Kirsten standing on the docks in Nyhavn

Things to do in Copenhagen: The best places of interest

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We hear a lot of contradictory stories about things to do in Copenhagen. Some say there isn’t much to do, some say it’s the coolest place they’ve been. Challenge accepted! We took on the task to find out what to do in Copenhagen on your citytrip to look for the best places of interest. Spoiler alert: we had a blast! Especially the food is superb.

Nyhavn isn’t a hidden gem in Denmark’s capital. To the contrary: After two days in Copenhagen we spotted the first Dutch tourist over here. And five others within two minutes. It’s popular for a reason though. The colorful buildings together with the canal and the boats are a nice sight. Picture a clear sky and you have it all! We weren’t so lucky.

  • Quick tip: If you want to save money, don’t eat here. A-locations have A-location prices. Luckily Copenhagen is a very good place to have delicious food for reasonable prices.
  • While you’re at Nyhavn, take a look at the free restrooms on either side of the end of the canal, you have never seen such gorgeous facilities.
Boats in Nyhavn, Copenhagen
Colorful houses in Nyhavn
Kirsten standing on the docks in Nyhavn

Admire Christiansborg Palace

Another very popular place is Christiansborg Palace, which used to be were the royal family lived. The palace lies in the heart of the city, so you don’t have to go out of your way for it. At present the huge building houses the Danish parliament and the Supreme Court. The royal reception rooms, stables and kitchens are open for visitors.

Get your tickets to Christiansborg online, so you don’t have to queue up

Visit Rosenborg Castle and the King’s Garden

On a sunny day, one of the best things to do in Copenhagen is to go to the Kongens Have (King’s Gardens) and relax in the huge park. From the gardens you have a beautiful view on Rosenborg Castle, which has been a museum since 1838 is still open for visitors. Royal jewels and pieces or art can be seen here.

Frederiksberg Palace, Rosenborg’s successor after the royals got bored with it, is also worth visiting on a sunny day. The palace isn’t as spectacular, but the gardens are definitely worth a visit.

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Rosenborg Castle, Copenhagen
Rosenborg Castle in King's Garden

Explore Nørrebro: Copenhagen’s upcoming district

Something that you definitely have to do in Copenhagen is explore Nørrebro, a very multicultural district. Small shops and restaurants litter the place. We also called it home since our hotel was here. Nørrebro also has a big art scene which is noticeable by the street art scattered throughout the area. In our opinion is Nørrebro the best place to visit in Copenhagen.

We love the district so much that we dedicated an entire article to Nørrebro

There are tours to explore Nørrebro, but why not make it more fun and discover Nørrebro by playing a game! Too bad we didn’t know about it when we were there, because I definitely would want to play it!

Erick gazing at the beautifully painted wall at Bananna Park
BRUS glass with beer

Freetown Christiania

After a turbulent recent past the former military base in Christiania is now governed by Danish law. This wasn’t always the case as there was a time when they ruled by their own law and visitors were not allowed. It definitely is a weird place to visit as it still has their own unwritten rules, like it’s not allowed to take photos. Other rules are still valid, like it’s tolerated to use and deal soft drugs. It’s definitely a unique place to visit. Pictures are from the entry gates of the district.

Another gate to Freetown Christiania
One of the entries to Freetown Christiania

Enjoy the view from the Rundetaarn

Rundetaarn literally means ’round tower’ which is understandable. The spiralled slope takes you all the way up to the tower from where you have a magnificent view over the city. Halfway there’s an entrance into an exposition. When we were there, we visited a exposition about Moon exploration and the Space Race. Pretty interesting.

Entrance to the Moon exposition was free, but entrance to the tower costs 35 DKK (about US$5).

Rundetaarn or 'Round Tower' of Copenhagen
Erick enjoying the view from the Rundetaarn
Panoramic view from Rundetaarn

Vesterbro: The Meatpacking District

A district similar to Nørrebro is Vesterbro. Hipster places together with a healthy dose of art make it one of the coolest things to do in Copenhagen. One area in particular we like is Kødbyen, or, The Meatpacking District. An old factory site has been converted to a small village full of startup shops, cafes and restaurants.

If you’re into beer: the Warpigs Brewery is located here as well as the Mikkeller General Store.

People eating outside a small restaurant in Kødbyen
The Mikkeller General Store in the Meatpacking District of Copenhagen

Torvehallerne: Two food halls

Like every major city does Copenhagen also have a few food halls. One of them is Torvehallerne, which are actually two food halls; one the more street food type with a Mikkeller beer shop, and small restaurants, whereas the other is more a luxury whole foods market.

The actual Little Mermaid

Visiting The Little Mermaid must be on your list of things to do in Copenhagen. Not having a picture of Copenhagen’s figurehead, is like coming home from Paris without a photo of the Eiffel Tower. Even though Disney made the fairy tale famous throughout the world, this is the place where the story originated.

We recommend going on foot since it’s a nice walk along the waterfront if you’re coming from the city center. On your trip to the Little Mermaid don’t forget to pay a visit to the Kastellet fortress.

The Little Mermaid statue
St Alban's Church, near the waterfront in Copenhagen

Street Art in Copenhagen

Scattered throughout the city you can find massive paintings on various places. Just keep your eyes open and you might find some hidden gems that can’t be found in any guide book. You can find most street art in Vesterbro, Nørrebro and Christiania.

Street Art next to Hotel Central, the hotel with only one room
Street art in Copenhagen
Dude hanging on a rope on a huge climbing wall in BaNanna Park, Copenhagen

Strøget, Europe’s longest shopping street

Shop ’til you drop. Probably caused by exhaustion as this is Europe’s longest shopping street! 1.2km of shops are waiting for you to be bought out. If you like shopping, you’re in the right spot here. Besides the well known brands there are also a lot of – for us unknown – Scandinavian brands.

Restaurants and cafes in Copenhagen

There are a lot of awesome restaurants in Denmark’s capital. Going out for dinner was one of our favourite things to do in Copenhagen. There are loads of cool little restaurants that exist out of passion instead of making money. If you’re vegan you’re in for a treat, because we ate at some awesome vegan places around the city. We’re not vegan, but we definitely love the food!

Read all about our favorite bars and restaurants in Copenhagen.

Tivoli, Copenhagen’s downtown theme park

Next to Copenhagen’s main station is a whole block dedicated to a theme park called Tivoli. It’s an awesome addition to your Copenhagen city break if you’re traveling with kids or if you want to release the kid inside of you. Even if you are not planning on going in, it’s a cool sight. Imagine seeing a roller coaster cart hitting the apex just above the theme park’s fence as people scream at the top of their lungs. Something you have to see, right?!

Get your tickets here. Same price, no queues

Tivoli Amusement Park, right in the heart of Copenhagen
Tivoli Amusement Park, across the main station of Copenhagen

Go to Malmö (Sweden) for an afternoon

Since 2000 Copenhagen and Malmö, Sweden’s second largest city, are connected by the 16 kilometer long Sont Bridge. A perfect opportunity to combine two cities and two countries in one trip! The train to Malmö station takes about half an hour and it costs 92 DKK (about US$13) which can be bought at Copenhagen station.

Practical information on things to do in Copenhagen

  • Exploring Copenhagen on foot is certainly doable, but if you don’t have a week to stay, renting a bicycle might be a good idea. Bike tours are also available. This way you can explore the city while learning something too (and burn some calories).
  • If you’re planning on visiting museums it might be a good idea to purchase the Copenhagen City Card. This gives you access to a lot of museums, discount at a lot of restaurants and unlimited free access to all public transportation.
  • One of the cheapest options to stay in Copenhagen is A&O Nørrebro. It’s a cool, spotless place which is in walking distance of a metro station. We’ve stayed with them all over Europe and it’s a pretty awesome budget hotel chain. Always clean, cheap and warm, but never exactly the same like a factory.
  • Or just look into the pool of over 1000 hotels in Copenhagen.
  • Look here for cheap tickets to Copenhagen
Metro station entrance in Copehagen
Private room in A&O Nørrebro, Copenhagen

If you have any additional tips or questions about our things to do in Copenhagen, let us know in the comments!

2 berichten over “Things to do in Copenhagen: The best places of interest”

    Reply
  1. Avatar van Helena
    Helena
    7 December 2019

    Loved reading this, it reminded me so much of my trip a couple of years ago (we did a day trip to Malmo and also stayed in Norrebro) but so much more I need to go back to Copenhagen and see more of too!

  2. Reply
  3. Avatar van Maartje Hensen
    Maartje Hensen
    7 December 2019

    Roxanne and I really liked Copenhagen, though it didn't blow us away. Next time we need to check out more street art, it looks like we missed quite some spots ;). We loved Copenhot in Copenhagen, it's a great place to relax!