We had two and a half days to explore Copenhagen, and the one thing we learned was that we wanted more! There’s a lot to do in Copenhagen, and we made sure to pack as much as we could in the short amount of time we had in Denmark’s capital city. Our tour of Scandinavia with Go Ahead Tours gave us the opportunity to stop in all the great capital cities of the region. Copenhagen was definitely our favourite.
We barely scratched the surface of all there is to see and do, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. From early morning ’til late at night, we stayed out so that we could make the most of Copenhagen. Want to know what to do in Copenhagen? Read on!
- Cool Tip: A more affordable place to stay near Copenhagen is Malmo Sweden, located just 20 minutes away. Check out our two-day Malmo Itinerary here.
1. Visit Nyhavn
Nyhavn is probably the most scenic cityscape in all the Scandinavian cities we visited. This waterfront canal is a must-see when visiting Copenhagen. 17th-century townhouses line the canal filled with historic sailboats. What makes these townhouses so special is the fact that they are painted in bright colours.
Hans Christian Anderson lived in Nyhavn where he wrote The Princess and the Pea and other famous fairytales. Today, the houses have been restored and renovated to their original beauty, housing restaurants and cafes. There’s nothing better than people-watching while enjoying a pint at one of the outdoor bars. Or grab an ice cream cone and go for a walk along the water towards the waterfront.
2. Papiroen
You can even cross the new pedestrian bridge to grab some cheap eats and street food at one of the many food trucks at Papiroen (Paper Island) right across the channel.
Watch All The Things to do in Copenhagen
Looking for cheap eats in Copenhagen? Read Virtual Wayfarer’s Where to Eat for Less Than 100DKK
3. Tivoli Gardens
Our number three choice for what to do in Copenhagen is to go to Tivoli Gardens. We honestly nearly skipped this attraction, and I am so glad that we didn’t. Tivoli is the most magical garden we’ve ever visited. While the United States has Disneyland, Scandinavia has Tivoli.
Tivoli Gardens, which opened in 1843, has maintained its old-world charm while still adding new and modern amusement park rides. They feature some of the most heart-pounding thrill rides we’ve ever seen! Be sure to visit at night to witness the gardens lit up with lanterns and light shows.
4. Take a Canal Tour
The best way to see the city is by boat. Our guide informed us that King Christian IV had a fondness for Holland and aimed to model Copenhagen after Amsterdam. He created canals for aesthetic reasons, but it also had practical implications—protecting the Royal Danish Navy fleet. Today, it offers a beautiful means to explore all the different islands and areas.
Starting with a canal tour is an excellent way to get your bearings and see the highlights of the city before setting off to explore all the things to do in Copenhagen by foot.
5. Christiansborg Palace
We’ve never been overly impressed by palaces. Often, we find touring them somewhat dull. However, Christiansborg Palace was anything but boring. There are numerous exhibits to see, and it is absolutely beautiful.
Everything is preserved to perfection, allowing you to easily imagine royalty roaming these halls.
6. Queens Tapestries – What to do in Copenhagen
One of our favourite rooms in the palace was filled with tapestries, which is considered an exhibit in its own right. In 1990, the Danish business community gifted Queen Margrethe II eleven tapestries for her 50th birthday. The tapestry series depicts 1000 years of Danish history.
7. The Tower
It’s the tallest tower in Copenhagen and offers a bird’s eye view of the city. Unlike other towers in many palaces, this one has an elevator.
They limit the number of visitors to the tower at one time, ensuring an optimal view of Copenhagen. A restaurant halfway up the tower makes for a convenient stop.
8. Amalienborg Palace
Amalienborg Palace is worth a visit, even if just to see the changing of the royal guard. It is still used as residences and guest quarters by the popular royal family.
Standing in the center of the square allows you to appreciate the four identical palaces surrounding the equestrian statue of Amalienborg’s founder, King Frederick V.
9. The Round Tower
Even though we already saw Scandinavia from above at Christiansborg, you cannot miss going to the top of the Round Tower. The 268-meter long ramp leading to the top is one of the enjoyable things to do in Copenhagen. It sounds like a tougher walk than it is.
Don’t worry, the tower is only 209 meters high; the ramp is long because it circles around the outer core of the building.
Before reaching the top, you can stop at the old library, which today houses a museum of art, culture, history, and science. Once you reach the top, you can stroll around the observatory that was once used for astronomical purposes.
10. Shopping Street
Strøget is the world’s longest pedestrian shopping street, and visiting Copenhagen is not complete without shopping here. This street is also considered the oldest pedestrian street in the world.
It’s filled with mainstream brands like Disney, Victoria’s Secret, and Louis Vuitton, but there are also unique establishments like the Royal Copenhagen Flagship Store, the Illums Bolighus, and Danish designer Mads Nørgaard’s boutique. We particularly enjoyed strolling for people-watching.
11. Go for a Bike Ride
You haven’t truly seen cycling in a city until you’ve been to Copenhagen. With 390 km of dedicated cycling lanes, visitors can easily rent bikes to get around the city. However, be prepared for aggressive cyclists. You’d better know what you’re doing as you join the throngs of commuters riding their bikes to and from the metro.
Our guide noted that most people have a bicycle they ride from home to the train and another one from the train station to work. It’s amazing to witness the sheer number of cyclists in Copenhagen.
12. Gefion Fountain
A popular stop for bus tours. Our bus tour stopped there, although we weren’t quite sure why. We were busy snapping photographs around the mobs of people.
The guide provides whispers to help us understand what we see, but for some reason, I didn’t hear a thing. I dashed to the fountain for some photos. I had to look this one up on Wikipedia (I even donated $5 to Wikipedia to support their good work). There’s a lot to explain, so I’m just going to link to the Wikipedia page here.
13. The Little Mermaid
Our friend Alex Berger of Virtual Wayfarer might not appreciate this, but I have to include it. Alex lives in Copenhagen, and if you’d like to learn more about Copenhagen, Denmark, and other travel adventures, check out his blog. He expresses frustration regarding the mass of visitors flocking to The Little Mermaid, and we agree that it can be rather underwhelming.
However, it remains the most visited attraction in all of Copenhagen. We always say you can’t visit a place without seeing its most famous display. Hans Christian Andersen was the pride of Denmark, and this statue is a tribute to him. It’s a small representation of a mermaid referring to his tale “The Little Mermaid.”
This story isn’t your Disney version; The Little Mermaid has a tragic ending. But our ending in Copenhagen wasn’t tragic. We loved our time in the city and will undoubtedly return. There are so many things to do in Copenhagen and countless museums to explore.
14. Kronborg Castle
Additionally, there’s Kronborg Castle, where many of our fellow travelers visited on a day trip and told us it was fantastic. We didn’t go, as we wanted to explore more of downtown Copenhagen, but a visit to Kronborg Castle is one of the top things to do in Copenhagen.
15. The Carlsberg Brewery
We enjoy visiting breweries, and Carlsberg Brewery is Copenhagen’s premier brewery. We learned on one of our tours that soldiers used to be paid in beer, highlighting the city’s rich beer history. Note: Carlsberg Visitor Centre is temporarily closed due to major renovation and modernization.
So what’s your favourite thing to visit in Copenhagen? We’d love to hear it so we can plan our next trip back to Denmark!
Our trip to Copenhagen was made possible by Go Ahead Tours. As usual, all our opinions are our own. With more than 150 guided tours across all seven continents, Go Ahead Tours has dedicated travel sites for both U.S. and Canadian travellers.
