Antwerp Christmas Market 2026: An Hour-by-Hour Day Trip from Heathrow

Antwerp is the Belgian Christmas market fewer Brits know about. It's smaller and calmer than Brussels, and the old town squares are close enough to walk between in minutes. The catch is getting there. There are no UK flights to Antwerp's own airport, so you go via Brussels.

We planned one real day. Here it is, hour by hour.

When is the Antwerp Christmas market 2026?

Winter in Antwerpen runs from Friday 4 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, according to the city. Entry is free. It's open 12:00 to 22:00 Sunday to Thursday and 12:00 to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Opening day, 4 December, starts at 14:00. It closes at 18:00 on 24 and 31 December and is shut on 1 January.

How do you get to Antwerp from the UK?

Fly to Brussels Airport and take the train. There's a direct train from the airport to Antwerpen-Centraal that takes about 30 minutes. The fare includes Brussels Airport's €6.90 (£5.85) station supplement. SNCB doesn't publish a fixed fare, so check the SNCB app on the day.

The cheaper option is the Flibco coach from Brussels Airport to Franklin Rooseveltplaats, three minutes from Antwerpen-Centraal. It takes about 50 minutes, from €4.99 (£4.25), but it only runs every one to two hours.

British Airways from Heathrow on Thursday 10 December leaves at 07:05 and lands in Brussels at 09:20. The flight home leaves at 21:15 and lands at Heathrow at 21:25. £136 return on Google Flights, checked on 9 October 2026.

Brussels from Heathrow on Thu 10 Dec: times and today's price

What does the day look like, hour by hour?

• 07:05: leave Heathrow
• 09:20: land in Brussels. Through the airport and down to the station
• About 10:40: arrive at Antwerpen-Centraal. Look up in the station hall, it's one of the finest in Europe and free
• 11:00: walk down De Keyserlei and the Meir to the old town, about 20 minutes. Coffee on the way, the market opens at 12:00
• 12:00: Grote Markt as the stalls open. The big tree, the guild houses and the city hall
• 13:00: lunch around Groenplaats, then watch the skaters under the cathedral
• 14:30: Handschoenmarkt and the cathedral front, then Hendrik Conscienceplein for a quieter drink
• 16:00: down Suikerrui to the river as the light goes. Sunset is 16:36
• 17:00: back through the old town with the lights on, dinner nearby
• About 18:30: train back to Brussels Airport
• 21:15: flight home, landing at Heathrow at 21:25

That gives you about seven and a half hours in Antwerp, with the last two in the dark when the squares are at their best.

Where are the Christmas markets in Antwerp?

The city lists eight locations for 2026: Grote Markt, Handschoenmarkt, Hendrik Conscienceplein, Groenplaats, Suikerrui, Steenplein, Operaplein and Koningin Astridplein. They're one festival, run by the city, and the old town squares are all within a few minutes' walk of each other.

• Grote Markt: the main square, with chalets around the Brabo fountain and the big Christmas tree
• Groenplaats: a covered ice rink around the Rubens statue in 2025, next to the cathedral
• Handschoenmarkt: small stalls run by charities, right by the cathedral door
• Hendrik Conscienceplein: the quietest square, good for a sit-down drink
• Suikerrui: a tunnel of lights from the main square down to the river in 2025
• Operaplein: a carousel and covered seating, closing an hour earlier than the rest
• Koningin Astridplein: a Ferris wheel right outside Antwerpen-Centraal

In 2025 there were more than 70 stallholders across the festival, and VRT reported 1.5 million visitors over its four weeks. Expect weekend evenings to be busy. A Thursday afternoon is much calmer.

What should you know before you go?

• Drinks and food come in reusable cups and dishes with a €2 (£1.70) deposit, refunded at any chalet
• Every food chalet has to offer at least one vegetarian option, under the city's 2026 rules
• Antwerp in December averages a high of 6.6C and a low of 1.5C, with rain on about 13 days (Belgian weather service, 1981 to 2010). Bring a waterproof
• Item prices aren't published by the city, so we haven't quoted any

How much does the day cost?

The flight is £136. We budget £17 for lunch and £24 for dinner in Belgium, so about £177 before the train, which you buy on the day. It's not the cheapest Christmas market day trip, but it's one of the easiest from London, with no early coach and a 30 minute train.

Is Antwerp better than Brussels for a Christmas market?

Different. Brussels is bigger, busier and has the light show on the Grand-Place. Antwerp is more compact and feels more local. If you've done Brussels, Antwerp is the next one to try. If it's your first Belgian Christmas market, Brussels has more going on.

Brussels Christmas market from Manchester

The full Antwerp Christmas market guide

Founders pay £19 a year for as long as they stay. See the founders offer

Photo credits. Top: DimiTalen, CC0. City hall at dusk: ItsNyoty, CC BY-SA 4.0.