Copenhagen is THE city break to be on right now, according to my Insta feed anyway… After a spontaneous festive long weekend in the Danish capital, though, I can confirm it’s true.
I’m always one for a bit of winter sun to escape the UK’s rubbish weather, but this year I fancied something to get me in the spirit. Plus, I’ve had a few friends go to Copenhagen recently and they absolutely raved about it. So, with limited AL left, here’s what I got up to in just 72 hours…
Day 1
Technically, we flew on Friday night, which was perfect because it meant I didn’t have to take an extra day off work, and we wouldn’t waste any time on our first full day in the city. We landed late and just got the train to our hotel’s nearest metro station to check in and head to bed.
Top tip – get a Copenhagen Card for your trip. You can buy the DISCOVER card to last for however long you need – 24, 48, 72 hours etc. – and it covers all your public transport around Copenhagen, including to and from the airport, and over 80 attractions. We got the 72-hour one and only had to visit like three top attractions to already be saving around £30, and that wasn’t even including transport yet. Mine didn’t actually activate straight away, so I had to buy my first train ticket (it was only around £3, so no biggie) but if there are any issues, just visit the Copenhagen Visitor Service in town – they were super helpful and able to fix it ASAP!
Waking up on Saturday morning, our first thought was obviously… BAKERY. We had a whole list saved from TikTok and started with Hart Bakery today. I had a custardy number and an oat latte – serious chef’s kiss. Then, the weather wasn’t quite giving, so it was the perfect opportunity for a bit of museum and gallery-hopping.
;img.resize(height:608);img.crop(width:1080,height:608)")
We were staying fairly near the Christiansborg Palace, which is like Copenhagen’s Buckingham Palace – think stately rooms and fancy libraries. Obviously, entry was completely free with our Copenhagen Card. Once your card’s activated on the app, there are two QR code options – one for attractions and one for transport – so just show whichever one you need to either the ticket office or driver and they’ll let you through. We then worked our way over the canal to Stroget, which is an iconic shopping street. Around this area and along Kobmagergade, you’ve got Carhartt, ARKET and loads of other aesthetic Danish shops. We stopped off at a Christmas market here too for a hotdog and then worked our way to Rosenborg Castle, which is another old royal residence. The gardens were the highlight here though, they make for a gorg seasonal walk.
The next foodie stop was Apotek 57 for a staple boiled egg on rye bread and another coffee to fuel us up for the Design Museum. This museum is all over socials when you search Copenhagen and it has loads of really cool, modern exhibitions, featuring fashion, poster art and a whole room dedicated to chairs. We then had a bit of time to kill before heading back to get ready for dinner, so we thought we may as well hop on the metro to try Juno bakery. We’d already given into the fact we’d be picking at small plates all day today, so what’s another pastry? Their cardamom buns are legendary and were so soft and pillowy. It’s in the Osterbro district, which is known for flea markets and vintage shopping, so we also popped into Lidkob Osterbro for a quick browse.
We might have had a little snooze back at our hotel… then it was time for dinner. We walked over to the Meatpacking District and checked out my friend’s recommendation, Gaza Grill. It’s a Palestinian restaurant and super affordable for Copenhagen. We ordered about eight different small plates to share, a glass of wine each and it came to around £30 per person. There are so many options in this area though, I’ve also heard good things about H15 and Hija de Sanchez, which is a cute Mexican place.
Top tip – try to book dinner reservations ahead of your trip! We knew Copenhagen was popular, but we were lucky to get a seat at Gaza Grill – everywhere else was full and we did have to sit outside, but they had heaters and blankets. If there’s anywhere you’re really wanting to try, definitely book so you can guarantee a table.
Day 2
Another day, another bakery – this time, BUKA Bakery. Today’s weather was pure blue skies, perfect for our canal tour (also included with the Copenhagen Card). So, we scoffed some more pastries – I had a mascarpone and berries situation – and then headed to meet our boat. Boats regularly depart from a stand on Ved Stranden, so you can just rock up and book on the day. Our guide was a bit of a joker and kept us entertained for an hour, passing by The Operahouse, Amalienborg Palace, Christianshavn, The Black Diamond and other sights.
Top tip – do NOT trek to go and see the Little Mermaid. You pass it on the canal boat tour and can see the disappointment on peoples’ faces who have walked all that way, as it’s right at the top end of the city… it was even the butt of our tour guide’s jokes. It’s not super impressive but still a nice tick on the sightseeing list, so just save yourself the effort and do it this way.
We got dropped off where we started, which is close to the Nyhavn canal, and walked round to see its iconic colourful houses up close. It’s the postcard picture of Copenhagen and probably the most touristy it gets, but still super pretty. We wondered over the bridge to check out Broens street food market, where there’s a Gasoline Grill and we had our eyes on a burger for lunch. This chain is seriously hyped, so we had to try it, and it did hit the spot.
Next up, more walking in the direction of the Waterside Holmen area, which is really pretty. It’s a series of islands and there’s a really cute wine bar called La Banchina that’s also a popular swimming spot. We popped in for a glass of orange wine with a sunset view over the water – it made me desperate to come back here in summer when everyone spends the day in the sun, sitting outside on the decking with their wine and swimming in the canal.
Of course, we had to go to Tivoli Gardens and luckily it was all decorated for Christmas! They tend to dress up the theme park for the festive season from the middle of November. So, we hopped on a bus – via a stop to browse GANNI Postmodern, naturally – and I had my first mulled wine of the year as we walked around the rides and stalls. It is literally the epitome of Christmas, I was so impressed. I’m not a theme park person, but it put the UK’s Winter Wonderland to shame…
;img.resize(height:608);img.crop(width:1080,height:608)")
As it was our final night, we treated ourselves to some cocktails before dinner. After a quick outfit change at our hotel, we managed to grab a seat at JOJO. This place is known for being one of the best-value drinks spots. This is not a drill! Cocktails here are around £6, so, obviously, we had to have a couple each. The aesthetic is also super cute and colourful, but it is small, so definitely head down early if you can – it’s walk-ins only. Dinner was booked at Delphine (another TikTok spesh). It’s a Mediterranean small plates vibe and so, so tasty. The décor was giving boujie hotel wine bar, as we were sat at high bar tables, and you could even sit around the main bar. Fish is the thing to go for here – we had an amazing crab salad, tuna dish and the fried aubergine was a highlight. It was a bit more spenny, it cost us around £50 each in the end. They do offer a set menu, but it was actually cheaper for us to pick what we wanted, and we had a glass of wine each too to make it a similar price.
Day 3
Our flight wasn’t until around 3pm today, so we had the morning to do some shopping and final bits. One thing you’ll notice in Copenhagen is that everyone dresses SO well. Boii Studios is a dreamy store that feels a bit like the love child of COS and H&M – H&M for the high-street prices. I got a couple of jumpers from there and then we thought we’d check out the Norrebro district. My friend stayed here when she came and thought we’d love it. It’s the artsy, theatre and vintage shopping area, AND home to the legendary chicken burger than Dua Lipa says she would fly back to Copenhagen just to eat again. Being nearby, we had to see what the fuss was all about and ordered the spicy, fried chicken burger from Poulette. I do actually still think about it regularly, so thank you Dua… Andersen & Maillard is also right on the corner, which is another top bakery, so we grabbed a final coffee from there and it was time to head to the airport for our flight.
;img.resize(height:608);img.crop(width:1080,height:608)")
To conclude, I can confirm Copenhagen is worth the hype. It’s the ultimate festive city break, but now I absolutely want to come back for a long weekend in summer. Whatever the weather, Copenhagen will never not be cool…
If you’re a city kinda person, check out our best City Break deals. Or, for something else nice and festive, head straight to our Christmas Markets page.
Looking for more articles? You’ll find them on the Inspire homepage.
Author: Lily Owen
Last updated: 14/01/2024
You may also like
City BreaksOur picks)
)
)
)