5/20/2026
The Ultimate Ghent Travel Guide for 2026
What to do in Ghent in a day? Our photographer Anwyn Howarth has the answers.
Spring in Belgium is so beautiful you could cry: The magnolia and cherry trees are exploding in every corner of the city, the terraces are open again and people are spilling out onto the streets, clutching an aperol in each hand. The new season brings with it an endless lineup of cultural events and festive openings, casting a fresh glow over local haunts and neighbourhood joints hiding in plain sight.
To make the most of the sudden burst of solar energy, I took myself on a little outing to Ghent to see what I could get up to in 24 hours. Turns out quite a bit.
I arrived by train at Gent-Sint-Pieters and went by foot to JAM, just a ten minute walk through the beautiful Citadelpark.
After checking into my room at JAM Ghent, a beautifully renovated historic building, and freshening up, I laced up my walking shoes and headed out.
1. Citadelpark and Museumplein
Yes, you just walked through this park. Go back and walk a little more.
Set between the Scheldt and Lys rivers, Citadelpark is the grounds of the former Dutch 19-Centuary citadel, later demolished and transformed for the 1913 World Expo. Parts of the original terrain and remaining architecture have been incorporated into the landscape design, and today the park serves as the city’s largest green lung, conveniently just a stone’s throw from the hotel.
Step through the park’s 1,300 trees, various public art pieces and find your way to the Museumplein, home to two of Ghent’s finest art museums, S.M.A.K. and MSK. If you’re staying at JAM, don’t forget to pick up a guest pass from reception before you go and keep your pocket money for coffee later.
2. Botanical Gardens
I’m as much of a sucker for a big glass greenhouse as the next guy.
If outside plants aren’t enough for you, worry not. In addition to extensive open‑air gardens, including an arboretum, rock garden, and Mediterranean garden, you’ll find both heated and unheated greenhouses in the Botanical Garden.
Step inside and stare in awe at the more than 10,000 plant species from around the world. With a surface area of 27,500m², the Ghent Botanical Garden is home to flora of all kinds, from flowers to edible plants and medicinal herbs. Explore the different climatic zones. Admire the giant water lilies in the Victoria Greenhouse or discover various well-known utensils such as coffee, cocoa, papaya and rice. Sense the aroma of citrus flowers in the Subtropical Greenhouse and enjoy the Mediterranean climate. Take a breather in the Succulent Greenhouse, the ideal biotope of succulents and cacti.
3. Catch the tram to the centre
Brace yourself when you come out of the greenhouse. It may be sunny out but this is still
Northern Europe and it is still only March.
It’s time to leave the outskirts and head into the centre. The walk there isn’t so long, but if you’re impatient or tired or both you can catch the tram. The T2 leaves from Zuidpark and will take you right into the heart of the old centre. Get off at Korenmarkt and take a stroll along the river toward the Gravensteen for optimal Ghent-ness.
4. Coffee at WAY
There are many cafes to choose from in Ghent. Too many, perhaps. I like WAY for the simple reason that I like a good oat milk flat white and a window seat with a clear view of the immaculately dressed flemish locals. Menu and Aura are also close by and I highly recommend all three, not only for their reliably good coffee but also for their proximity to Onderbrengen.
5. Shopping on Onderbergen
If you’ve made it this far, you’ve earned a little retail therapy. Onderbergen is one of those streets that doesn’t scream for your attention but quietly delivers. Independent boutiques, thoughtfully curated concept stores, the kind of places where you go in “just to look” and come out rearranging your weekend budget.
Take your time. Pop into anywhere that looks remotely interesting. Run your hands over vintage clothes you don’t need, flip through art books you can’t carry, try on something impractical. This is leisure at its most civilised.
6. Wine time on Burgstraat
If you’ve followed the previous step at the recommended speed in a northerly direction, you should be wrapping up your shopping right around happy hour in the middle of Burgstraat.In the mood for a traditional Belgian bar? De Alchemist is just across the bridge facing the Gravensteen and serves up a wide selection of Belgian beers, among other things. Cozy in the winter, festive in the warmer months.
For something a little more—how do I say this, natural-wine-low-lit-small-plates-aluminium-decor chic, look no further than Dolfijn. Known for its ambient atmosphere, excellent selection of organic wines, cocktails, not to mention their iconic daily lasagne, Dolfijn is the ideal setting for a relaxed pre-dinner apéro.
For an even closer option, WIN is a JAM staff favourite and offers a similarly stylish setting for happy hour. The bar personnel are as friendly as they are knowledgeable, the venue as beautiful as it is optimally located. Slightly removed from the main tourist crowds, it’s a peaceful retreat and open for morning coffee, evening tapas and late night drinks.
7. Back to JAM Ghent for dinner at Kaiju
Full circle and slightly buzzed, head back to JAM, freshen up and head straight into dinner at Kaiju restaurant. Loud flavours, shareable plates, the menu is ever changing, the kind where you point at things and say “yes” before fully understanding what they are.
Stay a while. Order more than you planned. This is not a rushed meal; this is a small celebration of a day well spent.
8. Concert at Handelsbeurs
Check what’s on at Handelsbeurs, the city’s main concert hall. In this historic stock exchange building, you can discover concerts in jazz, pop/rock, and global sounds within a monumental setting. Stay for a night cap and wander back past the neon lit, overflowing bars of Nederkouter, through the festivities on Sint-Pietersplein, around the corner to JAM and straight into bed. Twenty-four hours, fully accounted for.
