Attraction
Tivoli Gardens
Copenhagen's amusement park and pleasure garden, open since 1843 beside the Central Station, with historic rides, gardens, concerts, restaurants and seasonal Halloween and Christmas events.
There are plenty of things to do in Copenhagen, and most of them are within walking or cycling distance of each other. The Danish capital grew up around its harbour, and the old town still centres on Slotsholmen, where Christiansborg Palace houses the parliament, with the royal palaces of Amalienborg and Rosenborg, the Round Tower and the colourful quayside of Nyhavn a short walk away. Tivoli Gardens, open since 1843, sits beside the Central Station, while Christianshavn, with its canals and the free community of Christiania, lies across the water. Vesterbro, Nørrebro and Østerbro are lively residential districts full of cafés, bars and independent shops.
Copenhagen is one of the great food cities of Europe, with celebrated tasting-menu restaurants such as Geranium and Alchemist alongside traditional lunch rooms serving smørrebrød and herring, street food on Refshaleøen and excellent bakeries and coffee roasters. Evenings bring cocktail bars, jazz, craft beer and late club nights. Three days is enough to see the main sights, museums and neighbourhoods, while four or five days leaves time for a harbour trip, a day by bike and a visit to the coast or Malmö.
Attraction
Copenhagen's amusement park and pleasure garden, open since 1843 beside the Central Station, with historic rides, gardens, concerts, restaurants and seasonal Halloween and Christmas events.
Attraction
Christian IV's Renaissance castle in the King's Garden, home to the Danish crown jewels, the coronation thrones and richly furnished royal rooms from four centuries.
Attraction
The palace on Slotsholmen that houses Denmark's parliament, Supreme Court and Prime Minister's Office, with royal reception rooms, stables, kitchen and medieval ruins open to visitors.
Attraction
The Danish royal family's home since the 18th century: four Rococo palaces around an octagonal square, with a daily changing of the guard and a museum…
Attraction
Denmark's largest museum of cultural history, in a former royal mansion near Slotsholmen, home to the Sun Chariot, the Egtved Girl, the Gundestrup Cauldron and major…
Attraction
Carl Jacobsen's art museum opposite Tivoli, with ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman sculpture, a major Rodin collection, French Impressionists and a palm-filled Winter Garden.
Café
Copenhagen's classic patisserie, founded in 1870 just off Strøget, serving traditional Danish layer cakes such as the Sportskage in an old-fashioned tea room.
Café
The original coffee bar of Copenhagen's best-known specialty roaster, now in a larger space on Jægersborggade in Nørrebro, serving direct-trade coffee seven days a week.
Café
Richard Hart's artisan bakery on Gammel Kongevej in Frederiksberg, the first of his Copenhagen shops, known for sourdough bread, croissants and cardamom rolls.
Café
A small neighbourhood bakery in Østerbro, founded by former Noma cook Emil Glaser and famous for its cardamom rolls, croissants and sourdough bread.
Café
A coffee roastery and bakery whose Nørrebrogade coffee shop serves its own coffee with croissants and pastries baked from the early hours.
Café
A minimalist café on Gothersgade near Kongens Nytorv, opened in 2013 at the front of a long-running design boutique and serving natural food and artisan coffee.
Hotel
Copenhagen's grande dame on Kongens Nytorv, a five-star hotel with roots in 1755, home to the Michelin-starred Marchal, a Champagne bar and a spa with an…
Hotel
A five-star boutique hotel inside Tivoli Gardens, in a Moorish-style palace from 1909, with 38 rooms and suites, several restaurants and a rooftop pool.
Hotel
An intimate 54-room boutique hotel behind Nyhavn, owned by former ballet dancer Alexander Kølpin, with a cocktail bar, rooftop and rooms inspired by vintage travel.
Hotel
A contemporary luxury hotel in a 1903 building close to Tivoli and the Central Station, with Scandinavian design, the restaurant NOI and the Marble Bar.
Hotel
A 118-room boutique hotel spread across three buildings in the Latin Quarter, known for its free daily Wine Hour, three restaurants and a private cinema.
Hotel
A four-star, 61-room boutique hotel near City Hall Square, furnished with a collection of Danish mid-century design classics built up over 20 years.
Bar
A cocktail bar in a townhouse from 1740 on the canal opposite Slotsholmen, known for carefully made drinks and a timeless, living-room atmosphere.
Bar
A cocktail bar set back from Vesterbrogade through a courtyard, with a heated covered terrace and an attic whisky bar with leather sofas and an open…
Bar
Copenhagen's oldest wine tavern, founded in 1723 on Kongens Nytorv, famous for its gløgg season and its candlelit, picture-lined rooms.
Bar
The original Mikkeller Bar, a cellar bar in Vesterbro pouring Mikkeller's own beers and guest taps, with Danish cheese, sausages and vintage bottles.
Bar
Copenhagen's oldest jazz venue, a small late-night bar on Kompagnistræde with live jazz from Wednesday to Sunday and Sunday jam sessions.
Bar
A leading Copenhagen club for electronic music, from house and techno to bass, with a bar and two dance floors on Kronprinsessegade and nights that run…
Restaurant
Rasmus Kofoed and Søren Ledet's three-Michelin-star restaurant on the eighth floor above Fælledparken, serving long seasonal tasting menus with views over the park.
Restaurant
Rasmus Munk's two-Michelin-star restaurant in a former theatre workshop on Refshaleøen, where dinner of up to 50 impressions combines food, art and performance.
Restaurant
A two-Michelin-star French-inspired restaurant in a whitewashed vaulted cellar off Kongens Nytorv, the first restaurant in Copenhagen to win a Michelin star.
Restaurant
A cellar lunch restaurant on Hauser Plads serving traditional Danish smørrebrød, herring and a large snaps list since 1877.
Restaurant
A restaurant and bar in a historic waterfront warehouse in Christianshavn, cooking dishes rooted in the North Sea countries alongside a long list of beers and…
Restaurant
A seafood restaurant and oyster bar in a converted meat hall in Copenhagen's Meatpacking District, open since 2009 and serving oysters and drinks all day.
Thing to do
Copenhagen's 17th-century harbour canal, lined with colourful townhouses, wooden ships and waterside restaurants, and the main departure point for canal tours.
Thing to do
Two glass market halls at Israels Plads near Nørreport, with stalls selling smørrebrød, seafood, coffee, pastries, fresh produce and Danish specialities from morning to early evening.
Thing to do
A self-governing community founded in 1971 on a former military base in Christianshavn, with self-built homes, workshops, cafés, waterside paths and green ramparts.
Thing to do
A large seasonal street food market on the old shipyard island of Refshaleøen, with food stalls, bars, concerts and harbourside seating from spring to early autumn.
Thing to do
A waste-to-energy plant with a year-round artificial ski slope, free hiking trail and rooftop views on top, plus one of the world's tallest climbing walls.
Tour operator
Year-round guided canal and harbour boat tours from Nyhavn and Ved Stranden, passing the Little Mermaid, Amalienborg, the Opera House and Christiansborg.
Tour operator
Long-running, good-value guided harbour tours from Nyhavn, sailing past Holmen, the Opera House, the Little Mermaid and Amalienborg with commentary in three languages.
Tour operator
Self-drive electric boats for up to eight people from Islands Brygge, letting you explore Copenhagen's harbour and canals at your own pace with no licence needed.
Tour operator
A long-running one-man bike tour company offering the Hello Copenhagen Tour and private tours, with classic city bikes and free helmets included.
Tour operator
Tip-based walking tours of Copenhagen, including a daily Grand Tour from City Hall Square, a Christianshavn tour and themed walks on the harbour and Carlsberg.
Three days covers the main palaces, museums, Tivoli and a canal tour, while four or five days allows time for cycling, Christiania, Refshaleøen and a day trip along the coast
Indre By, the old town around Kongens Nytorv and the Latin Quarter, is best for first-time visitors, Vesterbro suits those who want bars and restaurants close by, and Østerbro and Christianshavn are quieter options within easy reach of the centre
The M2 metro line runs from the airport to Christianshavn, Kongens Nytorv and Nørreport, and regional trains run to Copenhagen Central Station in around a quarter of an hour; taxis are also available outside the terminal
Yes, Copenhagen is one of the more expensive cities in Europe, especially for eating out and drinking, but free sights, parks, markets, bakeries and good public transport help keep costs down
Copenhagen is generally a very safe city; take normal precautions against pickpockets in crowded areas and at the Central Station, and take care in the busy bike lanes