If you have read my previous article regarding My Top 10 Mandatory Things to Do in Copenhagen, you already know you cannot leave the city without experiencing it on its beautiful canals.
I have stated there that, if you search the internet, you will find two options:
- Guided canal tours that are shared with other persons and have a skipper included and
- Private canal rides where you are the captain and decide the schedule
Since we do love our privacy, but also love to learn new things about the cities we visit, we decided to do both of them in our Copenhagen escape. I think both experiences are lovely, but you have to choose which is the best for you based on the type of traveler you are. Let me give you more information about the company we chose for renting our own boat, the costs and why do I recommend this experience – Friendships Copenhagen.
- WHICH COMPANY SHOULD I CHOOSE?
I must start by saying I recommend Friendships Copenhagen as the best rental boat company in the city, with brand new boats and friendly staff ready to help you prepare for your next adventure.
When we started searching for this type of activity, we found out there are a few companies offering boat rental services, but we were instantly attracted to Friendships and I will tell you why right now.
- The rental is easy and simple: no need for boat license or certificate and no previous experience required. Their electric boats are easy to use and you can became an expert after a short briefing at your departure;
- You can book online and cancel up to 24 hours prior your departure – well this really comes in handy in Copenhagen because if the weather will be rainy, the boat ride will certainly not be fun at all. We were extremely lucky, with beautiful sunny weather, but you can never be sure in the Nordic countries.
- Boats have a maximum capacity of 8 persons (no matter the age), so you do not need a large group to rent it. Taking this into consideration, the prices won’t be too high and you can even rent it as a couple as we did;
- The boat is equipped with a wooden table in the middle so you can take your own snacks or even enjoy a proper meal on the canal;
- You can bring your own drinks in order to enjoy the ride to the fullest. If you don’t have time to prepare, don’t stress out: Friendships Copenhagen has you covered. You can buy drinks before your departure directly from them and they won’t empty your pockets in a second, believe me. We didn’t know that and bought our own wine at a higher price from the city. Can you believe that?
PS: If you don’t have sunscreen with you and the weather looks like you are going to need it, Friendships Copenhagen even has your back on this matter and you can buy on the spot;
- The boats have a beautiful design and they are equipped with soft cushions to make your ride comfortable. Is the weather a little chilly? Don’t forget to ask them for blankets to keep you warm!
- WHY SHOULD I RENT A BOAT IN COPENHAGEN?
Well, the answer to this is really simple. Renting a boat and taking a ride on Copenhagen’s canals is definitely the best way to enjoy the city and see the major tourist attractions in a unique way.
When you rent a boat, you are the person in charge and you are able to decide where you want to spend more time or less time according to your taste. For example, if you are trying to get the best shots, this might be harder when other unknown persons are waiting for you to finish. Or maybe you just want to pop the bottle of champagne in your favorite place in town.
Moreover, as I said above, the boats have capacity for 8 persons so if you are visiting the city with family or with a group of friends, this might be the best way to spend time together.
- WHAT CAN I SEE ON A CANAL BOAT RIDE?
You can basically do your research before taking the canal tour and decide the schedule by yourself. You are the captain so you know best which tourist attractions you don’t want to miss. Still, be sure to accommodate the list based on your renting time so you could arrive back in time.
At departure, the kind staff at Friendships Copenhagen will give you a map with the recommended places which also contains the circulation rules. There are one way canals that you should be careful at. I will also upload the Friendships Map right here so you can already plan your canal tour.
In my opinion, you have two mandatory tours to take: Christianshavn, which starts 2 minutes from your departure point and the city center tour where you can check all the major attractions such as Borsen – The Stock Exchange, Christiansborg Palace, The Royal Danish Library also known as the Black Diamond.
The bad news is that Nyhavn cannot be accessed by boat, you can only check it out by foot after the canal ride. The good news is that it is just 5 minutes away from Friendships Copenhagen so it will be easy for you to explore it as well.
- PRICES AND CONDITIONS
You will be happy to know you won’t go broke after renting a boat with Friendships Copenhagen. For larger groups, you won’t even feel the investment. That being said one hour costs 395 DKK meaning around 52-53 Eur for the whole boat which represent 26 Eur/person if you just take your better half with you.
If you want to rent the boat for multiple hours, there is even a discount, so for 2 hours, you will pay 725 DKK (around 97 Eur), for 3 hours 975 DKK (around 130 Eur). Isn’t this a fair price?
We took the boat for 2 hours and I think this is ideal. If you have more time at your disposal, of course, you cannot be bored on the canal 🙂
The Friendships’ staff will give you all the information you need about the regulations and conditions of the rental. You just need to bring a valid ID for the captain who should be at least 18 years old and, of course, he is not allowed to be under the influence of alcohol.
The starting and ending point is Friendships boathouse at Trangravsvej on Christianshavn.
That being said I think you now have all the relevant information for the best canal boat ride in Copenhagen. If you have any questions, be sure to ask in the comments below or on my Instagram account.
Love,
Blonde around the World ❤
