Denmark

Copenhagen:

Activities

  1. Nyhavn: Better known as “the colorful houses.” This is the most famous area in Copenhagen. Expect it to be crowded, but it’s a must see. At the beginning of the canal by the big anchor is a great picture spot, but if you also walk to the middle of the canal, there’s a bridge with some locks on it and that’s also a great spot to take pictures.
  2. Canal Tour / The Little Mermaid: Take a tour of the canals. These tours start at Nyhavn and take about 1-1.5 hours and a guide will tell you the history of the city. Feel free to bring drinks on the boat – there are no open container laws in Denmark! On this tour you will see the Little Mermaid – look at it here but I wouldn’t recommend going to see it on land, it’s pretty underwhelming.
  3. GoBoat: There’s a company called GoBoat where you can rent a small boat and drive it through the canals. I would pack a picnic and cruise around the canals; it’s a really fun experience.
  4. Tivoli: The famous amusement park in Copenhagen. One of the most beautiful places in the city! Even if you don’t like rides, go walk around the park and check out the different scenes. It’s a world famous place and a must-do while in the city.
  5. Strogate: One of the longest shopping streets in Europe! It’s worth taking a walk down and checking out all the shops.
  6. Freetown Christiania: A self-proclaimed autonomous neighborhood in Copenhagen. I describe it as “Woodstock Real Life.” It’s a very hipster, very colorful and very unique place and I have never been anywhere like it. That being said, it’s also known for the fact that marijuana is legal here and easily bought / sold on Pusher Street. A really different place to visit, but note that you are not allowed to take pictures anywhere near pusher street. If you are going to visit, I would recommend checking out the lake / local residences as well.
  7. Amalienborg Palace: The home of the Danish royal family. Check out the main square and see if you can, catch the changing of the guard.
  8. Rosenborg Castle: Houses the Crown Jewels and Royal Regalia. A beautiful building on the inside and out, and worth paying to visit.
  9. Christiansborg Palace: A palace and a government building in Copenhagen. I would recommend going up to the top of the building to get a good view of the city. It’s free!
  10. Church of Our Saviour: A church in Christianshavn known for its gold winding staircase. It’s worth going up if you want to views of the city, but if you are afraid of heights, it’s a scary climb (especially on a windy day).
  11. Six Forgotten Giants: Giant wooden structures made from scrap wood that are hidden around the city. A a fun adventure to try and find them!   http://thomasdambo.com/works/forgotten-giants/

Food (check out Instagram for pictures of the food):

Breakfast / Brunch (Wulf and Konstali, Mad & Kaffe and Union Kitchen are known as the big 3 brunch spots in the city):

  1. Wulf and Konstali: Great brunch spot! Here you have a menu and get to pick from 5 or 7 items on the menu. They are categorized by “eggs,” “fruit and greens,” “dairy,” “bakery,” “meat and fish,” and “other stuff.” It gets very busy on the weekends so I would go during the week.
  2. Mad & Kaffe: Here you have a menu and get to pick from 3, 5 or 7 items on the menu. They are categorized by “greens,” “dairy,” “bakery,” “meat and fish,” and “treat of the day.” This place also gets very busy on the weekends so I would go during the week (you cannot make reservations).
  3. Grod: Known for their porridge! Absolutely delicious. I would recommend Oat Porridge 1 if you want something sweet (I always added freeze-dried raspberries, hazelnuts and chocolate drops), Congee if you want something salty and Risotto if you want something savory.
  4. Union Kitchen: Order a latte; they come with funny sayings on them.

Lunch:

  1. Paper Island: A street food market inside an old shipping container. There are at least 40 different food options from around the world. My personal favorites are the Moroccan flatbread (Marrakech), the fried noodles from “Red China,” the ice cream and the crème brulee donut. But you can’t go wrong with the food here; I never had something I didn’t like. Many of my friends’ favorite place was the pulled duck burger from “Duck It.”
  2. Glass Market: A fresh food market right by Norreport. High end ingredients and a great place to stop to grab lunch!
  3. Smagsloget: Delicious (and massive) sandwiches! A really great place to grab a sandwich for a picnic, GoBoat, or just for lunch! One sandwich would last me 2 meals.

Dinner:

  1. The Olive Kitchen: Everything here is made from scratch and it’s a great dinner spot right in Norreport.
  2. Mother: In the Meatpacking district – delicious pizza (the only thing they make besides select appetizers)!
  3. La Vita E Bella: Amazing Italian food!
  4. Meatpacking District: The whole area is known for their restaurants, you can’t go wrong when going here to eat.

Dessert:

  1. La Glace: Famous cake place in Copenhagen. I would recommend trying a piece of cake, but also the Kartoffelkage.

Nightlife:

  1. Bars:
    1. Billy Booze (Tuesday place)
    2. Zoo Bar
    3. Dupong – Wednesday night place to play ping-pong
    4. Peder Oxe
    5. Butchers
    6. A Bar
    7. LA Tequilla Bar (Tuesday place)
    8. Club Nexus – go during the opening CBS night
  2. Clubs:
    1. Meatpacking District
      1. The Joline
      2. KB3
      3. Bakken (house music)
    2. Arch – really fun but expensive
    3. Hive
    4. Penthouse
    5. Chateau Motel – NOTE: some nights you have to be 23 years old to get in

Notes

  1. The best way to get around the city is by bike. If you’re staying for an extended period of time, I would recommend buying a bike and traveling that way. It’s the most bike friendly city in the world and that’s how everyone gets around. I would also recommend getting a monthly metro pass if you don’t want to ride to dinner or don’t feel like biking (again, if you are staying for an extended period of time). The metro / S train is very easy to use and will get you to all of the popular areas, but note that they are very strict about checking your tickets, so make sure you always pay to ride or it’ll cost you ~$200.
    1. Google maps has bike routes integrated into their app and it’s the best way to navigate around the city (you can also download the app offline so you don’t have to use data).
  2. Everywhere I went took credit card. I never carried cash. I would recommend having some just in case, but I used my card majority of the time.
  3. Everyone speaks English, thought it’s always nice to practice a few common Danish terms.
  4. Copenhagen is very expensive. Eating out and riding the metro adds up a lot faster than expected. Plan to spend a little more than you expect.
  5. The Danes are rule followers. Don’t j-walk or ride the metro without a pass / checking-in. The tickets are quite expensive. (They check you pass on the metro ALL THE TIME, don’t risk it).

Background picture was taken at Nyhavn.