Denmark
Aarhus
Two nights for Christmas in Den Gamle By and the city's rooftops. We have mapped 3 sights, 2 activities and 1 place to eat here, each with a reason to go.
- Places
- 9
- Curated routes
- 1
- Best season
- Mid-Nov – Dec
- Warmest month
- July
- Coolest month
- January
- Wettest month
- August
3 See · 2 Do · 1 Eat · 1 Drink · 1 Shop · 1 Stay
Copenhagen, Odense & Aarhus
from our route notes
21°C / 70°F avg high
3°C / 37°F avg high
about 86 mm rain
Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.
Things to do in Aarhus
9 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.
See
The landmarks we would not skip in Aarhus across Midtbyen, Latin Quarter and Højbjerg.
Photo: Colin · CC BY-SA 4.0SeeARoS Aarhus Art Museum
Art museum crowned by Olafur Eliasson's circular glass walkway, Your rainbow panorama, over the city.
Tip Walk the rainbow at dusk, around 3:30 pm in December, when the city lights come on.
Photo: JakobSR · CC BY-SA 4.0SeeAarhus Cathedral
Denmark's longest cathedral, with medieval frescoes and a carved altarpiece by Bernt Notke.
Photo: Nanda Sluijsmans · CC BY-SA 2.0SeeMoesgaard Museum
Archaeology museum with a sloping grass roof, home of the 2,000-year-old Grauballe Man and a large Viking collection.
Tip Bus 18 runs from the city centre in about 25 minutes.
Do
Hands-on ways to spend time in Aarhus across Botanical Garden and Strøget.
Photo: Kenny Arne Lang Antonsen · CC BY-SA 4.0DoDen Gamle By
Open-air museum of Danish town life whose shops, kitchens and homes are dressed for Christmas from the 1800s to the 1970s.
Tip Go at opening on a weekday; the Christmas weekends draw big crowds.
Photo: Ciara Ní Riain · CC BY-SA 4.0DoSalling Rooftop
Free roof terrace on top of the Salling department store, strung with Christmas trees and lights in December.
Tip Take the lift from the store; it closes with the shop in the evening.
Eat
1 place to eat in Midtbyen, picked for groups who care about the food.
- Eat
Aarhus Street Food
Covered food hall in a former bus garage near the station, with around 30 stalls and long shared tables.
Drink
1 bar or café in Midtbyen for coffee, a round or a nightcap.
- Drink
Under Masken
Long-running bar by the cathedral, crammed with masks and curios, known for its Danish beers.
Shop
1 shop in Latin Quarter for browsing and souvenirs.
- Shop
Latin Quarter
The oldest streets in Aarhus, lanes of independent shops, cafes and Christmas windows around the cathedral.
Stay
Places to stay in Aarhus in Store Torv.
Photo: Gardar Rurak · CC BY-SA 4.0
How to fit Aarhus into a trip
Aarhus is stop 3 of 3 on our Copenhagen, Odense & Aarhus route. Follow it as-is or lift Aarhus into your own plan.
Stop 3 of 3
Copenhagen, Odense & Aarhus
Tivoli lights, Andersen's town, old-town Yule
- Trip length
- 6 days
- Best season
- Mid-Nov – Dec
- Pace
- easy
- Before: Odense
Getting here and onward
- Odense to AarhusOdense is about 85 km / 53 mi away in a straight line
Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.
Aarhus month by month
Average daily highs run from 3°C / 37°F in January to 21°C / 70°F in July. August is the wettest month, with about 86 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.
- Jan3° / 37°F average high
- Feb3° / 37°F average high
- Mar6° / 42°F average high
- Apr11° / 51°F average high
- May15° / 60°F average high
- Jun19° / 66°F average high
- Jul21° / 70°F average high
- Aug21° / 69°F average high
- Sep17° / 63°F average high
- Oct12° / 54°F average high
- Nov8° / 46°F average high, in our recommended season
- Dec4° / 40°F average high, in our recommended season
Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Aarhus weather and the best time to visit →
Near Aarhus
2 other destinations from our guides within about 200 km (124 mi), measured in a straight line.
Aarhus questions, answered
How many days do you need in Aarhus?
Our route notes suggest 2 nights in Aarhus. On our Copenhagen, Odense & Aarhus route it is stop 3 of 3 in a 6-day trip. The listed visit times for our 9 places add up to roughly 12 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.
What is Aarhus best known for?
Two nights for Christmas in Den Gamle By and the city's rooftops. Standouts on our list: ARoS Aarhus Art Museum (Art museum crowned by Olafur Eliasson's circular glass walkway, Your rainbow panorama, over the city); Aarhus Cathedral (Denmark's longest cathedral, with medieval frescoes and a carved altarpiece by Bernt Notke); Moesgaard Museum (Archaeology museum with a sloping grass roof, home of the 2,000-year-old Grauballe Man and a large Viking collection).
When is the best time to visit Aarhus?
Our Copenhagen, Odense & Aarhus route is best Mid-Nov – Dec. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in July (21°C / 70°F), the coolest in January (3°C / 37°F) and the most rain in August (about 86 mm).
What are the best things to do in Aarhus?
Start with Den Gamle By, ARoS Aarhus Art Museum, Aarhus Cathedral, Salling Rooftop and Moesgaard Museum. Our guide lists 9 places in all, from 3 sights, 2 activities, 1 place to eat, 1 bar or café, 1 shop and 1 place to stay.
What is near Aarhus?
The closest destinations in our guides are Odense (about 85 km / 53 mi) and Copenhagen (about 156 km / 97 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.
Plan Aarhus with your crew
Open the Copenhagen, Odense & Aarhus route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 9 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.