Things To Do In Copenhagen

Copenhagen is one of those rare cities that leave you smitten with its advanced contemporary look as well as a throwback glance of 800 years of history every now and then. If you were to see Copenhagen today, you would not believe this was the land from where the intimidating fierce Danes came to Europe. With its fairytale inspired statues and oldest amusement parks of the world, palace tours and hippy settlements to harbours where you can go sailing; Copenhagen offers so many things to do.

One of the oldest operating amusement parks of the world, Tivoli Gardens is a great place to go with family and friends to unwind as well as enjoy some thrilling rides. It is ranked one of the topmost attraction of Copenhagen, and attracts a truckload of crowd daily, multiplying during the weekends. There are concert halls here, rides, theatres, rollercoasters and the special Fredagsrock free concert, held every Friday in summer. Some of the most renowned stars like Elton, Sting and 30 Seconds to Mars come here to perform; and it is for free once you’ve bought the entry tickets! How cool is that!

The Nyhavn Harbour or New Harbour is another great tourist spot in Copenhagen. So charming is its aura that is also a local favourite and people come here to take rides in the canals, chill out at cafes or just stroll on the sidewalk by the beautiful water. This harbour has those patent postcard buildings that define Copenhagen, with colourful facades and identical builds. Many are houses, many have shops and cafes in them. In short, this can be the most instagram-story worthy place on your itinerary.

Denmark has a royal house and the royal family still holds a high position in public life and government. And among all the castles and palaces, the change of Danish Royal Guard at the Amalienborg Palace is noteworthy. The change of guard is a meticulous ceremony performed every day at 12 o’clock here. The Den Kongelige Livgarde march across the city and come to a halt at Amalienborg. The three types of guard changes here are dependent on if the monarch is in residence, or only a member of the royal family is, or nobody is in residence. These three types are King’s Watch, Lieutenant’s Watch and Palace Watch respectively.

The Danish Royal Theatre is one of the most artsy places to visit in Copenhagen, especially if you are a fan of musicals, operas and ballets. What’s more is, every month, on a single day in the morning at 10, the royal theatre opens doors to patrons and audiences to come watch the ballerinas train and perform their routines. You can buy some coffee and brunch from the in-house cafe and enjoy the behind the scenes of a performance. The seats mostly fill up fast and are usually first come first serve.

Museums in Copenhagen are a dime a dozen, but the trick lies in knowing which ones are the best and most worthy of your short time in the city. If you are a Viking and History fan, and if you have a thing for the Danes, their history, their culture and designs, then a couple of museum visits are in the offing. Our recommendations include the National Museum of Denmark, Danish Design Museum, Glyptoteket Museum, Museum of Copenhagen and SMK Staten Museum.

Copenhagen’s canals are a thing of beauty, and you cannot visit the city without taking at least one canal tour. You are offered many options, from the cheaper rides started at $5 USD to the luxury ones. You will get to see the Danish canal banks, the city’s hidden parts and the quaint homes away from its city life. You can buy a ride from either the Nyhavn Harbour or from the canal opposite Christiansborg Palace. Most of them usually include a live guide commentary and some form of refreshment.

Christiania is an alternate societal experiment, a neighbourhood in the city of Copenhagen that is more than 40 years old and endures a simpler lifestyle. Here the currency used is a special Christiania currency to shop and eat, while cars are banned from the roads. Locals ride on cycles or even horses. There are graffiti-painted houses and quaint community homesteads, everything as simple as can be made. Tourists love to visit this area and it is a great place to get Instagram photos.

What? You thought only the Dutch cycled their way through life? Well, just to make it clear, it is Copenhagen and not Amsterdam or Rotterdam that is the best cycling city in the world. The Danes may have been these fierce warriors that travelled back and forth on giant horses and ships at one point in time; but today they are cute on their bicycles. Copenhagen has more than 300 km of cycling track and the cycles here outnumber cars. You can rent a bike for yourself by using the Donkey Bike Hire app. Some food and biking city tours are also offered.

This is one the free things to do in Copenhagen and quite easy to reach if you have bought a Copenhagen card and use public transport. The Roskilde Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has a 1000 year old dilapidated church, a 12th Century Cathedral, and a burial chapel which is home to the tombs of Denmark royals - more than 40 queens and kings. This is a world record, to have so many monarchs of a country buried at one ground.