Roavina

City guide · Denmark

Copenhagen

A photograph of Copenhagen
Photograph · Pudelek · CC BY-SA 4.0

Copenhagen's compact centre sits around Indre By, with the harbour separating it from Christianshavn and Amager. Frederiksberg lies west as a separate municipality inside the urban fabric, while Norrebro and Osterbro extend north of the centre. Major visitor areas are connected by metro, trains, buses and cycle routes, and most central clusters remain practical to explore on foot.

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Practical information

Language spoken
Danish
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+45
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Danish krone (DKK)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
112
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type C, E, F and K · 230 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Safe from the mains
Public drinking water is monitored by Danish authorities

Turn this list into a plan

Set your days, your pace and the hours you actually want to be out. The planner works around closing days and travel time, and leaves room to eat.

Plan Copenhagen

Planning a visit

Suggested stay
Not recorded
Getting around
Walking, cycling, metro, train and bus
  1. January: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  2. February: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  3. March: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  4. April: good time to visit
  5. May: best time to visit
  6. June: best time to visit
  7. July: best time to visit
  8. August: best time to visit
  9. September: good time to visit — current month
  10. October: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  11. November: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  12. December: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  • Best time
  • Good time
  • Viable with trade-offs
  • Difficult conditions

Sources

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Rosenborg Castle Rosenborg Castle
    02 1 hr 30 min

    Rosenborg Castle

    Rosenborg Slot

    Rosenborg is a small Renaissance castle standing in the King's Garden, Kongens Have, a few streets north of the medieval centre of Copenhagen.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  2. Amalienborg Amalienborg
    03 1 hr 15 min

    Amalienborg

    Amalienborg is the Danish royal family's home in Copenhagen: four almost identical rococo palaces set around an octagonal square, with Frederik V's equestrian statue at the centre and the dome of the Marble Church closing one axis.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  3. Danish War Museum Danish War Museum
    04 1 hr 30 min

    Danish War Museum

    Krigsmuseet

    The Danish War Museum, locally named Krigsmuseet, is a military history museum in Copenhagen. It occupies a historic waterfront building at Christianshavn, formerly serving as naval storage facilities.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  4. Copenhagen Zoo Copenhagen Zoo
    05 1 hr 30 min

    Copenhagen Zoo

    Zoologisk Have København

    Copenhagen Zoo, known locally as Zoologisk Have København, is a zoological garden in the Frederiksberg district of Copenhagen. Founded in 1859, it is among the oldest zoos in Europe.

    • Must see
    • Family attraction
  5. The Blue Planet The Blue Planet
    06 1 hr 30 min

    The Blue Planet

    Den Blå Planet

    The Blue Planet, known locally as Den Blå Planet, is Denmark's national aquarium and a major attraction in the Copenhagen area. It replaced the previous aquarium in Charlottenlund and opened as a new purpose-built facility.

    • Must see
    • Family attraction
  6. Designmuseum Denmark Designmuseum Denmark
    07 1 hr 30 min

    Designmuseum Denmark

    Designmuseum Danmark

    Designmuseum Danmark is a museum dedicated to Danish and international design, crafts, and applied arts. Located in central Copenhagen, it occupies a historic rococo building that formerly served as the Royal Danish Hospital.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  7. Thorvaldsen Museum Thorvaldsen Museum
    08 1 hr 30 min

    Thorvaldsen Museum

    Thorvaldsens Museum

    Thorvaldsens Museum is a Copenhagen museum dedicated to the works of Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, who spent much of his career in Rome. The building itself is distinctive with its colourful exterior, making it a notable landmark in the city.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  8. Palads Teatret Palads Teatret
    09 2 hours

    Palads Teatret

    Palads Biograferne

    Palads Teatret, also known as Palads Biograferne, is a multi-screen cinema in Copenhagen. It is a practical choice when you want a mainstream film in a central city setting, whether as an evening activity or a break from sightseeing.

    • Must see
    • Entertainment venue
  9. Natural History Museum of Denmark Natural History Museum of Denmark
    10 1 hr 30 min

    Natural History Museum of Denmark

    Statens Naturhistoriske Museum

    The Natural History Museum of Denmark, locally known as Statens Naturhistoriske Museum, is a major scientific institution in Copenhagen. It serves as the national museum for natural history and operates as part of the University of Copenhagen.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  10. Nordisk Film Biografer Field's Nordisk Film Biografer Field's
    11 2 hours

    Nordisk Film Biografer Field's

    Nordisk Film Biografer Field's is a multiplex cinema inside Field's shopping centre in Copenhagen's Ørestad district. It belongs to the Nordisk Film Biografer chain and offers mainstream film screenings in a modern commercial setting.

    • Must see
    • Entertainment venue
  11. Museum of Copenhagen Museum of Copenhagen
    12 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of Copenhagen

    Københavns Museum

    The Museum of Copenhagen, or Københavns Museum, explores the history of Denmark's capital through archaeological finds, historical objects, and stories of urban life.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  12. Harbour Bath Islands Brygge Harbour Bath Islands Brygge
    13 1 hr 30 min

    Harbour Bath Islands Brygge

    Havnebadet Islands Brygge

    Harbour Bath Islands Brygge is an open-air swimming facility on Copenhagen’s waterfront. It gives visitors a chance to swim in the harbour within the Islands Brygge neighbourhood, combining urban scenery with outdoor recreation.

    • Must see
    • Family attraction
  13. Hirschsprung Collection Hirschsprung Collection
    14 1 hr 30 min

    Hirschsprung Collection

    Den Hirschsprungske Samling

    The Hirschsprung Collection, or Den Hirschsprungske Samling, is a Copenhagen art museum built around Heinrich Hirschsprung’s collection. The museum focuses on Danish painting from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and occupies a purpose-built building near Østre Anlæg.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  14. Den Frie Udstilling Den Frie Udstilling
    15 1 hr 30 min

    Den Frie Udstilling

    Den Frie

    Den Frie Udstilling, often called Den Frie, is an exhibition building and artists’ association venue in Copenhagen. Established in 1898, it was created to give independent artists a platform outside the established Royal Academy.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  15. Workers Museum Workers Museum
    16 1 hr 30 min

    Workers Museum

    Arbejdermuseet

    The Workers Museum, also known as Arbejdermuseet, presents the history of Denmark’s labour movement and working-class life in Copenhagen. It occupies a historic building that once served as the headquarters of the Danish labour movement.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  16. Kastrupgård Collection Kastrupgård Collection
    17 1 hr 30 min

    Kastrupgård Collection

    Kastrupgårdsamlingen

    Kastrupgård Collection, known locally as Kastrupgårdsamlingen, is an art museum situated in the Kastrup area near Copenhagen. It occupies a historic manor house setting, presenting a cultural venue focused on art exhibitions within a distinctive architectural environment.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  17. Cisternerne Cisternerne
    18 1 hr 30 min

    Cisternerne

    Cisternerne is an underground exhibition space beneath Søndermarken in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen. The venue occupies a former nineteenth-century water reservoir, whose vaulted chambers, brick arches, columns, darkness, and humidity create an experience unlike a conventional gallery.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  18. Museum of Danish Resistance Museum of Danish Resistance
    19 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of Danish Resistance

    Frihedsmuseet

    The Museum of Danish Resistance, known in Danish as Frihedsmuseet, explores Denmark’s resistance during the German occupation from 1940 to 1945.

    • High
    • Museum
  19. Bakkehuset Bakkehuset
    20 1 hr 30 min

    Bakkehuset

    Bakkehusmuseet

    Bakkehuset, locally known as Bakkehusmuseet, is a historic house museum in Copenhagen. The building holds cultural significance as a former literary salon and residence associated with prominent Danish Golden Age figures.

    • High
    • Museum
  20. Copenhagen University Botanical Museum Copenhagen University Botanical Museum
    21 1 hr 30 min

    Copenhagen University Botanical Museum

    Botanisk Museum

    Copenhagen University Botanical Museum, locally associated with Botanisk Museum, is part of the University of Copenhagen’s botanical and academic heritage. The visit suits travellers who enjoy plants, natural history and collections presented through a scholarly lens.

    • High
    • Museum
  21. DieselHouse DieselHouse
    22 1 hr 30 min

    DieselHouse

    DieselHouse is a Copenhagen industrial-heritage attraction centred on large diesel engines and the maritime-industrial history connected with them. The harbour-area setting reinforces the city’s relationship with shipping, engineering and heavy industry.

    • High
    • Museum
  22. OXA
    23 1 hr 30 min

    OXA

    OXA is a mapped place in Copenhagen, identified by the name OXA and its OpenStreetMap location.

    • High
    • Museum
  23. Lille Mølle Lille Mølle
    24 1 hr 30 min

    Lille Mølle

    Lille Mølle is a historic windmill situated in the Christianshavn district of Copenhagen. The structure represents Danish milling heritage and stands as a preserved example of traditional windmill architecture.

    • High
    • Museum
  24. Møstings Hus Møstings Hus
    25 1 hr 30 min

    Møstings Hus

    Møstings Hus is a historic house museum and cultural venue in Frederiksberg, within the wider Copenhagen urban area. The preserved house provides a domestic architectural setting for exhibitions and local cultural programming.

    • High
    • Museum
  25. Heerup Museum Heerup Museum
    26 1 hr 30 min

    Heerup Museum

    Henry Heerup Museum

    Heerup Museum in Copenhagen is devoted to Danish artist Henry Heerup, who lived from 1907 to 1993. His work spans painting, sculpture, graphics, and poetry, bringing together playful imagery, strong outlines, and an imaginative view of everyday life.

    • Notable
    • Museum
  26. Enigma Enigma
    27 1 hr 30 min

    Enigma

    Enigma is a cultural attraction in Copenhagen. Include it in a city itinerary when you want to explore the capital’s museum and cultural landscape beyond its most familiar landmarks.

    • Notable
    • Museum
  27. Storm Storm
    28 1 hr 30 min

    Storm

    STORM

    Storm is a named mapped place in Copenhagen, identified in OpenStreetMap by the name Storm and its location. The supplied record does not classify it as a museum, gallery, shop, cultural venue, or another specific type of destination.

    • Notable
    • Museum

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

How the city is laid out

Indre By contains the historic centre, main shopping streets, palace district and inner harbour. Christianshavn sits across the water, Vesterbro lies west of Central Station, and Norrebro and Osterbro extend north. Frederiksberg forms a green western district with its own centre. The harbour is both a boundary and a transport corridor, so combine waterfront sights by side before crossing repeatedly.

Checked 2026-08-26

Getting around

Walk or cycle for short central journeys and use metro, trains and buses for longer trips. Visit Copenhagen states that the metro operates throughout the day and night and connects the centre with major neighbourhoods and the airport. Harbour buses are part of public transport and serve waterfront journeys. Buy the correct ticket before boarding and use the journey planner for zone-dependent trips.

Checked 2026-08-26

Common questions

How many days should I spend in Copenhagen?

A fixed duration is not recorded. Plan by cluster: Indre By, Christianshavn and the harbour, then Vesterbro, Norrebro, Osterbro or Frederiksberg according to interest.

Can I walk around central Copenhagen?

Yes. Indre By and the inner harbour are compact enough for walking. Cycling and public transport are useful when moving between outer neighbourhoods or across the wider city.

Does Copenhagen have an all-night metro?

Yes. Visit Copenhagen states that the metro operates throughout the day and night, connecting the centre with major neighbourhoods and Copenhagen Airport.

Are harbour buses part of public transport?

Yes. Harbour buses use the public transport system and provide a practical waterfront connection as well as a view of the city from the water.

How do I reach central Copenhagen from the airport?

Metro and regional trains both connect the airport with the city. The better choice depends on the destination neighbourhood, so check the official journey planner before departure.