Copenhagen is a great city to walk (or cycle) around and a lot can be seen during a short stopover. Whether you use this article as a stopover guide, or to kick off a longer city break, here are some ideas on how to spend 24 hours in Copenhagen.
I’m going to assume you are staying somewhere in Indre By or over by the lakes. I recommend the Hotel Kong Arthur for its great location and spa facilities.
Copenhagen in 24 hours:
12 Midday – Contemporary art
Start at the Statens Museum for Kunst, the contemporary art museum set in amongst large gardens between Osterport and Norreport metro stations. The museum has a traditional frontage, but it’s contemporaneity at the back and throughout the exhibitions is dynamic and makes it well worth a visit. Have lunch at the cafe there – I had a fantastic take on a traditional open sandwich – pulled pork on pumpernickel with danish slaw!
2pm – Amalienborg
I hope you’ve got your walking shoes on, because walking is the best way to see the historic sights in Copenhagen. Next, head to either Rosenborg Castle (Øster Voldgade 4A), a 17th-century castle and royal museum. OR to Amalienborg (Amalienborg Slotsplads 5), an 18th-century rococo complex of palaces, with a museum and displays by royal guards. As with many European countries, their royalty has a rich legacy and has been well preserved. If you then walk along the waterfront, you can visit Den Kongelige Afstøbningssamling (Toldbodgade 40), a collection of thousands of plaster casts of famous classical sculptures!
4pm – Little Mermaid
Head down to visit with the Little Mermaid (Den lille Havfrue in Danish). OK, so she’s always surrounded by tourists, but she is the most famous face of Copenhagen, and it is a lovely walk down by the harbour.
6pm – Nyhavn
Swing back up via Nyhavn (the New Harbour) – the multi-coloured buildings and tall ships that sit in this small harbour are just too cute. Grab yourself a beer at one of the pubs and enjoy the atmosphere. You might also want to take a harbour cruise from here too.
8pm – Cocktails
There are lots of restaurants serving Danish food nearby, that I would urge you to try. Madklubben Bistro-De-Luxe (Store Kongensgade 66), where you can get modern Danish food and great cocktails. Or try Maven (Nikolaj Plads 10), which is a lovely bistro in a renovated church.
10pm – Bodega
Head over to Funchs Vinstue (Nørre Farimagsgade 55), a traditional Danish bodega, with cheap drink and still allows smoking inside (well, at least did last time we were there). Beer is expensive in Copenhagen, but this is one of the cheapest places we found.
*** Fall into bed at an undisclosed hour ***
9am – Indre By
Take a jaunt through Indre By (the centre of town) and stop by St Peter’s Bakery (Sankt Peders Stræde 29) for some delicious baked goods, great for a mobile breakfast! Then over to The Round Tower, a 17th-century tower with a spiral walkway and observatory (Købmagergade 52A).
10am – Christiania
If you want to learn more about the Danish royals, head to Christiansborg Palace (Prins Jørgens Gård 1) where you can take tours of this opulent palace, and see the ruins of the 12th-century castle. OR you could head to Freetown Christiania (Bådsmandsstræde 43), the self-proclaimed autonomous neighbourhood run by cooperative. The concept is intriguing, and the queue for the pot stalls was hilarious, but I didn’t find it particularly interesting – it was just a hippy neighbourhood to me. Take a jaunt up the corkscrew tower of the Church of Our Saviour Vor Frelsers Kirke (Sankt Annæ Gade 29) while you’re in the area (if you dare).
12 Midday – National Museum or Tivoli
So this last stop in your 24 hour guide is a tough one, I want to send you to the National Museum of Denmark (Prinsens Palæ, Ny Vestergade 10), as it really is a fabulously curated place (a highlight of my stay actually). But there is also Tivoli Gardens to take into account (Vesterbrogade 3). With its antique rollercoaster and live entertainment, it would make for a fun afternoon. But Tivoli is only open April-Sept, so that may make the decision for you.
For lunch, grab one of Copenhagen’s famous hot dogs – try one with white onions and pickles – fantastic!
24 Hours in Copenhagen
While I always recommend more than 24 hours in any location I write about, this itinerary can certainly help if you only have a short time. Or perhaps you can use it as a jumping off point for a longer stay in Copenhagen! Har en stor tid i København!
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All photos & content © Hannah Henderson and may not be used without permission (sharing this blog post is fine, though!).
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