Copenhagen itinerary — 3 days
Day 1 — Copenhagen
5 stops · ≈ 6 h 46 minDenmark's national gallery and its largest art collection, spanning medieval painting to contemporary installations. Whole suites are devoted to the Danish Golden Age of painting — Eckersberg, Købke and Hammershøi — while European masters include Rubens, Rembrandt, Cranach and Matisse. The 19th-century building by Vilhelm Dahlerup was joined in 1998 by a light-filled extension opening onto the park.
Frederik's Church, commonly known as the Marble Church (Marmorkirken), is an imposing Rococo-Baroque church standing near Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen. Begun in 1749 using Norwegian marble and finally finished in 1894, the building is crowned by Scandinavia's largest church dome, spanning 31 meters across and resting on 12 slender pillars. Inside, visitors admire frescoed ceilings, fine marble altars, and soaring acoustics.
Copenhagen's quintessential waterfront landmark, this 17th-century canal was originally dug by Swedish prisoners of war between 1670 and 1673. Lined with brightly colored gabled townhouses and heritage wooden sailing ships, the quay bustles with outdoor dining terraces. Beloved fairy-tale author Hans Christian Andersen lived at numbers 18, 20, and 67, making it a literary pilgrimage and the hub for harbor boat tours.
The winter home of the Danish royal family in central Copenhagen, regarded as a masterpiece of 18th-century Danish Rococo architecture designed by Nicolai Eigtved. The complex comprises four identical palaces set around an octagonal cobblestone courtyard centered on an equestrian monument to King Frederick V. Every day at noon, visitors gather to watch the ceremonial Changing of the Royal Guard.
Occupying a former industrial shipyard on the Refshaleøen peninsula, this sprawling open-air market is the largest street food venue in the Nordic region. Over 40 innovative food stalls housed in repurposed shipping containers serve authentic global cuisines prepared with an emphasis on organic and sustainable ingredients. Waterfront deckchairs, craft beer bars, and DJ sets create an electric seaside atmosphere with sunset harbor views.
Reserve
10If you have time left — worth it too.
Stretching over one kilometre from City Hall Square to Kongens Nytorv, Strøget is Copenhagen's principal pedestrian thoroughfare. Converted into a car-free zone in 1962, it pioneered modern European pedestrian shopping streets. The vibrant promenade is lined with Nordic design department stores, Royal Copenhagen porcelain shops, high-end boutiques, and historic cafes, while street entertainers gather around the Stork Fountain on Amagertorv.
Copenhagen's largest fountain, unveiled in 1908: the goddess Gefjon drives her four oxen ploughing the island of Zealand, retelling the legend of how Denmark's main island was carved from Sweden. The fountain stands by Churchill Park next to the Kastellet fortress and St Alban's Anglican church. In summer the jets roar; in winter the water is turned off.
The University of Copenhagen's botanical garden, with history reaching back to 1600: ten hectares of hills, ponds and plant collections in the heart of the Danish capital. Its jewel is the Victorian Palm House of 1874, a glass-and-iron dome packed with towering palms. A Victoria house with giant water lilies and an alpinarium complete the picture; the garden itself is free to enter.
Leisure area in a former shipyard with street food stalls, an art gallery & an artificial ski slope.
Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), CopenHill (Amager Bakke) is a groundbreaking waste-to-energy power plant transformed into an urban recreation rooftop park. The sloped roof of the 85-metre structure features an artificial year-round dry ski slope, green hiking and running trails, a rooftop café, and panoramic viewpoints over Copenhagen and the Øresund Strait. Its sheer glass-and-aluminum facade hosts the world's tallest climbing wall.
Jægersborggade is a vibrant and urban street located in Norrebro, Copenhagen. It's known for its eclectic mix of vintage clothing shops, jewelry designers, art galleries, and fine dining establishments. The street offers a diverse range of shopping experiences, from artists' paintings to kitchen wares and crafts. Additionally, it features organic produce shops, ceramics and jewelry designers, wine bars, coffee shops, and restaurants.
A linear urban park about 750 m long in Nørrebro, Copenhagen's multicultural district. Opened in 2012 and designed by the BIG studio with the artists' group Superflex, it splits into three colour-coded zones: a red square by the café, a green sports area and a black 'living room' with a fountain. Over a hundred objects — benches, bins, palm trees, neon signs — were brought from the 60 countries the local residents come from.
A star-shaped fortress founded by Christian IV in 1626, among the best preserved bastion forts in Northern Europe and still an active military site. Inside are grassy ramparts, a church and an old windmill, with guarded gates over the moat. The Little Mermaid and Churchill Park lie just outside the walls.
Situated in the 18th-century Prince's Palace in central Copenhagen, the National Museum of Denmark is the country's primary cultural history institution. Its comprehensive exhibits trace Danish history from prehistoric hunter-gatherers and the Viking Age through modern times. Highlights include the Bronze Age Trundholm Sun Chariot, the preserved Egtved Girl burial, runic stones, and extensive global ethnographic treasures.
Copenhagen's most iconic symbol, this bronze statue depicting the heroine of Hans Christian Andersen's beloved fairy tale was unveiled in 1913. Sculpted by Edvard Eriksen, it was commissioned by Carlsberg brewer Carl Jacobsen, who was captivated by a Royal Danish Ballet performance. Measuring just 1.25 metres in height, the melancholic mermaid rests on a granite boulder at the water's edge along the picturesque Langelinie promenade.
- Purchase a Copenhagen Card for unlimited public transport and free entry to many attractions.
- Try to learn a few Danish phrases; locals appreciate the effort.
- Enjoy the city's many bike lanes if you decide to rent a bike.