Copenhagen has been on my bucket list for a long time so, whilst we don’t often visit big cities as a family, we made sure to include it in this itinerary. It was the northernmost destination on our 2.5 week road trip from the UK, which included stops in Germany and Belgium as well as several Danish islands (scroll to the end for the full itinerary). 

Staying budget-conscious in a big city is always tricky but, aside from food and drinks, and some public transport (the train ride in from our countryside accommodation, a harbour taxi and a short bus ride), we managed to fill our day with free activities which definitely gave us a good taste of what Copenhagen has to offer. We used a free walking tour from a guidebook to add detail to our day at points, depending on the attention spans of Small and Tiny at any given moment! There are various online options too. 

We did a lot of walking to cover all the locations listed below (20,000 adult-sized steps in all so I have no idea how many the girls must have done!), however you could definitely do it smarter by using the 24/7 metro, city buses and water taxis more. This handy website tells you everything you need to know about getting a public transport ticket for the day (kids are free). Everything we did was pram-friendly (Copenhagen is famous for its accessibility) but there are cobblestones in places. We didn’t spend a huge amount of time at every stop; you could certainly fill your day by selecting fewer locations and spending longer in each one.

Nyhavn

The 17^th century colourful canal district is the iconic view we all associate with Copenhagen. We headed there first and were immediately struck with how busy it was! One side is so full of cafes that it’s been referred to as the longest bar crawl in the world whilst the other side is a little quieter. Tourist boats of all shapes and sizes, as well as residents’ motorboats and goods boats ply the canal, while floating restaurants, historic wooden museums and houseboats are moored along the edges. You can also see three houses lived in by Hans Christian Andersen (numbers 18, 20 (dark red and mustard in photo 3) and 67) at different times in his life. I love imagining a place back in time and, because we’d learnt a lot about him already on the trip (especially in Odense), this was easy to do here.

Changing of the Guards at Amalienborg Palace

The Amalienborg Palace complex is the winter residence of the Royal Faily and consists of four palaces around an octagonal courtyard, with the grand statue of Frederik V at its centre. If you enjoy a little pomp, then the changing of the guards happens at midday. It’s a very hushed and ceremonial atmosphere, and there are some strict guards ensuring you don’t stand in the wrong place or perch on any kerbs, so it may not suit every family. With hindsight, we would suggest you actually catch them on Gothersgade or Bredgade processing from Rosenborg Castle starting at 11:30am. This is because, at the palace, the crowds were big and almost impossible to see past, and because the guards actually stand still doing nothing for long periods of time during the 45-minute ceremony once they’re in the courtyard. Apparently, if the monarch is staying at the palace, it all becomes much grander with full pageantry and music from the Royal Guards Music Band. You can go inside and explore the Amalienborg museum inside Christian VIII’s Palace; this costs unless you have a Copenhagen Card.

St Frederick’s Church (aka The Marble Church/Marmorkirken)

The stunning St Frederick’s church faces you as you leave the Amalienborg Palace. Unfortunately, it was closed for a very high-profile-looking wedding on the day of our visit but it’s another impressive place that is free to enter. You can pay a small fee to visit the dome although this involves a steep climb in a confined space. And if you don’t fancy going inside, there are statues all around the outside to befriend.

Ørstedsparken

After lunch (see our recommendation below – obviously it can’t sit in a list of free things!), we felt the kids were losing sight-seeing enthusiasm somewhat, so we detoured into Ørstedsparken which is a big public park right in the centre of the city. There are playgrounds, water features, plenty of grass for a run around or a picnic, a pretty lake and lots of statues. You’ll also find public toilets and a little cafe.

Botanical Gardens (Botanisk Have)

It was very hot on the day of our visit so we thought we’d find some shade in the Botanical Gardens. There are 13,000 plant species throughout 10 hectares of land; we saw freshwater turtles and big carp in the water, lots of birdlife, and red squirrels playing in the trees. The whole place feels like a welcome oasis away from the busyness of the city. It’s free to enter although you can pay to visit the 1874 Palm House and the Butterfly House. We shared some expensive sorbet but it would also be a good spot for a picnic. We walked to it but it’s quite a long way (especially if you’re mistaken about which edge of the plot the entrance is on as we were!) so I’d recommend looking at public transport options. There’s a little café and a shop where you can buy plants and seeds and there are toilets at the entrance. 

Kastellet (Citadel) Gardens

We actually fast-walked through this area as time was getting on and we wanted to see The Little Mermaid and get off home. However, the unique pentagram fortress is a lovely area and you could spend a good while here or maybe have a picnic. It’s very peaceful and picturesque in the gardens which feature a moat, the Citadel Church, a windmill, extensive red-brick barracks, the yellow Commander’s House and the fortress ramparts with views of the harbour and city. 

The Little Mermaid

Our walk through the Kastellet Gardens led us out onto and along the waterfront, past some little play areas, to the famous Little Mermaid statue. Now, if you’re visiting at a peak time like us, be prepared for crowds (and content creators taking long turns posing very close to the statue!) and also be mindful of children making their way over the uneven rocks. I’m glad we saw her but she is very small. Surprisingly so, and possibly a little anticlimactic if I’m being honest! Interesting facts: the statue was commissioned by the founder of Carlsberg beer – Carl Jacobsen – in 1913 after he saw and loved a ballet adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s tale. She’s suffered two beheadings, an arm amputation and has been graffitied on several times.

Harbour Buses

Technically these taxi boats are not free (at 24 DKK for a 2-zone ticket or you can buy a city transit pass – the DOT Tickets App or a Copenhagen Card) but they’re very cheap and feel like an activity even though they’re actually just public transport. You can sit inside or out and they run every 15-30 minutes. Key stops include Orientkaj, Nyhavn, The Opera House and Teglholmen. We used one to get from the Little Mermaid area back to the train station as the sun was going down and it was very picturesque. The kids found the metro, the bus and the overground trains fun too!

Torvehallerne Food Court 

OK, so it isn’t free at all but you’ve got to eat! This super popular food court has more or less everything you might fancy, though the queues can make it tricky to coordinate if everyone wants different things. Dean went for smørrebrød (open sandwiches) and I enjoyed some delicious pasta from Il Mattarello Pasta Lab-Bar. We brought a picnic for the kids. The only downside was that finding a seat was tricky – Tiny ended up having a nap on my knee on a bench. There are some paid public toilets on the same square and, just over the road, when we were there, there was an open-air market selling crafts, antiques and bric-a-brac.

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A Word of Caution

Unavoidably, we ended up in Copenhagen on an August Saturday so it was super busy and our little country mice are just not accustomed to cities. Perhaps yours are in which case this may not be of such concern. They were their usual excitable, exploratory selves with little regard for any city-based dangers so consequently my mum-xiety was off the scale worrying they were going to trip into a canal (there are no railings), be knocked over by a high-speed bike/car/tram or get lost in the crowds! A bit of a travel mum-fail really, especially for someone usually so keen on prepping kids for things they may face when travelling! You live and you learn! We’re glad we went but give us a forest path any day!

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A Bonus Recommendation: Liseleje Beach Day Trip from Copenhagen

If – like me – you’ve never associated Denmark with beautiful white sand beaches, then you – like me – would have been pleasantly surprised by Liseleje Strand which is just an hour from Copenhagen.

It may have been a bit windy and it may have later started to rain, but we had a lovely time! 

The picturesque town of Liseleje is most definitely worth a visit too. It’s walkable from the beach. There’s a café just near the car park and plenty of other options for food further into the town.

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Copenhagen was the northernmost stop in our 2.5 week road trip from Derbyshire (UK) to Denmark. The full itinerary, using our own car, is below. I’ll come back and link in future blog posts as I write them. It was a great trip but, if we did it again, we’d add another night on the way up north to break the journey up, and possibly the same again on the way back down.

Day 1: home to Folkestone for our LeShuttle crossing; drive to Bailleul, France (or similar for 1 night) (a long travel day but broken up so it didn’t feel too bad)

Day 2: long travel day #1 – breakfast in France, lunch in Belgium at Chateau d’Hélécine (free bouncy castles and amazing playgrounds next to a lake and café) and dinner in Germany (stay 2 nights in Weilerswist or similar or stay in Cologne if preferred)

GERMANY

Day 3: visit Cologne

Day 4: long travel day #2 – Cologne to Fleckby (or similar for 1 night) via Bremen Rhododendron Park (playgrounds, walks and a pricey/busy café so maybe bring a picnic) 

DENMARK

Day 5: travel to Svendborg (4 nights) and visit Odense

Day 6: visit Ærø island by passenger ferry

Day 7: visit Egeskov Castle

Day 8: visit Langeland island (self-drive tour)

Day 9: visit Sagnlandet Lejre (Land of Legends) then travel to Roskilde (or similar or stay in Copenhagen if preferred for 2 nights)

Day 10: visit Copenhagen

Day 11: visit Lisleje Beach; travel to Askeby (or similar for 2 nights)

Day 12: visit Møn island (self-drive tour)

Day 13: long travel day #3 – Askeby to Lübeck (2 nights) via a stop in Heiligenhafen Pier

GERMANY

Day 14: visit Lübeck

Day 15: long travel day #4 – Lübeck to Oberhausen (or similar for 1 night) via a stop in Celle

BELGIUM

Day 16: visit Ghent, Belgium (stay 2 nights in Wingene or similar or in Ghent/Bruges if preferred)

Day 17: visit Bruges

Day 18: Bruges to home

All information is correct at the time of posting. Follow us on Instagram @four_go_exploring for more independent family adventures.