Unmissable things to do in Copenhagen, according to a local (updated 2025)

The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is an impeccably designed, impeccably located museum with a world-beating modern art collection. Visit for the art; Louisiana’s permanent collection comprises more than 4,000 works produced since 1945, including pieces by Picasso and Giacometti, while its Sculpture Park houses work by Alexander Calder and Henry Moore. There’s also Louisiana’s idyllic location by the coast, overlooking Øresund and with views of Sweden. Finally, there’s its gift shop, packed with classic and contemporary Danish designs, plus a wide selection of books and exhibition posters.

Why is it worth it? Remember to bring your camera: the building itself is considered a significant work of Danish modernist architecture. 

There’s no better time to visit the Tivoli Gardens than in spring (it’s only open from March until September) – and there’s fun for all the family. This is Copenhagen’s world-famous amusement park, which has stood on this site for more than 175 years and even inspired a certain Walt Disney. Adrenaline junkies will love the rides – including one of the world’s oldest wooden rollercoasters, constructed in 1914. 

Why is it worth it? It’s not just the rides you should come here for: there’s thrills to be found in Tivoli’s seasonal decorations, floral displays, fountains, carousels, lanterns, old-fashioned carnival games and more. 

Denmark’s national art museum SMK is home to an immense collection of Danish and European works dating from the 1300s to the present day. It's Copenhagen’s most sizeable cultural attraction, and an excellent way to acquaint yourself with some of Denmark’s best-known works of art, including the masterpieces of the Danish Golden Age and Vilhelm Hammershøi’s highly influential interiors of 19th-century Copenhagen.

Why is it worth it? All its exhibitions are great, but the 20th and 21st-century collection, housed in a striking modern extension, is fantastic. Plus, with its simple but scrumptious menu, SMK’s beautiful café provides the perfect pit stop.

Around an hour by train from Copenhagen central station via a lovely local coastal train ride, you’ll find Kronborg Castle. Known the world over as Elsinore Castle – the location of Hamlet, Shakespeare fans – this moated Renaissance castle looks out over the sea to Sweden in all its crenellated, turreted glory. It’s an awesome place for a day trip if castles are your kind of thing: wander the dark basement and discover legendary Viking warrior Holger Danske, or skip through the palace rooms and imagine the famous parties once hosted there. 

Time Out tip: The castle hosts an annual Shakespeare festival each August, with the play performed on the lawn behind it. 

With its pastel-hued, 17th-century merchants’ houses, Nyhavn is Copenhagen at its picture-postcard finest. And yes, it’s a tourist trap – but it’s a gorgeous one and well worth visiting if only to get the obligatory shot of its brightly coloured houses (three of which were once home to fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen). Nyhavn is also a great place to join a canal tour or set off on a stroll.

Why is it worth it? You can spend all day here. If you're hungry, there’s a bustling food market home to POPL, where you can try a Noma burger. And to escape the crowds, pop into Kunsthal Charlottenborg, a baroque building on Nyhavn’s south side, home to a contemporary art gallery and a beautiful café, Apollo.

Bakeries are bonkers in Copenhagen. Recent years have seen queues out of the door through the winter months for special cream buns, and a madly oversubscribed race with runners going from bakery to bakery to stuff their faces with a cake and run on to the next one. Make your own hipster bakery trail and check out Københavns Bageri, Hart, Juno and Skt Peders Bageri on your trip – and keep your eyes open for new ones opening up. They pop up like mushrooms these days…

Time Out tip: If you lack a sweet tooth, ask for a BMO. It’s the local name for a cheese roll – and they’re more special than they sound…

A world-renowned art and sculpture museum in central Copenhagen housing Carl Jacobsen’s private collection of art and artefacts through 6000 years. Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek is one of Copenhagen’s most treasured museums, found right at the heart of the city. It’s been open to the public since 1897 and is renowned for its extensive collections of Mediterranean antiques and 19th-century art (among the biggest collections in the world). Exhibitions range from Ancient Egypt to the works of Manet and van Gogh, as well as sculptures from Greece, Denmark and France.

Why is it worth it? Come for the art, and stay for the ambience – outside is a glass-domed Winter Garden, adorned with palm trees, statues and a trickling fountain and a cosy cafe from which to take it all in. Entry is free on the last Wednesday of each month.

Beached on the sands near Ishøj, Arken (‘the Ark’) is a contemporary art gallery showing head-spinning exhibitions that will make you look at the world in a new light. Works by the likes of Antony Gormley stud its gardens, while inside you could see anything from David Shrigley’s irreverent sketches and Anish Kapoor’s sensory black holes to Grayson Perry’s tapestries. Its quirky and colourful art and design shop is worth a visit too.

Why is it worth it? Arken is the most cutting edge of Copenhagen’s art galleries, immersive and often deliberately provocative, and the setting, right on a sandy beach, is fantastic on a sunny day. 

Denmark is full of harbour baths, and Islands Brygge has become one of the city’s most iconic spots for a swimming all year round. During the summer months, the harbour side gets packed with beachboys, regular swimmers and families alike. There are five pools, with the shallowest being 30cm deep. If you’re lucky, there’ll be an open salsa or bachata class at the nearby community centre – just follow the music. 

Why is it worth it? Especially in summer, you'll never regret a trip to the harbour baths. Swimmers can take in city skyline views and follow up with a picnic on the nearby grassy area. 

Located in the city centre since 1870 and home to more than 13,000 plant species, Copenhagen's Botanical Garden is the greenest place in town. Highlights include a rhododendron garden, rock gardens featuring plants native to Europe’s mountainous regions, and the Palm House. The historic victorian green house features a terrace from which there is a grand view of the entire garden. During summer, visitors can also explore the garden’s butterfly house, and there’s a small shop selling plants and seeds, allowing you to take home some botanical magic as a souvenir.

Why is it worth it? It’s ideal for a peaceful, leisurely stroll when you want to escape the crowds.