By Gemma Tedaldi | Published: 21st January 2018 | Updated: 13th December 2024
Looking at how to spend 3 days in Copenhagen? Denmark’s capital sits on the coastal islands of Zealand and Amager in east Denmark. Known for its Nordic cuisine, Renaissance castles and 250 miles plus of cycle paths, it is a destination that tourists can’t wait to visit and one that we loved! So, here’s how to spend 3 days in Copenhagen:
📍 Day 1 – Central Copenhagen – Indre By
📍 Day 2 – Central Copenhagen – Christianshavn
📍 Day 3 – South Copenhagen – Amager Vest
Planning Your Trip? Use our favourite travel resources below:
Accommodation: We recommend Booking.com
Rental Car: We recommend Rentalcars.com
Flights: We recommend Kiwi.com
Tours: We recommend Get Your Guide & Viator
Currency Conversion: We recommend Wise
Travel Insurance: World Nomads
3 Days In Copenhagen Itinerary Map
3 Days In Copenhagen Itinerary
3 Days In Copenhagen Itinerary: Day 1 – Central Copenhagen – Indre By
The first stop of the day, after grabbing your bicycles for the day from your accommodation or a rental company, is Københavns Rådhus or Copenhagen City Hall. This impressive building is a great place to start the day, to get a feel for life in Copenhagen and with lots of cafes in the area.
Just down the road from Københavns Rådhus is the Rudetårn. This 17th-century round tower is the oldest functioning observatory in Europe. There is an outdoor platform that circles the tower allowing for 360 views down over the town of Copenhagen, specifically into the old parts.
Getting to the top, however, is no easy task. There is no staircase in the structure only a spiral walk/ramp which is 270 metres long at the outer wall and 86 metres long at the core wall so quite a steep ramp! Although the tower is only 36 metres tall you have to walk around 200 metres up a spiralling steep ramp to get to the very top. It is all worth it though when you see those views though.
Next up, cycle the short distance to the botanical gardens of Botanisk Have and the nearby Rosenborg Castle. The Botanical Garden with its 10 hectares of land and 27 historical glasshouses dating back to 1874, is somewhere you can easily spend an hour or two wandering around. It’s like a little oasis in the centre of the city.
The most elaborate glasshouse is the old Palm House, at 16 metres tall and the perfect place to hide from the often-chilly winds. Rosenborg Castle on the other hand is the most stunning open landscape full to the brim with rose gardens and grand pathways all in the midst of a rather impressive castle.
Now for a bit more of a cycle in and around the waterways of Copenhagen, out past the 17th-century fortress of Kastellet to Den Lille Havfrue, also known as the Little Mermaid statue. This iconic mermaid sculpture, of a character from Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale, which is the go-to statue for Copenhagen sightseeing, is beautiful but if you venture a little further along the coast you will find a large bear statue called Isbjørn med unger af Holger Wederkinch, which personally we much prefer.
Next cycle back down the coast south to Amalienborg Palace. This palace is the best place to get a taste of the life of Denmark’s royal family. The historic buildings surrounding the palace square give you a real sense of the world’s oldest monarchy and well as giving you a chance to watch the changing of the guards.
Every day the guards, called Den Kongelige Livgarde, march from Rosenborg Castle through the streets of Copenhagen to Amalienborg, it’s a pretty interesting sight to see if you ask us.
From Amalienborg Palace, it’s just a short cycle to Nyhavn the picture-postcard Copenhagen area of colourful houses along the waterfront. These beautiful old houses lining the quays have all been renovated into trendy cafes, restaurants and offices since the old port was in use, with No. 9 being the oldest house in the area dating back to 1681.
The famous Danish fairytale writer, Hans Christian Andersen, also used to live in No. 20. This is where he wrote the fairy-tales ‘The Tinderbox’, ‘Little Claus and Big Claus’, and ‘The Princess and the Pea’.
Nyhavn is the perfect place to stop after a long day exploring and cycling. With cosy restaurants along the canal where’s a better place to enjoy some great food and local wine during 3 days in Copenhagen? To end the day, head up the Christiansborg’s Tower known as Tårnet for some of the most breathtaking views over the city including across to the Børsen.
3 Days In Copenhagen Itinerary: Day 2 – Central Copenhagen – Christianshavn
Today is a day on the bicycles again, but this time exploring the area east of the main heart of Copenhagen, across multiple cycle bridges and through an area you can only see if you are there, (it will all make sense).
The first stop is the famous Copenhagen Snake Cycle Bridge, as you guessed it, a curvy bridge that is designed for use by cyclists only to help get them out of the main city traffic and onto the extremely well-designed cycle routes that run along the edge of the city. Follow this route over towards Bryggebroen before turning tail and going back the way you came. (It’s all in the name of fun!).
When getting off the Snake Cycle Bridge you want to follow the cycle route around the right along the Sydhavnen towards Bølgen afslapningsanlæg. This stretch of the route is basically an outdoor park and garden right alongside the waterfront, with beautiful places to stop at including a harbour bath, cycle ramps and clever seating.
Continuing along the waterfront from here you will reach Langebro Bridge and just further along Lille Langebro. Cross the harbour over this bridge and follow the paths along until you reach the Cirkelbroen also known as the Five Circles Pedestrian Bridge. This pretty unique bridge is made up of well five circles that rotate open and shut to let boats into the tiny harbour.
After crossing the bridge follow the water along to the right along Christianshavns Kanal to Overgaden Neden Vandet and Børnehusbroen. This hidden little area is stunning and the perfect place to stop for a bite to eat in the colourful architecture.
Now, this next stop is a bit different from your everyday wanderings around Copenhagen but bear with us. After your fill of the canal head east into the surrounding area and you will soon reach Freetown Christiania a car-free neighbourhood established by a group of hippies in the 70s who are now completely independent of the Danish government. It is a mixture of homemade houses, abandoned military barracks made into workshops/galleries, cheap street food and pure green nature all surrounded by colourful artwork and street art.
Potentially a bit of crime risk it is advised to tourists that you do not take any photos within Christiania as the inhabitants may not approve of it so unfortunately, we have no pictures of this colourful place! But don’t let that put you off it is still a great place to experience in Copenhagen.
The last stop of the day is Copenhagen Opera House. From Christiania cycle all the way to the north along the very edge of the Københavns Havn towards Hønsebroløbet and the Copenhagen Opera House will be there to greet you at the end, alongside some rather fun giant bird artwork.
All along this route there are pop up cafes and restaurants with some of the best views going of the little waterway inlets. Once you’ve had your fill of food, we highly recommend watching the sunset over the skyline of Copenhagen before making your way back to your accommodation.
Planning your own trip to Copenhagen? Be sure to download Wise by far the best currency conversion app around. We use it daily living on the border of two countries and it is a game changer when travelling!
3 Days In Copenhagen Itinerary: Day 3 – South Copenhagen – Amager Vest
For the final day of your 3 days in Copenhagen, it’s all about relaxing around the lesser-known areas of Copenhagen, West Amager and Ørestad. This area is all about the architecture, the waterways and the green neighbourhoods. You can get right down to the water’s edge along wooden walkways and just relax the day away with water lapping at your achy cycling feet!
Ørestad is also an area known for its award-winning residential architecture such as VM Mountain and 8Tallet designed by architect Bjarke Ingels. With lots of trendy cafes and bars popping up in the area, it’s a great place to while away the day before your final stop of the trip…
It’s not to everyone’s liking but a visit to the Carlsberg factory in Valby is a must-do during a long weekend in Copenhagen. It is one of the largest tourist attractions in Copenhagen, at the location of the first Carlsberg brewery, and allows you to get into the history of this world-famous Danish beer.
You tour the factory getting to know the ingredients, walking through the authentic architecture and can even meet the brewer horses, yes they exist! At the end of it all, you get to sample some of the famous beer as well as a literal smorgasbord of the most delicious open-faced sandwiches.
Where to stay in Copenhagen
We would highly recommend staying in the Vesterbro / Kongens Enghave area of Copenhagen. It has easy access to the main city centre as well as around the lesser-known areas in the outskirts. It’s also full of great quirky accommodation, most with access to bicycles for the during of your stay.
3 Days In Copenhagen Itinerary FAQs
How to get to Copenhagen
The best way to get to Copenhagen is via air if you are arriving outside of Denmark or Sweden. Copenhagen Airport Kastrup is the main international airport and only takes 15 minutes by train or Metro to get to the city centre from Terminal 3. If you are arriving from elsewhere in Denmark or southern Sweden, (there is a bridge that crossed between Copenhagen and Malmo), then there is a great network of trains as well as routes by road.
Check the best flights for your trip to Copenhagen at Kiwi.com
How to get around Copenhagen
Cycling, cycling and more cycling! Now Amsterdam may be known for cycling, but it is by far the easiest and quickest way to get around Copenhagen. Cycling along the waterways through the colourful buildings searching out hot chocolate and Smørrebrød, (Danish open-faced sandwiches), is the best way to suss out the Danish way of life.
There is even a cycle-only bridge called the Bicycle Snake that crisscrosses 7 metres over the harbour through the buildings towards to centre of Copenhagen. A must bike over to blow away the cobwebs if you are there.
Bicycle hire in Copenhagen
We were lucky enough that the hotel we were staying at offered bicycle hire throughout our stay. However, if you are staying somewhere that doesn’t offer that, then there are numerous places you can hire bicycles from throughout Copenhagen. The Copenhagen tourism board has a great list of places to check for rentals.
How to get from Copenhagen airport to the city centre
There are a few options for getting to Copenhagen city centre from Copenhagen airport including via train, metro, taxi or by bus.
Train – From the airport, you can take a train direct to Copenhagen Central Station. They run every 10 minutes in the day, but only once an hour at night, so that might affect your transport options.
Metro – Taking only 14 minutes to Kongens Nytorv, (which links to the M3 line all around the city centre), another option to get from Copenhagen airport is the Metro. As a plus, if you get on the wrong direction, it only takes half an hour to get back to where you started!
Bus – From just outside Terminal 3 you can catch the 5C Bus that takes you to Copenhagen Central Station. There are also other long-distance buses that go from the airport north and to Malmø in Sweden.
Taxi – This is the most expensive option, averaging around 250-300 DKK but lots of hotels have deals with taxi companies allowing you to get picked up and dropped off from the airport at a fixed price.
Best time to visit Copenhagen
By far the best time to visit Copenhagen is in the spring. That is when we went, and boy was it lovely. It was chilly early in the morning and in the nights but the spring flowers that were erupting throughout the city and being able to sit outside to eat wrapped up in blankets made it all worthwhile.
Is Copenhagen worth visiting?
As the gateway to Scandinavia, Copenhagen is always worth visiting. The food is delicious, the life living alongside the water is a breath of fresh air and that is all alongside some of the most unique architecture in Europe. Plus, there are tales of little mermaids and ugly ducklings to keep you exploring too…
How expensive is Copenhagen?
Being in Scandinavia, Copenhagen is not the cheapest of places to visit in comparison to some other European countries. Entry into some tourist attractions can cost around 250DKK, around £30 / $35 and a cup of coffee can cost anywhere between 30 – 55DKK.
Is the Copenhagen Card worth it?
There are two types of Copenhagen Card, the Discover and the Hop. The Discover Copenhagen Card is available for 24, 48, 72, 96 or 120 hours, and costs from 459DKK. The Hop Copenhagen Card is available for 24, 48 or 72 hours and costs from 475DKK.
If you are likely to use public transport and visit a few attractions or museums during your time in Copenhagen then yes the Copenhagen Card is worth it. The Discover gives you free unlimited transportation throughout Copenhagen and from the airport, as well as free or discounted access to over 80 attractions and museums. The Hop gives you free transport on the Hop-on Hop-of buses around Copenhagen and discounted access to 40 attractions and museums.
Are 3 days long enough in Copenhagen?
If you just plan on staying in Copenhagen and not doing any day trips out then yes, 3 days in Copenhagen is long enough to get a real feel for the city. Of course, if you have more time to spend then we would recommend it, as you will be able to explore more districts of Copenhagen than in our above Copehangen itinerary.
Do I need to carry cash on me in Copenhagen?
It is necessary to carry cash wit you everywhere in Copenhagen as lots of places will take card payments, but it is always worth having a little bit of cash for visiting those of the beaten track places that not many tourists visit, who will generally only take cash. (Independent coffee shops / bakeries tend to do this we found).
Do I need to speak Danish in Copenhagen?
You don’t need to speak Danish in order to visit Copenhagen, however it is always polite and nice to try to learn a few simple phrases that you can use during your time there, (as with any destination where you don’t speak the language). Things such as the following are great to learn;
📍 Hello – Goddag/Hej (Go-day/Hi)
📍 Goodbye – Farvel (Fah-vel)
📍 Thank you – Tak (Tack)
📍 Yes – Ja (Ya)
📍 No – Nej (Nai)
📍 Excuse me – Undskyld (Un-school)
📍 Sorry – Beklager (Bi-clay-er)
📍 Do you speak English? – Taler du engelsk? (Tai-ler do eng-gelsk?)
📍 I don’t speak Danish – Jeg taler ikke dansk (Yai tai-ler igge dansk)
How much is a pint of beer in Copenhagen?
A pint of beer in Copenhagen is on average 30DKK, ($4.40 / £3.50 / €4.10).
Copenhagen Tours
Tours are a great way to experience a city, and tours in Copenhagen are no different. Check out the best tours on offer from Get Your Guide below.
Conclusion: The Perfect 3 Days In Copenhagen Itinerary
So there it is, how to spend the perfect 3 days in Copenhagen. After you’ve eaten all the sandwiches, and taken in all the sights you can, it is time to drop the bicycles back and head to the airport or train station on to your next destination.
Gemma Tedaldi
Gemma is the owner and author of The Travelling Tedaldi, a travel blog helping travellers to discover the best road trips and travel itineraries throughout the UK and Europe. When she isn’t writing about her favourite travel destinations, she can often be found out exploring local hikes or planning future trips.
