3 days in Copenhagen: How to explore this amazing city

I finally had an opportunity to spend 3 days in Copenhagen in late June this year, and I quickly understood what makes it loved by locals and tourists alike. But I also realised that Copenhagen isn’t a city I would recommend rushing through.

Voted the happiest city in the world time and time again, often pipping my home city of Melbourne to the post, I was curious to see Copenhagen for myself.

If you find yourself planning a visit to this magical city, then this itinerary is here to help give you options on how to enjoy it. It’s not prescriptive, rather provides examples of what to see, where to stay, what to experience and of course always leave time free to roam at your own pace. 

3 days is enough time to experience the city’s incredible design, architecture and waterfront without trying to tick every attraction from a list. Don’t feel you have to do and see everything in order to get the most of your visit. With a bit of planning, you can prioritise what aligns with your needs and how to move through the city.

Is 3 days in Copenhagen enough?

Yes, 3 days in Copenhagen is enough to explore many places, enjoy the culture and food, and feel the pulse of the city. 

You could easily spend longer, but this is enough to get a taste of what this fabulous city has to offer. This itinerary assumes a relaxed pace, which is the way I like to travel, so adjust accordingly to your style. 

Before you start: how this Copenhagen Itinerary works

If you’ve seen my article that looks at the 12 questions to ask yourself before you plan a single trip, you’ll know that there is a methodology you can apply to help with the planning overwhelm. 

There is a lot to see and do in Copenhagen and I would suggest not trying to do it all in a short space of time. Instead, pick a few non-negotiables for you, map them out geographically and either plan if bookings are required, or factor into your schedule spontaneously. I’m always going to suggest leaving unplanned time in your schedule so allow for random wandering and slowing down. So many of my favourite travel memories are from not having anything planned and exploring at leisure.

Pick and choose based on your interests from the examples provided and map out your days based on where you’re staying, and walk or use public transport to get around seamlessly. 

Day 1: Central Copenhagen

This itinerary is purely to exemplify what a day by day plan could look like. It may differ depending on your arrival and departure times, but assumes you have 3 full days in Copenhagen.

Morning: Starting in Central Copenhagen, grab your breakfast at one of the many bakeries such as Lagkagehuset and walk down the main shopping street Strøget to feel the pulse of the city (one of the longest shopping street in Europe). Visit the Royal Copenhagen store. Wander and get lost in the historic centre, marvelling at the architecture and cobblestone streets.

Choose one of the following:

• Wander over to the Round Tower, which can be climbed for a fee
• Explore the beautiful Rosenborg Castle and the surrounding gardens
• Visit the nearby SMK Statens Museum for Kunst. 

Afternoon: Walk along the waterfront and take in the breathtaking views of the Royal Library or visit the NY Carlsberg Glyptoteket, a stunning museum of art and antiquities if art and sculptures are your thing. 

Evening: End your day at the famous Tivoli Gardens – a Copenhagen Institution and the oldest amusement park loved by many. It’s popular with adults, not just children. There are beautiful grounds, food and great vibes all around but it does cost between 150-275 DKK to enter or it’s free if you have the Copenhagen card. Rides cost extra. Alternatively, enjoy a lovely dinner in the historic centre or head over to La Banchina or Reffen Street Food. 

Day 2: Design & Waterfront

Morning: After breakfast, visit the Design Museum. This was the one paid activity I opted for and it was super cool. Wander the surrounding streets, check out Amalienborg palace and explore Studio Arhoj – a working ceramics studio with beautiful products available for purchase. Be warned, prices are high.

Afternoon: Grab some lunch at Seaside Toldboden (a food hall with lots of different options), grab a chair along the water and enjoy the food coma with a view. Take a stroll to visit the Little Mermaid (Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale statue), then up to the Gefion Fountain and through Kastellet. 

Evening: Enjoy a casual stroll along Nyhavn, through Christianshavn and maybe grab a bite to eat at Broens Street Food. A canal cruise which picks up passengers here is a great way to see the city from the water. 

Day 3: Choose your own adventure

Keeping the day fairly flexible, you could comfortably cover a few of these options based on your mood and what you haven’t already covered.

Option 1: Culture – more museums or simply slowing down to experience the everyday design & hygge that makes Copenhagen feel the way it does. 

Option 2: Food – bakeries, cafes, restaurants. Fair warning, I tried several popular spots like Juno the Bakery and BUKA and whilst they were good, I wouldn’t go out of my way to try them. Often viral foodie locations are overhyped and overpriced. If I’m completely honest, many pastries I had in Oslo were better. The genuine standouts for me in Copenhagen however, were Atelier September, Banzo and Andersen & Maillard – great for coffee and breakfast. 

Option 3: Shopping – Strøget and the surrounding streets have so many options. Illums Bolighus for Danish design and homeware.

Option 4: Relaxation – opt for a sauna session or enjoy the many harbour baths dedicated to public swimming, if visiting in summer. Sandkaj in Nordhavn where I was staying was particularly popular for sunbathing and swimming. I happened to be there during the hottest summer on record. 

What I wouldn’t try to fit into 3 days in Copenhagen

How you plan your day can impact the flow and your ability to enjoy it. You want to coordinate locations geographically to simplify how you get around. If you feel the urge to add day trips, I would encourage you to consider how much time that would detract from visiting the city itself.

To be fair, one popular attraction Louisiana Museum of Modern Art looks stunning and I’d love to visit one day but it’s outside the city, about 40min each way and for a 3 day trip, I’d rather spend that time in Copenhagen. Even then I wasn’t able to get to everything I would have liked and that’s ok. I absolutely loved the vibe and exploring at a slow pace, especially in the summertime.

Don’t schedule each hour, leave time to roam. And don’t feel you have to see every attraction either. Copenhagen is very expensive but you can still enjoy its beauty without spending a lot. You can read more about slow travel and how this can change your trip philosophy here.

What to book ahead

Accommodation is the main thing I would book ahead. For attractions, I wouldn’t automatically pre-book everything. However, if you know that something books out in advance and it’s a must do for you, then book it and plan your itinerary around it. 

Where to stay for a 3 day trip

Most people will tell you to stay in the centre due to proximity. Central Copenhagen is certainly ideal for first-time visitors as many of the sights are in close proximity.

Nordhavn is my pick however, which is where I stayed. It’s a newer waterfront neighbourhood that’s much quieter and more local than the centre, but with easy access to  the metro and only 10 minutes into the centre. It also had fantastic food options available.

Getting around Copenhagen

Most visitors will arrive by flight into Copenhagen Airport (CPH), just 15 minutes from the city centre by metro. I actually arrived a different way, via overnight ferry from Oslo. This was an excellent way to travel via Go Nordic Cruiseline, particularly if travelling between the two countries and you can read more about that here.

My favourite mode of transport is getting around on foot. I’m not a cyclist, but renting a bike is super easy and it’s how many locals choose to get around. There is an excellent driverless metro system, you can use the bus, harbour boats so there are many ways to get around, including taxi/Uber. 

How much does 3 days in Copenhagen cost?

This is one of the most expensive cities I have visited, rivaling Geneva, Oslo and London. The biggest expense of course is accommodation so you want to choose wisely.

Accommodation: There’s no getting around that this will set you back the greatest chunk of your budget. For me, as I was travelling during a summer peak, it cost around $370 AUD per night and that was on the lower end of what I could find that was reasonable. I stayed at the Fairfield Marriott in Nordhavn which was incredible actually. Beautifully designed, large clean rooms, a simple breakfast and waterfront living so I found it to be a great experience.

Food: is also very expensive, but you can make your krone stretch further by eating at cafes & bakeries, food halls and supplementing with supermarkets. Not drinking alcohol can help as well.

Transport: is necessary and a small cost to pay for mobility. A single metro ticket costs 24DKK, or around 100 DKK for a 24-hour city pass covering metro, bus, train and the harbour bus. 

Attractions: The Design Museum cost 140 DKK, and it was the only paid attraction I visited. Museums and various attractions will attract a decent fee but many iconic landmarks & sights in Copenhagen can actually be enjoyed for free, such as the harbour, Nyhavn, Palace grounds and monuments.

FAQs

Is 3 days in Copenhagen enough? Absolutely, for a taste of what the city has to offer, but you could easily spend a week here.

Is Copenhagen good for solo travellers? Very much so. There’s a lot to see in Copenhagen. It’s easy to navigate, the people are very friendly, English is widely spoken, and the city is almost entirely cashless. If you want a more social base, there are some great hostels in the city centre.

Best time of year to visit Copenhagen? May to September with June considered one of the better months to visit due to long daylight hours, warm weather and harbour bathing.

Is Copenhagen safe? Copenhagen is considered one of the safest cities to visit but as with anywhere, always follow the usual common sense precautions.

What’s the best way to see Copenhagen in 1 day? Use public transport and decide on a few things you want to cover rather than rushing to see it all. Nyhavn and the canals of Christianshavn are iconic, beautiful and worth prioritising. 

Enjoy your visit and don’t try to see everything

Copenhagen is definitely one of those cities that will leave its mark. Between the incredible design, sustainability, historical charm, the friendly people and the hygge, it’s hard not to fall in love with this city.

Planning a visit here doesn’t have to set you back financially either – with so many wonderful experiences on offer you can pick and choose your own adventure, while still getting to experience what makes this city so magical (fairytales were written about it). Give yourself time to explore, wander freely and enjoy without rushing and you may just find yourself thinking: can I move here?

If you’re mapping out your own trip, I’ve created a free 6-question checklist to help you figure out what you actually need from the trip. Get the checklist here.