2 days in Copenhagen

Day by day

1. Day 1: Tivoli Gardens and Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek

   Tivoli Gardens, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Nyhavn and Rosenborg Castle, then Kødbyen (Meatpacking District) in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Tivoli Gardens

      It opens in seasons — summer, Halloween and Christmas — with concerts, pantomime and restaurants alongside the rides.

   2. Late morning

      Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek

      The rooftop terrace looks over Tivoli.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Smørrebrød

      Traditional lunch restaurants in Indre By and Nyhavn, and modern counters at Torvehallerne.

   4. Afternoon

      Nyhavn

      Hans Christian Andersen lived at numbers 18, 20 and 67.

   5. Late afternoon

      Rosenborg Castle

      The King's Garden around it is the city's oldest royal park.

   6. Evening

      Kødbyen (Meatpacking District)

      Bars, clubs and restaurants in white-tiled former slaughterhouses in Vesterbro, busiest on Friday and Saturday nights.

2. Day 2: Amalienborg and Designmuseum Danmark

   Amalienborg, Designmuseum Danmark, The Little Mermaid and Strøget, then Nørrebro in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Amalienborg

      The Royal Life Guard changes at noon every day, and the green dome of Frederik's Church rises directly behind the square.

   2. Late morning

      Designmuseum Danmark

      In an 18th-century former hospital near Amalienborg, Designmuseum Danmark traces Danish and international design and crafts, including a long gallery of chairs by Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen, Kaare Klint and other Danish modern designers.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Danish pastries

      Bakeries across the city, many with queues out of the door on weekend mornings.

   4. Afternoon

      The Little Mermaid

      It is much smaller than many visitors expect, and the harbour walk there past the Gefion Fountain and the star-shaped Kastellet fortress is half the point.

   5. Late afternoon

      Strøget

      One of Europe's longest pedestrian shopping streets runs about 1.1 km from City Hall Square to Kongens Nytorv, past department stores, Danish design flagships and the squares of Gammeltorv and Amagertorv.

   6. Evening

      Nørrebro

      Natural-wine bars, cocktail bars and cafés around Jægersborggade, Elmegade and Ravnsborggade.

Before you go

• Tivoli Gardens: Check season dates before you travel; Tivoli closes between its summer, Halloween and Christmas seasons.
• Rosenborg Castle: Timed tickets are recommended in summer, when the small rooms fill quickly.

If it rains

• Swap in Christiansborg Palace (Slotsholmen): Go up the free tower first (expect a security check), then choose which paid sections to visit.
• Swap in National Museum of Denmark (Indre By): Start with the Danish prehistory galleries, then take children to the Children's Museum to dress up and climb aboard a Viking ship.
• Swap in SMK – National Gallery of Denmark (Indre By): Combine it with Rosenborg and the University Botanical Garden across the road.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 11–14 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 7.1 hours in December to 17.5 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Cycling. Wide, separated bike lanes cover the whole city, and bikes can be rented from hotels, rental shops and app-based schemes.

More or fewer days

• One day in Copenhagen
• 3 days in Copenhagen
• 4 days in Copenhagen
• 5 days in Copenhagen
• 7 days in Copenhagen

Questions travellers ask