Copenhagen is calling.

You know you are in the city of hygge when you land at the airport and this is the first sign you see. Copenhagen is a great idea if you just want to imbibe some contentment and wellbeing AKA Danish hygge.

The city is perfect for a short, 2 -3 day break if you want a taste of Scandinavian style of living. The city has a very slow, chilled- out vibe and is very pretty with its canal-side cafes, colourful Nyhavn area and one of the oldest amusement park Tivoli Gardens. Of course, Danish food is another big perk to enjoy here.

Just remember to pack for any surprises when you visit here - The whole of Denmark has a Baltic climate with cold winters and mild summers. And the weather is very changeable, with heavy cloudbursts in the summer. So i'll advise to pack a raincoat and windcheater if you visit in summer, and lot of woollens for the winter.

The idea was to plan a detailed, step-by-step guide to spending two days in Copenhagen, including must-visit sites, hand-picked restaurants , and local experiences. In this itinerary I tried to cover central attractions like Nyhavn, Rundetaarn, and Tivoli Gardens, and also visit some unique areas like Nørrebro or Christianhavn, with food markets, parks, and boutique shops.

First things first, where to stay?

Since mine was a weekend trip, i wanted to stay close to Nyhavn. It's pretty much the heart of the city and most activities are easily accessible from here.

££ Hotel Bethel is a good find, an affordable 3 star hotel located in Nyhavn.

£££ I went with Copenhagen Admiral Hotel, a 5 star property located at a five minutes stroll to Nyhavn.

££££ There is also 71 Nyhavn Hotel, a 5 star property, located in Nyhavn itself if you are looking for a luxe stay.

Copenhagen's Latin quarter and city centre areas are also worth exploring for your stay.

£££££ Lastly, if you are looking for an ultra luxury stay idea then go for Nimb Hotel- It is located inside the Tivoli Gardens, is gorgeous with Moorish-style architecture, luxe rooms and excellent dining options.

We enjoyed staying at our hotel. The staff and facilities were great, my bed was a cloud and the location was perfect. They also had a lovely terrace bar to enjoy till late night, right next to the port. Also for a 5 star property, the rates were very competitive.

The breakfast was another highlight of the stay, with so many cakes, breads and pastries to try and ample hot food options. And we did laze around in the lobby a lot since we found a LOT of rain on our trip.

Here's a glimpse of the suggested itinerary-

Day 1:

Nyhavn
Canal Tour
Strøget Shopping Street
Rundetaarn
Chistianshavn (Freetown Christiana)
Tivoli Gardens
Dinner in Tivoli

Day 2:

Little Mermaid from up close (optional)
Amalienborg Palace: Changing of the Guard at noon.
Rosenborg Castle & The King’s Garden

Christiansborg Palace (optional)

Take a tram to Norrebro - explore the area and have dinner here if time permits

You can also add a Hygge Tour or a Danish Food Tour (optional) to the mix. They are all very well reviewed on sites like getyourguide and viator.

Day 1

We started our day with a stroll of Nyhavn and obviously it is picture postcard perfect. We spend a good time soaking up the vibe and trying ice-cream at the famous corner shop Vaffelbageren which was really crowded and for good reason. The whole stretch of area is a wonderful walk and it is lined with one restaurant after another - all busy and bustling.

There are lot of photo ops with beautiful bridges and colourful backdrops. Also, opposite to this view, stands the house where Hans Christian Anderson lived. It is a must-visit for fairy-tale lovers and it doesn't take more than 10 minutes. The spot is now a small souvenir shop with a replica of Little Mermaid and Anderson's figure. I ended up buying one too many magnets here. There is also a Hans Christian Anderson experience you can visit while you are in the city.

We then walked towards Ved Stranden for our Canal Tour. I think a canal tour is a fantastic way to experience the city from a unique perspective and therefore a must do tourist activity. . As you glide through the waterways, you get to see iconic landmarks like the Opera House, The Little Mermaid, and the obviously the colourful facades of Nyhavn. It’s a relaxing yet informative journey that highlights Copenhagen’s rich maritime history and stunning architecture. The tours can be booked online (preferable) or taken on the spot.

Photo by Ayşenur Şahin

Photo by Dimitri Orlow

Next we made our way to the famous Strøget Shopping Street, one of Europe's longest car-free streets,. From designer boutiques, Danish fashion brands, and charming local shops - you can find it all here. It's also a nice, lively area to soak up the historic architecture, and enjoy street performances. It is absolutely beautiful with a gorgeous fountain at the middle of the square and high end stores surrounding it.

google street view image

We spent a good few hours here, and also had Smørrebrød at Cafe G, a nice lunch spot at Gråbrødretorv, another pretty square closeby. The portions were huge and really tasty. A Smørrebrød (open sandwich) is a must try when in the city. And to be honest, wherever you eat, it's hard to get it wrong in Copenhagen.

Then we found this huge bookstore that had lot of Ghibli stuff that I fell in love with, on our way to the Rundetaarn (Round Tower). The queue is fast-moving, the tickets are under £3 and the climb is via an easy and unique spiral ramp walk with no stairs except for a small section to the top. There are also windows stone ledges to sit on if you feel tired on the way. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it. This 17th-century tower was originally built as an astronomical observatory and as you ascend, you’ll discover charming architectural details and exhibitions along the way. In the end you are rewarded with gorgeous, panoramic views of the city.

Astronomical Clock

Church at the bottom of Rundetaarn

View from the top

We had some coffee and chocolate sundaes outside Rundetaarn at Frellsen, where we also took shelter from rain. Unfortunately for us, the rain was torrential and unstoppable so we had to postpone our plan for Tivoli to the next day. However I strongly recommend making it a part of your first evening and night dinner since Tivoli needs a good 3+ hours, is beautifully lit in the evening and there are very many dining options.

So, as it was pouring hard, in the middle of June, we tiptoed under awnings and reached the the Stroget Stork Fountain square, where we hired a Tuk-Tuk to drop us back to the hotel since we were soaking wet. We then spent the evening in our hotel lobby, looking outside at the downpour from the lobby windows. Many more people like us occupied the area. It was a different experience - a reminder that not all goes as per plan. But where else could we enjoy this slow evening more than when in Danish domain? So we tried to incorporate some Hygge in our evening that day -

♥️ Changed into dry clothes - and instantly felt better

♥️ Enjoyed some hot tea, followed by carrot soup and homemade bread.

♥️ Soaked in the dimly lit atmosphere of the lobby, and switched off from the phone.

♥️ Focused on the soft music playing in the lobby, and the sounds of people chatting and laughing.

♥️ Flipped through images in the newspapers and magazines, and wrote the highlights of the day in my travel diary.

♥️ Took a long salt bath in my room before sleeping.

Day 2

Started the day with a hearty breakfast of eggs and pancakes and revising our itinerary since we could not carry on with the initial plan as we had to incorporate Tivoli in this dday. Having seen the Mermaid from the boat, we skipped it and went for Amalienborg Palace followed by Rosenborg Castle and The King’s Garden - before heading out for Tivoli Gardens, scrapping everything else on the list, since we had our flight this night.

Before delving into my revised itinerary, here's a google map of the planned itinerary on how to navigate through various castles in a whole of 1 hr 10 minutes walk (plus the whole day it will take saoking up different castles). Afterwards, you can take a tram to Norrebro and stay till dinner. There is also a very famous, very expensive dinner spot Noma if you are looking for a unique, luxury dining experience (it is in a different location altogether from the usual touristy areas).

Photo by C1 Superstar

Photo by Ezequiel Filiberto

We first headed for the Amamlienborg castle. As the official residence of the Danish royal family, this majestic palace offers a glimpse into the life of the monarchy. You can also explore the opulent Amalienborg Museum and learn about the royal traditions. The Changing of the Guard ceremony at noon adds to the charm and is a highlight, but it takes place at noon so we could not stay back for it as it was continuing to drizzle.

Photo by Adrien Olichon

Then we headed to the Rosenborg castle & The King’s garden. A 17th-century grand castle, this place houses Denmark’s royal treasures, including the crown jewels, offering a glimpse into the opulence of the Danish monarchy.

The castle’s Renaissance architecture and richly decorated rooms transport you back in time. Just outside, The King’s Garden is a beautiful oasis, and you can spend hours and hours on a sunny day, strolling amidst blooming flowers, manicured lawns, and picturesque surroundings. The view of the castle from the grounds is majestic and there are a lot of photo opportunities. You might find a lot of my outdoor photos borrowed in this post, because we faced inclement weather on both days. After a nice hour or so here, we headed for Tivoli Gardens.

It took us a whole of 15 mins to reach there since we took a metro from Norreport (5 min walk from Rosenborg) to Tivoli. The rain had turned to a light shower when we stepped out of the Metro - a very pleasant surprise.

We spent a good 3-4 hours in Tivoli as we had hoped for. The place looks magical and is a great mix of rides, entertainment and restaurants. The gardens are lovely and the ambiance has a hint of the fairy-tales. It is one of the world's oldest amusement park - and therefore there was a touch of nostalgia in the candyfloss and popcorn counters, the sweetshops, train-ride, and the open arcade counters for balloon shooting, hoop tossing and other such retro games. There was also this very pretty shop to must visit.

There are twenty or so dining places in Tivoli, to suit every taste and every pocket. We had a midday lunch at Groften, a lovely traditional restaurant that we really enjoyed. It is even prettier in the night with its fairy-lights, but then again, the whole of Tivoli is illuminated like stuff of dreams. It is a photographer's delight. The rooftop restaurant called The Japanese Pagoda gets reserved very much in advance. It is a highly recommended restaurant and a great dining option for your visit.

Another great thing about the parks is that there are separate tickets for entrance, rides and entrance + rides. We did not want to do the rides in the rain so we only had to pay for the entrance tickets (£18 for adults, £9 for kids). Also, there are many seasonal activities so you can check their website before planning your visit. All in all, Tivoli Gardens is a great place for couples, families and friends alike and should definitely be on your list of places to visit in Copenhagen.

Photo by Ruts Vakulenko

Photo by Gije Cho

Post Tivoli, we went to Nyhavn where we took a few more pictures to remember this beaut, colourful area, and had an early dinner at Havfruen. They say "Tomorrow's fish is still in the sea" and truly the fish here was fresh and lovely - we tried Halibut and Baked Salmon and the veggie Tagliolini was also very lovely.

It made no sense to leave Copenhagen without some dessert so we went for a lemon and meringue pie and some good ole Tiramisu.

Then we headed to the hotel, to collect our bags for the airport.

Equipped with magnets, souvenirs and pretty little nothings from Tivoli, we made our way back home, having hopefully also imbibed some Hygge on this mini vacation.

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