Solo travel · Copenhagen · Denmark
Solo travel in Copenhagen
How to enjoy Copenhagen at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Copenhagen is a relaxed city for solo travellers: almost everyone speaks English, cycling makes independent exploring easy, and food halls and cafés are comfortable places to eat alone. Accommodation is expensive, so hostels and budget hotels near Central Station and in Vesterbro fill quickly. Many solo travellers base themselves in Vesterbro.
Key facts
- Base
- Vesterbro
- Getting around
- Cycling
- Emergency number
- 112
- Language
- Danish
Solo travel tips
- Rent a bike for your whole stay; it is the easiest way to explore on your own.
- Eat at Torvehallerne or a street-food market, where solo diners are the norm.
- Book hostels and budget hotels early, especially for summer.
- Join a walking or bike tour to meet other travellers.
- Watch your bag around Central Station and Nyhavn, where pickpockets target crowds.
Where to stay
$$$ · Best for nightlife, food lovers, budget and solo travellers
Vesterbro
West of Central Station, Vesterbro has changed from a working-class and red-light area into one of the city's liveliest districts, with cafés and shops along Istedgade and Værnedamsvej and bars and restaurants in Kødbyen, the white-tiled former slaughterhouses of the Meatpacking District. Many mid-range hotels sit close to the station and Tivoli.
- Good
- Lively bars and restaurants; Close to Central Station; Good hotel choice
- Watch out
- Streets near the station can feel seedy late at night; Noisy at weekends
- Nearby
- Kødbyen, Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen Central Station, Carlsberg City
Great on your own
Castle · Indre By
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
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Palace · Frederiksstaden
Amalienborg
Watch the guard change at noon, then walk through to Frederik's Church, whose dome can be climbed on guided visits on some days.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- History
- Kids
Experience · Nyhavn
Canal and harbour boat tour
Sit on the open side, bring a layer even in summer, and pick a boat with live commentary.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Views
- Couples
- Iconic
Palace · Slotsholmen
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
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
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
Meeting people
- Lunch at Torvehallerne — The glass market halls at Nørreport combine smørrebrød counters, fishmongers, bakeries and coffee bars, the easiest place to sample Danish food in one stop.
- Street food at Reffen — Reffen on Refshaleøen gathers dozens of food stalls in shipping containers by the harbour, usually from spring to autumn; cycle there or take the harbour bus.
- Kødbyen (Meatpacking District) — Bars, clubs and restaurants in white-tiled former slaughterhouses in Vesterbro, busiest on Friday and Saturday nights.
- Nørrebro — Natural-wine bars, cocktail bars and cafés around Jægersborggade, Elmegade and Ravnsborggade.
Sensible precautions
Copenhagen is generally safe for visitors. Watch for pickpockets around Central Station, Strøget and Nyhavn, and always lock a bike, as bike theft is common. The most frequent risk for visitors is stepping into a bike lane without looking, so check before you cross.
- Emergency number
- 112
- Staying connected
- EU roaming applies to European SIMs; other visitors can use an eSIM or local SIM, and card or phone payment is accepted almost everywhere.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Copenhagen good for solo travellers?
Copenhagen is a relaxed city for solo travellers: almost everyone speaks English, cycling makes independent exploring easy, and food halls and cafés are comfortable places to eat alone. Accommodation is expensive, so hostels and budget hotels near Central Station and in Vesterbro fill quickly.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Copenhagen?
Vesterbro: Old working-class streets turned bars, cafés and the Meatpacking District.