The small and mountains country of Luxembourg is the perfect day trip from Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Brussels. It is no more than a 4-hour drive from these cities and in Luxembourg City you can easily visit the main attractions in a day. It is generally an easy destination to visit from anywhere in Europe.
The most popular destination is Luxembourg city, but other spots like Little Switzerland are great to enjoy beautiful terrain and thick forests.
In this guide we are sharing the best things to do in Luxembourg city in a day, so you can start planning your next trip.
The Complete Itinerary of the best things to do in Luxembourg in a day:
We will try and cover all the information about visiting Luxembourg to make your trip planning easier.
How to get to Luxembourg?
There are several to visit Luxembourg, depending on where you are coming from in Europe. We flew from Madrid in Ryanair, during a long Eurotrip. It was quite an expensive flight ticket, $122 USD, because we bought it only a week in advance. Flights to Luxembourg can range from 14 Euros to 150 Euros depending on how far in advance you purchase your ticket.
You can also take a bus to Luxembourg depending on where you are coming from. We took a Flexibus from Luxembourg to Brussels and it is only about a three hour ride. It is a comfortable ride and there are outlets on the bus for us to charge our phone and computer.
Once you arrive to the Luxembourg airport, it is pretty easy to get to the city center. You can either rent a car, take public transport or a cab. Uber does not operate in Luxembourg at this time. A taxi ride ranges from 35 to 45€ and takes about 15 minutes to get downtown. The bus might take longer, at 30 minutes, but is way cheaper at only 2€ per person. You can take either bus 16, 9 or 114.
If you are planning on getting the Luxembourg Card, take advantage from the airport as public transport is included in the city pass. The card is really worth it if planning on visiting two or more attractions. It is inexpensive and get you many discounts and free access to 69 of the main attractions across Luxembourg.
Where to stay in Luxembourg?
We were on a budget but wanted to stay close enough to the city center and a relatively nice hotel, so we opted to book the Novotel Luxembourg City Center. It is a 15-20 minute walk from the city center and it was within our budget. Keep in mind that Luxembourg is expensive, so a hotel room for 150 euro per night is quite nice to find.
We recommend to start walking around the historic center and admire its architecture details in the buildings. Luxembourg City has two UNESCO World Heritage sites that must make it on your itinerary.
What to see in Luxembourg in one day:
Depending on what time you arrive you might have to move a little faster throughout the day. We spend one night and two days exploring the city as we were still dealing with transcontinental jet lag. The main thing to have in mind when visiting Luxembourg is that this is a city that loves to be walked. So make sure to be wearing the right travel walking shoes!
Place d’Armes
The Place d’Armes is the main square in Luxembourg. It is surrounded by bars, coffee shops, and outdoor seating.
Place Guillaume II
The William Square is the other main square in Luxembourg. The tourism office, the municipal government and the statue of the former Grand Duke William II are located in this square.
The Grand Ducal Palace
We got lucky at The Grand Ducal Palace and saw the change of guards. The building has a beautiful facade dating from the 16th century.
It is still the active home of the Duke and for that reason you can only visit the palace during the Summer months from July until the end of August when the family is gone.
Visit the Bock Casemates
The Bock Casamates is one of the UNESCO sites you must visit in Luxembourg. Under the Bock fortified castle is a 17 km long network of tunnels that remain open for tourists to visit. It used to give shelter to the soldiers and their horses, housed workshops, kitchends, and more.
If you have the Luxembourg Card, then you are good to go as the card includes the entrance fee, otherwise it is €7 per person.
Place de la Constitution
The busy Constitution Square was built atop the ancient Beck bastion and is now home to the Gëlle Fra monument to the Luxembourgers who died in t World War I.
Notre Dame Cathedral
It is the only cathedral in the city and it is worth going inside to check out the mix of Neo Gothic and Renaissance elements and a Baroque gate.
Chemin de la Corniche
The best balcony of Europe, has by far the best views of the city of Luxembourg and the river valley.
We recommend following the scenic pedestrian walk all the way to the Citadel of the Holy Spirit after you visit the Casemates.
Walk and take photos around the Grund
The Grund, the lower city, is an area you cannot miss. After finishing your walk around the Corniche you will see a free elevator that takes you down to the Grund.
It is quite a contrast with the upper city and it is worth visiting and exploring. In fact we recommend to follow the path from the Corniche and see the lower city from a different perspective.
Saint Michael’s Church
The Saint Michael’s Church is the oldest extant religious site in the city of Luxembourg. It is located in Fishmarket, in the central Ville Haute quarter.
The first church was built on the spot in 987 as the castle chapel for the Count of Luxembourg. However, over the years, the building was destroyed, rebuilt, and renovated several times.
The 3 best Museums to visit in Luxembourg:
1. Dräi Eechelen
2. Philharmonie Luxembourg
3. Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art
How to get Around in Luxembourg?
Getting between attractions within Luxembourg city is really easy, as the city center is small and compact, ready to enjoy on foot. For further stops public transport is relatively cheap, and included with the Luxembourg Card.
What language is Spoken in Luxembourg?
Luxembourg has three official languages: Luxembourgish, German and French, although pretty much everyone speaks English and about 20% of the population speaks Portuguese.
If you would like to learn more about the history of the city or sign up for a local walking tour make sure to visit the downtown Tourist Office.
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