Copenhagen is chock-full of iconic landmarks, yummy places to eat, and fun activities. In this post, we’re telling you 15 things to do in Copenhagen during your next visit. These are all activities that Kayla did when she visited Copenhagen over New Year’s Eve to see their world renowned fireworks extravaganza.
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Eat A Hotdog
We’re kicking off this list with possibly the most surprising and seemingly mundane things to do in Copenhagen, but Danish hotdogs are a specialty you have to try at least once during your visit (or several times like Kayla did). There are stands and storefronts all over the city serving up delicious dogs. Copenhagen is known for their rødpølser – a red hotdog traditionally topped with remoulade (a mayo-based condiment), pickles, and french fried onions. In the Southern USA where we’re from, french fried onions are usually only pulled out to top the green bean casserole at Thanksgiving, so having them on a hotdog was a total game changer!
National Museum of Denmark
One draw to visiting any of the Scandinavian countries is learning about Viking history! The National Museum of Denmark is an excellent place to see Viking artifacts like jewelry, weapons, and the iconic horned Viking hats. The museum houses artifacts from all over the world though with highlights including Egyptian mummies, the Huldremose Woman, and a room full of beautiful dollhouses. When Kayla visited, they also had an exhibit on The Beatles and a large chunk of the Berlin Wall on display. Visiting the museum is a great way to spend a rainy day, and they’ve done a fantastic job incorporating activities throughout for children to enjoy too. There is even an entire section of the museum where children can learn and play in a fun environment – it’s a great place for getting wiggles out!
Christiansborg Palace
A few minutes walk from The National Museum is Christiansborg Palace. Kings and queens once resided here and the Royal Family occasionally still uses the Palace for functions, but today the Palace mainly serves as the operating hub for the various branches of Danish government. Paying visitors can go inside to see some of the beautiful rooms lined with tapestries and capped with ornate chandeliers. Visitors also have access to the Royal Stables and Kitchen, the Palace Chapel, and as of 2022 – the ancient ruins discovered underneath the Palace. If you don’t want to go inside, visiting the square where the Palace looms is still well worth seeing and you might just spot the Royal horses getting in some exercise!
Frederiksholms Kanal
Right outside Christianborg Palace is a lovely photo op called Frederiksholms Kanal. Quaint bridges run over the canal with colorful Danish buildings making a picturesque backdrop. While the canal and its bridges once made for great additional defense on attempted sieges, today boats can be seen going up and down the canal showing tourists the city from a unique perspective.
Round Tower
The Round Tower was built in the 17th century as an astronomical observatory. It has become an iconic landmark in the city with tourists visiting every day to climb its famed spiral ramp that circles the tower 7.5 times before depositing you at the top to breathtaking views of Copenhagen.
As you wind your way up the ramp, there are a few stop-off points with interesting exhibits. The Library Hall is located halfway up the tower and once housed the University of Copenhagen’s book collection. Today, there is an ongoing rotation of art displays, cultural events, concerts, and more that take place in this room. Other points of interest are the bell loft, the planetarium (where you can view the current planetary positions), and Europes oldest observatory. Guests are always welcome at the observatory, but on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings in the winter, the observatory is manned and you can look through its powerful telescope to see the night sky. You can find the stargazing schedule for the observatory HERE.
Trinitatis Church
While you’re visiting The Round Tower, you might as well pop on over to Trinitatis Church since they are connected in the same complex. In 1637, King Christian IV commissioned the church for the University’s student body to use. In the 1700s, the church was damaged by a fire that swept through the city and was closed for 3 years for repairs. The church has periodically been restored over the years. Today, it boasts beautiful baroque furnishings from the 1730s, ornate ceilings, and a beautiful organ. Check out the Trinitatis calendar before your trip to catch a musical performance or event.
Paludan Bogcafe (Paludan Book Cafe)
Fellow bookworms will love visiting the Paludan Book Cafe, where you can eat delicious food while surrounded by walls lined with books. The cozy atmosphere is the perfect escape during colder months, and the books are the perfect escape for your mind! Being in such close proximity to Copenhagen University, Paludan Cafe is typically bustling with students sipping on their coffees and studying. It can get quite busy during peak hours, but the inside is bigger than it appears on the outside – so don’t let a crowd keep you from checking to see if there is a table available!
Changing Of The Guard In Amalienborg Square
Amalienborg Square is lined with palaces, one of which serves as the Queen’s winter residence. Those wanting to learn more about the Danish monarchy will enjoy visiting the Palace Museum. If you go at noon though, you can see the changing of the guard outside the museum. During this procession, the Royal Guard marches in a parade of sorts from their barracks to Amalienborg Square to relieve their counterparts of their duties. They usually have musical accompaniment, and the spectacle can draw quite the crowd!
Frederik’s Church
A short walk away from Amalienborg is Frederik’s Church, which was originally comissioned to mark the Royal Family’s 300 year reign.. Construction began on this famed marble church in the 1700s and lasted for over a century due to various issues. Today, the circular building stands proudly as the largest dome in Scandinavia. Kayla stumbled upon the church by chance, and it was a wonderful surprise. The enormous dome is a site to behold and before you know it, you’ll find yourself moving forward in awe to see what the inside looks like. Entry is free to the main portion of the church, but there is a fee to climb to the top of the dome to see panoramic views of the city.
Medical Museum
Kayla loves visiting medical museums during her travels (yes, she’s admittedly strange), so she was thrilled to find Medical Museion in Copenhagen. She was even more thrilled when when she had the chance to sit in the seats of the surgeon’s theatre where students of medicine have been learning since 1787! Permanent exhibits include historical collections of skeletal remains from 18th century to present day, a psychiatry room showing the evolution of psychiatric care over the past 50 years, an exploration of how technology can help heal our bodies, and more! Your senses will be challenged through the museum’s exhibits, and you will leave with a better appreciation of medical advancements throughout the years and our bodies’ capabilities.
One of Kayla’s favorite medical museums is the Surgeon’s Hall Museum in Edinburgh. You can read about it and more interesting sites in our Edinburgh Guide.
Tivoli Gardens
Tivoli Gardens is the world’s second oldest amusement park and is the park that served as inspiration for Disneyland. This is not a rinky-dink theme park. This place is *magical* and full of whimsy that will have people of all ages smiling from ear to ear. Rides vary from thrilling rollercoasters, to high quality carnival-type rides for all ages, to rides that take you up and spin you in the air. There are also all kinds of hangout spots including an alley modeled after an old Danish market town, several beautiful gardens, and a Chinese bamboo forest! During the holiday season, there are beautiful light displays and decorations throughout the park, adding to the charm.
Know before you go: Basic tickets to enter Tivoli Gardens are around $22 USD (155 Danish Krone) and ride tickets are purchased separately. There are multiple kiosks throughout the park to purchase ride tickets from. For around $64 USD (439 Danish Krone), you can purchase a pass that includes entry and all rides. See all ticket options HERE.
The American Pie Company
Sometimes toward the end of a long trip, you just need a taste of home. After Kayla spent 2 weeks traveling through Germany and Denmark, a slice of warm pie from The American Pie Company was too tempting to resist! And it was SUCH a good spontaneous decision. At this cheery eatery, pie flavors rotate every three months and they have yummy drinks to pair them with. Kayla thoroughly enjoyed a slice of Twin Peaks Cherry Crumble and her husband devoured the chocolate peanut butter goodness called The Muddy Nutty. The atmosphere is cozy, the staff are sweet as pie (see what we did there?), and the vintage decor will fill you with nostalgia. There are all sorts of tasty treats throughout Copenhagen, but you won’t want to miss this little slice of heaven.
The Little Mermaid
On the banks of Copenhagen Harbor is a statue inspired by one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most famous tales, The Little Mermaid. The mermaid is perched on a large rock near the water’s edge and looks wistfully off in the distance. The walk along the shore to the mermaid is scenic, with a fountain and picturesque church marking the path along the way. You can’t miss the statue, not because it is large (it’s not), but because there will probably be a large crowd gathered there to see it too!
Church of the Holy Spirit Book Sale
One of Kayla’s absolute favorite travel memories is stumbling upon the book sale at the Church of the Holy Spirit on New Year’s Eve. A small sign sat on the sidewalk outside the church pointing toward an unassuming door. When they walked inside, they were surrounded by tables of books, old map prints, and other loose papers from various backgrounds that had fascinating images and artwork on them. As they circled the tables inside, a musician outside the church began playing “Once Upon A December” on his accordion, and Kayla promptly began crying tears of happiness. Being surrounded by beautiful old books in a beautiful place with beautiful music playing was too much for her sappy heart to handle!
The Church of The Holy Spirit regularly hosts book and record sales, so keep an eye out during your trip, and hopefully your visit is just as magical as Kayla’s was!
Nyhavn
When you Google pictures of Copenhagen, Nyhavn is the area that appears in most of the results! This waterfront area is lined with colorful townhouses and businesses dating as far back as the 17th century. Boats bob in the canal and music from street performers usually fill the air. It is a beautiful place to walk around and shop, and there are lots of eateries in this area too.
One of the most notable residents of the Nyhavn area was Hans Christian Andersen, who lived on this strip for over 20 years. He wrote several of his most famous short stories here, including The Princess and the Pea. Fans of his fairytales will enjoy passing by house numbers 20 and 67, where he lived and wrote for many years.
At Christmas time, Nyhavn is also the location of a large Christmas market filled with tasty traditional Danish treats and goodies.
We would love to hear about the places to see and things to do in Copenhagen that you love most! Tell us about them in the comments below!
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I would never have thought “eat a hot dot” would be a to-do in Copenhagen! I can’t wait to see that iconic Little Mermaid. Thanks for the inspiration!
Great itinerary! I would love to see Nayhavn at Christmas time for the markets.
Great list of things to do in Copenhagen! Nayhavn is something out of a fairytale!!