The park is free all year; the palace is free too, but only for about six weeks in summer.
What it costs
The Parc de Bruxelles opposite is free and open always — a formal park laid out on the old ducal hunting ground.
The palace itself is free to visit — and that is the unusual part — but only from late July to early September, when the royal family is away. The rest of the year you look at the facade.
When to go
The summer opening is the whole point, and it is closed on Mondays even then. The Mirror Room, its ceiling covered in the wing cases of 1.4 million Thai jewel beetles, is what people come for.
Getting there
Metro 2 or 6 to Trône, or a walk up from the Mont des Arts.
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If you only have an hour
If it is the summer opening, go in — it is free and the Mirror Room is genuinely unusual. Otherwise the Parc de Bruxelles opposite is the hour: formal paths, and a bandstand where the city eats lunch.
What people get wrong
The king does not live here — the royal residence is at Laeken, north of the city. This is the working palace, which is precisely why it can open to the public at all.
Nearby
Ticketing arrangements and opening patterns as published for 2026 and checked on 5 September 2026. These change without much warning — confirm with the site itself before you travel. More sights, and how they fit together, in Landmarks & Sights.