What to see and do in Luxembourg in One Day
Luxembourg is a small country and it is possible to see Luxembourg in one day but personally I think you should take more time to see this beautiful country. Whether you decide on visiting Luxembourg in one day or longer you will find lots of options below of what to do in Luxembourg city and also many things to do in the rest of Luxembourg.
Many people ask “But how many days in Luxembourg?” and my answer is that you need at least 3-4 days to see the whole country. If you plan to see Luxembourg in one day then I would certainly recommend only spending this time in Luxembourg, sightseeing the capital Luxembourg City.
About Luxembourg
Luxembourg is a very small country, it is only 51 miles long by 35 miles wide (82km by 56km) and you can see a lot in 1, 2 or 3 days. The capital of Luxembourg is Luxembourg City and the Luxembourg population is 590,000. Most of the population lives in Luxembourg City with the rest of the country being mostly rural with forests, gorges and river valleys. There are over 100 castles in Luxembourg that you can visit during your trip, with the most famous being Vianden Castle Luxembourg.
It can be difficult to know when is the best time to visit Luxembourg, summer is generally hot, in July & August getting up to 30°c and winter can be below zero. Spring and Autumn are great months to visit, it is not too hot, there isn’t too much rain and not as many crowds as in summer.
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Where is Luxembourg
Luxembourg is in Europe and is a landlocked country, meaning that it is surrounded by land and has no sea borders. It is a small country only 998 miles squared (2,585 km squared). It is surrounded by Belgium, France and Germany. As Luxembourg is in the Schengen region it is easy to travel throughout Europe from Luxembourg and also to Luxembourg .
How to get to Luxembourg City
Luxembourg airport is located 4 miles outside of Luxembourg City. Click here for more information on flights to Luxembourg. It is very easy to get from Luxembourg airport to the city, buses 16 and 29 take you to the city centre via the train station and are free. All public transport within Luxembourg has been free since March 2020.
You can also get buses to France, Belgium and Germany too, so if you want to visit Luxembourg from these countries it is very easy to do so. Luxembourg is only 3 hours by bus or 3 and a half hours by train from Brussels, so if you are are staying in Brussels, it is easy to do an overnight to Luxembourg City or to visit Brussels while you are in Luxembourg.
Click here for more information on the buses from Luxembourg Airport. A taxi should cost you around 25-30 Euro to the city centre/train station.
The Best Places to see in Luxembourg City
If you can only visit Luxembourg in 1 day, then my 1 day Luxembourg itinerary would be that you want to spend that day exploring Luxembourg City, it is a beautiful city and one I fell in love with in minutes.
The old town ( ville haute quarter ) is where you want to spend most of your time, make sure you visit the old Luxembourg city center and main square, also walking along the river that runs around the old town and trying to fit time in to visit one of the many museums that Luxembourg city has.
If you don’t want to walk around the city then consider taking a city bus tour, it takes you around both the old town and new modern area of the city and includes all the highlights. It comes with an audio guide in 7 languages. Tickets must be bought online as the ticket office is currently closed.
Click here to buy your Luxembourg City Bus Tour Ticket
Bock Casemates
One of the most popular places to visit in Luxembourg in one day has to be the Casemates Du Bock. Nowadays you can visit the underground tunnels that run for 23km underneath Luxembourg City, with the original tunnels being built in 1644.
They were originally built below a castle that was built on the bock, an area of raised land that was naturally well positioned for defending. The casemates, a structure from which guns are fired were built from the original cellars in the castle.
The Bock Casemates are open 7 days a week, from 10.45am to 3pm, with entry every 15 minutes. They are only closed on December 25 and January 1. It costs 10 Euro for an adult ticket.
Petrusse Casemates
The Petrusse Casemates reopened in 2023 after maintenance works. You can access them in Place de La Constitution, opposite the Notre Dame Cathedral.
They are open every day (except December 25 and January 1) with a 45 minute tour only, though in English there are only tours at 12.30pm and 3pm. Tickets cost 18 Euros. Tickets must be bought either online or at the Luxembourg City Tourist Office.
The Petrusse casemates were a part of the 23km tunnels that run below the city of Luxembourg. I think if you want to visit the casemates, you should pick either the Bock or Petrusse rather than visit both.
Chemin de Corniche
This is the old city wall that was built in the 17th century and you are able to walk around it and see beautiful views of the valley that surrounds the city, the city itself and you can see the ramparts and casemates. People call it “the most beautiful balcony in Europe”.
This was the first place I stopped when I arrived in the city after I got off the bus from the airport on my walk to the Youth Hostel and I have to stay that it made me instantly fall in love with the city.
Notre Dame Cathedral
I have to admit from the outside it is not the most beautiful cathedral I have seen on my travels but once you enter you will be impressed by the detailed carved columns and stained class windows.
The cathedral was originally built in 1613 and is now the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Luxembourg. The interior is in a neo-gothic style and I personally think that it is a must see while you are in the city.
Grand Ducal Palace
The Grand Ducal Palace is situated in the middle of the old town, not far from the main square and is the city residence of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. When it was originally built it was the first town hall of the city so it might not look exactly how you would expect a palace to look.
Most years it is open to the public between mid July and the end of August for pre-booked tours, if you want to see inside the palace.
Luxembourg City Museum
Once of the most popular museums in Luxembourg is the Luxembourg City Museum. The museum shows the culture and heritage of Luxembourg through the years.
You will be also able to find out why Luxembourg City is a UNESCO world heritage site and the importance of it. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm and on Thursdays you can enter for free between 6pm to 8pm. Entrance to the museum is 5 Euros.
Free Walking Tour
If you enjoy walking tours of cities, then there are a few free walking tours that you can join that will tell you the history of Luxembourg and Luxembourg City.
I love to do free walking tours when I am in a city, the guides are normally very knowledgeable and enthusiastic as they are working on tips and you get to see the highlights of the city and learn the history.
If you prefer not to do a free walking tour, then there are also these options:
- Luxembourg City Highlights Walking Tour
- Luxembourg City E-Bike Tour
- Luxembourg City Walking Tour with Wine Tasting
Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art (MUDAM)
The museum is located a short walk from the city center of Luxembourg and is worth visiting just for the views and grounds outside the museum. You can take the Pfaffenthal panoramic elevator to the bottom, walk across the valley and you will find the grounds of the museum.
The museum is located inside the previous Fort Thungen with a new glass building built behind it housing the museum.
It is certainly very impressive to walk around. Once inside the museum you will find exhibitions of contemporary art.
It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm (Wednesday it closes at 9pm) and costs 10 Euros. If you go between 6pm – 9pm on Wednesday then entrance is free. Buy your MUDAM Ticket online before you go.
Click here to read my In-depth guide of things to do in Luxembourg City.
Luxembourg Tours
There are many tours you can do within Luxembourg to castles from Luxembourg City, or you could choose to do one of the many day trips from Luxembourg City visiting the nearby countries.
Where to stay during your One Day in Luxembourg
Most people who visit Luxembourg stay in Luxembourg City, there are lots of options of hotels in the city. Click here to see hotels in Luxembourg City.
There is actually only one hostel in Luxembourg City so this is where I stayed, Youth Hostel Luxembourg City. It is a big hostel but clean and the cheapest option and in a really good location.
You might also find these guides on Luxembourg useful:
- Guide to the best hotels in Luxembourg
- The Best Luxembourg Castle Hotels
- The Best day trips from Luxembourg
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Fabulous itinerary! This sounds like it would be pretty much what I would include too as I just love castles! It’s high on my list of next places in Europe to visit! Fingers crossed it won’t be too long before I go!
I drove through Luxembourg on my way between Germany and Belgium. After visitng Luxembourg City and staying near Vianden castle, I wish I had spent more time in this charming country.
The architecture here is unbelievable. How amazing are those castles? Thanks for sharing your tips, we get bored quickly so if we ever go we will make sure to only book 2/3 days
Such a beautiful and historical place! Luxembourg reminds me a lot to places in Germany and Switzerland as well , especially all the historical places, castles and fortresses.
Glad that you saw Trier as well with its ancient history back in times of Roman Empire. I think this makes traveling in Europe so unique, the medieval history is very impressive. Hope to see more of your impressions here soon!
Good program for 3 days in my home country 😉 Although I would also include Echternach, which is the oldest town in the country. Did you talk to some real Luxembourgers? 🙂
I did go to Echternach but only because I started the Mullerthal route from there and I then finished there and had dinner. It is a beautiful town 🙂
What a great guide, I can’t wait to go so I will be able to use it! Never have been to western europe other than Paris so this is an alert!!! Your photos on day 4 is our favorite, would LOVE to go there!
I was in Luxembourg recently and I was trying to work out where you took each of your photos from, I must have taken some of mine from very similar places! I didn’t get the chance to visit Vianden Castle but I wish I had taken the bus you suggested, it is a stunning castle. I think I changed trains in Trier, it’s an interesting fact that it’s the oldest town in Germany, I wish I had explored it!
Such a great itinerary! I visited Luxembourg in 2014 at the beginning of an Interrail Europe trip. The only reason we went there was because it was the cheapest point of entry from the UK (the flights were something like £11, crazy cheap!) and because of that we didn’t really make the most of our time. We were there for 2 days and I don’t actually remember what we saw or did other than the Notre Dame cathedral!
Vianden looks amazing, I may have to make a return trip to Luxembourg just for that.
Whoa. I knew that Luxembourg is small. What I didn’t know was that it is this small. I kind of love exploring small countries as it’s easy to explore and you don’t end up adding to many destinations. The itinerary that you shared is very useful.
For such a small country it looks so beautiful. I love the historical buildings. Especially the ones in your photos . We’ve always wanted to go after we stopped in there one day for petrol.
There are so many castles in Luxembourg. They are all perfect as a setting for a whimsical movie. I would like to visit them all if I could. Are there live music or plays in the castles?
I do not know, I wasn’t really there at the right time of year for that!! Am sure some of them there must be, but it will be in summer though 🙂
Oh my, who knew there was so much to do in such a small country? I’ve always wondered about Luxembourg as a tourist destination, now you’ve introduced it, I definitely want to go.
That’s so cool that you got to cross the border to visit a small town in Germany! I think with most places (and our lack of time) it really pushes us to be creative with itinerary planning to accommodate everything we want to see when traveling! I’m saving this itinerary for future use!
Great post about our home country! 🙂 Glad to see that you made time to visit several castles and even hike the Mëllerdall Trail! Most people who come here, only stay for a day or two and rarely leave Luxembourg City. Or if they do, they’d only visit Vianden. Should you stop by again next time, make sure to visit the Castle of Ansembourg as well (and its beautiful gardens! Check out our blog post :), which lies in the Valley of the 7 Castles, and do some wine tasting along the Moselle.
Luxembourg looks like a fairytale country with all these castles and rock formation. I have never been there but love to explore the country some day.
Luxembourg looks so beautiful. I would love to visit one day soon so this itinerary will come in handy. Thanks