Denmark
Copenhagen
Give it two to three days: canals and palaces, a market lunch, Tivoli at night and a day trip to Louisiana. Three nights for Jul i Tivoli, Nyhavn and the Kongens Nytorv lights. Below: 6 sights, 2 activities and 2 places to eat, plus how Copenhagen fits into a longer trip.
- Places
- 14
- Curated routes
- 2
- Best season
- Jun – Aug
- Warmest month
- July
- Coolest month
- January
- Wettest month
- August
6 See · 2 Do · 2 Eat · 2 Drink · 1 Shop · 1 Stay
Scandinavian Capitals, Copenhagen, Odense & Aarhus
also Mid-Nov – Dec
21°C / 70°F avg high
3°C / 37°F avg high
about 83 mm rain
Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.
Things to do in Copenhagen
14 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 Copenhagen across Nyhavn, Slotsholmen and Indre By. 2 of them are free.
Photo: European Commission · CC BY 4.0SeeNyhavn
17th-century canal lined with colorful townhouses and old wooden ships.
Tip Canal tours leave from here; go early before the crowds.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · Public domainSeeChristiansborg Palace
Parliament and royal reception rooms on Slotsholmen, with a free tower view.
Tip The tower lookout is free and has the city's highest view.
Photo: Falk2 · CC BY-SA 4.0SeeRosenborg Castle
Renaissance castle holding the crown jewels, set in the King's Garden.
Tip Book a time slot in summer.
Photo: Pranav Pammi · Google
Photo: Lars Plougmann · CC BY-SA 2.0SeeLouisiana Museum of Modern Art
Modern art museum and sculpture garden on the Øresund coast, 35 km north.
Tip Take the train to Humlebæk and walk 10 minutes.
Photo: Guillaume Baviere · CC BY-SA 2.0SeeChristiansborg Palace Tower
The tower of the parliament palace has a free observation deck over the old city's rooftops and spires.
Tip Expect a short security check at the entrance; opening hours shorten in winter.
Do
Hands-on ways to spend time in Copenhagen across Slotsholmen and Vesterbro.
Photo: Renata My Doová · GoogleDoNetto-Bådene canal tour
Budget hour-long harbor and canal cruise past the Little Mermaid and the Opera.
Photo: European Commission · CC BY 4.0DoTivoli Gardens
Amusement park and gardens from 1843, best when lit up at night.
Tip Check the season calendar; closed some months.
Eat
2 places to eat across Nørreport and Indre By, picked for groups who care about the food.
Photo: Ivan Zarif · Google
Photo: Christian Dalby · GoogleEatSchønnemann
Smørrebrød lunch restaurant open since 1877, with a long list of aquavit.
Tip Lunch only; reserve ahead.
Drink
2 bars & cafés across Vesterbro and Kongens Nytorv for coffee, a round or a nightcap.
Photo: Mikkeller Bar Viktoriagade · Google
Photo: Christian Bickel · CC BY-SA 2.0 deDrinkHviids Vinstue
Wine bar on Kongens Nytorv dating from 1723, crowded in December for its gløgg with almonds and raisins.
Tip Come in the late afternoon before the after-work crowd.
Shop
1 shop in Strøget for browsing and souvenirs.
Photo: Marco Zanferrari · CC BY-SA 2.0ShopRoyal Copenhagen Flagship Store
The porcelain maker's Renaissance house on Amagertorv, where set Christmas tables fill the upper floors each December.
Stay
Places to stay in Copenhagen in Kongens Nytorv.
Photo: Johan Wessman / News Oresund · CC BY 2.0StayHotel d'Angleterre
Copenhagen's grand hotel on Kongens Nytorv, known for its elaborate Christmas facade that changes theme each year.
Tip Even if you stay elsewhere, see the facade after dark from the middle of Kongens Nytorv.
How to fit Copenhagen into a trip
Copenhagen shows up on 2 of our curated routes, so you can work it into more than one kind of trip.
Stop 1 of 3
Scandinavian Capitals
Copenhagen, Stockholm & Oslo
- Trip length
- 8 days
- Best season
- Jun – Aug
- Pace
- easy
- Next: Stockholm
Stop 1 of 3
Copenhagen, Odense & Aarhus
Tivoli lights, Andersen's town, old-town Yule
- Trip length
- 6 days
- Best season
- Mid-Nov – Dec
- Pace
- easy
- Next: Odense
Getting here and onward
- Copenhagen to OdenseOdense is about 141 km / 87 mi away in a straight line
- Copenhagen to StockholmStockholm is about 522 km / 324 mi away in a straight line
Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.
Copenhagen 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 83 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.
- Jan3° / 37°F average high
- Feb3° / 37°F average high
- Mar5° / 41°F average high
- Apr10° / 50°F average high
- May15° / 59°F average high
- Jun18° / 65°F average high, in our recommended season
- Jul21° / 70°F average high, in our recommended season
- Aug21° / 69°F average high, in our recommended season
- 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. Copenhagen weather and the best time to visit →
Near Copenhagen
4 other destinations from our guides within about 400 km (249 mi), measured in a straight line.
Copenhagen questions, answered
How many days do you need in Copenhagen?
Our route notes suggest 2–3 days or 3 nights in Copenhagen. On our Scandinavian Capitals route it is stop 1 of 3 in a 8-day trip. The listed visit times for our 14 places add up to roughly 17 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.
What is Copenhagen best known for?
Give it two to three days: canals and palaces, a market lunch, Tivoli at night and a day trip to Louisiana. Standouts on our list: Nyhavn (17th-century canal lined with colorful townhouses and old wooden ships); Christiansborg Palace (Parliament and royal reception rooms on Slotsholmen, with a free tower view); Rosenborg Castle (Renaissance castle holding the crown jewels, set in the King's Garden).
When is the best time to visit Copenhagen?
Our routes through Copenhagen are best Jun – Aug or 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 83 mm).
What are the best things to do in Copenhagen?
Start with Nyhavn, Netto-Bådene canal tour, Christiansborg Palace, Rosenborg Castle and Rundetaarn. Our guide lists 14 places in all, from 6 sights, 2 activities, 2 places to eat, 2 bars & cafés, 1 shop and 1 place to stay.
Where should a group eat in Copenhagen?
Our picks: Torvehallerne (Nørreport); Schønnemann (Indre By). Lunch only; reserve ahead (Schønnemann).
What is near Copenhagen?
The closest destinations in our guides are Odense (about 141 km / 87 mi), Aarhus (about 156 km / 97 mi) and Berlin (about 355 km / 221 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.
Plan Copenhagen with your crew
Open the Scandinavian Capitals route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 14 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.