Rainy day · Copenhagen · Denmark
7 things to do in Copenhagen when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Rosenborg Castle, Christiansborg Palace and National Museum of Denmark. Together the 7 picks below take roughly 12–14 hours across 5 areas; 1 is free. January is usually the wettest month, with about 10 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 7
- Free entry
- 1
- Time to see them all
- 12–14 hours
- Areas
- Indre By, Slotsholmen and Vesterbro
Copenhagen on a rainy day
Castle · Indre By
1.Rosenborg Castle
Head to the treasury first, then picnic in the King's Garden afterwards.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Iconic
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Palace · Slotsholmen
2.Christiansborg Palace
Go up the free tower first (expect a security check), then choose which paid sections to visit.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Views
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Museum · Indre By
3.National Museum of Denmark
Start with the Danish prehistory galleries, then take children to the Children's Museum to dress up and climb aboard a Viking ship.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
Museum · Vesterbro
4.Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
Pair it with Tivoli across the road on a rainy day; the Winter Garden café is a calm place to warm up.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Gallery · Indre By
5.SMK – National Gallery of Denmark
Combine it with Rosenborg and the University Botanical Garden across the road.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Free
- Rainy day
Market · Nørreport
6.Torvehallerne
Go before noon on a weekday to avoid the Saturday crowds, and try a smørrebrød from one of the open-sandwich counters.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Shopping
- Rainy day
Museum · Frederiksstaden
7.Designmuseum Danmark
Spend time in the chair galleries and the garden courtyard, and browse the museum shop for design souvenirs.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Indre By | Rosenborg Castle, National Museum of Denmark and SMK – National Gallery of Denmark | 1.5 hours + 2–3 hours + 2 hours |
| Slotsholmen | Christiansborg Palace | 2–3 hours |
| Vesterbro | Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek | 2 hours |
| Nørreport | Torvehallerne | 1 hour |
| Frederiksstaden | Designmuseum Danmark | 1.5 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 7, 1 free, 1 low cost, 5 mid-priced. Book ahead for Rosenborg Castle. The longest visit is Christiansborg Palace; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Rosenborg Castle: Timed tickets are recommended in summer, when the small rooms fill quickly.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Indre By): Rosenborg Castle → National Museum of Denmark, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Indre By and Slotsholmen): SMK – National Gallery of Denmark → Christiansborg Palace, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Vesterbro, Nørreport and Frederiksstaden): Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek → Torvehallerne → Designmuseum Danmark, at least 5 hours.
The wettest months
- January: highs of 3°C (37°F), about 10 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Cold, dark and often grey, with short days; museums, cafés and candlelit hygge come into their own.
- October: highs of 12°C (54°F), about 10 rainy days, moderate crowds. Crisp autumn days and colourful parks; Tivoli reopens for its Halloween season.
- November: highs of 8°C (46°F), about 10 rainy days, quiet crowds. Dark and damp, but Christmas lights, markets and Tivoli's Christmas season start mid-month.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Indre By — Medieval lanes, Strøget shopping and the Round Tower in the old city
- Vesterbro — Old working-class streets turned bars, cafés and the Meatpacking District
More of Copenhagen
All things to do in Copenhagen · Where to stay · When to go.
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Copenhagen?
Rosenborg Castle. Christian IV's Dutch Renaissance castle, built in the early 17th century, keeps its royal interiors, a Knights' Hall guarded by three life-size silver lions and, in the basement treasury, the Danish crown jewels and regalia.
+Which of these are free in Copenhagen?
SMK – National Gallery of Denmark.