In this post – travel tips for spending 5 days in the beautiful city of Copenhagen.
How to Spend an Unforgettable 5 Days in Copenhagen
We recently traveled to Denmark to visit our daughter who is studying abroad there. We had such a wonderful time that I wanted to share some of our best experiences with you! Copenhagen, Denmark’s charming capital, is a vibrant blend of rich history, contemporary design, and laid-back Nordic charm. Whether you’re drawn to picturesque canals, world-class museums, or cozy cafés, spending a week in this stunning city allows you to experience it all at a relaxed pace.
General Info
Language
While Danish is the official language of Denmark, a large majority of the populations speaks English as a second language. Everyone we met spoke perfect English, and many things like menus, maps, signs, etc. are also translated in English. We never had a problem with a language barrier. However, since we are all fair-skinned and blue-eyed, many people assumed we were Danes and would speak to us in Danish, until they quickly realized we had no idea what they were saying!
Transportation Tips
Denmark is a very safe country, which makes it a safe place for foreigners, especially women and solo travelers. The public transit, consisting of the train, the Metro and buses, makes it easy to get places without needing a car. We walked and took the train or Metro, depending on where we were going.
The preferred mode of transportation for Danes in Denmark’s urban areas is by bicycle. They are everywhere! Our daughter warned us that people on bikes have the right-of-way, so even pedestrians have to be on the lookout for them. Below is a picture of the bike parking outside of a Metro station!
Weather
Even with the chilly temps, spring and fall are probably the best times to visit if you want to avoid crowds. Because of its northern latitude, Denmark has long, cold, dark winters and relatively short summers. The country is mostly at sea level and has very little changes in elevation, so it doesn’t snow very often. However, during our stay in late March, the temperature never got above 55 degrees F. It also rained during our first and last day there. If you visit in the spring you’ll want to bring a travel umbrella and appropriate shoes for walking in rainy weather.
Dining
Copenhagen is a cosmopolitan city with lots of dining options. We made sure to try Danish food, although I somehow never had smørrebrød, which I regret. Smørrebrød is a traditional Danish open-faced sandwich.
You will also find Italian, American and many other types of food. There’s something for everyone. I highly recommend trying Danish pastries! Yum! Danish anyone?
Copenhagen Style and What to Pack
The Danish people are definitely stylish and chic, but in a casual way. I spotted lots of jeans, casual sneakers and overcoats. The common colors I saw were neutrals, blacks, whites and grays. There were also lots of oversize scarves and knitted hats.
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Wear Layers
For this trip, dressing in layers was key. While it was cold and windy outside, inside many of the shops and restaurants it felt hot and stuffy. I was most comfortable wearing a thin cashmere sweater with a tank or long-sleeve tshirt underneath. That way I wasn’t overheated indoors. However, I definitely needed my down jacket to stay warm while walking around the city.
A Warm Coat is a Must
Definitely bring a winter jacket! I wore my packable long down jacket every day and I was perfectly comfortable. My packable down jacket is from Amazon and I’ve used it a ton when traveling. I would have loved to bring my long camel coat I got at the Nordstrom Sale in the fall (see the post here) but it took up way too much room in my suitcase. Plus, we flew Scandinavian Airlines and they have strict weight requirements for all bags.
Bring Comfy Walking Shoes
Copenhagen is super walkable so it’s important to bring shoes that you can walk in for miles. I wore my New Balance 370’s pretty much every day and my feet felt great even after our busiest sightseeing days. More often than not we were walking on cobblestone streets, so plan to be walking on uneven surfaces and leave your high heels at home.
Our Itinerary
Day 1:
We flew direct to Copenhagen on a Monday evening and arrived on Tuesday by midday. We stayed at the Marriott in Copenhagen, which is very nice and has an impressive breakfast spread in the Executive Suite, which was super helpful in the morning. The hotel has sweeping views of both the old city center and the main canal, the Inderhavn, and is conveniently located for walking everywhere. We would definitely stay there again.
Once our daughter met up with us at the hotel we were off to explore. She took us to her favorite bakery Buka. Their pastries were amazing! There are several of these bakeries scattered throughout the city and they’re really popular among locals.
After Buka we spent some time walking around the Strøget, one of Europe’s longest pedestrian shopping streets, known for its mix of designer brands and Danish boutiques. The side streets branching off of the Strøget also had many beautiful shops and restaurants to explore.
Along the way we decided to buy tickets to explore The Round Tower (Rundetårn), located in the Strøget area. There is a long spiral tunnel that takes you up to the top of the tower for panoramic views of the city, which was a fairly easy walk. The top of the tower has an observatory with a modern telescope. There are also amazing views of the city from the deck surrounding the observatory.
Our first dinner in Copenhagen was at a Japanese restaurant that our daughter had been wanting to try. Bento (@bentocopenhagen) is located near Copenhagen Central Station. It was delicious and the owners were very kind to accommodate us even though we didn’t have reservations. After dinner my husband and I were both about to fall asleep from our long travels, so we headed back to the hotel for the night.
Day 2:
On our second day, we headed out to Den Bla Planet (The Blue Planet), Denmark’s National Aquarium. Den Bla Planet is the largest aquarium in northern Europe overlooking the sound between Denmark and Sweden. It was a short train ride from Central Station out to the suburb of Kastrup on the coast. Our daughter is studying Environmental Science and has already been here on assignment from school and she wanted us to see it.
We spent several hours looking at the exhibits, including an indoor rain forest, an otter habitat and a very large ocean exhibit. There is a restaurant on site that overlooks the sound which was popular with the locals. We grabbed some drinks there to admire the view. After leaving the Aquarium, we took a short walk over to a cute cafe called Cafe Kystens Perle for lunch, and then took the train back to Central Station.
Once we were back in central Copenhagen, we explored on foot, admiring the beautiful architecture and history of the city.
We eventually wandered over to Nyhavn, the iconic harbor lined with colorful 17th-century townhouses. This iconic street is located along a short canal that was built in the 1600’s for commercial shipping. Hans Christian Andersen resided in two of the townhomes on one side of the canal. I bought a souvenir Christmas ornament in a shop located in one of his former residences.
We stopped to enjoy some drinks at one of the many cafes lining the canal. It was nice to sit in the sun and watch people go by. I had a delicious Irish coffee – perfect for sipping on a chilly day. Influencers from all over the world were out in full force and they were entertaining to watch. I was surprised that some of them didn’t fall in the canal trying to get the perfect picture!
For dinner the second night I had a reservation at Vaekst, a Michelin Guide 2024 restaurant. We had a three course menu that included wine pairings. The food was delicious! The menu showcases traditional Danish ingredients in prepared in new and interesting ways. The restaurant decor itself is lovely, made to look like a greenhouse.
Day 3:
On the third morning we took a quick Metro ride to Rosenborg Castle, a Renaissance marvel that houses the Danish crown jewels. Built as a summer house by Christian IV in 1606-1607, it houses the entire treasury of the Danish royalty in a highly guarded vault beneath the castle. The tour of both the castle and treasury were self-guided, so we were able to go at our own pace.
The Treasury was quite large and housed some incredible jewels, including the King’s crown.
After touring Rosenborg, we headed back across the city to the National Museum of Denmark. On our way, we stopped for lunch at one of our daughter’s favorite spots The Living Room, a funky coffee shop that transforms into a nightclub in the evenings. It’s a great spot for a cup of coffee or tea and a sandwich.
The National Museum was worth a visit. It was interesting to learn about the history of the Danish people. There were many prehitory exhibits displaying ancient tools and weapons, along with preserved clothing and corpses found in peat bogs! There is an interior courtyard with a gift shop and cafe as well.
If you love Viking lore, there’s also an amazing immersive exhibit called The Viking Sorceress, where you wear headphones and walk through the story of Ragnarök. Below is a video about the exhibit.
It was interesting to learn where the word “bluetooth” originated! The name was chosen to symbolize the technology’s purpose of uniting different devices for communication, similar to how King Harald united tribes. Who knew? (Ok maybe you did, but I didn’t!) In case you’re interested, this short video explains it!
Dinner on the third night was at Cafe Europa 1989, located on the Strøget. They serve a variety of food, including American fare, like burgers and fries. It was a great spot to end our day. We were tired!
Day 4:
We were excited to visit where our daughter is living while she studies in Copenhagen. Her dormitory is about a twenty minute train ride to a suburb of the city. It was really interesting to see some of the areas outside of the city. We were able to get a little laundry done while we looked around and had a delicious lunch at an adorable cafe on the property. We also checked out a local grocery store. I always find grocery stores in other countries fascinating.
In the afternoon, we took the train back to downtown Copenhagen and did some more walking around and exploring (and shopping!) The Strøget has a lot of high-end boutiques like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci and the like. You’ll also find mid-priced stores like Urban Outfitters and Levis.
Dinner was a delicious Italian meal at Ristorante Italiano. The restaurant has a large seating area outside along with inside seating upstairs and downstairs. Fortunately we made a reservation because it was packed! We sat outside on their cozy patio. Even though it was chilly, we were comfortable with the blankets and space heaters provided. We all loved our food! The service was great as well. We would definitely return.
Day 5:
For our last full day in Copenhagen, we decided to take a canal tour to see Copenhagen from the water. I believe the company’s name was Stromma. Our boat departed from the Nyhavn canal. Once we were out of the cana,l we cruised past the famous Little Mermaid Statue, Amalienborg Palace, and the Opera House. We also sailed through Freetown Christiania, Copenhagen’s unique autonomous neighborhood known for its bohemian atmosphere and street art.
We must have passed under a dozen low bridges. I was amazed at how the captain was able to squeeze our boat under each bridge! You definitely needed to stay seated! We sat in the back of the boat facing outward. Unless it’s raining, I wouldn’t sit inside because I think it would be hard to see the sights.
After a quick lunch, we hopped on a train to visit the Carlsberg brewery on the outskirts of Copenhagen. If you like beer I highly recommend stopping here. There is a fantastic tour (I believe they called it an “experience”) that takes you through the history of the brewery and culminates in a huge room containing the largest beer bottle collection you may ever see! The best part is the beer they pour you at the end of the tour!
Our final dinner was at a restaurant called Hooked. They served the best fried fish I’ve ever had! There are at least a dozen of these restaurants throughout greater Copenhagen. I wish they had restaurants in the US because the food was that delicious!
Final Thoughts
While we managed to pack in a lot in only five days, we easily could have spent a few more days there because there were so many more things we wanted to do and see. My biggest disappointment was that Tivoli Gardens wasn’t open for the season (it opened the week after our visit!) Tivoli is one of the world’s oldest amusement parks and was Walt Disney’s inspiration for Disneyland!
I also would have liked to see Amalienborg Palace, the residence of the Danish royal family, where you can watch the changing of the guard, along with Christiansborg Palace, located on Slotsholmen island. This palace houses the Danish Parliament, the Supreme Court, and the Prime Minister’s office.
Have you ever visited Copenhagen? What were your favorite sights? Let me know in the comments!
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