What to do in Antwerp in One Day

In this guide

• Possible ways to travel
• Where to stay in Antwerp
• Useful links
• Video "Guided tour in Antwerp with Tuktuk"
• Video "Anterp Port: boat toar with Jan Plezier"

Our trip to Antwerp consists of two parts:

• Guided tour with Tuktuk in the Old Town
• Boat tour in the Port of Antwerp

Tuktuk in the Old Town
In the video, you can see our tour with a local guide from Antwerp with Tuktuk. The trip took two hours, but it is possible to select a different journey (check guides website below), or you can choose a cheaper option - to walk. The same objects that you can see in the video you can visit on foot, of course, it will require more energy and endurance.

Our itinerary (with Tuktuk):

1. Cathedral of Our Lady
2. Groenplaats
3. Friday Market
4. Plantin-Moretus Museum
5. Steen Castle
6. MAS | Museum aan de Stroom
7. Antwerp Whisperer
8. Felix Pakhuis
9. Grote Markt, Antwerp

Cathedral of our Lady and Grote Markt are close to each other, so if you stay in the center, it makes sense to do a circle and to come back in the same place, especially if you live in the center.

If you walk, so we could recommend starting from the Plantin-Moretus Museum and Friday Market (if you visit on Friday) and go up to the north, visiting Groenplaats, Cathedral of Our Lady, Grote Markt, Antwerp, Groenplaats, Steen Castle, , Felix Pakhuis, Antwerp Whisperer, and MAS | Museum aan de Stroom. The total distance would be up to 3 km, but you will be able to observe the city as you wish. Also, this path would make sense, if you choose to take a Harbor boat tour because from the MAS to London Bridge it is only around 400 meters. From this place, we took Harbor Cruize with Jan Plezier.

PORT OF ANTWERP
Straight after Tuktuk, we took a boat to observe the Port of Antwerp. If you are planning to visit Antwerp, to see a harbor is a must.

ABOUT JAN PLEZIER
There is a different kind of boat tours available in the harbor, but we are not familiar with other trips, but we know about the boat that we used. The name of the ship is Jan Plezier, and we took a regular tour, which lasted for around 90 minutes. What we liked, that they have interactive guides and tablets with all required information. Because of that, we were able to hear the audio guide, look at the tablet and check the exact location and the most important, to see and feel the harbor in the real places.
Also, I would like to mention, that couple Sundays every month, starting March to November Jan Plezeier organize pancake boat, and for more information contact the boat crew directly.

PORT AUTHORITY
After a few minutes by boat, we approached the first modern object with the name “New Port House of Antwerp.” This building is the new headquarters of the Antwerp Port Authority, and this house accommodates more than 500 staff members. We saw the building from the boat, but you can have a guided tour separately and explore more.
Before this building was a fire station and now it is restored and is a symbol for the second biggest port in Europe.

HARBOR
In terms of Antwerp Harbor, it is the second-largest port in Europe and the largest port is in Rotterdam; In the port of Antwerp, you can see the largest cargo ships. Port infrastructure is well developed because railway, roads, and water connect docs, and because of its central location in Europe, the port has become the second largest seaport.

TIPS

• We would highly recommend taking a Tuk-tuk tour, because it will be fun and relaxing, especially if you travel with small kids, but if you prefer to walk off looking for cheaper travel, you can choose to explore the city on your foot.
• The distance from Grote Markt in the city center is around 1,5 km, so exploring the city is not so far to walk to the harbor;
• Although it is possible to buy tickets on the boat, we recommend to book a boat cruise in advance, especially if it is a pancake cruise;
• If there are less than 25 persons present, the administration remains the opportunity to cancel the journey, so our recommendation  - check with the administrator in advance;
• Use the audio guide, because without a guide you won't understand where you are and what do those places mean.

Useful links:

• Jan Plezier Cruise
• Tuktuk Antwerp Website

Accommodation
We lived near Brussels and didn't stay in the Antwerp, but if you stay in Antwerp, we will recommend those options:

• If you prefer to stay in the hotel, below, you can see a map with the list of hotels in Antwerp. The plan is the most significant hotels network booking.com tool, and if you choose to order a hotel using this our links, it will cost you the same amount of money. If you would like to choose a hotel near some exact places that you saw in the video, select this place and you could find hotels around the precise location.