Charlsie’s Guide to Copenhagen, Denmark

I lived in Copenhagen for seven weeks during summer while I was taking classes. It was my first real travel experience and the place where I fell in love with coffee, wine, and solo travel. Copenhagen is small, safe, clean, and very walkable, plus has a great restaurant and bar scene, great museums, and lots of green spaces. Almost everyone in Copenhagen speaks English, and Sweden and Germany are close by if you want to country-hop. You don’t need to spend seven weeks in Copenhagen to get the full Danish experience, but I’d plan for at least five days! The only downside is that Denmark can be rather pricey, but it’s possible to keep costs low if you stay in a hostel or budget hotel (I recommend the Danish chain CabInn), use public transportation instead of taxis, and shop at the grocery store instead of eating out for every meal. Also note that if you go during the winter, you’ll only have a few hours of sunlight each day.

Here are the top nine free or inexpensive things you should do in Copenhagen while you’re there!

1. Swim in Copenhagen Harbor (free!)

I didn’t brave the harbor until I was about halfway through my trip, but I wish I’d taken the plunge earlier! There are designated swimming areas of the harbor, but you can also just hop in wherever you see a gaggle of locals sunbathing or swimming. I liked a floating dock that was next to the Black Diamond Library. Just be sure to bring a towel to sit on and to shield yourself while you change in and out of your bathing suit. Although, lots of Danes swim naked or, for women, without tops, so changing in public is fine as long as you’re discreet and quick. No one will give you a second glance. On a hotter day, the water feels amazing.

2. Enjoy a coffee at one of Copenhagen’s cafés, preferably while sitting outside. (Anywhere from $5-$15 depending on what you get)

Copenhagen turned me into a huge coffee snob, and I’m so glad, because my little cup of coffee is something I get so much joy out of every day! Most coffee shops also sell croissants or breakfast treats, so grab your drink of choice (without sugar, as good coffee should be enjoyed) and a snack and find a table. Bring a book or some work, or just watch people go by. Stay for at least an hour. I love European café culture. The best coffee places are the Coffee Collective, Roast Café, or Democratic Coffee in the Copenhagen Public Library.

3. Visit the Statens Museum for Kunst (around $10, with a reduced fee if you’re a student with a student ID)

This is Copenhagen’s largest art museum, plus it’s air conditioned! You can thank me later! I think you should always go to at least two museums in every city you visit if you have time: one art museum and one history museum. It helps you learn about the culture so you can better appreciate the city. Things always are more meaningful if you know the story behind them.

4. Torvehallern (depends on what you get. Buy some fresh fruit and bread for a cheap and yummy option—Denmark is famous for its summer strawberries)

This is an absolutely incredible outdoor food hall just next to Nørreport Station! There are over twenty restaurant stalls serving everything from Spanish tapas to ice cream to duck confit sandwiches (which you should try if you’re not vegetarian). There’s also a fruit, vegetable, and flower market. Buy some smorrebrød (Danish open faced sandwiches) and a glass of wine or beer. It’s legal to drink alcohol in public in Denmark, so you could bring your food and drink to…

5. Kongenshave, the King’s Garden (free!)

Copenhagen’s favorite public park, located next to Rosenborg Slot (Rosenborg Palace, a great place to visit if you have time). Danes flock here during the summer months to soak up the sun. Lie in the grass or sit on the benches underneath the perfectly manicured trees and watch the couples make out and the kids run wild.

6. Have cake and tea (or coffee or hot chocolate) at Konditori La Glace ($10-$20)

This is the poshest place I have ever been, and I love it. La Glace is the oldest patisserie in Denmark, and still does things the old-fashioned way! You’ll order a slice of cake and your chosen beverage at the counter, and then it is served to you at one of the small marble tables. You can choose from tea, coffee, or hot chocolate and it will be served in a silver teapot that you can pour into a porcelain teacup. Their coffee is filter, not espresso, because the espresso machine wasn’t invented when La Glace opened!

7. Hop on a canal tour (around $20-$30)

Copenhagen is a city on the water, and a previous Danish king added several canals because he wanted to make the city more like Amsterdam. Take a canal tour to see the harbor, the neighborhood of Christianhavn and its houseboats, the city center, the shores of Freetown Christiania (an independent commune), the Little Mermaid statue, and Copenhagen’s many bridges. The tours are usually delivered in English, or English and Danish, plus you’ll learn some fun facts and hear some stories.

8. Enjoy the view from the Rundetaarn (Round Tower) ($5-$10)

This is an old observatory in Copenhagen’s Indre By (“Old City”). To get to the top, you have to walk up a spiraling ramp—there are only steps at the very top. This is because the Danish kings liked to ride their horses to the top! You’ll be rewarded with a beautiful view of Copenhagen, a cool breeze, and a bench to sit on.

9. Go on a walking tour with Copenhagen by Mie and Friends (around $50, but worth it)

I booked this tour when I first got to Copenhagen, but overslept and missed it. They were kind enough to allow me to rebook, and so I got up early on a Sunday morning a few weeks later to go on a four-hour tour with a South African couple and a Belgian computer engineer, led by a Copenhagen native. By that point, I’d already lived in the city for a month, but I still learned so much about Danish life and culture from Sandra, our tour guide. She also introduced me to the flødebøller, my absolute favorite Danish sweet: a soft almond biscuit topped with marshmallow meringue and dipped in chocolate.