St. John's Hospital and the Gruuthusemuseum, valid for several consecutive days.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to Bruges cost?
About $850–$1,500 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or $400–$650 on a tight budget.
+Is Bruges expensive?
It is moderately priced for international visitors. The Begijnhof, the Basilica of the Holy Blood, St. Salvator's Cathedral, the windmills and the canal-side walks are free.
+How much money do I need per day in Bruges?
Roughly $80–$130 on a budget and $170–$300 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in Bruges?
Usually in January–February.