Copenhagen

Nyhavn and the harbour

Nyhavn is an old harbour where brightly painted 17th-century houses line the canal. It was once a busy port where sailors from all over the world came for the pubs, and Hans Christian Andersen lived in three houses on this street — Nos. 20, 67 and 18 — writing The Tinderbox and The Princess and the Pea here. Canal tours leave from the Nyhavn quay, too. The harbour buses, which run the length of the harbour from Sluseholmen in the south to Refshaleøen in the north, cost the same as a regular bus ticket. In summer the harbour baths get busy. The water's clean enough to swim in, so at Islands Brygge you can swim outdoors in the very centre of town.

The king's route: Rosenborg to Amalienborg

Rosenborg Castle was Christian IV's small favourite, built beside the King's Garden (Kongens Have). It was finished in 1624, and in the treasury beneath it you can see the Danish crown jewels and royal crowns. Nearby, the Round Tower (Rundetaarn) was built by the same king for the University of Copenhagen's astronomers and has stood here since 1642. The way to the top is a spiral ramp that winds seven and a half times around the tower's hollow core. At noon, head to Amalienborg. The guard changes every day, and the parade marches onto the square just before 12. When the King is in residence, the guards leave their barracks on Gothersgade at 11:27 and march past the Round Tower and Kongens Nytorv to get there. Amalienborg became the royal home after the first Christiansborg Palace burned down, and it's still where the family stays when they're in Copenhagen.

Tivoli, a garden from 1843

Tivoli opened on 15 August 1843. The Roller Coaster (Rutschebanen), opened in 1914, is one of the oldest wooden roller coasters still running anywhere. A brakeman rides on every train — only seven coasters in the world work that way. The Chinese-style Pantomime Theatre, built in 1874, is the oldest building still standing in the park, and it's the stage for the commedia dell'arte pantomime Tivoli has kept since day one. Tivoli used to open only in summer. Christmas in Tivoli began in 1994, and since 1997 the whole park has been dressed for it.

Christianshavn and the Church of Our Saviour

Across the harbour in Christianshavn, one spiral spire keeps catching your eye. It belongs to the Church of Our Saviour (Vor Frelsers Kirke). Designed by Lauritz de Thurah, the spire was finished in 1752, 56 years after the church, and a huge copper figure of the Saviour stands at the top. Climb about 400 steps — the last 150 wind around the outside of the spire — and the city spreads out below you from 86 metres up. Numbers in the tower are limited, so booking online is recommended, and at busy times you may need an online booking to get in. It's closed all of January and may close for a while in rain, snow or strong wind. Adult tickets are DKK 70. Near the church is Christiania, a community its residents have run themselves since 1971.

Lunch on rye

The most Danish meal of the day is lunch. Smørrebrød is an open sandwich that always starts with rye bread, and the toppings are almost endless — herring, raw beef, seafood, egg. At Schønnemann, open since 1877, smørrebrød and herring come with chilled schnapps. At Torvehallerne, the indoor market right next to Nørreport station, small vendors sell open sandwiches, oysters, porridge, seafood and cheese, and some serve coffee and pastries from 7am. In the evening, take the harbour bus across to Refshaleøen. Reffen sits on a harbourside lot surrounded by old workshops and warehouses, with around 35 food stalls, 10 bars and a brewery. It's open from mid-March to early November, then closes for the season from November to February as the days get short.

A day up the coast: Louisiana and Kronborg

With an extra day, take the train north from Central Station along the Øresund coast. About 40 minutes later, get off at Humlebæk and walk 10–15 minutes to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. From the café you look out over the Øresund, the narrow strait between Denmark and Sweden. It's closed on Mondays. Further up the coast is Kronborg Castle in Helsingør. It's known as Elsinore, the setting of Hamlet, though Shakespeare likely never set foot in it. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site, and in the dark casemates below you'll find Holger the Dane (Holger Danske), the hero of Danish legend.

A four-day plan

Day 1 — Metro from the airport into town → Nyhavn walk and canal tour → Tivoli in the evening (in season) Day 2 — Rosenborg Castle → Round Tower → changing of the guard at Amalienborg at noon → Torvehallerne → harbour swim (summer) Day 3 — Christianshavn and the spire of the Church of Our Saviour → Christiania → harbour bus to Reffen for dinner (mid-Mar–early Nov) Day 4 — Coastal train to the Louisiana Museum (closed Mondays) → Kronborg Castle in Helsingør → back to Copenhagen

What to eat

• Smørrebrød (open sandwich on rye)
• Pickled herring (with chilled schnapps)
• Kanelsnegl (Danish cinnamon swirl)
• Street food at Reffen (Refshaleøen, mid-Mar–early Nov)

Handy tips

• The metro or train from the airport takes about 15 minutes and costs DKK 30 one way. Buy tickets from station machines (coins and cards only) or in the Rejsebillet app. Only the Copenhagen Card DISCOVER covers the airport trip — HOP doesn't.
• Bottles and cans carry a deposit (pant): DKK 1 for glass bottles and cans under 1 litre, DKK 1.50 for plastic bottles under 1 litre, DKK 3 for 1 litre and up. Feed the empties into a supermarket return machine to get it back.
• Tivoli opens by season. Once Christmas in Tivoli ends on 3 January, it's closed until the Easter season in mid-March (based on the 2026–27 calendar). The spire of the Church of Our Saviour is also closed all of January.