I Tried the Copenhagen Card as a Local: Here’s My Full Review

With so many fun things to do, Copenhagen is arguably Europe’s most perfect weekend getaway. Even after living here for five years and having visited seven times before moving, I still am not bored—and I highly doubt that’ll happen anytime soon. 

However, Copenhagen is also a very expensive city. Since you’ll probably want to do lots of things on your trip, finding a good deal is a wise idea. The Copenhagen Card promises to do that with free access to many of the Danish capital’s most popular attractions. 

When using the Copenhagen Card, you can also visit a number of interesting museums and towns within touching distance of the city. But before buying, knowing whether it’s right for you is a good idea. It’s not as much of a foregone conclusion as you might think. 

To see whether the Copenhagen Card is truly worth using, I put it to the test as a local. Over the course of a day, I visited multiple attractions and experiences. In this guide, I’ll show you a cost comparison and identify who should and should not buy the pass. 

In addition to the above, you will discover alternatives, along with my top tips for getting the most out of the Copenhagen Card. You’ll also learn how to get the pass if you wish to buy it. Without further ado, let’s get started. 

What Is the Copenhagen Card, and What’s Included?

The Copenhagen Card is a city card that offers free admission to dozens of attractions in and around Copenhagen. These include some of the most popular museums, such as Statens Museum for Kunst (SMK) and Glyptoteket. You can get access to a number of experiences, too, such as free entry to the tower at Vor Frelsers Kirke. 

Besides free entry to multiple attractions, the Copenhagen Card gives you unlimited public transport rides (if you buy the Discover card). You can take the Metro, bus, train, and harbor bus as many times as you want. The card also includes transport to and from the airport. 

Free public transport doesn’t just cover the city itself; you’ll also get free public transport rides throughout much of Sjælland. So, if you want to take a day trip from Copenhagen to Helsingør or Roskilde, the pass will have you covered. Moreover, you’ll get access to attractions while you’re in those towns—such as the Ragnarock Museum, Roskilde Cathedral, Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerød, and Kronborg Castle.

You can buy either the Discover card, which gives you access to over 80 attractions, or the Hop card. The latter is less expensive and offers access to 40+ attractions and unlimited rides on Stromma’s hop-on, hop-off buses. However, you don’t get unlimited transport. 

How Long Can I Use the Copenhagen Card For?

The duration for which you can use the Copenhagen Card depends on whether you buy Hop or Discover.

You can buy the Discover Card for 24, 48, 72, 96, or 120 hours. The card becomes better-value with the more days you buy, and in all cases, children aged 3-11 don’t have to pay at all. 

Hop, meanwhile, is available for 24, 48, and 72 hours. Interestingly, the 24-hour Hop card is actually more expensive than Discover—despite offering fewer attractions. 

How Much Does the Copenhagen Card Cost?

With both versions of the Copenhagen Card, you can bring up to two children for free. Otherwise, adult and junior prices are as follows. 

Hop

Below is a breakdown of the pricing for the Hop card… 

Duration	Adults (16+)	Juniors (12-16)
24 Hours	580 DKK / $91 / €78 / £68	380 DKK / $60 / €51 / £45
48 Hours	830 DKK / $130 / €112 / £97	495 DKK / $78 / €67 / £58
72 Hours	995 DKK / $156 / €134 / £116	570 DKK / $89 / €77 / £67

You can buy the Hop card below. 

Discover

Here’s how much you’ll pay for the Discover pass:

Duration	Adults (16+)	Juniors (12-16)
24 Hours	559 DKK / $88 / €75 / £66	379 DKK / $60 / €51 / £45
48 Hours	819 DKK / $128 / €110 / £96	489 DKK / $77 / €66 / £57
72 Hours	989 DKK / $155 / €133 / £116	559 DKK / $88 / €75 / £66
96 Hours	1,159 DKK / $209 / €180 / £156	649 DKK / $102 / €87 / £76
120 Hours	1,339 DKK / $209 / €180 / £156	719 DKK / $113 / €97 / £84

If you want to buy the Discover pass, you can do so below. 

Why I Decided to Try the Copenhagen Card as a Local

Since it’s my mission to bring you the best guides on travel in Northern Europe, I felt like it was only fair that I tried the Copenhagen Card to see if it represented true value. This is, as I mentioned before, an expensive city—and I only want you to spend money on experiences that will benefit your trip. 

With my unique local insights of living in Copenhagen and knowing what is and isn’t worth visiting anyway, I felt like this was the perfect opportunity to try the card. Plus, I’ve visited the Danish capital as a tourist in the past—so I’ve seen both sides of the coin. As a result, I know what’s important to you. 

I deliberately bought the Copenhagen Card – Discover pass so I could explore the city in as much detail as possible. Moreover, I wanted to determine whether this pass was better for longer stays or also good for short visits. 

What We Used the Copenhagen Card For

My girlfriend and I bought the 24-hour Discover pass. We used the Copenhagen Card in:

• Statens Museum for Kunst (SMK)
• Københavns Museum (The Museum of Copenhagen)
• Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek 
• A tour of the inner harbor with Stromma 
• 2 x harbor bus rides on public transport 

We also wanted to visit the National Museum of Denmark (I had already visited it in the past), but we ran out of time. It’s also worth noting that we visited on a Sunday. Many museums in Copenhagen are closed on Mondays, so keep that in mind. 

At the time of trying, the Copenhagen Card was 499 DKK for 24 hours. Below is a breakdown of the rough price for per-person entry to each attraction compared to what we paid for the Copenhagen Card…

As you can see, we saved a slight amount of money when buying the Copenhagen Card compared to buying tickets individually. We started the day quite late, so those savings would’ve been bigger if we had visited one or two extra attractions. 

I also think we’d have gotten more value out of the Copenhagen Card if we had bought it for a longer period. Trying to do everything in 24 hours gets exhausting, fast. Since there are numerous things to do in Copenhagen, spending more time here is wise. 

There were a couple of things I liked about the Copenhagen Card, along with a few things that I disliked. First, I’ll start with my favorite things about it. 

1. Peace of Mind

One of the nicest things about the Copenhagen Card is that you have total flexibility for the places you want to visit. If you spontaneously see a museum or attraction that looks interesting, you can use your card to go there. There’s no need to do mental gymnastics to determine how much you’re paying. 

When we used the Copenhagen Card, we had a rough idea of some places we wanted to visit. But others, such as the Museum of Copenhagen, were last-minute decisions. 

It was also nice knowing we could just hop on public transport at any time if we wanted. We went to Reffen at the end of the day and hopped on a harbor bus, for example. So, if you’d like to explore other neighborhoods (like Holmen and Refshaleøen), you have the full freedom to do so.  

2. The Discover Card Doesn’t Just Cover Copenhagen

If you get the Discover card, you can explore more than just Copenhagen itself. The card covers access to several museums elsewhere in the Capital Region, such as the popular Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk or Roskilde’s Viking Ship Museum. 

Even if you don’t visit other museums or attractions outside of Copenhagen, you may still find the card useful for the unlimited public transport it offers. Depending on how many attractions you visit in the city, you may still get good value for money compared to buying standalone train tickets. 

3. Good Value if You Know How to Use It Right

If you’re planning to visit multiple museums (and to be fair, Copenhagen has a lot of amazing ones), the Copenhagen Card is excellent value for money. Similarly, you’ll get a lot of use from it if you wish to enjoy other top attractions, such as canal tours. 

I’ve tried similar passes in other cities before, and each time when I haven’t gotten the most out of it, it’s because I didn’t know how to use them. Having a rough idea of what to do will help you in this regard.  

4. Full Transparency 

Another nice thing about the Copenhagen Card is that there aren’t any “gotcha” tactics. Everything is fully transparent. If you buy the Discover Card, you know you get access to most attractions (more on that shortly). Moreover, your public transport in much of Sjælland is included. 

Similarly, the Hop Card is transparent with what is and isn’t included. While you get access to many big attractions, you won’t have public transport. In other cities I’ve used passes for, it hasn’t always been clear what I can and can’t do.

5. Most Big Attractions Are Included

If you’re visiting Copenhagen for the first time, you’ll probably want to see most—if not all—of the main highlights. The good news is that both Copenhagen Card tiers include these. 

Admittedly, you will see some glaring exceptions. For example, the Round Tower isn’t one of the included attractions. This is a shame, since it’s one of the best views in Copenhagen (thankfully, tickets aren’t too expensive). 

For the most part, though, the big attractions and museums are included within your pass. Regardless of the pass you buy, you can get access to Tivoli Gardens (though not on the rides; you need a separate ticket for this. Moreover, you can visit the Home of Carlsberg, Christiansborg Palace, and more. 

Drawbacks of the Copenhagen Card

Although the Copenhagen Card has numerous advantages, I did notice some drawbacks that I think you should keep in mind. 

1. You Need the Discover Pass if You Want Free Public Transport

One minor annoyance is that you need the Discover pass if you want unlimited public transport. If you only buy a 24-hour ticket, this is actually a good idea since it’s cheaper than the Hop pass. 

Beyond that, though, the Hop pass might not be the best choice if you want public transport. Yes, you can ride the hop-on, hop-off bus. But to be truthful, I think it’s an ineffective way to get around Copenhagen. Driving in the city is a nightmare, and being on the bus often takes longer than if you walked, cycled, or took the Metro.

Because you don’t have unlimited public transport with the Hop pass, you also have less flexibility in where you want to stay—unless you’re fine with paying extra for public transport. With the Discover card, you don’t need to worry about staying outside Indre By or the other central neighborhoods. 

2. Trying to Do Everything in 24 Hours Can be Exhausting

You’re probably fine with doing a speed run if you only have a day or two in Copenhagen. In these cases, the Discover or Hop pass might still be worthwhile. But by the end of our Sunday testing the Copenhagen Card, I must say I felt quite exhausted. 

Besides going around the city, visiting multiple museums meant taking in a lot of information for one day. If you’re going to get the Copenhagen Card, I strongly recommend spreading out your attractions over more than one day. That way, you’ll be able to enjoy them more and also get around to everything you like. 

3. Expensive if You’re Only Visiting a Few Attractions

I found the Copenhagen Card to be of great value because we visited multiple attractions, even though we didn’t use public transport so much. But if you’re only visiting one or two places, you might be better off buying individual tickets instead. 

This will, however, also depend on what you’re visiting. If you want to see the likes of Tivoli and the Carlsberg Brewery Tour, you’ll quickly recuperate the cost of your pass. But for smaller museums, it may not be worthwhile. 

How to Decide if the Copenhagen Card Is Right for You

Once you’ve done some research and have a rough idea of your must-sees and dos in Copenhagen, note everything down and compare their prices. Be honest with how much you can cover in a trip, too. 

You should also be tactical if you’re visiting Copenhagen on a Monday. Most museums are closed, but thankfully, you can still visit amusement parks and take tours. So, you may want to allocate those days to non-museum activities. 

Seasonality is also important. Some attractions will be closed if you’re not visiting Copenhagen during the summer. For example, Tivoli only opens intermittently outside the peak tourist season. Make sure everything you want to visit is open before you buy it.

If you just want convenience and don’t care so much about the cost, I think getting the Copenhagen Card and going with the flow is a smart choice.  

How to Get the Copenhagen Card

I bought my Copenhagen Card pass via GetYourGuide. You can purchase the Discover pass below:

Meanwhile, the Hop pass is available here:

After buying my pass, I received a code. To activate the Copenhagen Card, I downloaded the Copenhagen Card City Guide app (it’s available on iOS and Android). Here, you can enter the code; when you enter an attraction, the person at the ticket office will scan your pass. 

My Top Tips for Getting the Most Out of the Copenhagen Card

To ensure you get the most out of your Copenhagen Card, I’ve included my top tips below. 

1. Buy a Longer Duration

As I mentioned earlier, trying to scale every attraction in a day can quickly become exhausting. For more flexibility (and to enjoy everything without watching the clock, I’d recommend buying at least a 72-hour pass.

Naturally, this will depend on how much time you can allocate to your visit. If you have more time, 3 days in Copenhagen is good for at the very least getting a feel of the city. If you can spend 4 days, even better; alternatively, you can always make multiple visits to Copenhagen in the future 🙂. 

2. Use Public Transport More

Public transport in Copenhagen is efficient but can get expensive quickly, especially if you take day trips to the likes of Helsingør. One way to get more value is by using the Metro, harbor bus, and trains whenever you need to. 

Much of Copenhagen is walkable, but if you’re short on time, public transport is also a great way to quickly get around the city and save some time. That way, you’ll be able to visit more attractions too. 

3. Consider Your Full Itinerary

One thing I wasn’t prepared for when buying the Copenhagen Card was to consider my full itinerary. While we had a plan to visit multiple places, I didn’t think about simple things like stopping for food. These things will eat into your schedule if you’re short on time. 

Unless you’re willing to buy 7-Eleven sandwiches or quick meals, you should factor at least a few hours per day for getting food and drinks, along with just wandering around Copenhagen in general. 

4. Prioritize Based on Opening Times

One of the smartest things we did with the Copenhagen Card was to prioritize based on opening times. For example, many museums close at 18:00 on Sunday. So, we did these earlier in the day and joined a canal tour later on. 

Some museums have at least one day per week with longer opening hours. Moreover, you can visit Tivoli later than many museums. Understand when everything opens and closes so you don’t have any irritating surprises. 

So… Is the Copenhagen Card Worth It?

In many cases, I think the Copenhagen Card is worth it. It’s great value for money if you’re planning to visit multiple attractions on your visit, and you should definitely consider getting it if you’re going to 4 or more places. I also think the Copenhagen Card is worth buying if you simply want peace of mind. 

More often than not, I’d say that the Discover pass is worth buying over the Hop pass. The Hop pass is good if you’re planning to walk everywhere and will spend most of your time within Copenhagen itself. However, it’s not so ideal if you want public transport and to go further afield. 

If you’re only visiting one or two places, and those are not too expensive, you may want to skip the Copenhagen Card and purchase entrance tickets individually. 

TL;DR: 

• Copenhagen Card – Discover: Good if you want to explore Copenhagen in depth and plan to also use public transport. Buy your pass here. 
• Copenhagen Card – Hop: Ideal for spending time in Copenhagen without needing public transport or access to everything. Buy your pass here. 
• Skip Altogether: If you’re just visiting one or two attractions. 

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