That’s the question I have gotten asked quite a bit recently, and I hope this writing can help anyone who is trying to find their way in Copenhagen and enjoy the city!

How to get around

The public transport is fantastic. If you are here only for a short period of time, get a city pass. But if you are here for longer (1 week and above), get a rejsekort at a 7-11 or other places.

If you like bikes, use Donkey Republic. Before renting, also check if your accommodation (if you are in a hotel) provides bikes. It’s often a service they provide.

If you would like e-bike/e-scooter, use Lime. Additionally, when you use e-scooter, there is a regulation that you should wear a helmet, and the e-scooter companies do not provide it. So you have to bring your own helmet. Read more on the regulations here. Personally, I don’t recommend e-bike/e-scooter.

Where to visit if you only have 1 day

If you only have 1 day in Copenhagen, this is likely a good route. Checkout the map here.

1. Little Mermaid
2. Amaliehaven – Nice fountain and good view of the opera house
3. Amalienborg – Castle where the Queen lives in
4. Frederik’s Church – Marble church
5. Kongens nytorv – Nice square
6. Nyhavn – New harbor, where all the tourists come to take photos
7. Stork Fountain – Nice fountain in the middle of town, grab a coffee at Original Coffee at Illum’s top floor and see the fountain and people watch from above
8. Christianborg castle – Castle where parliament works at and they have a horse stable and field
9. Rådhusplasen – City hall square

Where else to visit if you have more than 1 day

Nørrebro area:

1. Assistens Kirkegaard – Graveyard of Niehls Bohr
2. Jæggersborggade – hipster shopping street

Inner city:

1. Rosenborg Castle & Kongens have – nice park and the castle where the royal jewelry is stored
2. Tivoli – amusement park
3. Torvehallerne – Food market
4. Kalvebod bygge – nice swimming spot in the canals. Also beside the Danish Architecture Center
5. Ny Carlsberg Glyptoteket

Other areas:

1. Reffen – Outdoor street food market, great when the weather is good. Also have a good brewery. To come here, use the harbor bus! Fantastic way to enjoy the city.
2. Christiania – Free town, where you get weed, and interesting view to a bit of a 60s hipster paradise

What to eat and drink

In all the categories here, the numbers also denote my personal preference, with 1 being my favorite in the category. I also only put places I have personally visited, and I hope to expand this list when I visit more!

Restaurants (Reservation is strongly encouraged):

1. Danish Food:
   • Cafe Halvvejen – ~200-300 DKK pp
   • Smagsløget – 50-100 DKK pp – if you’re like me, just order 1 sandwich for 2 person. Big portion here.
   • Kanal cafeen – ~200-300 DKK pp
   • Restaurant Kronborg – 300-400 DKK pp
   • Væskt – 500-700 DKK pp
   • Høst – 500-700 DKK pp
   • Schønemann – Lunch only, 300-500 DKK pp
2. Others:
   • POPL Burger – Burger by Noma, best burger in town – ~300 DKK pp
   • Poulette – Absolute best fried chicken burger I’ve had, takeaway only – 150 DKK pp
   • Pho Hanoi – Vietnamese, reservation needed, via telephone – ~150-300 DKK pp
   • Gasoline Grill – the other contender for best burger, try the first outlet that’s at a gas station – ~150-200 DKK pp
   • Bæst – Pizza – 300-600 DKK pp

Coffee places:

1. Democratic Coffee
2. Prolog Coffee
3. Roast Coffee
4. CUB Coffee Bar
5. Coffee Collective

Bakeries:

1. Andersen Bakery
2. Juno Bakery
3. Hart Bageri
4. Meyers Bageri
5. Andersen & Maillard

Brunch places (Reservation is strongly encouraged):

1. Mad og kaffe
2. Wulff og Konstali
3. Les Trois Cochons
4. Cadence
5. Ø12

Cocktail bars to visit (Reservation is strongly encouraged):

1. Bar Deco
2. Balderdash
3. 1105
4. Ruby
5. Balthazar – Champagne bar at Hotel D’angleterre, wear at least a shirt
6. The Barking Dog
7. Strøm
8. Brønnum
9. Nimb Brasserie – H.C. Andersen stories inspired cocktails

Other places to drink:

1. Jernbanecafeen – Old school Danish bar, family-owned spanning generation, right across the central station
2. Jah Izakaya and Sake Bar
3. Brus – Tap beer bar with >30 beers
4. Oscar Bar & Cafe – Gay bar
5. Never Mind – Gay club
6. Cafe Intime – Old school Danish bar
7. Kayak Bar

Where to stay

Similar to the above, this is sorted based on preference. All of the hotels below will be reasonably close (or even right beside) a train station, with easy access to public transport.

I do not recommned Airbnb due to recent friends’ experiences getting multiple Airbnbs cancelled last minute.

Luxury hotels (300+ EUR/night):

1. Hotel d’Angleterre
2. Radisson Collection Royal Hotel
3. Copenhagen Marriott Hotel

Midrange hotels (150-300 EUR/night):

1. 25Hours Hotel
2. Phoenix Copenhagen
3. Villa Copenhagen
4. Scandic Palace Hotel
5. Tivoli Hotel

Budget hotels (<150 EUR/night):

1. Wakeup Copenhagen close to Kongens Nytorv
2. Ibis Styles Ørestad
3. Generator Hostel

What to bring home as souvenirs

This list is not sorted based on preference

1. Tea from A.C. Perchs Thehandel – Available also in CPH airport
2. A glass or plate from Royal Copenhagen – Note! Most of these are NOT made in Denmark. Available also in CPH airport
3. Rainjacket from Rains – Note! Most of these are NOT made in Denmark. Available also in CPH airport at Illum Bolighus
4. Abe from Kay Bojesen – This is made in Denmark
5. Coffee from:
   • Coffee Collective
   • Prolog Coffee
   • Roast Coffee
6. Danish cookies from Conditori La Glace – If you see a queue, don’t worry and just go in and go to the second floor. The queue is usually only for the first floor where people can sit and eat/drink
7. Lego. Available also in CPH airport
8. A random souvenir from a souvenir shop – There are many around Nyhavn and Strøget, close to Rådhuspladsen

What apps should be installed

1. Rejseplanen – App to find public transport options. In normal situation, Google Maps will also work just fine. This is useful only on unique situations like metro being not available suddenly.
2. DSB – App to purchase public transport tickets