Aerial view of Copenhagen's Nyhavn canal at sunrise, with sailing boats moored between rows of red-roofed townhouses

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CopenhagenTravel Guide

Denmark7 stories

Copenhagen compresses an unreasonable amount of pleasure into a compact, bike-first capital: canal-side colour at Nyhavn, world-shaping restaurants, royal palaces you can stroll past on the way to a swim in the harbour. It is expensive, yes, but almost everything worth doing sits within a 20-minute cycle of everything else, which makes it one of Europe's great weekend cities.

When to come

May–September

What it costs

Expensive. Part of the reason to come is what you can book when you arrive.

What we've planned, and who for

We have a weekend here planned hour by hour.

A weekend, hour by hour

Copenhagen is inWorth the splurge Enough for a long weekend Deepest in Europe

When to go

May–September

Budget level

Luxury

Typical cost profile for visitors

Combine it with

Hamburg, Germany290 km
a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in May, June, July · a different price level (mid)
Berlin, Germany360 km
half a day's travel · both good in May, June, July · a different price level (mid)
Gdańsk, Poland410 km
half a day's travel · both good in May, June, July · a different price level (mid)
Oslo, Norway480 km
half a day's travel · both good in May, June, July

Plan itWhere to stay in Copenhagenad · Booking.comTours and tickets

On the map

Finding Copenhagen

Open in Google Maps Larger map

The stories

Reading Copenhagen

Colourful gabled townhouses and moored wooden boats along the Nyhavn canal in Copenhagen under an evening sky

Hidden Gems

Copenhagen past the postcard: beyond Nyhavn's crowds

Denmark · 2 min

Planning

Copenhagen, place by place

Everything below is named in one of our own stories about Copenhagen. The line under each is the sentence that recommended it, and the link goes to the piece it came from.

Where to stay

The areas and addresses our writers put first

Vesterbrogade
Copenhagen
The Radisson Collection Royal Hotel — known to design pilgrims by its original name, the SAS Royal Hotel — was completed in 1960 to designs by Arne Jacobsen, who shaped everything from the tower itself down to the cut…
The Storied Hotels of Copenhagen Check prices

Where to eat

Tables worth crossing the city for

Torvehallerne
Copenhagen
Start at Torvehallerne, the glass-halled food market near Nørreport station.
48 Hours in Copenhagen See on the map
Restaurant Schønnemann
Copenhagen
Lunch is the moment for proper open-faced sandwiches: Restaurant Schønnemann, a cellar institution near Nørreport serving smørrebrød since the 19th century, is the benchmark — book ahead.
48 Hours in Copenhagen See on the map

What to see

The things that justify the trip

Roger Suen
Rosenborg Castle
From there it is a 10-minute walk to Rosenborg Castle, the Renaissance summer house that holds the Danish crown jewels, ringed by the King's Garden — Copenhagen's oldest royal park and its best free sit-down.
48 Hours in Copenhagen See on the map
manu schwendener
Rundetaarn
Walk down Strøget, the long pedestrian spine of the old town, then peel off to climb the Rundetaarn (Round Tower), a 17th-century observatory with a spiral ramp instead of stairs and a rooftop view over the copper spi…
48 Hours in Copenhagen See on the map
C1 Superstar
Nyhavn
End the afternoon at Nyhavn, the postcard canal of gabled townhouses and wooden boats.
48 Hours in Copenhagen See on the map
Julia Taubitz
Tivoli Gardens
Dinner in the centre, then finish at Tivoli Gardens, the amusement park that has been running since 1843.
48 Hours in Copenhagen See on the map
Thijs Kennis
Christianshavn
Cross the water to Christianshavn, Copenhagen's small Amsterdam of canals and houseboats.
48 Hours in Copenhagen See on the map
Chananchida Nokjan
Freetown Christiania
Wander on to Freetown Christiania, the self-governing enclave founded in 1971; go with respect and leave the camera down in the marked zones.
48 Hours in Copenhagen See on the map
Mathew Browne
Amalienborg
Cycle north along the harbour to Amalienborg, the four rococo palaces where the royal family lives, timed if you can to the noon changing of the guard, and duck into the marble-domed Frederik's Church next door.
48 Hours in Copenhagen See on the map
Church of Our Saviour
Copenhagen
Climb the external golden spiral of the Church of Our Saviour if you have a head for heights — the view down the harbour is the city's best.
48 Hours in Copenhagen See on the map
Frederik's Church
Copenhagen
48 Hours in Copenhagen See on the map
Magstræde
Copenhagen
One of the oldest streets in the city, Magstræde is a short, crooked lane of uneven cobbles and leaning 18th-century houses.
Copenhagen's Most Beautiful Streets and Squares See on the map
Gråbrødretorv
Copenhagen
This intimate square, named for the Grey Friars monastery that once stood here, is ringed by tall houses in faded reds and yellows.
Copenhagen's Most Beautiful Streets and Squares See on the map
Amalienborg Palace Square
Copenhagen
The octagonal plaza at the heart of the royal district is framed by four identical rococo palaces — still the residence of the Danish royal family.
Copenhagen's Most Beautiful Streets and Squares See on the map
Kongens Nytorv
Copenhagen
Copenhagen's grandest square anchors the end of Nyhavn, surrounded by the Royal Danish Theatre, the storied Hotel d'Angleterre and elegant 17th-century facades.
Copenhagen's Most Beautiful Streets and Squares See on the map
Nyboder
Copenhagen
A few minutes north of the centre, the long mustard-yellow rowhouses of Nyboder were built in the 17th century under King Christian IV to house naval personnel.
Copenhagen's Most Beautiful Streets and Squares See on the map
Amagertorv and Strøget
Copenhagen
Amagertorv, with its Stork Fountain and Dutch Renaissance gables, is the natural midpoint of Strøget, one of Europe's longest pedestrian shopping streets.
Copenhagen's Most Beautiful Streets and Squares See on the map

Our picks

What we'd do in Copenhagen

See and do

Christianshavn's quiet canals
South of the inner harbour, Christianshavn is Copenhagen's answer to Amsterdam: houseboats, wooden bridges, leaning warehouses.
Read: Copenhagen past the postcard: beyond Nyhavn's crowds
Find tickets
Nyhavn
Yes, it is on every postcard, and yes, it earns the spot.
Read: Copenhagen's Most Beautiful Streets and Squares
Find tickets
The strategy
Copenhagen's strength is the swing between indoors and out: serious museums, food halls and cafés on one side, harbourside walking on the other.
Read: Copenhagen Out of Season: The Months Insiders Keep for Themselves
Islands Brygge and the harbour baths
The waterfront at Islands Brygge holds the city's best-loved harbour bath — open-air swimming platforms right in the port, backed by a long grassy quay.
Read: Copenhagen past the postcard: beyond Nyhavn's crowds
Find tickets
Magstræde
One of the oldest streets in the city, Magstræde is a short, crooked lane of uneven cobbles and leaning 18th-century houses.
Read: Copenhagen's Most Beautiful Streets and Squares
Find tickets

Eat and drink

Fish and shellfish
At the fishmongers' counters you will find smoked salmon, cured herring in a dozen guises, and in the colder months fresh oysters and mussels from Danish and nearby waters.
Read: The Market Halls of Copenhagen: What to Eat and When to Go
The hot dog detour
Between markets, do not skip the pølsevogn, Copenhagen's classic street sausage wagon: a red or grilled pork sausage buried under crispy onions, pickles and remoulade.
Read: The Market Halls of Copenhagen: What to Eat and When to Go
Eating with the seasons
Timing changes the menu.
Read: The Market Halls of Copenhagen: What to Eat and When to Go
Beyond the halls
When the weather is kind, take the harbour bus toward Refshaleøen and graze Reffen's food stalls with the skyline across the water — Copenhagen's most scenic cheap dinner.
Read: The Market Halls of Copenhagen: What to Eat and When to Go

Where to stay

Kongens Nytorv — the white palace
Presiding over the King's New Square, steps from Nyhavn and the Royal Danish Theatre, the Hotel d'Angleterre has hosted royalty, statesmen and stars since the 18th century.
Read: The Storied Hotels of Copenhagen
Check ratesad · Booking.com
Tivoli — a fantasy behind the gates
The Nimb occupies the Moorish-style palace at the edge of Tivoli Gardens, its domed, exotic facade dating from the amusement park's early-20th-century golden age.
Read: The Storied Hotels of Copenhagen
Check ratesad · Booking.com
Vesterbrogade — the birthplace of Danish modern
The Radisson Collection Royal Hotel — known to design pilgrims by its original name, the SAS Royal Hotel — was completed in 1960 to designs by Arne Jacobsen, who shaped everything from the tower itself down to the cutlery.
Read: The Storied Hotels of Copenhagen
Check ratesad · Booking.com
Choosing your neighbourhood
History and ceremony point you to Kongens Nytorv; whimsy and gardens to Tivoli; design pilgrimage to the Jacobsen tower near the central station.
Read: The Storied Hotels of Copenhagen

Before you go

Practical essentials for Denmark

Money

Danish krone (DKK) — Denmark has not adopted the euro

Language

Danish; English is spoken almost universally in Copenhagen.

Power

Type C/E/F/K, 230V 50Hz

Getting around

The physical Rejsekort was withdrawn in May 2026, so visitors now use the Rejsekort or DSB apps, a City Pass or the new Basiskort — contactless bank cards are not accepted on Copenhagen public transport.

Tipping

Service is included in the bill by law and tipping is not expected, though rounding up after a good meal is appreciated.

Tap water

Tap water is safe to drink and meets the EU Drinking Water Directive.

Driving

Right-hand side; EU and EEA licences are valid as they are, and most other visitors should carry an International Driving Permit alongside their home licence.

Emergency

112

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

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