We have just come back from our beautiful Copenhagen escape which was also our first trip to the Nordic countries. I must say Copenhagen was probably the city that surprised me the most in the last couple of years together with Warsaw. I didn’t expect that much from it, but decided to visit when Beyoncé and Jay-Z announced the second On the Run Tour and I knew we could not miss it again.
We checked the tour locations and we had to pick between the only 2 cities we haven’t visited before: Copenhagen and Stockholm. We definitely made the right choice and fell in love with Denmark’s capital city. Even the weather smiled for us and the sun was present everyday which is not usual at all in the area.
I will now tell you all about my favorite things to do in this magical city that, in my opinion, you should not miss if you ever get there.
- Explore Copenhagen’s canals by boat
Of course, I will start with my favorite activity which somehow covers almost the entire city. After discovering Amsterdam by boat at the end of May, we decided to repeat this great experience in Copenhagen and we were not disappointed at all. After searching the internet, we found two options: guided canal tour and private boat rental. I recommend them both with all my heart, depending on the type of traveler you are and the skills you have.
I will now give you all the important information regarding the guided canal tour which is the best option if you want to enjoy a relaxed afternoon on a brand new boat while also learning new interesting things about Copenhagen and its history and architecture.
We chose Hey Captain for this amazing ride and I recommend it as the best guided canal tour in the city. Let me tell you why in a few words.
Every boat at Hey Captain comes with its own skipper and guide and hosts up to 12 persons so you will have the chance to meet great people and make connections all over the world. We shared the boat with people from Australia, Hungary, Great Britain and Bulgaria.
And what if I tell you rosé wine and beer are at your disposal? Yes, you heard that right! Drinks are included! The selection is adapted to weather, so they have two types of meniu:
- Sommer Menu (March-October): Rose wine, beer, soda water and soft drinks.
- Winter menu (November-December): Hot chocolate, glogg, beer, soda water and soft drinks.
And you can get one hour guided tour with the above included for just 200 DKK/person which means around 26 Eur. For more information about attractions included in this 60 minutes tour, just click HERE.
PS 1: Don’t fall into trap with public canal tours which are extremely crowded, with hundreds of people seating on plastic seats. Believe me, you won’t regret it!
PS 2: I want to give a special thanks to Jeppe, our captain, which made sure we all have such a great time and told us many funny stories, but also gave us a lot of information about Copenhagen!
- Visit the most beautiful place in Copenhagen – Nyhavn
This was definitely the part I liked the most in the city that also reminded me of Amsterdam, but with more colorful houses. This is probably the most visited place so be prepared to face lots of tourists. That doesn’t steal the beauty of the place though. Take a walk, choose your favorite restaurant and wait for the perfect table to enjoy a lovely lunch or just grab a drink. We chose to eat at Skipperkroen and the burger was delicious. I also recommend try a portion of mussels in white wine at least once while you are in Copenhagen. Top everything with a glass of champagne to celebrate the moment. My boyfriend chose a local beer that went perfectly with the burger so I couldn’t say no.
- Enjoy the unique architecture in the city center
I was impressed by Copenhagen’s architecture at the first sight. In our holidays, we enjoy walking on foot a lot because it feels like the best way to actually experience the places we visit. So our adventure in Copenhagen began with a long walk between Copenhagen Central Station and Nyhavn. On our way there, we passed through the city center and we were impressed. The most unique building that comes into my mind is Borsen – The Stock Exchange which has a distinctive spire, shaped as the tails of four dragons twined together, reaching a height of 56 meters.
Next to it, you can find the famous Christiansborg Slot which is currently the seat of the Danish Parliament, the Danish Prime Minister’s Office and the Supreme Court of Denmark.
- Try the delicious fresh salmon
Since it was my first time in a Nordic country, I had to try the salmon which is actually fresh here so it tastes absolutely delicious! It came with a specific lemon-mustard sauce that I will certainly try to prepare at home too and some roasted vegetables. Yummy! Definitely the best salmon steak I have ever tried and that is not a surprise considering their great tradition in fishing. Another Danish traditional dish involving salmon is smørrebrød which is usually made from a dark brown slice of rye bread with butter and smoked salmon on top.
- Enjoy some peace at the Botanical Garden
If you want some relaxing moments in the nature, Copenhagen gives you the opportunity to do that in one of the many beautiful parks. Even though you have many options, I recommend paying a visit to the Botanical Garden and sit by the lake. I was so sad because the historical glasshouse was closed for renovations and we could not visit it. If you have the chance, it is open by now, so be sure not to miss it.
- Bubble Waffle on the canal at Christianvans
When I first saw on Instagram a picture with a Bubble Waffle, I knew I had to try it when I will first have the chance. At that moment, I had no idea we were actually going to visit Copenhagen later that year and recreate the picture that inspired me. Although I was sure the picture was taken at Nyhavn, I discovered there that the Munchies Bubble Waffle shop is located in the heart of Christianshavn, another must visit place in Copenhagen. We enjoyed the yummy waffle on the canal at sunset! Such a lovely memory!
Christianshavn itself has an interesting story since back in the days, rich people used to send there the poor ones to remove them from the city and nowadays this is one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Copenhagen.
- First Carlsberg in the world
I have always loved the Carlsberg commercial with the “Love of my life” song by Queen, but I must admit I had no idea this is a Danish company. While enjoying our guided canal boat with Hey Captain, our skipper, Jeppe, showed us the place was the first Carlsberg in the world was brewed. This is definitely the place to put on the list if you are a beer fan. As a plus, it is located in Christianshavn right on the canal so you will definitely enjoy a tasty and cold beer with a view. If you have more time at your disposal, you can also visit the Carlsberg Brewery in Vesterbro.
- Try the best sushi in town
I know I am biased because I love sushi so much, but I actually believe I have just tasted the best one in my life till now in a food market in Copenhagen. We found the place totally by accident because it was like 5 minutes away from Kong Arthur Hotel where we stayed for this citybreak, but it was the best decision ever. I still dream about eating there again. The place is called SushiLovers and has such a large variety of sushi that you need a whole weekend to taste all they have to offer. And, believe me, the choice was extremely hard and nothing was left on the table 10 minutes later (except from the empty plates and sticks, of course). The beautiful part is that they cook just in front of you and the cooking itself is like a show. I hope we will put that lesson into use.
- Have a picnic in the park
Despite their not so friendly weather, Danish people sure know how to picnic in style. Their awesome parks are the best place to do that and when they see the sun brightening, they are immediately heading there. We loved this idea and we were pretty sad we didn’t properly prepare for this activity since we also love doing this so much. I will show you the picture I liked most where you can see a big group of friends and families celebrating the sunny weather with their children and pets all together. Top that with the best view of the Rosenborg Castle.
- Cross the Oresund Bridge and Visit Malmo, Sweden
I loved the idea that Copenhagen is so close from Malmo so it gave us the chance to cross off the list another Nordic country in just 40 minutes by train. The interesting thing is that you can cross the Oresund Strait between Denmark and Sweden over a very long bridge that runs nearly 8 kilometers from the Swedish coast to one artificial island in the middle of the strait. The crossing is completed by a 4 kilometers tunnel to the Danish island of Amager. We decided to actually spend one night in Malmo and I loved the sunset we got to see over the Oresund Bridge the most. I will probably make a travel blog regarding how to spend 24 hours in Malmo soon.
PS: If you are a fan of amusement parks, then Tivoli Gardens might be your cup of tea and you must also add it to the list. Since we are not really passionate, we decided to skip this attraction. The ticket is 120 DKK/adult (any person over the age of 8) meaning around 16 Eur.
This is My Top 10 Mandatory things to do in Copenhagen, but I am also preparing a top of the most Instagrammable places in the city, including some eating places and cute cafés to die for!
See you soon,
Blonde around the World ❤
