Nyhavn
Indre By · 60 min
The painted houses along the canal before the tour groups and boat lines; coffee on the sunny north side. Hans Christian Andersen lived at numbers 20, 67 and 18.
Copenhagen · Denmark · 3 days
3 days in Copenhagen
Three days that take the old city from its towers, cross the harbor to Christianshavn for a swim, walk Nørrebro's best street and ride the coast train to Louisiana. Everything is paid by card and most of it is on foot.
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Checked October 10, 2026. That’s the day we last confirmed the hours, prices and closed days.
- 3 days
- 20 stops
- 6 with a ticket
- from 700 a day
When to go
May to September for harbor swims, light until 10 p.m. and Tivoli open every day; July and August are the busiest weeks. April and October are cool and quiet, with Tivoli's summer season running to late September and Halloween from early October. November to February is dark by 4 p.m. and around freezing, but Tivoli's Christmas season (November 13 to January 3) is the reason some people come.
Where to base yourself
Indre By, the old city between Nyhavn and the lakes, puts every day-one stop on foot. Vesterbro behind the Central Station for restaurants, the Meatpacking District and the airport metro. Nørrebro for cafés and a cheaper room; Christianshavn for canals and quiet.
Getting around
The center is zones 1 and 2 and a single ticket is 24 kr., valid about 75 minutes on metro, bus, S-train and harbor bus. Buy tickets in the Rejsebillet app or at a machine, or check in and out with the Rejsekort app, which charges the exact fare. The old blue Rejsekort card and the DOT app were retired in 2026, and you cannot tap a bank card at the blue posts the way you do in London. The metro runs all night. For anything under three kilometers, do as the city does and ride a bike: about 95 kr. a day on a Donkey Republic app bike.
Day 1
The old city and its towers
- FromYour hotel in Vesterbro
- 1
- 16 min · walk
- 2
The Round Tower
Indre By · 60 min
Fifteen minutes on foot via Kongens Nytorv and Købmagergade, arriving as it opens at 10 a.m.. A spiral ramp built for a king's carriage climbs 209 meters of brick to the platform; the observatory at the top is closed for restoration until fall 2026.
60 kr.
- 5 min · walk
- 3
Strøget and Amagertorv
Indre By · 30 min
Købmagergade down to the Stork Fountain, then Strøget's middle stretch, where Royal Copenhagen and Illums Bolighus are for looking, not buying. The parallel lane Strædet is prettier and emptier.
- 6 min · walk
- 4
Christiansborg Palace tower
Slotsholmen · 45 min
Free, and at 106 meters the highest point in the city; an elevator from the King's Gate entrance, no stairs. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. and closed Monday, with a line after noon.
- 18 min · walk
- 5
Torvehallerne
Nørreport · 75 min
Two glass market halls by Nørreport, a 15 minute walk north. Smørrebrød from Hallernes, porridge at Grød, and pastry from Albatross & Venner; open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, to 6 p.m. at weekends.
- 26 min · walk
- 6
Designmuseum Danmark
Frederiksstaden · 90 min
Through the King's Garden and down Bredgade for the Danish chairs you have sat in without knowing, Wegner to Jacobsen, in an 18th century hospital. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday and closed Monday.
140 kr.
- 5 min · walk
- 7
The Marble Church and Amalienborg
Frederiksstaden · 45 min
Two minutes from the museum: the dome, the four palaces around the royal square, the guards in their bearskins, then the waterfront path along the harbor. Free and open air.
- 1.8 km · transit or taxi
- 8
Tivoli
Vesterbro · 180 min
Four stops on the M3 from Marmorkirken to Rådhuspladsen. Eat inside at Grøften for smørrebrød and roast pork (book), or the Tivoli Food Hall.
165 to 195 kr.
Day 2
Christianshavn, the harbor and Nørrebro
- FromYour hotel in Vesterbro
- 1
Church of Our Saviour
Christianshavn · 45 min
The black and gold spire of Christianshavn: 400 steps, the last 150 on the outside, winding to a point. It opens at 9 a.m. and closes in rain, snow or strong wind, and for all of January.
70 kr.
- Next door
- 2
Freetown Christiania
Christianshavn · 60 min
Five minutes away: the self-built houses along the lake path, the workshops and the Gray Hall. Pusher Street was dug up in April 2024 and the market is gone; photographs are fine except on the old street and where signs say no, and ask before pointing a camera at a house.
- 6 min · walk
- 3
Christianshavns Færgecafé, or Reffen in season
Christianshavn · 75 min
Strandgade 50, classic smørrebrød from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.: a herring, the fried plaice with remoulade, a snaps. From mid-March to fall, take harbor bus 991 or bus 2A to Refshaleøen for Reffen, fifty street food stalls on an old shipyard.
- 20 min · walk
- 4
Islands Brygge harbor bath
Islands Brygge · 90 min
One stop on the M1 from Christianshavn, or 20 minutes on foot along the water. Five pools in the clean harbor, free, with diving boards up to five meters and a lawn to dry on; lifeguards from June to August.
- 3.4 km · transit or taxi
- 5
Jægersborggade
Nørrebro · 60 min
M1 to Nørreport, then one stop on the M3 to Nørrebros Runddel. Nørrebro's best street has ceramics studios, Coffee Collective, Grød's original porridge bar and a candy shop that pulls caramel in the window.
- 6 min · walk
- 6
Assistens Cemetery
Nørrebro · 45 min
The gate is at the end of the street. Hans Christian Andersen, Kierkegaard and Niels Bohr lie under the limes in what is really a park, and people sunbathe between the graves.
- 8 min · walk
- 7
Manfreds
Nørrebro · 120 min
Jægersborggade 40: a vegetable-led set menu of shared plates and natural wine, around 400 to 650 kr. a head. Book a week or two ahead; Bæst over the road does sourdough pizza if it is full.
Day 3
The National Museum, Louisiana by the Sound, and Kødbyen
- FromYour hotel in Vesterbro
- 1
National Museum of Denmark
Indre By · 120 min
Prinsens Palæ opposite Christiansborg: the Sun Chariot, the Egtved Girl's clothes, the Viking hoards and a Danish 20th century floor. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April to October, and closed Monday November to March.
150 kr.
- 33 km · transit or taxi
- 2
Louisiana Café, Humlebæk
Humlebæk · 60 min
The coast train from Nørreport to Humlebæk takes about 35 minutes, then it is a 10 minute walk. The terrace looks across the Sound to Sweden; on a Monday have lunch at Aamanns Deli by the King's Garden instead.
- Next door
- 3
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, or Rosenborg on a Monday
Humlebæk · 150 min
Giacometti in the glass corridor, Kusama's mirror room, and a sculpture park that runs down to the beach. Open Tuesday to Sunday and closed Monday, when Rosenborg Castle and its crown jewels (about 140 kr., timed ticket booked online) make the swap.
145 kr.
- 34 km · transit or taxi
- 4
Kødbyens Fiskebar or Warpigs
Vesterbro · 120 min
Back to the city and the white-tiled halls of the Meatpacking District behind the Central Station. Fiskebar at Flæsketorvet 100 for oysters and the day's fish, or Warpigs across the square for Texas barbecue by weight; walk-ins are fine at both.
- 3 min · walk
- 5
Kødbyen's bars
Vesterbro · 90 min
The halls around Flæsketorvet stay open past midnight, Warpigs until 2 or 3 a.m. at the weekend. Istedgade a block north is quieter and cheaper.
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The practical bits
From the airport
From Copenhagen Airport (CPH), the M2 metro runs from Terminal 3 to Kongens Nytorv in about 13 minutes, every few minutes, all night; a 3-zone ticket is 30 kr. from the machine or the Rejsebillet app. Regional trains reach the Central Station in about 15 minutes on the same ticket; there is no reason to take a taxi.
What a day costs
About 700 to 1,100 kr. a day per person for meals, two tickets and transport. A coffee is 45 to 55 kr., a bar beer around 60, a piece of smørrebrød 70 to 150, a main course at dinner 250 to 325. Museums run 140 to 150 kr. and under 18s are free almost everywhere.
Where to stay
Got a day to spare?
Worth knowing
- Pay by card for everything, including a hot dog and the harbor bus. You will not need kroner in cash, and some stalls and cafés take only cards.
- Monday closes the Design Museum, Louisiana and the Christiansborg tower all year, and the National Museum and Rosenborg in winter. The Round Tower and Tivoli (in season) stay open, so make Monday the Christianshavn and Nørrebro day.
- On a bike: stay in the cycle lane and on its right, arm out to turn, hand up to stop, lights after dark. The sidewalk is for walking and fines start around 700 kr.
- Service is in the price. Nobody expects a tip; round up or leave 5 to 10 percent for a sit-down dinner you liked.
- Smørrebrød is lunch, not dinner, and the kitchens that do it well close at 3:30 p.m.. Danish dinner starts around 6 p.m. and most kitchens are done by 10 p.m..
- Tickets add up: the Round Tower is 60 kr., the Church of Our Saviour 70 kr., the Design Museum 140 kr. and the National Museum 150 kr. (135 kr. online). Tivoli entry is around 165 to 195 kr., rides about 270 to 300 kr. for a wristband, and it is closed between its summer, Halloween (October 2 to November 1, 2026) and Christmas (November 13 to January 3) seasons. A Copenhagen Card covers the coast train and Louisiana.
Things you can ask once it’s in the app
Plans change. Ask Chat and it proposes a reshuffled day you can apply, or just answers the question.
It's a Monday, so what is open on day 3?Is Tivoli open the week we're there?Find a smørrebrød lunch under 200 kr. near NyhavnWe're bringing a seven year old, what could replace Louisiana?How do we get from the airport to Vesterbro with suitcases?
Questions
Is the Copenhagen Card worth it?
Only if you stack paid sights and trains. It covers the airport metro, the coast trains to Humlebæk and Helsingør, Tivoli, Louisiana, Rosenborg and Kronborg. Around 590 kr. for 24 hours and 860 for 48; day 3 plus a Kronborg day gets close, day 1 alone does not.
Which day works in the rain?
Day 3: the National Museum and Louisiana are indoors and the train is dry. Swap the harbor swim on day 2 for the Glyptotek's winter garden. In Waystop, ask Chat for a rain plan and it adds a second version of the day you can switch to.
Do I need cash?
No. Cards and phone wallets work everywhere, and plenty of places take nothing else. Change a note only if you want a souvenir coin.
Should I rent a bike?
Yes, if you ride at home. The lanes are separate from cars and the city is flat, but they are fast and busy at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.. Hotel bikes or a Donkey Republic app bike cost about 95 kr. a day; stay in the cycle lane, signal with your arm and use lights after dark.
Before you go
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Your version
Now make it fit your trip.
Add your dates, your hotel and who’s coming, then ask Chat to change anything: it proposes the edit and you tap Apply. Want a long lunch instead of a museum? Just ask. Every place is checked against Google Maps before it lands on your day, and Chat can tell you when to leave for the next stop. Going on to another city? Build a multi-city trip.