Here's how to spend 48 hours in Denmark’s design-led capital, from bike rides to hostels (and lots of bakeries)
For design-lovers, fashion fiends and city breakers who like a side order of hygge with their sightseeing, Copenhagen makes a great location for a city break. Discover pavement cafés, art galleries, interior design and much more in this fun-loving city where small moments are celebrated, art and design are revered and work-life balance is (genuinely) prioritised.
Denmark’s capital is definitely on the bijou side, which is all the better for exploring by bike, just as the locals do. But spontaneous travellers, beware: one thing I've learned as a long-term resident is that booking ahead is customary here, so take note if you want to eat at a specific restaurant. From natural wine to super clubs, here is how to smash a weekend tour of Copenhagen.
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Laura Hall is a writer based in Copenhagen. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.
It takes just 12 minutes for the ultra-efficient metro to whisk you from Copenhagen Kastrup Airport into the heart of the city. Tickets can be bought at the red DSB ticket machines in the arrivals hall, or on your phone via the DOT app.
Trains go every ten minutes to Hovedbanegard (Copenhagen Central Station) during the day, and every 20 minutes in the evening. Then hop on the S train, metro or bus to where you're staying (or the nearest bar).
Copenhagen is a compact city, so don't panic: wherever you stay, you won’t be far from the action. The biggest concern when it comes to hotels is, let's be honest, price. Copenhagen ain’t cheap.
The good news is you've got lots of options. Get a feel for the city’s canals with a room at Kanalhuset in desirable and historic Christianshavn, or book way ahead for a treat at Kaj, a floating houseboat hotel with one room. Other one-room hotels in the city include The Krane in Nordhavn and Central Hotel & Cafe in Vesterbro.
If you’re on a tight budget, there are some decent hostels to choose from. Generator is central and has a petanque court, Steel House is on the corner of the Lakes and has a pool and bikes, while Next House, down the street from the station, is popular with locals for its stone-baked pizzas.
Copenhagen is built around the harbour – that’s where your weekend should start.
Arriving Friday afternoon, head straight for Nyhavn. This historic harbour, lined with colourful houses, is the tourist epicentre of Copenhagen – but don’t let that put you off. It’s a great place to start your city break: make like a Viking and explore it from the water.
A one-hour canal cruise with Stromma is not only great value but will also show off the big hits of the city and get you orientated. You’ll float by the Opera House, Amalienborg Palace, The Little Mermaid, The Black Diamond and along the pretty canals of Christianshavn before returning to the busy waterfront.
Explore nightlife in Nørrebro
As night falls, make a beeline for the city’s hippest area for nightlife: Nørrebro. This is a place where pop ups happen, ping pong bars are found and craft beer bars are abound; check out Bird, Dispensary and the rest of our best bars list for when you fancy quenching your thirst.
Start in the Guldbergsgade area where Mirabelle Spiseria and Bæst serve great Italian food. Nearby you’ll also find Brus, a microbrewery with 32 beers on tap, and a natural wine bar called Pompette.
Copenhagen has a very relaxed nightlife scene – you’re more likely to find a bar that plays music until late with a little dancing at the back than a Berlin-like super club. But if you feel like dancing, you could try Rust or Sigurdsgade.
Rent some bikes – most hotels offer them or can advise on rental – and start Saturday with brunch at Harts Bageri on Holmen. Then cycle on to Refshaleoen, a regenerating post-industrial area, past noma (taking a peek into its gardens as you go) to the Reffen street food market. It’s open from spring to early autumn; if you’re there out of season, you could drop into the cafe at Copenhagen Contemporary or Lille Bakery instead. Then visit Copenhill, a unique ski slope in the city on top of a building, where you can hike to the top and get a cracking view of the city and the wind turbines in the sea between it and Sweden.
Thirsty for more?
Spend your afternoon in Carlsberg Byen, reachable by S train (or bike, obvs). This is the home of the original Carlsberg brewery, with a new visitor centre opening in December 2023. Book into Aire Ancient Baths, deep in the vaults of the old Carlsberg buildings, for a pampering experience, or go shopping at Henrik Vibskov and snack at Gasoline Grill, one of the city’s top burger joints. In the park at the top of the hill, you’ll find Cisternerne, an unusual experiential art gallery in the city’s former water storage tanks.
Go Danish for dinner
Copenhagen’s Meatpacking District Kødbyen is a great place to start a Saturday night. Try some Danish delicacies at Paté Paté, get into local seafood at Kødbyens Fiskebar, or wash your Texas barbecue grub down with Danish beer at WarPigs.
Taking a cruise of Copenhagen’s cocktail bars is a fun way to get to know the hidden backstreets of the city. Start near Kødbyen at 1105, hidden behind a graffitied door, before wandering into Vesterbro and discovering Duck and Cover, a lounge bar in a basement. A couple of streets away, the three-storey Lidkøb has everything including a specialist whisky bar.
Take the train from central station to the internationally-renowned Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, an hour north of the city, with a pastry bought on the way from Lagkagehuset bakery. It’s easy to spend a day there; a Danish brunch in the museum's excellent café is highly recommended.
Drop into Nordhavn on the way back, an architecturally stunning borough where chic streets are lined with interiors and fashion shops and a large swimming pool is marked out in the harbour. A coffee and a browse in The Audo gives you a chance to soak up the vibes.
If you’re staying one more night…
Add another museum or cultural centre to the list. DesignMuseum Danmark traces the country’s design heritage and considers its future; The National Museum plays host to Vikings and Viking treasures, and the Danish Architecture Center offers insights into what went into creating the city that you have just explored.
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