Copenhagen

Best things to do in Copenhagen

1. 1

   1. Freetown Christiania

   • 1 to 2 hours
   • No booking needed
   • Adults
   • Couples
   • No car needed

   A self-governing community in the Christianshavn neighbourhood, founded in 1971 on a squatted military base. Its main street, Pusher Street, was known for open cannabis trading until a large part of it was shut down in 2024.

   Respect local rules and residents; check the community's own guidance before you go.

   27,559 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Freetown Christiania
2. 2

   2. Tivoli Gardens

   • Half a day to an evening
   • Tickets needed
   • Families
   • Couples

   An amusement park and pleasure garden in central Copenhagen next to the Central station. It opened on 15 August 1843 and is the second-oldest operating amusement park in the world, with 4.25 million visitors in 2024.

   Check the park's own site for opening dates and ticket options.

   10,361 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Tivoli Gardens
3. 3

   3. The Little Mermaid statue

   • About 30 minutes
   • No booking needed
   • Families
   • Couples
   • No car needed

   A 1.25 m bronze statue by Edvard Eriksen on the Langelinie promenade, based on Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale. Unveiled in 1913, it is a Copenhagen icon.

   8,353 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, The Little Mermaid (statue)
4. 4

   4. Kronborg Castle, Helsingør

   • Half a day
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Families
   • Couples
   • Rainy day

   A Renaissance castle at the narrowest point of the Øresund, immortalised as Elsinore in Shakespeare's Hamlet. UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 2000.

   Helsingør is outside Copenhagen; check opening hours and tickets with the castle before you go.

   6,447 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Kronborg
5. 5

   5. Christiansborg Palace

   • 1 to 2 hours
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Rainy day
   • No car needed

   A palace on the islet of Slotsholmen that houses the Danish Parliament, the Prime Minister's Office and the Supreme Court. It is said to be the only building in the world with all three branches of government. Parts are used by the monarch.

   Which parts are open to visitors varies; check before you go.

   6,123 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Christiansborg Palace
6. 6

   6. Roskilde Cathedral

   • Half a day
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Couples
   • Rainy day
   • No car needed

   The Lutheran cathedral of Roskilde and the royal burial church of the Danish monarchs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in the 12th and 13th centuries, it was among the first brick Gothic cathedrals in Scandinavia.

   Roskilde is outside Copenhagen; check opening hours before you go.

   4,457 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Roskilde Cathedral
7. 7

   7. Amalienborg

   • About an hour
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Couples
   • No car needed

   The official residence of the Danish monarch: four identical classical palaces around an octagonal courtyard with a statue of Frederick V at the centre. The royal family moved in after Christiansborg burned in 1794.

   Check the royal household's site for visitor access.

   4,293 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Amalienborg
8. 8

   8. Nyhavn

   • About an hour
   • No booking needed
   • Couples
   • Families
   • No car needed

   A 17th-century waterfront and canal district running from Kongens Nytorv to the Inner Harbour, lined with brightly coloured townhouses, cafes and bars. Historic wooden ships are moored in the canal.

   4,066 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Nyhavn
9. 9

   9. Rosenborg Castle

   • 1 to 2 hours
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Families
   • Couples
   • Rainy day

   A Dutch Renaissance castle built in 1606 as a country summerhouse for Christian IV and extended until 1624. It sits in central Copenhagen.

   Check the castle's own site for opening times and ticket options.

   3,797 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Rosenborg Castle
10. 10

    10. Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek

    • 2 to 3 hours
    • Check entry rules before you go
    • Couples
    • Rainy day
    • No car needed

    An art museum built around Carl Jacobsen's collection, strong on antique sculpture from Egypt, Greece and Rome, with a major Rodin collection and French Impressionist paintings.

    Check the museum's own site for opening hours and tickets.

    3,555 readers a month

    Sources

    • Wikipedia, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek

Just missed the list: Frederik's Church (the Marble Church) (11th; a rococo church just west of Amalienborg); Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (12th; a modern art museum north of Copenhagen)