Our Guide to Copenhagen

Things to do in Copenhagen

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Tivoli Gardens — Opened in 1843, Tivoli is the third-oldest surviving amusement park in the world. It is much more than a theme park: the grounds contain elaborate gardens, restaurants, concerts, theatrical performances, and rides. The food court gives lots of options for food inside and is not terribly expensive.

Christiania — Copenhagen’s self-governing alternative community offers an unusual window into Danish experiments with communal life, counterculture, art, and urban autonomy. It takes a guide to really appreciate it and Amy finds its graffiti aesthetic a bit trying, but it an interesting window into an alternative society. It can easily be combined with a visit to nearby Vor Frelsers Kirke, where 400 steps lead up the church tower and onto its remarkable exterior spiral staircase.

Copenhagen Canal Tour — A relatively inexpensive and efficient way to see the harbor, historic canals, major buildings, and changing waterfront. Boats depart several times daily from Nyhavn and Ved Stranden, with frequency varying by season.

City Orientation Walk: Start at parliament (Christiansborg Palace and go up the tower for the best free view in town), walk by Nikolaj Art Gallery by the old Opera house to iconic Nyhavn (the canal on every Copenhagen postcard), walk along the waterfront toward Amalienborg Palace (maybe see the changing of the guard), to the Marble Church (amazing break), walk through Kastellet (the old military center) to the Little Mermaid (underwhelming) and then take the Harbor bus back to the Royal Library, the Black Diamond, seeing the new Opera House along the way.

Churches — Despite being the most secular country in the world, there are lots of churches all over town but the two most worth visiting are Marble Church next the palace and Grundtvig’s Church north of town, which also has next to it a large beautiful cemetery to walk through.

Bakery Competition — Copenhagen is home to best bakeries in the world, especially for pastries (which ironically are called “Vienna bread” here). Our three “test pastries” for comparison are Tiberkes, Spandauer, and Kardemommesnurrer. Here are our current favorites: Best bread and Tiberkes: Hart Bageri (multiple locations), Best pastries & cakes: Andersen & Maillard, Best dessert-like pastry: Sankt Peders Bageri, , Best Chain: Emmerys. Other bakeries that people talk about but we have not been much: Juno, Lille.

CopenHill — A waste-to-energy plant transformed into an urban recreation site, with a rooftop ski slope, hiking and running paths, a café, panoramic views, and the world’s tallest artificial climbing wall. Access to the rooftop and elevator is free during opening hours; skiing and climbing require separate arrangements.

Noma Projects Shop — Located in the greenhouse at Noma, the shop sells Noma’s pantry products and offers tastings and Noma Kaffe. You really get to see how creative they are with food without spending thousands on a meal.

Museums in Copenhagen

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There are 300 museums in Copenhagen and so many interesting ones but here are some of the favorites:

Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek — Usually called simply Glyptoteket, this museum was founded by Carl Jacobsen using wealth from the Carlsberg brewing family. Its collections move from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome to Danish and French art, including an important collection of nineteenth-century French painting and sculpture. The building itself—with its domed Winter Garden, courtyards, and grand galleries—is part of the experience.

Designmuseum Danmark — Denmark is internationally known for furniture, industrial design, ceramics, textiles, and applied arts, and this is the best place to understand that tradition. The museum combines iconic Danish modernism with broader exhibitions on international design and craftsmanship.

Home of Carlsberg — The former Carlsberg Brewery Museum has been substantially redesigned and reopened as Home of Carlsberg. Even visitors with little interest in beer may enjoy it: the large exhibition explains the brewery’s history, science, architecture, advertising, family rivalries, working horses, and influence on modern Copenhagen. Tastings and historical brewery tours are also available.

Danish Architecture Center — Located in BLOX on Copenhagen’s waterfront, DAC explores Danish architecture, urban development, sustainability, and the design of everyday public life. It has changing exhibitions, harbor views, guided tours, and an excellent building to explore. It is also a particularly useful Monday option, when many other museums are closed.

National Museum of Denmark — The broadest introduction to Danish history and culture, extending from prehistory and the Viking Age through the monarchy, religion, domestic life, colonial encounters, and modern Denmark. It is enormous; unless you have several hours, it is better to select a few sections rather than attempt the entire museum.

Museum of Danish Resistance — An immersive underground museum devoted to Denmark during the German occupation and to the people who joined—or resisted—the resistance movement. It handles clandestine communication, sabotage, collaboration, political disagreement, and the moral ambiguities of life under occupation particularly well.

Workers Museum — One of Copenhagen’s most distinctive social-history museums. Located in a historic workers’ assembly building, it tells the story of industrial labor, trade unions, family life, childhood, political organization, and the creation of the Danish welfare state. It offers a useful corrective to museums that tell national history primarily through kings, wars, and elite art.

The David Collection — free, uncrowded, and home to one of the finest collections of Islamic art in northern Europe.

SMK—Statens Museum for Kunst — Denmark’s National Gallery and the country’s largest art museum. Its collections span roughly 700 years, including European old masters, the Danish Golden Age, modern Danish art, and contemporary work. The building sits beside Østre Anlæg, making it easy to combine the museum with a walk through the park or the nearby Botanical Garden. 

Other museums we have visited an enjoyed: Copenhagen City Museum (really well done), Natural History Museum, the Danish Jewish Museum, Thorvaldsens Museum (sculpture), Medical Museion (surprisingly interesting & interactive), Happiness Museum (like walking through an infographic), Arken (Contemporary/Experimental Art on the water), Open Air Museum (Traditional Danish buildings and characters in pretty setting)

Neighborhoods to Explore

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Reffen and Refshaleøen — A large street-food and cultural space within Refshaleøen, a former industrial and shipbuilding district with restaurants, workshops, art venues, and wide harbor views. Copenhagen Contemporary has large-scale installation art. It is especially lively in warm weather and is easily reached by harbor bus, bicycle, or regular bus.

Nørrebro — Copenhagen’s most culturally diverse neighborhood is filled with small restaurants, bakeries, bars, independent shops, and active public spaces. Walk from Dronning Louises Bro along Nørrebrogade, through Assistens Kirkegård (burial place of Hans Christian Andersen, Søren Kierkegaard, H.C. Ørsted, Niels Bohr) , and toward Jægersborggade or Superkilen to see several different sides of the district.

The Lakes — Søerne — Copenhagen’s shared urban promenade, the three connected lakes form a natural boundary between the city center, Nørrebro, Frederiksberg, and Østerbro. The 6.35-kilometer circuit is ideal for walking, running, people-watching, or pausing at Dronning Louises Bro, one of the city’s favorite informal gathering places.

Frederiksberg — Technically an independent municipality surrounded by Copenhagen, Frederiksberg feels greener, quieter, and somewhat more elegant than the neighborhoods around it. Its broad avenues, cafés, theaters, locally owned shops, Frederiksberg Have, and smaller gardens make it particularly good for an unhurried walk. Worth a visit is Cisternerne in Søndermarken — a former underground water reservoir turned immersive art space beneath Frederiksberg's park.

The Meatpacking District — Kødbyen — Located in Vesterbro behind Copenhagen Central Station, Kødbyen preserves the industrial architecture of the city’s former meat-processing district while housing restaurants, galleries, bars, and nightlife. It is relatively quiet during the day but becomes one of Copenhagen’s busiest social areas in the evening.

Islands Brygge — Our home area. Once an industrial harbor district, Islands Brygge is now a relaxed residential waterfront known for its long lawns, promenade, cafés, and public harbor bath. In summer it becomes a kind of communal front porch for Copenhagen, with swimming, picnics, dancing, and informal gatherings beside the water but our area is quiet and has a nice human-created beach area. Map

Day Trips from Copenhagen

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Louisiana Museum of Modern Art — Set in a nineteenth-century villa beside the Øresund, Louisiana combines excellent modern art, sculpture gardens, striking architecture, and beautiful sea views. The museum also has a very good café and restaurant. Map

Kronborg Slot — Known internationally as Hamlet’s castle, Kronborg is an impressive Renaissance fortress in Helsingør at the narrowest point of the Øresund, directly across from Sweden. The royal rooms, ramparts, underground passages, and surrounding old town make it an excellent day trip. Map

Roskilde — Roskilde is a pretty historic town on the fjord, best known for the Viking Ship Museum, where original Viking ships are displayed beside a working boatyard that still builds vessels using traditional methods. The town is also home to the monumental Roskilde Cathedral. Map

Castle Day: Frederiksborg Slot and Fredensborg Slot — Frederiksborg Slot in Hillerød is a spectacular Renaissance castle surrounded by a lake and formal gardens, while nearby Fredensborg Slot remains an active royal residence with huge & amazing garden. Guided tours of Fredensborg’s palace interiors and private gardens are often available during July. Maps: Frederiksborg · Fredensborg

Røsnæs Peninsula — Røsnæs is a beautiful peninsula on the western coast of Zealand, with rolling hills, dramatic shorelines, beaches, vineyards, and wide views across the Great Belt. Its unusually sunny maritime climate has made it one of Denmark’s most interesting emerging wine regions. Map

Dyrehaven, Bakken, Ordrupgaard and Klampenborg — This area combines a vast royal park filled with free-ranging deer, the small Eremitageslottet hunting lodge, and Bakken, the world’s oldest operating amusement park. Nearby Ordrupgaard is a really excellent small art museum with lots of French impressionist art, while Klampenborg offers beaches, wooded paths, and easy train access from Copenhagen. Map

Lund and Malmö — Lund is a compact medieval university town with a Romanesque cathedral, cobbled streets, and Kulturen, an excellent open-air museum. Malmö is larger and more modern, with Malmöhus Castle, lively squares, parks, and a redeveloped waterfront, though it is generally less atmospheric than Copenhagen or Lund. Maps: Lund · Malmö

Overnight Trips from Copenhagen

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Odense and Egeskov — Odense is the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen and home to the imaginative, beautifully designed H.C. Andersens Hus. South of the city, Egeskov is far more than a castle: its moated Renaissance manor is surrounded by elaborate gardens, mazes, museums, historic vehicles, treetop walks, and enough activities to occupy most of a day. Maps: Odense · Egeskov

Møn — The island’s centerpiece is Møns Klint, where white chalk cliffs rise dramatically above the Baltic Sea and wooded trails lead to overlooks and the beach below. Nearby Liselund Slot and Park is a romantic eighteenth-century landscape of lawns, lakes, thatched cottages, and a small neoclassical manor. Maps: Møns Klint · Liselund

Aarhus — Denmark’s second city deserves at least a full day and preferably an overnight visit: highlights include our favorite museum, Moesgaard Museum, the contemporary art museum ARoS, and Den Gamle By, an an open-air museum of Danish urban life that recently won one of the best museums in Europe. The redeveloped waterfront at Aarhus Ø adds bold modern architecture, promenades, cafés, and a harbor bath. Map

We have not been yet, but other people speak of Skagen and Bornholm as two other top spots.

Practical Advice

 Apps

Denmark is entirely digital and we have not carried a wallet or even seen cash since our arrival.  Everything is done by app, so here are the ones that would be helpful to download before you come:

  1. Rejskort — the one stop app for all travel (Metro, busses, harbor bus, trains, etc...) It all works off gps and is so easy to use but you will want this when coming from the airport (the metro is faster and way cheaper into town)

  2. A bike app.  Everyone bikes here as it is faster and easier than a car or taking uber or bolt.  There are four bike companies and they all have apps with specials so you might just want to look at who is running a special but here are the ones:

    ‍Voi: The newest entrant in CPH so their bikes are the newest and all electric, plus seem to have more options as to where to leave them.

    Donkey Republic: The cheapest and the only one with non electric bikes.  They are everywhere.

    Limeis all over the world but their bikes are a little older here and are more restrictive as where you can leave them

    Boltbikes are all over europe and ok here.  Newer than lime but not as new as voi.

  3. Copenhagen Card — If you are going to even a few museums, this one saves you so much money.

Food and Restaurants

Copenhagen is a massive foodie scene, in part because of the echoes of Noma and Anarchy whose chefs have gone on to start so many fine restaurants. But for casual fare:

Pizza: Corsa Pizza
A dependable neighborhood pizzeria serving crisp, Neapolitan-style pizzas at several locations across Copenhagen.

Burgers: Gasoline Grill
Shockingly good, even for burger connoisseurs, Gasoline Grill serves freshly ground organic beef burgers until the day’s supply sells out.

Barbecue: WarPigs
Texas-style brisket, ribs, pulled pork, and house-brewed craft beer are served in the lively industrial surroundings of Kødbyen.

Communal Dining: Absalon
This former church has become one of Copenhagen’s most convivial civic spaces, bringing strangers together for affordable evening meals at long communal tables.

Fried chicken: Poulette
This tiny Nørrebro shop does little more than spicy fried-chicken and mapo-tofu sandwiches, but the narrow menu and meticulous execution make it an ideal quick stop.

Brewery and restaurant: BRUS
BRUS occupies a former Nørrebro factory and combines an experimental working brewery, a large informal bar, and a serious kitchen.

Markets and Outdoor food courts:

TorvehallerneKBH
Two handsome glass halls near Nørreport bring together produce stalls, specialty food shops, coffee counters, wine merchants, and small eateries.

Broens Street Food
Just across Inderhavnsbroen from Nyhavn, this lively waterfront gathering place offers international street food, drinks, and abundant outdoor seating.

Reffen
Across the harbor on Refshaleøen, this sprawling waterfront market brings together global street food, bars, music, workshops, and Copenhagen’s creative reuse of its industrial landscape.

Waterfront bars

Green Island CPH
A floating green oasis where gentle waves, cold drinks, casual food, and music create an unusually relaxed harbor experience.

Kayak Bar
Set beside the water near Knippelsbro, Kayak Bar combines floating pontoons, drinks, food, and occasional live music in the heart of the city.

Other Notes

  • Bicycle etiquette: Keep right, signal before stopping or turning, check before moving left, and avoid rush hour until comfortable. The city specifically recommends hand signals and keeping right.

  • Tipping is almost never appropriate or expected.

  • Restaurant reservations: many desirable restaurants are small and Danes plan way in advance so can be full often. .

  • Monday closures: Almost all museums are closed Mondays but the Workers museum and the Architecture Museum are open.

  • Festivals: Danes love their music and culture festivals so check to see if there are any local ones going, and many of them are free

  • Seasonality: harbor life, Reffen, outdoor wine bars, Christmas markets, festivals, and some day trips change dramatically across the year.

  • Weather: The weather can change every 15 minutes here. Amager tends to be windy.