Last updated: May 2026

Copenhagen is the epitome of Scandinavia. It's impossibly cool, clean and has so much great design that you'll go home with big plans to redecorate your place (which may or may not materialise!). It's also a city that does hygge better than anywhere else; the kind of place where they schedule time in the calendar for a cinnamon roll and a coffee (aka - my kind of place).

The first time I visited Copenhagen, I stayed with a friend and spent a week experiencing it like the locals do: by cycling around it. I loved it and as I’ve returned over the years — it’s gotten better with every visit.

This guide is a list of all the things I think a first time visitor to Copenhagen should do and experience: castles, canals, the best coffee, the most photogenic streets, a day trip up the coast, and even a quick visit to Sweden. Three days is the sweet spot for Copenhagen. It's enough time to see the city properly without feeling rushed, and enough time to fit in a day trip up north to see a different side of Denmark.

This post contains affiliate links. If you book through one of my links I earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you. I only recommend experiences I genuinely believe are worth your time and money.

Is Copenhagen expensive?

A quick note before we get into it: Copenhagen isn't a cheap city. It regularly ranks among the most expensive in the world, and food in particular can add up fast. But with a bit of planning it's much more manageable than its reputation suggests, and there are a few specific things worth knowing before you go.

Tip: Buy the Copenhagen Card

If you're planning to visit even a handful of the attractions in this guide, the Copenhagen Card is almost always worth it. There are two versions: the Discover card, which covers public transport plus entry to 80+ attractions, and the Hop card, which covers the hop on hop off bus plus inner city attractions. For this itinerary the Discover card is the one you want, as it covers nearly everything below including transport to and from the airport, and the train up the coast to Hamlet's castle and the Louisiana Modern Art Museum. When I last visited for nearly 4 days I bought the 96 hour Discover card and it ended up saving me around £89 per person. You can read more about whether the Copenhagen Card is worth it here.

A city guide: 3 days in Copenhagen

Day One:

1. A cheap brekky from Sankt Peder's Bakery

Considering the Danish made a pastry so good it's named after them, it makes sense that your first stop in Copenhagen should be at one of its oldest and best known bakeries Sankt Peder's for the local favourite; a sticky cinnamon roll (called ‘onsdagssnegle’ in Danish). If you don’t like cinnamon, they have plenty of other reasonably priced baked goods. Another favourite of mine was the tebirkes, which is a poppy seed roll. 

2. Get your bearings by heading to the top of the Round Tower

Copenhagen's Rundetaarn, or round tower, is the oldest functioning observatory in Europe, which my nerdy side finds quite cool. It's also a great spot to get your bearings without climbing any stairs, although you will have to walk 209 metres upwards in a spiral to get just 36 metres above the ground. Luckily 36 metres is enough to provide stunning panoramic views of the entire city.

Note: the observatory is closed for restoration until October 2026, but the viewing platform and rest of the tower are open as usual.

For more information, see: The Round Tower

3. Go back in time at Rosenborg Castle

Rosenborg's well-preserved rooms and nifty smartphone tour guide app, will teach you a lot about Denmark's somewhat scandal laden royal past. Over the years, more than one affair has rocked the Danish royals, but the most interesting was Queen Caroline Mathilde's affair with her unwell King husband's physician, who ended up ruling the country for two years while the King was too ill to govern. It's fascinating stuff and has even been made into a movie called A Royal Affair. But, the best thing about Rosenborg Castle? It houses the must-see Danish Crown Jewels. You can book your Rosenborg Castle ticket here.

4. Glimpse the city from its Canals

An hour-long boat tour of Copenhagen’s canals is touristy yes, but it must be done in my opinion as it's a great way to see the city and get your bearings. They provide earphones so you can hear fun facts while you're on the boat and you can buy a drink before you get on if you're that way inclined. 

Book your canal cruise here — worth doing in summer when queues at the dock can get long.

5. See the colourful and iconic houses Nyhavn

There's a good chance you've seen one, if not many, photos of Copenhagen's best-known waterfront, Nyhavn. The colourful houses perched along the canal are the personification of city, featuring in most articles about Copenhagen and Denmark in general. A fun fact is that Hans Christian Andersen, who of course wrote famous fairytales The Little Mermaid and The Ugly Duckling, once lived in two different houses along Nyhavn.

Tip: There are plenty of bars and restaurants along this strip but due to its location, these tend to be pricey. To enjoy Nyhavn without a price tag, head to one of the many nearby supermarkets (Rema 1000 and Netto are good cheap options) and pick up some snacks and drinks. You can legally drink alcohol on the street in Denmark, so perch yourself along the edge of the water. The best time to head there is at golden hour, when the sun hits the buildings, further enhancing their rainbow of colours.

6. Discover a different side of Copenhagen at Christiana

To me, Christiania is proof that if Copenhagen had a star sign it'd be Gemini. Clean, sensible and responsible Copenhagen is the last place where I'd imagine you'd find a hippy commune in the middle of the city. But of course that's basically what the infamous, self-proclaimed autonomous anarchist district of Christiania is. The story of Christiania is quite interesting; it was founded in the early 1970s when a group of people began squatting on an old military barracks. Today around 900 people still live there, although these days it's not rent free: a few years ago they came to an agreement where the state now owns and leases the buildings on the land.

If you haven't been, I'd recommend dropping in to wander through the murals, handmade houses and lakeside paths. There are a few rules to follow, such as no photos in certain areas, so look out for the list of do's and don'ts at the entrance.

Tip: I've always wandered Christiania on my own and felt fine doing so, but having a local guide is a great way to learn more about the area's history and politics. This guided walking tour covers Christiania along with the surrounding Christianshavn neighbourhood, which is also worth exploring.

For more information, see: Christiana Freetown

7. Climb the spire church for the best views of Copenhagen

I think of it as the spire church but in reality it's called Church of Our Saviour. But whatever you want to call it, this unique church provides the best views of Copenhagen if you ask me, so I would definitely recommend heading up to take in the views, if you're not too afraid of heights!

Note: you'll need to pre-book a timed slot to climb the spire, even if you have the Copenhagen Card. Worth doing in advance, especially in summer.

For more information, see: Vor Frelsers Kirke

8. Check out the bog bodies at the National Museum

While I wouldn't spend too long in this museum if you're on a tight schedule, I think it's well worth popping in to see the extraordinarily preserved bog bodies. These are essentially mummies that were naturally preserved by the bogs they were buried in, after being sacrificed or executed 1000s of years ago. You can buy your entry ticket for the museum here.

9. Spend the evening at Tivoli Amusement Park

For a spot of magic in Copenhagen, visit the city's beloved Tivoli Gardens. Tivoli is the second oldest amusement park in the world and boasts the third oldest rollercoaster on Earth. But it's more than an average theme park; it has a charm and character that bigger parks lack, like Disneyland before it was a global brand. In fact Walt Disney himself visited Tivoli and took inspiration from it when designing Disneyland. Think a magical wonderland, with open-air stage performances on Friday nights, carnival games and rides, gardens full of colourful flowers, fairy floss, hotdogs, popcorn, beer and Danes of all ages enjoying themselves.

Tivoli has the ability to charm anybody who visits, and in my opinion a trip to Copenhagen is incomplete without stopping by here. If you can, go on a Friday or Saturday night in summer where you can catch a show or fireworks. You can book your Tivoli ticket here, which is handy on busy summer evenings.

Day Two:

10. Wake up with the perfect brew at Coffee Collective

The Frederiksberg's Coffee Collective is my favourite coffee shop in Copenhagen. They're serious about their coffee and have delicious but simple pastries and toasts to go with it, while you sit and watch the coffee being roasted behind a massive glass window into their roastery. While I usually wouldn't recommend a chain, and it doesn't feel like one, the Coffee Collective cafes are dotted around the city so you should be able to easily find one close to where you're staying.

For more information, see: Coffee Collective

11. Go underground to see the cistern exhibition

Copenhagen's cisterns were a great little find that I missed the first time I was in the city. Located in the green and leafy Søndermarken Park, the cisterns were formerly an underground water reservoir that has since been turned into a pretty unique (and yes a little damp!) exhibition centre.

Each year an internationally renowned artist or architect is invited to create a site-specific installation that plays with the cisterns' unique atmosphere: dripstones, near-total darkness, water and acoustics that allow sound to reverberate for up to 17 seconds. It's worth checking the Frederiksberg Museums website before you go to see what's on, and bear in mind the cisterns are typically closed from the end of November until mid March.

While you're down there, make sure you read the information on the walls near the entrance about the history of the cisterns, which is pretty fascinating.

12. Explore the pristine royal reception rooms Christianborg Palace

One thing that I've always noticed about Danish castles and palaces is that they're well looked after. You know how some castles and palaces are dusty, making them downright creepy? Well not Danish ones. And Christiansborg Palace is my favourite of Copenhagen's collection of well looked after palaces. Here you can see the stunning royal reception rooms, the kitchens, the royal stables, the chapel and ruins of the castle from two fires. Yup, it's burnt down twice in the past.

You can get a joint ticket to see all of the above, and it's also included in the price of the Copenhagen Card so if you have that, it's free.

Tip: It's completely free to go up to the top of the tower at Christiansborg Palace, so if you're on a tight budget, this is a great spot to see the city from above.

You can book your Christiansborg Palace ticket here if you'd rather pre-book.

For more information, see: Christiansborg Palace

13. Eat traditional smørrebrød at Aamanns Deli

Eating smørrebrød at least once while you're in Copenhagen is a must and I'm being unoriginal here as this is one of the most popular spots to try it. Order a few different varieties and wash them down with traditional Danish snaps.

For more information, see: Aamanns Deli

14. See where the royals live at Amalienborg Palace

A little bit of trivia if you're not Australian, because any Australian that doesn't know this has been living under a rock for the past 20 years: the queen of Denmark is an Aussie. And this is her house, so all I can say is real estate goals. Because Amalienborg is where the royals live today, visitors can only access a small part of the palace, which is a bit of a shame. Still, Amalienborg is a great place to visit if you're interested in the history of the royal family. You'll also get to see this great name map which confirmed my suspicions about the royal family: basically every Danish king since forever has been either called Frederik or Christian.

Tip: Time your visit for noon when you can watch the changing of the royal guard, which happens daily on the palace square and is free to watch. Afterwards, if you walk down towards the water from the palace you can get some beautiful photos of Frederik's Church with the nearby fountains in the foreground.

For more information, see: Amalienborg Palace

15. Spend an afternoon in Design Museum

Is it furniture or is it art? I guess you could argue in Denmark it's both. Spend an hour or two here, walking through the chair tunnel where 125 iconic chairs run floor to ceiling, and soaking up the minimalistic, colourful and fun vibes that make Scandi design so perfect.

For more information, see: Design Museum Denmark

16. Head to Sweden for dinner

To me there is something irresistible about being able to jump on a train and be in another country in about 35 minutes, so I knew I'd want to take a quick trip over to Malmö while in Copenhagen.

If you're heading over for dinner, I'd recommend booking a restaurant in advance, as the best spots fill up quickly especially on weekends. Lilla Torg is a good area to start your search; it's a charming cobblestoned square surrounded by restaurants and bars, and a lovely spot for a pre-dinner drink even if you end up eating elsewhere.

Tip: Trains run between Copenhagen and Malmö on a regular basis day and night, around every 20 minutes. The journey takes about 35 to 40 minutes. You can buy your tickets through the Skånetrafiken or DSB apps, or at the station. Return tickets cost around £25.

Day Three:

Day trips from Copenhagen

One of the best things about visiting Copenhagen is how easy it is to get outside the city on public transport and see some of the Danish seaside. If you're heading to Copenhagen for more than two days, I'd highly recommend making a day trip to see Kronborg Castle and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. You can easily see both in one day and it'll save you at least an hour of transport if you do. If you decide to visit these, I'd again recommend the Copenhagen Card as it covers travel and entry to both, so all you need to do is jump on the right train. But first, breakfast.

17. Breakfast at Grød: the world’s first porridge cafe

Before catching the train up north, I'd recommend heading to Grød for breakfast. Grød is a porridge café that basically only sells, you guessed it, porridge. It's a really fun and delicious place to have brekky, but if you're a beginner like me, I'd recommend ordering the small bowl. I got the large and didn't come close to finishing it despite generally struggling with an inability to fill myself up.

18. To go or not to go to Denmark’s Hamlet Castle

Excuse the very intended pun in this heading. Kronborg is about a 40-minute train ride north of Copenhagen and is famous for being the castle in Shakespeare's Hamlet. Interestingly, despite there being no record of Shakespeare ever visiting Denmark, he described the castle perfectly, down to the flagpole in the courtyard where Hamlet sees his father's ghost.

The castle's setting couldn't be lovelier; it's by the Danish seaside, a stone's throw from Sweden as this is where geographically the countries come closest to touching. Historically its strategic position was lucrative for the Danes as it allowed them to collect money from any ships passing through the Sound (the water strait which forms the Danish–Swedish border).

For more information, see: Kronborg Castle

You can book your Kronborg Castle ticket here, or if you'd rather not DIY the day trip there's also a guided tour from Copenhagen that takes in Kronborg along with a few other castles in the area. Frederiksborg, which is one of the stops, is well worth seeing in its own right.

19. Check out the cool and quirky at Louisiana

Louisiana museum is another little gem tucked away north of Copenhagen by the seaside, making it a perfect place to spend an afternoon after a morning at Kronborg Castle.

To me, Louisiana is much more than just an art museum or gallery. It's also a celebration of Danish architecture and landscape. You're not just there for the art, you're there for the atmosphere that comes from a building carefully and specifically designed for the purpose of displaying art. It's just perfect.

For more information, see: Louisiana

Where should you stay in Copenhagen?

Accommodation in Copenhagen is expensive, so I would advise booking well ahead of your trip. The good news is that Copenhagen is a small, well-connected city, so you don't need to stay right in the centre to be in the thick of things. Here are the neighbourhoods I'd consider, all of which are within easy reach of the sights in this itinerary.

Frederiksberg

This is where I've stayed when I've been to Copenhagen and I'd happily stay here again. On a map it looks a little bit far out but it's not at all, and it's connected to the city centre by metro. It's a leafy, residential, slightly upmarket neighbourhood. It’s also home to the Coffee Collective roastery and the Cisterns, so you'll likely end up here at some point in your trip anyway.

Nørrebro

Nørrebro is the cool, multicultural neighbourhood that consistently turns up on "world's hippest" lists. It's where you'll find Jægersborggade (the original Coffee Collective and Grød), and a buzzy mix of vintage shops, craft beer bars and restaurants. It’s good for a younger crowd or anyone who wants to be in the middle of Copenhagen's food and design scene.

Vesterbro

Once Copenhagen's red light district, now its hipster heart. Vesterbro is home to the Meatpacking District (Kødbyen), where former butcher warehouses have been turned into some of the city's best restaurants and bars. It's also right next to Tivoli and Copenhagen Central Station, which makes it convenient if you're arriving by train or planning day trips.

Indre By (the city centre)

If you want to be in the absolute middle of everything, Indre By is the historic city centre. It's where you'll find Nyhavn, the Round Tower, Strøget (the main shopping street), and most of the major sights. The trade-off is that it's the most touristy part of the city and accommodation prices reflect that, but if it's your first time in Copenhagen and you want to walk everywhere, it's hard to beat.

My booking tips:

Since Copenhagen has great public transport, I'd recommend not worrying too much about location, but instead focusing on staying somewhere with easy access to a metro, bus or train. Most of the sightseeing in this itinerary is within walking distance of Nørreport Station, so if you're on a line that stops there, you're sorted. Whichever neighbourhood you pick, book early — Copenhagen fills up fast in summer and prices climb steeply close to the date. Whichever neighbourhood you choose, I always search Hotels.com first — good availability across all price points and easy to filter by area.

Three days, done

Three days in Copenhagen isn't long, but it's the right amount: enough to see the city without rushing, and enough to fit in a day trip up the coast. If you've found this guide helpful, you might also like my Copenhagen Card post for more on getting the most out of your visit.