A Copenhagen Itinerary, Written by a Local (3 or 4 Days)

One of the things I like the most about Copenhagen is that you can see and do quite a lot with 3 or 4 days in the city. It’s not particularly big, though you’ll probably find plenty of places to eat and drink that you can’t *quite* get around to on your first trip. Having said that, trying to structure a visit to a new place is always difficult—which is why I’m here to help. 

In this complete itinerary, I’ll show you how I’d recommend spending 3 or 4 days in the Danish capital. I will also provide some extra tips to help ensure that your trip goes smoothly. 

You Can Follow This Itinerary Year-Round

As I can attest to from getting through multiple Danish winters, Copenhagen is a very different city depending on when you visit. However, I’ve created this itinerary in a way that you can follow throughout the year.

Some attractions have different opening times (or are closed for different periods). For example, Tivoli is open throughout the summer, but it closes for spells in the fall and winter. 

If you only have a weekend in Copenhagen, and especially if you’re just here for 3 days, my recommendation is to get an early-morning flight. I understand if you don’t want to do that horrible 5 am run from Stansted—been there, done that multiple times around Europe. Not fun. But at the latest, I think you should book a flight that leaves no later than 08:30. If you’ve already booked your flights, don’t worry; you can still use this itinerary. You will need to potentially drop some things from it, though.  

When writing this itinerary, I’ve included a lot of bakeries that you can go to for breakfast. The reason why is that Copenhagen has so many that are worth your time. You can also eat hotel breakfast, though, or skip it altogether if you don’t usually eat breakfast. 

If you arrive early, you can usually leave your luggage at the hotel you’re staying in until you check in later. Otherwise, you’ll find lockers that you can pay for at Copenhagen Central Station. 

You can take either the train or the Metro to your accommodation to drop off your bags. Your choice will depend on where you’re staying. Google Maps works pretty well in Copenhagen, so you can use that to get directions. If you take the train instead of the Metro, it’s a bit of a long walk from the airport to the train station. Personally, I think the Metro is better for most people. 

By this point, you’ll probably need some breakfast. Hart Bageri is one of my favorite bakeries in Copenhagen, and it’s a good place to start. You’ll find a number of these throughout the city, but the one in Kødbyen—the Meatpacking District—is nice. If you want to be a true local, get a BMO (bolle med ost, or a cheese roll). It’s basic, I know, but it’s good. If you fancy more of a brunch-style breakfast, Café Dyrehaven on Sønder Boulevard is my personal favorite choice.

You can then go for a bit of a stroll around Vesterbro. This is my favorite neighborhood in the city, and it’s the perfect place to get accustomed to Copenhagen. Sønder Boulevard is the best street in the city, if you ask me; this is a good place to start. 

For lunch, I then suggest staying in Vesterbro and going back to Kødbyen. Warpigs is a nice restaurant with some great beer; if you’re asking for my top choice, it would be the beef brisket and mac ‘n’ cheese (plus whatever is the darkest beer on the menu). Another nice option for lunch is Comé Rice Kitchen, where you can get some onigiris.

If you’ve still got some room in your stomach, Ismageriet is a great place for ice cream and very close to both Comé and Warpigs.

Frederiksberg’s main streets are Falkoner Allé, where you’ll find numerous shops and restaurants, and Frederiksberg Allé. Gammel Kongevej is another of the main streets, and it’s particularly good if you’re looking for boutique stores. Sakura, a Japanese-themed shop, is worth seeing in particular. 

When you’re in the mood for dinner, Forno a Legna is a great choice. This Italian restaurant is on Falkoner Allé and has a large menu to choose from. While you may need to wait a while before you’re served (even more so if you want a seat), I think that it’s worth the wait. Otherwise, Shawafel—also on Falkoner Allé—is a good budget-friendly choice. If you want to eat in Vesterbro, Tokyo Restaurant is a lovely place for Japanese food.

You can otherwise go back to your accommodation, or head into Vesterbro for some drinks. Kødbyen has plenty of bars, and you’ll find a number of others on Sønder Boulevard and close to Vesterbrogade.

Day 2: Copenhagen’s Main Highlights

Yeah, I know… I started this itinerary *without* telling you to go right to the main highlights in Copenhagen. Shrug emoji, I guess. 

Once you’re ready for some breakfast, Indre By—the most central district in Copenhagen—has some decent options. I like Cabin, which isn’t too far from Nyhavn. Otherwise, you can go to one of many bakeries; Emmery’s is good, and you’ll find a few in the city center. BUKA is nice, too, but there’s always a line outside the bakery on Store Kongensgade. Andersen & Maillard is another good choice, and their salt and pepper BMOs are my girlfriend’s favorite. 

Another choice if you’re visiting on a sunny day is to go to Broens, which is a street food area between Nyhavn and Christianshavn. If you go here, Gasoline Grill does really good burgers. You can also try smørrebrød—an open-top sandwich, basically—from the rørt stand.

Afternoon: More of Indre By

For the afternoon, you’ll spend some more time in Indre By. Christiansborg Palace is worth seeing, and you might have had a brief walk around the exterior before or after your boat tour. Be sure to check out the stables area, which is free, along with the rest of Slotsholmen—which is the island the palace is on. 

If you’re into history, I can also recommend checking out the interior. You will, however, need a ticket to do so. The tower is also worth visiting if it’s open, and unlike the interior, you can check it out for free. 

From here, you can easily walk to other parts of Indre By. Magstræde is a colorful street worth a quick photo stop, and depending on the time, I think that the Round Tower has some of the best views over Copenhagen. 

I recommend going in the morning for several reasons. Firstly, walking (or running) around The Lakes is a great way to get some fresh air. Secondly, it gets very busy in the afternoon on weekends—especially when it’s sunny. 

Walking around The Lakes will take you about an hour. From here, you can branch off into Frederiksberg, Vesterbro, Nørrebro, Østerbro, or Indre By. You can go wherever your curiosity takes you. If you want some coffee, Original Coffee is a good option; you can also go here for breakfast if you’re feeling hungry. 

It doesn’t matter which direction you start your walk around The Lakes. However, of the neighborhoods I mentioned above, I would suggest branching off into Østerbro. It’s very cozy and more upscale, but it’s super nice and child-friendly as well. Fælledparken is a nice park if you want to go for a run, too, and it’s a good place to go for an extended walk.

You can spend the rest of your morning walking around Østerbro Be sure to check out Brumleby and the colorful Olufsvej street, both of which are close to the Parken stadium. When you’re ready for lunch, some of my favorite simple-but-delicious restaurants are in this part of the city. Rosetta is good for Italian-style sandwiches, and Banzo is also nice. It has a few spots in Copenhagen, but I like the one on Nordre Frihavnsgade the most. 

This well-preserved fortress has a couple of small (and free) museums worth seeing. However, it’s a good place to just go for a walk around as well. From here, you can see Marmorkirken and toward the harbor from the upper areas. 

If you want, you can also take a detour to the colorful Nyboder houses. I used to live very close to these, and let’s just say that I went with my camera here on multiple evening walks 🤭. On Sundays, you can visit a museum here for a small fee. 

If you walk along the harborfront, it’ll take you around 30 minutes from Kastellet. If you really want to, I say reluctantly, you can see the Little Mermaid as it’s on the way. All I’m going to say is… to each their own. 

The rest of the walk along the water is really nice, though. You’ll eventually end up at Ofelia Plads, which is where you’ll see the Royal Danish Playhouse. This, personally, is my favorite example of modern architecture in Copenhagen. It’s close to Nyhavn, too, if you want to go there again. 

After that, you can see some of the core of Indre By and go for a stroll. Depending on the time, Glyptoteket is a nice museum to spend some time in. It does require a few hours, though, so whether you visit will depend on the time of your flight (if you’re only spending 3 days in Copenhagen). Otherwise, you might want to also consider visiting the Danish Architecture Center (DAC).

Elsewhere, Christianshavns Kanal is a lovely place to stroll around. I go here very often, and it’s one of my favorite photo spots in the city. Even though there are crowds, it’s not as busy as Nyhavn. 

If you still have some extra time, you can also go to Islands Brygge and rent a boat around the city. This is a good place to go for a swim, too… yes, even in the winter. Like Christianshavn, you can get the Metro from Islands Brygge to the airport. 

Again, when you head back to the airport—and what you do then—largely depends on what time your flight (or onward journey) is. So, you’re more than welcome to adjust this day to fit your departure time. I am the total opposite of a time optimist, so I would just say to not leave things too late before you head home. 😬

The Perfect Copenhagen Itinerary for Your First Visit

Copenhagen is an amazing place to visit, and it’s small enough that you can see a lot in just 3 or 4 days. You can’t try all of its great restaurants and bakeries, but you can get around to a decent amount of those, too. Similarly, you can visit some of its museums—even if you won’t get around to all of them. 

Regardless of when you visit, there’s more than enough to keep you entertained in the Danish capital. If you have some additional time, you can even take a day trip to one of the many places worth seeing within a short distance.