Beautiful Copenhagen
Hi, I’m Ash, an English girl who loves to travel. My ultimate life goal is to watch the sunset in every country in the world!
Denmark consistently ranks one of the happiest countries in the entire world, and Copenhagen is by far one of the PRETTIEST cities I have ever visited!
The houses are so colourful and everywhere is SO clean! I felt really safe walking around this city. There were bicycles left parked up and down every cobbled street, completely unlocked, and that was such a good sign to me.
Everyone was friendly and welcoming, even though you could see it must be frustrating to have so many tourists in certain well known areas.
BEST TIPS
If you are planning on visiting many of the main tourist attractions, I would recommend considering buying a Copenhagen tourist card which may save you money in the long run rather than paying for individual entry tickets! Places covered by the tourist card include Tivoli Gardens, the Zoo, and free public transport (trains/buses)!
BEST ACTIVITIES
Church of our Saviour
If you are scared of heights, then I'd recommend skipping this one… this incredible church is well-known for its impressive architecture, highlighted by an outdoor staircase that goes around the edge of the helical spire, offering panoramic views of the city. Be warned, when it's windy, the entire thing MOVES (yes, I am scared of heights and this was a purely terrifying experience for me haha).
Frederiksborg Castle and Gardens
This incredible castle, nestled in Hillerød, was built in the early 17th century on the edge of Lake Slotsø and offers postcard-perfect views. It is one of the most famous castles in Denmark, situated on three islands surrounded by water, it's absolutely beautiful. It's also home ot the Museum of National History. Tickets for entry to the castle cost DKK90 (about £10) but the gardens are free to visit and explore.
Rosenborg Castle
This second beautiful castle is right in the centre of Copenhagen, and is home to the Danish crown jewels and other historical artifacts. This castle is smaller than the Frederiksborg castle, and was originally built in 1606. It's found in the King's Garden (Kongens Have), which is a huge park that is also free to enter, but again, you will have to pay if you want to go into the castle itself. It's hard to choose between these two castles because honestly they're both so impressive! If you have time, visit both!
Botanical Garden (also known as the University of Copenhagen Botanical Garden)
The botanical gardens are located right next to the Rosenborg Castle. The gardens were established in 1600, and span over 10 hectares with over 13,000 different plant species from around the world!
The outdoor garden area is free to enter but you have to pay a small fee to go inside the famous Palm House, with ginormous palm trees, and the Butterfly house (yup, filled with butterflies). The fee is about DKK60 (about £6) and its definitely worth it!
Canal cruise
As a first time tourist in Copenhagen, this should definitely be on your to-do list! This is such a relaxing way to take in the sights, plus the tour guides are so knowledgeable. If you don't fancy a tour guide, you can rent a little boat yourself and do your own tour, or if the weather is lovely you could even go paddleboarding!
Glyptotek
This beautiful museum is definitely worth a visit, they have the most incredible indoor gardens, and deep underground they have an Ancient Eygptian room with mummies! Tickets cost about DKK95 (about £11). The Glyptotek is right next to Tivoli Gardens so I would recommend visiting the museum in the morning then heading over to Tivoli for the afternoon.
Tivoli Gardens
I love this place! It's like a large beautiful garden merged with an old fashioned theme park and it's excellent. This park actually has one of the oldest wooden rollercoasters in the entire world, it's one of only 7 rides in the world that still has a brakeman on every ride (which means someone is literally hired to ride the rollercoaster every day and is responsible for putting the brake on)!
They also hold events in the evenings so it's worth checking their website before you go! We ended up seeing an incredible performance by Joey Moe, this huge concert was fantastic and it was included in our standard ticket price!
FREE ACTIVITIES
Explore Nyhavn
Stroll along the picturesque Nyhavn harbour, known for its colourful buildings, historic ships, and lively atmosphere. This is one of my favourite places in the city. The beautiful buildings were originally constructed in the 17th and 18th century and have been very well looked after. If it's a sunny day, you can eat at one of the many delicious restaurants along either side of the canal, although just be aware this part of the city can be extremely busy at weekends!
Christiansborg Palace
You can visit the staterooms and walk around the beautiful Christiansborg Palace, located on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen. There are guided tours available in multiple languages. The Palace Tower is the highest tower in the city! Plus, there is also a restaurant in the tower if you want to get dinner after seeing the view.
The Changing of the Guard at Amalienborg Palace
Watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Amalienborg Palace, the official residence of the Danish royal family. This free spectacle occurs daily and showcases the precision and tradition of the Danish Royal Life Guards.
The Little Mermaid statue
Head over to Langelinie or you can take a boat ride and see the statue from the water. This Copenhagen landmark is a beautiful bronze statue (actually smaller than I imagined) of the Little Mermaid, written by the Danish author, Hans Christian Anderson! It's a must-see for those who love fairytales!
Christiana
One place I would definitely recommend is visiting Christiania (also known as Free Town). This unique destination is like a small city inside the city of Copenhagen. The police don’t visit this area and those in the mini city are left alone…
We wandered through the park in Christiania (a large green open space) and were met by groups of friends having barbeques, playing football, sitting on picnic blankets and enjoying the sunshine, playing music or skateboarding. We continued wandering through, we found a huge building which turned out to be an indoor skate park free for anybody to use.
Further along, we finally reached the famous Pusher Street. Just be warned, no photography is allowed in this area for reasons which will quickly become obvious. Basically Pusher Street is a small street where people line up on either side with 'pop-up stalls'. The stalls are just upside down plastic boxes filled with rocks, and a guy stands behind the stall selling drugs. In Copenhagen, this is illegal, except for Christiania. It's the strangest experience but definitely worth a visit because it is just so unlike anywhere else in the city. We felt safe and were not bothered by anyone there, but I probably wouldn't recommend going at nighttime or taking small children…
FOOD
Torvehallerne
The most amazing food hall ever to exist. Denmark is famous for smørrebrød, which is an open rye bread sandwich with lots of options of delicious toppings.
Andersen & Maillard
Head over early in the morning to get a famous Croissant Cube - you have to be quick as they sell out by lunchtime!
INSTAGRAMMABLE SPOTS
The Black Diamond (Royal Library) Photograph the modern architecture of The Black Diamond, the Royal Library's extension. Its sleek design, overlooking the waterfront, provides a striking contrast to the city's historical landmarks. We actually saw this beautiful building on our canal tour!
Round Tower (Rundetårn)
Another beautiful location, definitely worth the walk up the circular sloping tower for the panoramic views of the city from the top!
ACCOMMODATION
23 Nyhavn (£££)
I was lucky enough to stay in number 23 Nyhavn. We booked through airbnb and every morning I woke up to look out onto the beautiful canal below. I would definitely recommend staying in one of these famous houses if you can, even if it’s just for one night, as it’s so amazing!
However, if you have a lot of luggage be prepared to drag it over the most cobbled street you've ever walked over because taxis are not able to drop you at the door in this tourist hotspot. No cars are allowed down the streets unless they are delivering food to the restaurants early in the mornings.
Bryggen Guldsmeden (££)
Another beautiful hotel is Bryggen Guldsmeden. This hotel had such a great atmosphere, a beautiful restaurant onsite, and was only a five minute walk to the Metro. They also have a sauna and a heated pool!
Cabinn Metro (£)
If you're looking for somewhere super cheap, I also stayed for a few nights in Cabinn Metro.This place was pretty clean but the walls are super thin and it's quite far out of the main city. However, it is right next to a train station and the transport is excellent in Copenhagen.
This place was pretty clean but the walls are super thin and it's quite far out of the main city. However, it is right next to a train station and the transport is excellent in Copenhagen.
TRANSPORT
Trains/Metro
As mentioned earlier, the trains are excellent. There is even a train station AT the airport which is super helpful to be aware of.
If you’re looking to add Copenhagen to your interrailing adventure, then check out the Trainline website. They offer train services across 45 countries in Europe.
Taxi
There is NO uber in the city (they were voted out in X). However, the taxis are decent and they all charge similar prices to each other, but I will point out that one taxi driver deliberately took me the wrong (and longer) route to my destination - I only realised because I always follow on my phone using google maps, I pointed this out to him and he eventually agreed and paused the meter for a few minutes to make up the time. I'm sure not every driver is like this (my other taxi drivers were fine) but just be aware.
Bicycles
Bicycles are another option, Explore the city like a local by renting a bike. Copenhagen is renowned for its bike-friendly infrastructure, making it easy to navigate the streets - you can easily pick up a bike from the city's bike share programme!
WEATHER
High / Low / Month High / Low / Month
2° / -2° January 22° / 14° July
2° / -2° February 20° / 13° August
6° / 0 March 17° / 11° September
11° / 3°April 12° / 7° October
16° / 8° May 7° / 3° November
20° / 12° June 4° / 0° December
PRICES
Copenhagen can be relatively expensive, especially in touristy areas. However, exploring local markets, using public transportation, and taking advantage of the Copenhagen Card can help manage costs.
PERSONAL FAVOURITES
For me, Nyhavn will always be one of my favourite places in the city. It feels like a fairytale street with all the beautifully colourful houses and the pretty canal.
