A GUIDE TO COPENHAGEN

February 13, 2023

Copenhagen is one of those cities we could keep on revisiting. It ticks all the boxes for a short holiday (or long!), delicious food & drink, an abundance of art, a small (but perfect) amount of sightseeing and lots of cool independent shops. We have each visited Copenhagen at a different time of the year but we found each season offers a great variety of things to do.

When I go away I feel a pressure to do everything. To pack in every moment with sight seeing and do everything everyone tells you to see in all the books and blogs. It’s not a brilliant trait as it means I don't fully relax until I've ticked the majority of the TO DO'S! off my list. What I've recently found helpful is to make a mini itinerary before I go. This means that things can be moved around but the bulk of the research has been done before and you're not spending time googling while you're there. What's also great if anything hasn't gone to plan or a particular restaurant wasn't very nice then you can tweak it once you're back and pass it on to a friend or in this case you lovely lot!

Before I go on holiday I try to get as many recommendations and tips as I can from friends, blogs, instagram etc. They're so useful and although its nice to wander round aimlessly sometimes you need a bit of help! So I thought I would give you an itinerary from my last trip to Copenhagen with my husband, pretty much as it ran. We went for 3 nights and 4 days last March but depending on what time of the year you go we added Esther's favourite summer events in italics. We've also included lists of restaurants, shops and sightseeing of places we love and some we've yet to try/visit.

Little tip! A lot of the shops aren't open on a Sunday so make sure to check before to avoid disappointment.

We've also created some art prints inspired by our visits to Copenhagen. Here's a link if you'd like to have a look and if you want to purchase Cereals wonderful Copenhagen City Guide you can find that here

If you're heading there soon have the best time!!

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive at Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup

We bought a train ticket to Copenhagen as it's the easiest and quickest way to get to the centre, it takes around 12-15 minutes. The train ticket booth is near the exit of the airport (red booths), then the train station is down the ramp or elevator. Trains to Copenhagen's Central Station (København H) are pretty much every ten minutes traveling to different destinations. Ours was going to Osterport and Copenhagen was the third stop.

This time we stayed at Coco Hotel in Vesterbro and we arrived just in time for their free wine hour, between 5-6pm (for all guests). This hotel is full of wonderful prints and design and is very close to the meat packing district.

8pm - For dinner we had already prebooked Gaarden & gaden in Nørrebro. We walked there as we’d just arrived and wanted to take in a bit of the city. It was about a 35 minute walk so we got a taxi back after. In the evenings they offer a five-course menu for 375 DKK. The food and wine was delicious and everything was so fresh with a strong focus on organic farming and sustainability.

Day 2

10am- First things first we started the day right by heading for breakfast at Grød in Birkegade. We walked from the hotel via sankt jorgens as it was a beautiful sunny morning. It was/is the best breakfast we've had in Copenhagen and probably the best porridge we've ever had! We had the Acai blueberry bowl this time, delicious!! Previously we've tried the Oats porridge 1 and Grød's overnight oats, you basically can't go wrong with whatever you order.

11am - We then walked through the Assistens Cemetery/Park (I wish all cemetery's looked like this one!!) towards Jægersborggade. This road has a wonderful selection of cool shops and cafes to browse.

12pm - From here we walked to Superkilen (about a 10 minute walk). The park is designed to bring immigrants and locals together, promoting unity. There are three areas: the red zone, the black zone and the green zone, each one of them with different spatial and functional features. Its definitely worth a visit.

1pm - We then walked back via Asistens cemetery/park and headed straight for Andersen & Maillard for all of the pastries because when you're in Copenhagen you eat all of the pastries!!! From there we headed towards town and popped into Torvehallerne which is two big glass markets next to each other. Inside one you’ll find everything from coffee, Mexican food to the largest pastries you’ll ever see. (There's also homemade ice-cream with flavours you'll never of heard of before. Esther tried a blood orange and liquorice flavour when she was there. Apparently it was really good!) The second building has more of a shopping aspect with butchers, wine shops, fishmongers etc.

2pm - Across the road from Torvehallerne is Stilleben no. 22, a very cool homeware and art shop making you wish you'd taken a bigger suitcase!

2.30pm - A short 6 minute walk away located on a busy shopping street is The Round Tower. You walk up a beautiful wide spiral path to the top of the tower and then you get magnificent views of the old part of Copenhagen. We've done this twice and think it's worth it for the views but also for the beautiful winding/circled path to the top. There isn't loads of sight seeing places in Copenhagen but put this one on the list!

3.30pm - We wandered through the centre taking in all the beautiful shops. The Danes have such incredible style and taste! We visited a shop/workshop called Studio Arhøj. It's full of beautiful ceramics and glassware that you can watch them make through the gap in the shelves.

4.30pm - After some shopping we went to see Nyhavn, the old port with the famous street of pastel coloured houses. I probably wouldn't recommend eating/drinking here as its a little over priced but it's definitely worth seeing it.

5-6pm - Not one to miss free wine we walked back to our hotel for the 'wine hour'.

8pm - In the evening we got the metro to Nordhavn to a restaurant called Hija de Sanchez (there is another one much closer in Vesterbro but it was fully booked), we loved the tacos and I had a very good Margarita! Afterwards we headed over to the meatpacking district for a drink at H15 before making our way back to the hotel.

Day 3

10am - In the morning we walked to Mad & Kaffe for breakfast as we'd heard great things about it and it was only a 10 minute walk from the hotel. Probably due to the instagram hype you have to queue to get in (they don't take bookings), so we queued around 20 minutes. You individually choose the items you want on the board. Either 2, 5 or 7 items. Great idea and you can make the breakfast you want.

11.30am - We then hired a couple of the donkey bikes so we could visit a few places that were a bit further away. Bikes and pedestrians rule the streets in Copenhagen and there is a separate cycle path to the road and foot path making it feel very safe. The donkey bikes are located everywhere and they're really simple to hire, download the app and you're ready to go. Hopping on the bikes we made our way to Christianshavn to look around the canals lined with colourful houseboats and visit the infamous “free town” of Christiania. Google it...it's fascinating!!

12.30pm - From there we cycled to Refshaleoen (In summer this area (Reffen) is filled with great street food but in winter it's closed). On the way we passed Noma, voted the best restaurant in the world! After googling how much it would be to eat there....eekk we made made our way for pastries at Lille bakery, I went for the cardamon swirl!

2pm - Close by is B&W furniture warehouse (not open every day so make sure you check before heading there). This has to be one of the the biggest flea markets for mid-century furniture in Denmark. It was homeware heaven, we couldn't believe how much they had. Ive thought about driving over with a van many times after seeing this place.

(We cycled past La Banchina but Esther tells me on a hot day this is the perfect place to grab a drink and some food and then enjoy a swim/sunbathe).

2.30pm - Across from the warehouse is Copenhagen Contemporary Art Gallery. We went to see a brilliant exhibition called Light & Space, its definitely worth a visit for new and established artists.

4pm - After being inside for awhile we wanted to make the most of the sunshine and cycled over to Kastellet. This fortress is filled with yellow and orange painted barracks with a colourful windmill and a serene chapel.

5.30pm - We popped back to Torvehallerne for a cocktail and snacks at Pavillon De Verre. They ask you questions about what you like in a cocktail..sweet, bitter, sour etc and make you something from that. Perfect for someone who's indecisive!

8pm - After freshening up we headed over to the meatpacking district for a drink before dinner. We came across Warpig which served a great pint, along with great music! My husband LOVED it here!

8.45pm - A couple of doors down was our dinner reservation at Gorilla. Another sharing plate style menu with a trendy busy atmosphere.

Day 4

10am- For our last day we had breakfast at Kalaset. This place is a bit different to most places with a retro vintage feel. The brunch is the main attraction and it definitely draws the crowds.

11am - We love a botanical garden and this one doesn't disappoint. There is the main palm house along with quite a few other glass houses to visit. Its beautiful inside and there's lots to explore outside in the gardens.

11.30pm - Across the road is the Kings Gardens. We had a quick wander before seeking out a coffee break. This is a beautiful park to visit and it's filled with lots of flowers in the summer.

12pm - It wouldn't be right to go to Copenhagen without a quick stop to Atelier September. This time we had a coffee and lime pie...so so good!

1pm - A quick trip around some shops and a pop in to Ganni, we were ready for a coffee break again. This time at Kompa'9! The first time we went to Copenhagen we visited Kompa'9 and had their rye bread for lunch. I can't remember what was on top but I know I took this picture and sent it straight to Esther as reference for how good it was.

2pm - We made our way towards islands brygge and came across the Danish Architecture Centre, which is just before you go over the bridge. We didn't have time to look at any exhibitions but it looked like a great place to take children and as always, I enjoyed a quick browse of the gift shop! Over on Islands brygge we grabbed a Beer at the culture house islands and enjoyed the last few moments with the cold crisp sunshine on our faces. (In summer you can hire a Go Boat. Take a picnic and do a tour of the harbour Island brygge. You see the locals swimming in and around the harbours).

3.30pm - Feeling a little peckish we walked over the bryggebfogen bridge to head to the meat packing district for a burger at Tommis. Believe me when I say this is the best burger you will ever have!!! and I will not go to Copenhagen without getting one.

4.30pm - We headed back to the hotel to collect our bags and catch the train to the airport. Maybe with one more pastry stop squeezed in on the way!

Here's a list of our favourites along with some places we've yet to visit...