It’s time for us to write a travel guide about the place that we call home: Copenhagen.
Copenhagen is a thriving capital city in Scandinavia with a reputation for bikes, baked goods, and beautiful buildings. It’s a city with so much to offer, and we can’t wait to show you around in this guide!
While you can easily spend more than 3 days in Copenhagen, we find that 3 days is a good amount of time to get a taste of the city for the first time visitor. That’s why we’ve created this 3-day itinerary for those of you who haven’t visited Copenhagen before.
In this guide, we’ll go through some of the most iconic places you should visit in Copenhagen, but we also promise to throw in some of our favorite (and lesser known) places in the city.
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About your 3 days in Copenhagen
In this section, we’ll shortly talk about this itinerary, how to get around in the city and where to stay during your 3 days in Copenhagen. Want to skip the practical part? Then jump to the Copenhagen itinerary here.
When to do this Copenhagen itinerary
Copenhagen is not a gigantic city, but it’s still a capital and visiting it will eventually require a lot of outdoor walking.
That’s why this itinerary works best during the warmer months in Copenhagen (mid-April to mid-October).
If you visit during the cold, and often very wet, winter months then you can swap some parts of this itinerary out for museum visits, Christmas markets, light festivals, or some of the other great things that’s happening during winter in Copenhagen.
How to get around in Copenhagen
Before diving into this Copenhagen itinerary, you will need to know how to get around the city.
While you can technically do this itinerary by foot, we strongly recommend you to get a bike (the Copenhagen way) or a public transportation pass in case you get tired feet.
Luckily, it’s pretty easy to get your hands on a bike in Copenhagen, and the city is very bike friendly. If biking isn’t for you, then you can just use the public transportation system, which runs smoothly throughout the city.
Where to stay in Copenhagen
For this 3-day itinerary, we recommend you to stay in Copenhagen city center so you are close to many of the attractions listed above.
There are many great hotels to choose from in the city. Most of them are pretty pricey but it’s also possible to find some good hostels where you can get a cheap bed for the night. So you should be able to find something that suits you and your budget.
Have a look at the map below. We always use Booking.com because they’re reliable and have some of the best deals for their members.
Full itinerary of 3 days in Copenhagen
We’ve divided this Copenhagen itinerary into 3 days: 1) Copenhagen Classics, 2) Copenhagen from Above, 3) Outside of Copenhagen City Center.
This way, we feel like you will see a little bit of everything that Copenhagen has to offer, and hopefully want to return for more in the future.
Day 1: The Copenhagen Classics
Day 1 is all about exploring the most popular attractions in Copenhagen. That way, you don’t have to spend all of your 3 days following the other tourists around Copenhagen. Plus, day 2 will be much more fun if you’ve actually seen most of the classic sights.
So this is going to be a big day for you in case you follow this Copenhagen itinerary from start to finish.
1. Take the train to Østerport Station
Start the day at Østerport Station. You can get here by either biking, by jumping on the metro line 3 & 4, or by taking the S-Train.
The reason why you should start here is because it’s the station located closest to the Little Mermaid, and what better way to start your Copenhagen exploration than seeing Denmark’s most important statue?
2. See the Little Mermaid Statue
The Little Mermaid is a must-see during your 3 days in Copenhagen. Not because it’s extraordinary in size and colour, but because of the history that lies behind it, because of it’s beautiful placement in the ocean, and because of its link to Danish culture.
“The Little Mermaid” is a fairytale written by the famous Danish poet and writer Hans Christian Andersen in 1837.
Since then, it’s been reinterpreted in ballets, musicals, and even Disney Films. The statue itself was made by Danish sculptor Edvard Eriksen in 1913, and paid for by Carl Jacobsen, who was the son of Carlsberg’s founder. So basically, the statue has “Denmark” written all over it.
It’s always busy at the Little Mermaid, so go in the morning as the first stop of the day and there is a chance that the waterfront won’t be overcrowded yet.
3. Have a walk at Kastellet
If you turn away from the Little Mermaid and look back, you’ll see a rampart. This is a military area named Kastellet.
Kastellet is one of our favorite places to go for walks in Copenhagen. So we suggest you head towards the star-shaped rampart and have walk there yourself.
From the rampart, you can see the rooftops of Copenhagen, Gefion fountain, St. Alban’s Church, the iconic Copenhill (which you’ll visit on Day 2 if following this guide), and you can go look for the old wind mill.
You can also skip this part of the Copenhagen itinerary if it doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, but we wanted to include it because we really love walking in this area.
4. The Waterfront & the Opera House
When you’re done walking at Kastellet, head back to the waterfront and walk towards the city center. From here, you’ll be able to spot many iconic buildings.
On the other side of the canal is the Royal Danish Opera House. It’s the big building with the flat rooftop – just in case you wonder which one it is. You can’t miss it.
The Opera House was inaugurated in 2005, so it’s almost 20 years old, and it’s where you can find some of the best operas and other musical experiences in Copenhagen.
When you find yourself standing directly in front of the Opera House, it’s time to turn around. Because right behind you is the Amalienborg Palace and the iconic Marble Church of Copenhagen.
5. Amalienborg Palace & the Marble Church
Amalienborg Palace is another must-visit place during your 3-day trip in Copenhagen. Why? Because it’s where you can find the Danish monarch.
Amalienborg Palace has been the main home of the Danish Royal Family since a fire burned down Christiansborg Palace (the current Danish Parliament). So during celebrations, you can always find them standing on the Amalienborg Palace balcony waving at the Danish people.
You can also visit Amalienborgborg Palace Museum (which we never tried, so we can’t comment on our experience). The entrance price is 125 DKK or it’s free to enter with a Copenhagen Card.
After seeing where the King and Queen of Denmark live, you should walk towards Frederik’s Church, which is known as the Marble Church.
This iconic church, that’s not made of marble at all, is one of Copenhagen’s most beautiful churches. So make sure to enter and have a walk around inside, it’s of course free to go in.
6. Stroll down Nyhavn and do a canal tour
When you’re done exploring the church, then follow the road into the city until you reach Nyhavn.
Nyhavn is another “Copenhagen Classic” and it’s one of the busiest places for tourists, so please be mindful of pickpockets here. Other than that, enjoy the beautiful scenery!
Nyhavn is where you’ll find these cute, colourful houses, which you see in pictures of Copenhagen. They’re located right next to a canal, so the cityscape here is really pretty.
The funny part is, back in the day, this area was linked to heavy drinking and prostitution, whereas now it’s one of the most popular tourist areas in Copenhagen.
At Nyhavn you’ll find restaurant after restaurant after restaurant, so it could be a great place for you to stop for lunch during one of your days in Copenhagen – especially since the food here is mostly classic Danish dishes.
If you’re not impressed by Danish food and want to eat somewhere more hip, then cross the bridge from Nyhavn to “Broens Gadekøkken”, which is a nice street food market that’s open during the Spring, Summer, and Fall.
When you’re done discovering Nyhavn, we recommend you to give your legs a rest and do a canal tour around the city center. The boat will take you back to the Little Mermaid, through Christianshavns Canal, past Christiansborg Palace, and onto many other sights in Copenhagen.
A canal tour will set you back 139 DKK, it takes one hour, and you will have a live guide aboard the boat. You can book your Copenhagen Canal Tour here where you can also select your desired time of departure.
7. Kongens Nytorv, Strøget & City Hall Square
Walk from Nyhavn to “Kongens Nytorv” and marvel at the different buildings such as the Royal Danish Theatre, Magasin, and Hotel D’Angleterre.
From here you can walk to “Strøget”, which is one of the longest pedestrian shopping streets in the world. This is a great place for you to go on a shopping spree. If you’re like me, and shopping isn’t your thing, then just have a stroll down the street until you reach the end.
At the end of “Strøget” is the Copenhagen City Hall and its square known as “Rådhuspladsen”. This is such an iconic place in Copenhagen, so you will probably pass here by a few times during your 3 days.
At Copenhagen City Hall Square we ring in the new year with crazy fireworks (it can get quite dangerous actually), we have demonstrations and festivals happening here throughout the year, and we welcome home Danish champions such as Jonas Vingegaard (2022/2023 Tour de France winner).
So it’s a pretty iconic square, but other than taking in the surroundings, there is not much to do here in itself.
8. End your day in Tivoli Gardens
Ready for another big Copenhagen Classic?
Right by the Copenhagen City Hall Square, you’ll find Tivoli Gardens. Tivoli is the World’s third oldest functioning amusement park, and it’s located right in the middle of Copenhagen.
Apart from the many fun rides you can do in Tivoli, it’s actually a pretty magical place. The amusement park has beautiful decorations depending on the season, there is a lake in the middle with light shows in the evening, and there are several good restaurants located within the gardens.
Every Friday, during the Summer months, you can also enjoy a free outdoor concert.
We absolutely love Tivoli, and we even bought yearly passes so we can visit the gardens whenever we want!
So we suggest you visit Tivoli as your last stop of the day in this Copenhagen itinerary.
You can also eat a nice dinner here in one of the many restaurants – most of which serve classic, Danish food and is pretty delicious. We recommend “Grøften” for classic Danish food and a good atmosphere. It’s also possible to visit Tivoli Food Hall if you want something cheaper from the international food scene.
Notice that the normal entrance ticket to Tivoli doesn’t include access to the Tivoli rides. You need to get a different ticket to go on the rides.
Day 2: Copenhagen from above
Now that we’ve covered most of the classic sights, it’s time to do something different.
One of the things I love to do in Copenhagen is to climb all the towers in the city. Copenhagen is really pretty from above, and it’s fun to see all the classic attractions from another angle.
So day 2 out of your 3 days in Copenhagen is going to be spent from above. In this part of the itinerary, we’ll go to as many viewpoints as possible.
Now if this day turns out to be cold and rainy, you may consider swapping this part of the itinerary out in favour of visiting some of Copenhagen’s best museums: The National Museum, the Glyptotek, the National Gallery of Denmark, Rosenborg Castle or something else to your liking.
1. The Round Tower
Start the day by visiting one of Copenhagen’s most unique towers named “Rundetårn”, which is roughly translated into the “Round Tower”. When you see it, you’ll understand that the name fits the tower perfectly.
Inside, there is a spiral ramp that twist 7 times around the core of the Round Tower. So you walk in circles until you reach the top at 34.8 meters height. You only have to climb a few steps at the last part of the tower.
From the top, you get an amazing view of Copenhagen’s city center where you can see many iconic landmarks.
Apart from offering amazing views, the Round Tower is also rich on history. It’s where you’ll find the oldest functioning observatory in Europe, it’s Denmark geographical zero point, and it’s been visited by historical figures like Danish poet H. C. Andersen and the Russian Tsar Peter the Great.
The Round Tower is very affordable to visit since entrance tickets only cost 40 DKK for adults. You can also enter for free if you have the Copenhagen Card. Either way, we’d say that a visit to the Round Tower is definitely worth it!
The Round Tower is an integral part of Copenhagen, so make sure to visit this beautiful tower on your trip.
2. The Tower at Christiansborg Palace
When you’re done exploring the Round Tower, then follow the street towards one of the most important buildings in Denmark – Christiansborg Palace.
Christiansborg Palace is located in the heart of the city, surrounded by Copenhagen’s canals. It used to be the home of the Danish royal family, but now it remains the home of Denmark’s Parliament.
Apart from its fine status, the palace has a big beautiful tower, which everyone is free to visit. There is no entrance fee, but you have to go through a security screening before you can enter the elevators that will take you to the top.
Once you’re at the top, you get a great view over the canal, and you can see many of Copenhagen’s beautiful buildings. Visiting this grand tower is one of the best free things to do in Copenhagen, so it’s a must to put it on your 3-day itinerary.
The tower is open and free to enter every day of the week except for Mondays when it’s closed.
3. Cross Knippelsbro to Christianshavn
From Christiansborg Castle, follow the road towards the bridge and cross the canal to Christianshavn. Make sure to take in the views of the city when you cross this bridge, which is named “Knippelsbro”.
If you look to the left you will be able to see the Opera House, and if you look to the right you can see the Danish Royal Library also known as the “Black Diamond”. There are so many cool buildings in Copenhagen, both new and old. The city was even named World Capital of Architecture in 2023.
Anyways, from here, you have to follow the road towards the next tower we’re going to visit – the spiral tower at Our Saviour’s Church.
4. Our Saviour’s Church Tower
There’s a big chance you have already noticed this particular tower we’re about to visit because of its unique spire.
The spire of Our Saviour’s Church consists of a staircase that’s spiralling to the top of the spire where a golden globe is situated.
The spire has a baroque feel to it that doesn’t really match the rest of the area. That’s why it’s so unique, and you will undoubtedly have seen the tower by now.
Apart from its beauty from the outside, you can actually pay to go inside and climb to the top of the spiral staircase. While this tower definitely isn’t for the faint-hearted, it’s our favourite tower in Copenhagen, so we cannot recommend you enough to go and visit it!
Compared to the other two towers in this Copenhagen itinerary, this one is more difficult to climb because of its old, narrow wooden stairs that creates tourist traffic jams. That’s why you have to book a time slot in advance so it doesn’t get too crowded.
We especially advice you to book in advance during the Spring and Summer season when the time slots get filled easily. You can book your tickets here for 69 DKK. Notice that you still have to book a time slot if you have the Copenhagen Card, which grants you free entry.
5. Visit Christiania Freetown
From Our Saviour’s Church Tower, you’re only a stone’s throw away from Christiania. Tourists are told that Christiania is a Freetown where you can smoke the green stuff, but you have to watch out for gang criminality.
The sad reality is that this is somewhat true, yet it’s not true at all. Do I make sense here? What I’m trying to say is that Christiania is so much more than that! It’s a beautiful community in the heart of Copenhagen where you can find cozy cafés and go for nature walks.
So we recommend you to have a walk around Christiania before proceeding to the next viewpoint. In fact, you can follow a nice nature trail from Christiania where you walk by a lot of interesting and self-built houses that are located right next to a lake.
If you follow this trail to the end, which is about 2 kilometres long, you will find yourself close to the next and last viewpoint of the day named Copenhill.
6. Walk up Copenhill
Where to start when trying to explain what Copenhill is…
So basically, Copenhill is a power plant on the inside and a mountain sport center on the outside. At Copenhill you can climb the tallest climbing wall in the World, ski down an artificial ski slope that’s located on the roof of the power plant, or simply just hike up the building for amazing viewpoints.
In this itinerary, we’re going to do the latter.
Apart from being Copenhagen’s mountain sport epicenter, you can get some incredible views at the rooftop. This viewpoint is significantly different from the 3 other ones that we’ve visited today because it’s not located in the city center, so now you get to see the city from a faraway angle.
We really recommend you to visit Copenhill during your 3 days in Copenhagen, and luckily, it’s completely free to enter. You can even choose to take the free elevator up to the top if your legs are feeling a bit tired by now. It’s worth it, just go!
7. Reffen Street Food Market
From Copenhill, you’re only 1,5 kilometre away from the last stop of the day, which is “Reffen”. This is where you’ll undoubtedly find Copenhagen’s best street food market. However, it’s only open from mid-Spring until mid-Fall, so don’t go if you’re following this itinerary out of season.
Reffen is a really hip street food market where you can find food and drinks from many parts of the world.
It’s a really nice place to end your second day in Copenhagen because you can relax and treat yourself after a full day of exploring. With just 3 days in Copenhagen, I try to squeeze in as much as possible in this itinerary, but it also means that the days get long.
So sit back, relax, have a drink, eat something delicious, and watch one of Copenhagen’s best sunsets.
Just notice that the walking distance from Reffen into the city center is pretty far, so get back on your bike, take the bus, or jump on the ferry bus that runs through Copenhagen’s canal.
Day 3: Venture out of the city center
Congratulations, you’ve made it to day 3 in Copenhagen! By now you’ve seen the classic tourist attractions and witnessed the city’s beauty from above.
You can either stay around the city center and keep exploring or you can follow our itinerary and venture out into some of Copenhagen’s cool neighbourhoods. In this itinerary, we recommend the neighbourhoods Frederiksberg and Nørrebro.
So hop on your bike towards Frederiksberg or take metro line 1, 2, or 3 to Frederiksberg Metro Station.
1. Explore Frederiksberg
Frederiksberg actually has its own commune. So you’ve technically left Copenhagen, yet you’re still very much in the middle of Copenhagen. Frederiksberg is known for being one of the finer areas in Copenhagen where the boulevards are a bit wider and the streets are a bit cleaner.
There is a lot to do in Frederiksberg, and it’s where we hang out most of the time because it’s only a short bike ride from our apartment in Copenhagen.
We recommend you to go for a stroll in Frederiksberg Have, which is one of Copenhagen’s nicest parks.
Here you can take in the view of the yellow castle, spot many herons and other bird species along the way, you can take a rowboat around the park, and you can actually see the elephants that live in Copenhagen Zoo.
After a walk in the park, we recommend you to either visit Copenhagen Zoo or Cisternerne.
The Zoo is what you can expect. A place that’s home to hundreds of different species of animals. We like the Copenhagen Zoo, but also understand that not all people are into watching animals this way. So instead, you can visit Cisternerne, which is an underground art museum in Frederiksberg Park.
The entrance ticket to Copenhagen Zoo is 239 DKK for adult tickets, and the entrance ticket for Cisternerne is 115 DKK for adult tickets. Both attractions are free to enter with the Copenhagen Card.
2. Explore Nørrebro
Afterward exploring Frederiksberg, head towards Nørrebro which is known as Copenhagen’s hip neighbourhood where there’s always something happening. It’s definitely one of the best places to do some people watching in Copenhagen.
Start your exploration at “Nørrebro’s Runddel”, which you can go to directly with metro line 3 from Frederiksberg. Here you’ll find Assistens Cemetery, which is where some of the most famous Danish people are buried.
Afterwards, walk down Nørrebrogade. This is one of Copenhagen’s most vibrant streets that’s full of bicycles, vintage shops, old pubs, shawarma restaurants, and coffee houses.
If you feel hungry by now, then it’s the perfect place to eat lunch. We recommend one of the many shawarma places, which makes some of the best kebabs and falafels in Copenhagen.
3. Stroll around the lakes
At the end of Nørrebrogade, with direction towards the city, you will reach “Søerne” which is translated into “The Lakes”.
Here you’ll find locals running, walking their dogs, pushing their prams, and having a to-go latté on a bench.
Take part in the ritual and go on a stroll around one of the 4 lakes yourself. If you visit during Summer, you can also opt for renting a 2-person pedal boat swan and go around the lake for 160 DKK/hour.
When you’re done with visiting Copenhagen’s beloved lakes, just cross the bridge back into the city center and spend your last evening in Copenhagen on whatever you feel like.
While there is still a lot to see in the city, you’ve seen the highlights by now. And with this itinerary, we hope that you some day want to return to Copenhagen to discover even more of the city.
We hope you enjoyed this travel guide to our home: Copenhagen. We made this into a 3-day itinerary, but feel free to mix and match as you please.
All we can hope for is that you found it helpful and that you’re enjoying your stay in beautiful Copenhagen!
If you have any questions, then don’t hesitate to leave a comment in the box below.
Thanks for reading and happy travels!
