Denmark · best-of list
18 Top Things to Do in Denmark
All 18 things to do our route editors picked in Denmark, across 3 destinations, gathered in one list. 3 spots on this list appear on more than one of our routes.
Our curated picks
18 things to do in Denmark, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Copenhagen 8 picks
Nyhavn
Copenhagen · On our Scandinavian Capitals route + 1 more
17th-century canal lined with colorful townhouses and old wooden ships.
Tip: Canal tours leave from here; go early before the crowds.
Photo: European Commission · CC BY 4.0
Rosenborg Castle
Copenhagen · On our Scandinavian Capitals route + 1 more
Renaissance castle holding the crown jewels, set in the King's Garden.
Tip: Book a time slot in summer.
Photo: Falk2 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Tivoli Gardens
Copenhagen · On our Scandinavian Capitals route + 1 more
Amusement park and gardens from 1843, best when lit up at night.
Tip: Check the season calendar; closed some months.
Photo: European Commission · CC BY 4.0
Christiansborg Palace
Copenhagen · On our Scandinavian Capitals route
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: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Christiansborg Palace Tower
Copenhagen · On our Copenhagen, Odense & Aarhus route
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.
Photo: Guillaume Baviere · CC BY-SA 2.0
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
Copenhagen · On our Scandinavian Capitals route
Modern art museum and sculpture garden on the Øresund coast, 35 km north.
Tip: Take the train to Humlebæk and walk 10 minutes.
Photo: Lars Plougmann · CC BY-SA 2.0
Netto-Bådene canal tour
Copenhagen · On our Scandinavian Capitals route
Budget hour-long harbor and canal cruise past the Little Mermaid and the Opera.
Photo: Renata My Doová · Google
Rundetaarn
Copenhagen · On our Scandinavian Capitals route
17th-century observatory tower climbed by a spiral ramp, with rooftop views.
Photo: Pranav Pammi · Google
Aarhus 5 picks
Aarhus Cathedral
Aarhus · On our Copenhagen, Odense & Aarhus route
Denmark's longest cathedral, with medieval frescoes and a carved altarpiece by Bernt Notke.
Photo: JakobSR · CC BY-SA 4.0
ARoS Aarhus Art Museum
Aarhus · On our Copenhagen, Odense & Aarhus route
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: Colin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Den Gamle By
Aarhus · On our Copenhagen, Odense & Aarhus route
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: Kenny Arne Lang Antonsen · CC BY-SA 4.0
Moesgaard Museum
Aarhus · On our Copenhagen, Odense & Aarhus route
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.
Photo: Nanda Sluijsmans · CC BY-SA 2.0
Salling Rooftop
Aarhus · On our Copenhagen, Odense & Aarhus route
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.
Photo: Ciara Ní Riain · CC BY-SA 4.0
Odense 5 picks
Brandts
Odense · On our Copenhagen, Odense & Aarhus route
Former textile mill turned art museum and media museum, set around a square of cafes and a cinema.
Photo: Kristian Bang · CC0
Den Fynske Landsby
Odense · On our Copenhagen, Odense & Aarhus route
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.
Photo: Thomas Dahlstrøm Nielsen · CC BY-SA 4.0H.C. Andersen's Childhood Home
Odense · On our Copenhagen, Odense & Aarhus route
The small house on Munkemøllestræde where Andersen lived from age two to fourteen.
Tip: Entry is included with the H.C. Andersens Hus ticket.
H.C. Andersens Hus
Odense · On our Copenhagen, Odense & Aarhus route
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.
Photo: JakobHosp · CC BY 4.0
St. Canute's Cathedral
Odense · On our Copenhagen, Odense & Aarhus route
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.
Photo: Jebulon · CC0
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in Denmark?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 18 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Denmark has the most things to do on this list?
Copenhagen has the most (8 of 18), followed by Aarhus (5) and Odense (5).
Are any of these free?
5 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Nyhavn, Christiansborg Palace Tower, Salling Rooftop, St. Canute's Cathedral and Aarhus Cathedral. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for Denmark
Top things to do nearby
Destinations on this list
- Copenhagen 8 on this list
- Aarhus 5 on this list
- Odense 5 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.