Copenhagen, Odense & Aarhus

Destination 01

Copenhagen

9 places

Three nights for Jul i Tivoli, Nyhavn and the Kongens Nytorv lights.

• Photo: Susanne Nilsson · CC BY-SA 2.0

  Tivoli Gardens

  The 1843 pleasure garden becomes a Christmas town with market stalls, lit lake, snow machines and the Pantomime Theatre.

  Tip Buy entry online; ride tickets are separate, and the park is busiest on weekend evenings.

  DoVesterbro$$3 hrAfter dark
• Photo: kallerna · CC BY-SA 4.0

  Nyhavn

  The 17th-century canal of painted townhouses and wooden ships; a Christmas market lines the quay in December.

  Tip Walk the quieter north side for the classic view across the water.

  SeeIndre ByFree60 minLate afternoon
• Photo: Johan Wessman / News Oresund · CC BY 2.0

  Hotel 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.

  StayKongens Nytorv$$$$After dark
• Photo: Guillaume Baviere · CC BY-SA 2.0

  Rosenborg Castle

  Christian IV's Renaissance castle in the King's Garden, home of the Danish crown jewels.

  Tip Go early on a weekday; the treasury in the basement gets crowded by midday.

  SeeIndre By$$1.5 hrMorning
• Photo: Guillaume Baviere · CC BY-SA 2.0

  Christiansborg 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.

  SeeSlotsholmenFree45 minSunset
• Photo: Orf3us · CC BY-SA 4.0

  Torvehallerne

  Two glass market halls at Israels Plads with around 60 stalls for smørrebrød, coffee, cheese and Christmas treats.

  Tip Good for a quick lunch between sights; it is busiest on Saturday late mornings.

  EatNørreport$$60 minLunch

• Schønnemann

  Basement smørrebrød restaurant open since 1877, serving open sandwiches and aquavit at lunch only.

  Tip Reserve ahead in December, when Danes book it for julefrokost.

  EatIndre By$$$1.5 hrLunch
• Photo: Christian Bickel · CC BY-SA 2.0 de

  Hviids 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.

  DrinkKongens Nytorv$60 minLate afternoon
• Photo: Marco Zanferrari · CC BY-SA 2.0

  Royal Copenhagen Flagship Store

  The porcelain maker's Renaissance house on Amagertorv, where set Christmas tables fill the upper floors each December.

  ShopStrøget$$$45 min

Destination 02

Odense

8 places

Andersen's hometown; one or two nights for the old-town market and the Funen Village.

• Photo: JakobHosp · CC BY 4.0

  H.C. Andersens Hus

  The museum built around Andersen's birthplace, with a Kengo Kuma-designed pavilion and garden telling his life and tales.

  Tip Book a timed ticket online; allow two hours.

  SeeH.C. Andersen Quarter$$2 hrMorning

• Sortebrødre Torv Christmas Market

  Weekend market in the cobbled Andersen quarter with stalls set up in a 19th-century style, crafts, gløgg and æbleskiver.

  Tip It runs on Saturdays and Sundays only, from late November to mid-December.

  ShopH.C. Andersen QuarterFree75 minAfternoon

• H.C. Andersen's Childhood Home

  The small house on Munkemøllestræde where Andersen lived from age two to fourteen.

  Tip Entry is included with the H.C. Andersens Hus ticket.

  SeeCentre$30 min
• Photo: Jebulon · CC0

  St. Canute's Cathedral

  Gothic brick cathedral on Flakhaven holding the remains of King Canute IV and a gilded Claus Berg altarpiece.

  Tip The city Christmas tree stands on Flakhaven beside it from mid-November.

  SeeCentreFree30 min
• Photo: Thomas Dahlstrøm Nielsen · CC BY-SA 4.0

  Den Fynske Landsby

  Open-air museum of Funen farms, mills and a village school; on the first two December weekends it celebrates an old-style Christmas.

  Tip Check opening days before going; outside the Christmas weekends it is closed in winter.

  DoFruens Bøge$$2 hrWeekend daytime
• Photo: Toxophilus · CC BY-SA 4.0

  Den Gamle Kro

  Restaurant in a half-timbered 1683 merchant house on Overgade, serving Danish classics in candlelit rooms.

  EatOvergade$$$2 hrDinner
• Photo: Kristian Bang · CC0

  Brandts

  Former textile mill turned art museum and media museum, set around a square of cafes and a cinema.

  SeeBrandts Klædefabrik$$1.5 hr

• Hotel Odeon

  Design hotel beside the Odeon concert hall, a few minutes' walk from the Andersen quarter and the station.

  StayOdeons Kvarter$$$

Destination 03

Aarhus

9 places

Two nights for Christmas in Den Gamle By and the city's rooftops.

• Photo: Kenny Arne Lang Antonsen · CC BY-SA 4.0

  Den 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.

  DoBotanical Garden$$3 hrMorning
• Photo: Colin · CC BY-SA 4.0

  ARoS 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.

  SeeMidtbyen$$2 hrDusk
• Photo: JakobSR · CC BY-SA 4.0

  Aarhus Cathedral

  Denmark's longest cathedral, with medieval frescoes and a carved altarpiece by Bernt Notke.

  SeeLatin QuarterFree30 min
• Photo: Ciara Ní Riain · CC BY-SA 4.0

  Salling 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.

  DoStrøgetFree30 minDusk

• Latin Quarter

  The oldest streets in Aarhus, lanes of independent shops, cafes and Christmas windows around the cathedral.

  ShopLatin QuarterFree60 minAfternoon
• Photo: Nanda Sluijsmans · CC BY-SA 2.0

  Moesgaard 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.

  SeeHøjbjerg$$2.5 hr

• Aarhus Street Food

  Covered food hall in a former bus garage near the station, with around 30 stalls and long shared tables.

  EatMidtbyen$60 minDinner

• Under Masken

  Long-running bar by the cathedral, crammed with masks and curios, known for its Danish beers.

  DrinkMidtbyen$60 minEvening
• Photo: Gardar Rurak · CC BY-SA 4.0

  Hotel Royal

  Grand hotel on Store Torv, open since 1838, facing the cathedral.

  StayStore Torv$$$