# Belgian canals to Paris galleries · Two bases with one hotel change

[Canonical itinerary](<https://zukio.com/trips/europe/open-jaw/belgian-canals-to-paris-galleries-z0629/>)

Two bases with one hotel change

- Region: Europe
- Trip format: Open jaw
- Nights: 9
- Interests: Design, Politics, Food & Drink, History, Literature

## Route and nights

- Brussels · 4 night(s)
- Paris · 5 night(s)

Tradeoff: Keep the two places you most want to see. Verify whether the direct transfer works before dropping the middle stop.

Compare: Rail

## Day-by-day agenda

Suggested schedule. Times are local. Check hours and availability for your dates.

### Day 1 · Brussels

- 15:30 to 16:15 · Check in and drop your bags · ibis Brussels off Grand Place
- 16:35 to 17:35 · Take a short orientation walk near the hotel · Grand Place, Brussels. Skip this block if you arrive later.
- 17:50 to 19:15 · Have dinner near the hotel · Grand Place, Brussels
Overnight: [ibis Brussels off Grand Place](<https://www.hotels.com/ho125111/ibis-brussels-off-grand-place-brussels-belgium/>) · Brussels

### Day 2 · Brussels

- 08:15 to 09:00 · Breakfast near your hotel · Grand-Place, Brussels
- 09:25 to 10:40 · Walk around Grand-Place and the streets by the guildhalls · Grand-Place, Brussels
- 10:55 to 12:10 · Explore the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert and nearby lanes · Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, Brussels. Use the public arcade and allow time for individual shops to open.
- 12:25 to 13:35 · Lunch near the historic center · Brussels city center
- 13:55 to 16:45 · See Art Nouveau facades around Rue Antoine Dansaert and the city center · Rue Antoine Dansaert, Brussels. Include the former Old England department store near Mont des Arts as an exterior stop if you prefer a compact route.
- 18:15 to 19:45 · Dinner near your hotel · Grand-Place, Brussels
Overnight: [ibis Brussels off Grand Place](<https://www.hotels.com/ho125111/ibis-brussels-off-grand-place-brussels-belgium/>) · Brussels

### Day 3 · Brussels

- 08:15 to 09:00 · Breakfast near your hotel · Grand-Place, Brussels
- 09:25 to 10:15 · Travel to the European Quarter · European Quarter, Brussels
- 10:25 to 12:20 · Visit the Parlamentarium if open · Parlamentarium, Brussels. Check admission, identification rules, and opening hours. The exterior district and Parc Léopold work if the visit is unavailable. [Official information](<https://visiting.europarl.europa.eu/en/visitor-offer/brussels/parlamentarium>)
- 12:35 to 13:45 · Lunch around Place du Luxembourg · Place du Luxembourg, Brussels
- 14:05 to 16:45 · Walk Parc Léopold and the surrounding European Quarter · Parc Léopold, Brussels
- 18:15 to 19:45 · Dinner near your hotel · Grand-Place, Brussels
Overnight: [ibis Brussels off Grand Place](<https://www.hotels.com/ho125111/ibis-brussels-off-grand-place-brussels-belgium/>) · Brussels

### Day 4 · Brussels

- 08:15 to 09:00 · Breakfast near your hotel · Grand-Place, Brussels
- 09:30 to 10:45 · Browse chocolate shops around Grand-Place and the galleries · Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, Brussels. Compare shops and choose a small purchase or tasting rather than treating every stop as a meal.
- 11:00 to 12:15 · Walk toward the Sablon streets and square · Grand Sablon, Brussels
- 12:30 to 13:45 · Have a Belgian cafe lunch around the Sablon · Sablon, Brussels. Check kitchen hours.
- 14:05 to 16:45 · Follow the streets back toward Place Sainte-Catherine · Place Sainte-Catherine, Brussels. Make time for a coffee stop if you want a slower afternoon.
- 18:15 to 19:45 · Dinner near your hotel · Grand-Place, Brussels
Overnight: [ibis Brussels off Grand Place](<https://www.hotels.com/ho125111/ibis-brussels-off-grand-place-brussels-belgium/>) · Brussels

### Day 5 · Paris

- 08:15 to 09:00 · Have breakfast before checking out · Grand Place, Brussels
- 09:00 to 09:45 · Check out and allow time to reach the departure point · ibis Brussels off Grand Place
- 09:45 to 13:15 · Travel from Brussels to Paris · Brussels Midi Station. Check your ticket’s boarding deadline and the arrival at Paris Gare du Nord. Use the confirmed times for the journey you book.
- 13:25 to 14:25 · Have lunch near your new base · Grands Boulevards, Paris
- 14:35 to 15:30 · Drop bags and check in when the room is ready · ibis Paris Grands Boulevards Opéra 9ème
- 15:45 to 16:35 · Take a short orientation walk if time allows · Passage des Panoramas, Paris
- 17:45 to 19:00 · Have dinner near your new hotel · Grands Boulevards, Paris
Overnight: [ibis Paris Grands Boulevards Opéra 9ème](<https://fr.hotels.com/ho178499/ibis-paris-grands-boulevards-opera-9th-paris-france/>) · Paris

### Day 6 · Paris

- 08:15 to 09:00 · Breakfast near your hotel · Paris
- 09:25 to 10:35 · Look for Art Nouveau Metro entrances and street details · Square Montholon, Paris. Compare details on the way toward Grands Boulevards.
- 10:45 to 12:30 · Walk Passage Jouffroy and Passage des Panoramas · Passage des Panoramas, Paris. Look at the covered roofs and shopfronts. Some individual businesses open later.
- 12:40 to 13:45 · Lunch around the Grands Boulevards · Grands Boulevards, Paris
- 14:05 to 15:25 · Explore Galerie Vivienne and the Palais-Royal arcades · Galerie Vivienne, Paris
- 15:40 to 17:15 · See Opéra Garnier and nearby storefronts from the street · Palais Garnier, Paris. Treat an interior visit as a separate choice if you want to shorten the arcade route. [Official information](<https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/visits/palais-garnier>)
- 18:15 to 19:45 · Dinner near your hotel · Paris
Overnight: [ibis Paris Grands Boulevards Opéra 9ème](<https://fr.hotels.com/ho178499/ibis-paris-grands-boulevards-opera-9th-paris-france/>) · Paris

### Day 7 · Paris

- 08:15 to 09:00 · Breakfast near your hotel · Paris
- 09:30 to 10:40 · Start with a bakery stop near Rue Montorgueil · Rue Montorgueil, Paris. Pick a bakery that is open on your day and keep the first stop small.
- 10:55 to 12:05 · Walk the market streets around Les Halles · Les Halles, Paris
- 12:15 to 13:35 · Have lunch at or near Marché des Enfants Rouges · Marché des Enfants Rouges, Paris. Check the market’s trading days. The surrounding streets offer a fallback.
- 13:50 to 15:15 · Walk to Place des Vosges through the Marais · Place des Vosges, Paris
- 15:30 to 16:40 · Pause at a neighborhood cafe · Le Marais, Paris
- 18:15 to 19:45 · Dinner near your hotel · Paris
Overnight: [ibis Paris Grands Boulevards Opéra 9ème](<https://fr.hotels.com/ho178499/ibis-paris-grands-boulevards-opera-9th-paris-france/>) · Paris

### Day 8 · Paris

- 08:15 to 09:00 · Breakfast near your hotel · Paris
- 09:30 to 10:40 · Explore the Notre-Dame precinct on Île de la Cité · Notre-Dame de Paris. Check visitor entry if you plan to go inside. [Official information](<https://www.notredamedeparis.fr/en/>)
- 10:55 to 12:05 · Follow the quays toward Île Saint-Louis · Île Saint-Louis, Paris
- 12:20 to 13:30 · Lunch near Saint-Paul · Saint-Paul, Paris
- 13:45 to 15:25 · Visit Musée Carnavalet if open · Musée Carnavalet, Paris. Check opening days and gallery access. Place des Vosges is a nearby fallback. [Official information](<https://www.carnavalet.paris.fr/en>)
- 15:40 to 17:15 · Walk through the Marais courtyards and squares · Le Marais, Paris. Use publicly accessible routes.
- 18:15 to 19:45 · Dinner near your hotel · Paris
Overnight: [ibis Paris Grands Boulevards Opéra 9ème](<https://fr.hotels.com/ho178499/ibis-paris-grands-boulevards-opera-9th-paris-france/>) · Paris

### Day 9 · Paris

- 08:15 to 09:00 · Breakfast near your hotel · Paris
- 09:30 to 10:35 · Walk the Seine bookstalls toward Saint-Michel · Quai Saint-Michel, Paris. Individual stalls keep their own hours.
- 10:45 to 12:05 · Browse Shakespeare and Company or nearby bookshops · Shakespeare and Company, Paris. Allow for a line and keep a nearby shop as a backup. [Official information](<https://www.shakespeareandcompany.com/>)
- 12:20 to 13:30 · Lunch in the Latin Quarter · Latin Quarter, Paris
- 13:50 to 15:25 · Walk around the Sorbonne and through Luxembourg Gardens · Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris. Park hours vary by season.
- 15:40 to 17:00 · Take a cafe break in Saint-Germain-des-Prés · Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris
- 18:15 to 19:45 · Dinner near your hotel · Paris
Overnight: [ibis Paris Grands Boulevards Opéra 9ème](<https://fr.hotels.com/ho178499/ibis-paris-grands-boulevards-opera-9th-paris-france/>) · Paris

### Day 10 · Paris

- 08:00 to 08:45 · Have breakfast near the hotel · Grands Boulevards, Paris
- 09:00 to 09:45 · Take an optional last walk · Passage des Panoramas, Paris. Skip the walk if you have an early departure.
- 10:00 to 10:30 · Check out and collect luggage · ibis Paris Grands Boulevards Opéra 9ème
- 10:30 to 11:30 · Allow time for onward travel · Grands Boulevards, Paris. Use the confirmed departure and pickup times from your booking.