Ah Copenhagen, where do I even begin? I’ve been making my way through a bunch of European cities, and yes, I still have a ton more to see, but right now Copenhagen is my #1. Minutes into my visit I fell in love with this city. I’m not surprised that it’s always towards the top of “Best Places to Live” lists.
Before my trip I had a ton of recommendations to sift through. It wasn’t easy to whittle down my list for a quick 36 hour stay, but I think I did a pretty solid job. I loved everything I did, now let me pass it on to you.
Why Travel to Copenhagen?
I chose Copenhagen as an add on to our trip to Norway. I’d be doing this part of the trip solo and had read that Copenhagen is a very safe city for solo female travelers. That, plus all the amazing things I’d read about Copenhagen put it towards the top of my travel bucket list. After a day in Stockholm, I took a 5 hour train over to Copenhagen. The train was comfortable (similar to Amtrak), clean, scenic, and super cheap, about $20 USD.
Copenhagen often tops the happiest places to live lists, is the home of the now-trendy hygge, is full of bikers, is a walkable city, has great restaurants and of course you know it’s scenic thanks the very Instagrammable Nyhavn. Scandinavia is a gorgeous part of the world, I highly recommend a visit. Here’s my guide to see it all, even if you’ve only got 36 hours.
Where to Stay
Hotel SP34: Ideally located, you can walk, run or cycle anywhere. The hotel hosts an organic breakfast buffet in their cute restaurant and a wine and beer happy hour every evening in the lobby (all free with your stay). The lobby is the perfect cozy spot to sit by the fire and read or drink wine. If you’re traveling solo, they offer small rooms with a twin bed at an affordable price.
Where to Eat
Mirabelle: A sweet bakery to grab a pastry or meal at. The bread and pasta and made in-house and you can tell.
Torvehallerne Food Hall: A great two-building market with coffee shops (go to Coffee Collective), wine shops, prepared foods and more.
Manfreds: A farm-to-table restaurant known for vegetables and steak tartare. A bizarre combo. This was my big splurge meal of solo traveling. I opted for the tasting menu and an order of the beef tartare. My waiter warned me this was a lot of food. Challenge accepted. In a rare occurrence, I couldn’t finish all the food! Not because it wasn’t delicious, there was just so much of it. I didn’t want to miss out so I’m glad I ordered the tasting menu AND the tartare, and I’d recommend the same to you. But it’s probably even better (on your wallet and your stomach) if you have a dining partner. Make a reservation in advance.
What to See & Do
Nyhavn: The colorful buildings set on the canal. Grab your camera and take 1,000 photos from every angle.
Canal Boat Tour: If you’re interested in learning more about Copenhagen, you can jump on a boat tour right at Nyhavn. A 60-minute float around the canals will give you good insight into the city’s history.
Little Mermaid Statue: I don’t really understand the hype, but swing by and check her out (you’ll boat by on the canal tour too).
Amalienborg Palace Changing of the Guard: There are beautiful palaces all around Copenhagen. This one is where the Danish Royal family lives during the winter. At noon every day you can watch the changing of the guard. If the Queen is in town, the guards are accompanied by the Royal Guards marching band. I lucked out and stumbled upon the guard changing with the Queen in town. It’s like a mini parade through town and totally worth seeing for a few minutes.
Shop at Illums Bolighus: A beautiful store full of Scandic designs, mostly home goods. It’s the perfect place to pick up a a chic souvenir (I bought this print by a Danish illustrator).
Buy Trinkets at Flying Tiger Copenhagen: This store is full of inexpensive fun little things, like notebooks, kitchen goods and gifts. I discovered Tiger in Spain and I’m told it also exists in the US now. It originated in Copenhagen so if you love the store (or don’t have one near you), pop in for a look.
Walk or Run Around Kastellet: This one was a surprise to me on my run (more details on that below). Kastellet is a star shaped fortress built in the 1600s and is now a public park. It’s hard to describe but it’s a raised area that gives you great views and a fun little run route. Look for the pretty windmill as you journey through.
Tivoli Gardens: The second oldest operating amusement park in the world that later inspired the creation of Disneyland. Sadly it was closed for the winter while I was there, just another reason I need to return!
Where to Workout
Run: Copenhagen is super runner-friendly so take your workout outside. I went on what is now one of my favorite runs of all time. Since my time to explore was short, I hit a bunch of sights before the tourists arrived and saw so much. Here’s the route:
- Start at the 3 Lakes. Run all the way around the lakes if you want more milage, or just run along one side, headed north towards the top of first lake.
- At the top of the most northern lake, head east towards Kastellet.
- Once at Kastellet, I can’t explain exactly how to get to the raised part (I basically ran in circles until I found an entrance), but find a bridge that brings you into this area, there will be a raised running path you can hit some miles on.
- Once you’ve had enough, exit Kastellet and head towards the water and then go south. Give the Little Mermaid statue a wave as you run by.
- Further South, make your way to Amalienborg Palace, check out the guards
- Continue South and stop by Nyhavn, pause your running watch and take all the photos.
- Jog on back to your hotel and dig into the breakfast buffet!
- (Starting and ending at SP34, my route was 6.5 miles)
Bike: The city is incredibly bike-friendly. One of the most bike friendly cities in the world. Nearly everyone is on a bike (my favorite are the little kids being ridden around in the little buckets in front of their parent’s bikes). Get in some miles around the city with a rented bike.
General Travel Tips:
- The train is very easy to take to and from the hotel, don’t bother with cabs or uber.
- The currency is the Danish Kroner. Most places take credit card, I didn’t have a need for any cash during my trip.
- The city is safe and if you stay in the main areas, walking around after dark shouldn’t be an issue. I felt safe walking everywhere.
- English is widely spoken. Don’t be too worried about brushing up on your Danish.
- You can explore a ton in one day. But if you have more time, take it-this city is amazing!
- Everyone bikes and walks. You can use Uber but I say use your legs whenever possible 🙂
Honestly, by the end of my 36 hours in Copenhagen I was googling the cost of living as I could totally see myself living there. Am I moving to Copenhagen? Probably not, but I’ll definitely be back for another visit.
