Day trips & escapes

A Week in Luxembourg: The Complete 7-Day Itinerary

5 min read

Mullerthal sandstone gorge with a wooden footbridge

Days 1-2: Luxembourg City

Day one: the old-town loop above — Corniche, Bock, Grund, Pfaffenthal lift, dinner in Clausen. Day two: go deeper. Morning at MUDAM and the Philharmonie on Kirchberg (tram T1 from Hamilius). Lunch at the Am Tube food court in Kirchberg mall. Afternoon at the Villa Vauban art museum and its garden in Limpertsberg, then walk down Avenue de la Liberté through the Gare district to see the Pont Adolphe from below.

Sleep both nights in Ville Haute for walkability. Dinner day two at Mesa Verde for vegetarian, or Chiggeri for classic French-Luxembourgish. Skip Rives de Clausen unless you specifically want a bar crawl.

Days 3-4: The north

Day three: train to Ettelbruck, bus to Vianden. Castle, chairlift, Victor Hugo house, riverside dinner. Sleep at Hotel Heintz in Vianden. Day four: bus onward to Clervaux for the Family of Man exhibition, then to Wiltz if you have time for the WWII Battle of the Bulge sites. Return to Ettelbruck and continue to Echternach by bus 110 or 500 for the night — sleep at Hotel Bel Air in Echternach, a stone's throw from the Mullerthal trailheads.

This routing avoids doubling back to the capital between the north and east, which saves about three hours over the week. The buses are free but not frequent on Sundays, so plan day four for a weekday if possible.

Days 5-6: Mullerthal and Moselle

Day five: hike a section of the Mullerthal Trail from Echternach — the Route 2 loop past Wolfsschlucht gorge is 11km and takes about four hours. Lunch in Berdorf or back in Echternach at Le P’tit Max. Sleep another night in Echternach. Day six: bus 485 or 110 down to the Moselle via Grevenmacher or Wasserbillig. Tour Caves Bernard Massard in Grevenmacher ($7), then continue to Remich for the afternoon promenade and dinner. Sleep at Hotel Saint Nicolas in Remich for river views.

Day seven: bus back to Luxembourg City by lunchtime. Spend the afternoon on whatever you missed — the Casino Luxembourg contemporary art space, the Cathedral crypt with the Grand Ducal tombs, or a proper long lunch at La Cristallerie for a final splurge (tasting menu around $150, two stars).

What to skip

In a week you can add Esch-sur-Alzette and the industrial heritage at Belval — the Blast Furnaces are genuinely striking and free to visit — but only if you’d otherwise be short on the capital. Skip Diekirch's military museum unless you’re a WWII enthusiast; skip Mondorf-les-Bains unless you specifically want a spa day. Luxembourg is small enough that a week without a car is realistic if you accept slower travel and read bus timetables carefully.

Frequently asked questions

Is a week too long for Luxembourg?

Only if you rush. Spread across four bases as above, seven days feels well-paced. Cut to five days if you must, dropping the Moselle and one Mullerthal day.

Do I need a rental car for a week?

No, but a car saves about a day of cumulative transit time and opens up smaller Mullerthal villages. Rent from day three if you want it — city driving and parking is expensive and pointless.