UltimateCity Guide Copenhagen
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The painted gabled houses and old wooden ships of Nyhavn reflected in the canal on a clear summer day The Tivoli Concert Hall lit up at dusk behind the illuminated fountain of Tivoli Gardens Rosenborg Castle, Christian IV’s Renaissance palace, above its moat under a blue sky

The city guide to Copenhagen, Denmark

Best of Copenhagen

Nyhavn and the harbour, Tivoli since 1843, Rosenborg’s crown jewels and Amalienborg’s guard, smørrebrød at lunch and the 2026 MICHELIN stars, Danish design and the harbour baths: Copenhagen, checked place by place.

Launch edition · Autumn 2026

Where to eatWhat to see
The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peakSister guideULTIMATE Rail JourneysThe story of the train, the great journeys and where to book themA cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, MontenegroSister guideULTIMATE CruisesLines, ships and itineraries, from river to expeditionThe Matterhorn in winter above ZermattSister guideULTIMATE Ski ResortsSeason dates, hotels, après and ski schools, resort by resortThe Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratSister guideULTIMATE PropertyPrime neighbourhoods, agents, new developments and how buying works

Your trusted, one‑stop guide to Copenhagen

Copenhagen is a royal harbour city, small enough to cross by bike in half an hour: painted houses along the canals, palaces and pleasure gardens, design shops and the most celebrated kitchens of the North. Here are the grand hotels and the 2026 MICHELIN stars, the smørrebrød rooms and the bakeries, the castles and museums, the districts from Indre By to Nørrebro and Refshaleøen, the Metro and the harbour buses, and day trips to Louisiana, Kronborg, Roskilde, Malmö and Frederiksborg. We’ve checked every listing against the venue’s own website or an official source, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm.

Copenhagen, the royal harbour city: the back story

In depth

The royal harbour city

Copenhagen·In depth

Absalon’s castle under Christiansborg, Christian IV’s Rosenborg and Round Tower, the palaces of Amalienborg, Nyhavn and Tivoli: how to read the city.

Read the story

Copenhagen by area

From the old town to the new harbour, each district has its own guide: Strøget and Rosenborg, Nyhavn and the royal quarter, the canals of Christianshavn, Vesterbro and the Meatpacking District, Nørrebro across the Lakes, Østerbro, Islands Brygge and Refshaleøen.

The cobbled spiral ramp inside the Round Tower, winding up between whitewashed wallsArea guideIndre By & StrøgetThe old townNyhavn’s gabled houses in yellow, white and blue behind the masts of old sailing shipsArea guideNyhavn & FrederiksstadenThe royal quarterThe canal of Christianshavn, with old houses, a houseboat and moored boatsArea guideChristianshavnCanals and KadeauThe Meatpacking District, Kødbyen, at dusk, with string lights over the outdoor tablesArea guideVesterbro, Kødbyen & FrederiksbergTivoli and the Meatpacking DistrictThe black-and-white striped Black Market square of Superkilen in NørrebroArea guideNørrebroAcross the Lakes

By bike

Copenhagen is flat and compact: rent a city bike and the whole city is yours in half an hour, from Nyhavn to Nørrebro.

  1. Area guideØsterbroGeranium and the Little Mermaid
  2. Area guideIslands Brygge & AmagerHarbour baths and CopenHill
  3. Area guideRefshaleøen & NordhavnThe new harbour

Plan your trip

The practical things to know before you go: the airport and the Metro, tickets and the Copenhagen Card, Danish kroner, cycling etiquette, and itineraries for a first visit.

Copenhagen City Hall and its tower on City Hall SquareBefore you goCopenhagen essentialsThe airport, the Metro, money and 112A driverless Copenhagen Metro train on the elevated line through ØrestadGetting aroundBy Metro, train and bikeM1–M4, DSB and the harbour busesSmørrebrød on dark rye: beef tartare with crisps, and chicken saladItineraryThree days in CopenhagenThe classic first visitThe white façade of Hotel d’Angleterre on Kongens Nytorv in winter sunLuxury guideLUX LivingThe finest addressesItineraryThe Gold weekendd’Angleterre, Marchal and Kong Hans
  1. ItineraryThe Platinum weekendNimb, Geranium and Alchemist

Our advice

Fifteen minutes from the airport

The M2 Metro and the trains leave from Terminal 3 and reach the centre in about 15 minutes (VisitCopenhagen). By Metro, train and bike

Beyond the city

Louisiana by the sea, Hamlet’s castle at Helsingør, the kings and Viking ships of Roskilde, Malmö across the Øresund and Frederiksborg on its lake: all within reach by train.

A sculpture on the lawn before the low galleries of Louisiana Museum of Modern ArtBeyond the cityLouisiana & HumlebækModern art by the seaKronborg Castle at Helsingør above its brick rampartsBeyond the cityKronborg & HelsingørHamlet’s castleThe twin spires and brick front of Roskilde CathedralBeyond the cityRoskildeKings, queens and Viking shipsThe Øresund Bridge curving across the sound from its artificial island, seen from the airBeyond the cityMalmö & the Øresund BridgeOver the ØresundFrederiksborg Castle reflected in its lake at HillerødBeyond the cityFrederiksborg & HillerødA castle on a lake

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In depth: Copenhagen’s back stories

Danish cuisine, the royal harbour city, design and music, eating, the grand hotels, film, getting about and where to buy: the stories behind the city.

Christmas huts in Tivoli at dusk, with the lit dome behind the treesChristmas & New YearChristmas in CopenhagenTivoli from 13 November, gløgg and the castlesSmørrebrød with new potatoes and with avocado and pickled onionEatDanish CuisineSmørrebrød, herring, cake and New NordicThe Copenhagen Opera House on Holmen at dusk, its glass front lit across the harbourFeatureCopenhagen, the classic and the newPalaces, the harbour, the table and design

At lunch

Go to smørrebrød at lunch, as Copenhageners do: Schønnemann has served it on Hauser Plads since 1877.

  1. FeatureCopenhagen on filmNordisk Film, Cinemateket and the cinemas
  2. The back storyDesign and musicThe galleries, the Opera and the Playhouse

Across the North with the ULTIMATE guides

Helsinki across the Baltic, the great train journeys and the cruise ships that call at Langelinie.

The inner harbour of Copenhagen at dawn, with a harbour bus and the Royal Library’s Black DiamondULTIMATE HelsinkiHelsinkiAcross the Baltic

The ULTIMATE City Guides around the world

See all Europe

Planning a longer journey? Each city in the network has its own independent guide, written with the same care and checked place by place. Here are the guides that are live, with more on the way.

Canal houses and bridges in Amsterdamthe NetherlandsULTIMATE AmsterdamThe canal ring, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, canal-house hotels, twenty MICHELIN-starred tables, brown cafés, and day trips to Haarlem and Keukenhof.The Alhambra in Granada in the evening lightSpainULTIMATE AndalusiaSeville, Granada and the Alhambra, Córdoba, Málaga, Cádiz and Jerez, Ronda and the white villages, Doñana and Cabo de Gata.The floodlit Acropolis and Parthenon at dusk, seen from Philopappos HillGreeceULTIMATE AthensThe Acropolis and the Plaka, rooftop bars facing the Parthenon, the Athens Riviera and the Greek islands: our original guide, and our deepest.The road winding out to the lighthouse on Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, above the open seaSpainULTIMATE Balearic IslandsMallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera side by side, and how to hop between them by ferry.The Sagrada Família lit up at nightSpainULTIMATE BarcelonaGaudí and the Sagrada Família, the Gothic Quarter, four Three-Star MICHELIN kitchens, the beaches and day trips to Montserrat and Girona.Belgrade's old town and the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael above the Sava at sunsetSerbiaULTIMATE BelgradeWhere the Sava meets the Danube: a buzzing capital of art, classical music and famous nightlife, with a new waterfront and the mountains of Zlatibor and Kopaonik.

See all 81 guides

HOT TOPICS · Have Your Say

The latest from our readers: visitors and locals talking about Copenhagen, its restaurants, theatres, museums and neighbourhoods.

    Have your say in HOT TOPICS

    The fountain and the swing carousel of Tivoli Gardens on a sunny day

    This week's pick

    Tivoli Gardens

    Tivoli·Pleasure garden

    Christmas in Tivoli opens on 13 November 2026 and runs to 3 January 2027: trees glowing in colour, Christmas stalls and the rides lit up after dark. Book entry and the Tivoli Pass on tivoli.dk.

    Find out more

    Every list in the guide

    Plan your day

    The corner of Østergade by Amagertorv, with the ILLUM building and its rooftopItineraryA design day: porcelain, silver and the national museum of designOne dayThe harbour bath at Islands Brygge on a summer day, with swimmers and the waterfront parkItineraryThe harbour day: swim, ski and street foodOne daySailing boats moored along the Christianshavn canalItineraryA property viewing day: Østerbro, Frederiksberg and the harbourOne day
    1. ItineraryBy rail: Louisiana and Kronborg up the coastOne day, by train

    Know your neighbourhoods

    Our favourites right now

    Restaurants

    1. 1Eating in Copenhagen: the back storyCopenhagen · In depth
    2. 2Danish CuisineCopenhagen · In depth: food
    3. 3GeraniumØsterbro · Creative restaurant
    See all 68

    Cafés

    1. 1Conditori La GlaceIndre By · Konditori
    2. 2The Coffee CollectiveNørrebro · Coffee roaster
    3. 3The Winter Garden Café at the GlyptotekIndre By · Museum café
    See all 7

    Bars

    1. 1RubyIndre By · Cocktail bar
    2. 2BalderdashIndre By · Cocktail bar
    3. 3LidkoebVesterbro · Cocktail and whisky bar
    See all 9

    Hotels

    1. 1The grand hotels of Copenhagen: the back storyCopenhagen · In depth
    2. 2Hotel d’AngleterreKongens Nytorv · Grand hotel
    3. 3NimbTivoli · Boutique palace hotel
    See all 19

    Sights

    1. 1Copenhagen, the royal harbour city: the back storyCopenhagen · In depth
    2. 2Tivoli GardensTivoli · Pleasure garden
    3. 3Rosenborg CastleIndre By · Royal castle
    See all 15

    Arts & Culture

    1. 1Copenhagen, the city of design and music: the back storyCopenhagen · In depth
    2. 2SMK, the National Gallery of DenmarkIndre By · Art museum
    3. 3Ny Carlsberg GlyptotekIndre By · Art museum
    See all 28

    Parks

    1. 1The King’s GardenIndre By · Royal garden
    2. 2The Botanical GardenIndre By · Botanical garden
    3. 3Frederiksberg GardensFrederiksberg · Royal park
    See all 8

    Walks

    1. 1Strøget to NyhavnIndre By · Walk
    2. 2The royal mile: Nyhavn to the Little MermaidFrederiksstaden · Walk
    3. 3Christianshavn and the harbourChristianshavn · Walk
    See all 5

    Shopping

    1. 1ILLUMAmagertorv · Department store
    2. 2Magasin du NordKongens Nytorv · Department store
    3. 3Royal Copenhagen Flagship StoreAmagertorv · Porcelain
    See all 7

    Health

    1. 1Emergencies: call 112Copenhagen · Emergency number
    2. 2Medical helpline: call 1813Copenhagen · Medical helpline
    3. 3Bispebjerg HospitalBispebjerg · Hospital
    See all 11

    Property

    1. 1Buying in Copenhagen: the back storyCopenhagen · In depth
    2. 2homeCopenhagen · Estate agency
    3. 3NyboligCopenhagen · Estate agency
    See all 4

    Developments

    1. 1The rebuilding of BørsenSlotsholmen · Development
    2. 2The new Natural History Museum of DenmarkIndre By · Development
    3. 3NordhavnNordhavn · Development
    See all 6

    Bikes & Boats

    1. 1Bycyklen city bikesCopenhagen · City bikes
    2. 2The harbour busesThe harbour · Harbour bus
    3. 3Canal toursNyhavn · Boat tour
    See all 5

    Getting Around

    1. 1Copenhagen by Metro, train and bike: the back storyCopenhagen · In depth
    2. 2Copenhagen MetroCopenhagen · Metro
    3. 3DOT and Rejsekort: ticketsCopenhagen · Tickets
    See all 7