How to Spend a Perfect Day in Copenhagen, Denmark

It’s amazing what you can do with some free will and credit card points! After longing to travel for a few months, I decided that instead of having Euro Summer FOMO, I would just fly to Europe, even for a short trip.

I’ve felt drawn to Copenhagen for as long as I can remember, and I made a couple efforts to visit: once in 2019, and again in 2022. Neither worked out. 2019 was due to weather. A Danish friend kindly told me that Denmark isn’t the greatest place to visit in December because uhhh.. it’s cold. In 2022, I simply didn’t have enough travel days to properly fit it in.

But then there was Summer 2025, when I had absolutely no travel plans at all.

A spontaneous trip to Denmark was not on the summer bingo card, but it happened. Short-term travel has been a big trend so I was certainly influenced. I figured that spending just 3 days in Copenhagen was much better than not going at all (I had an in person job at this time so taking more time off was not plausible). I had enough points to make my flight virtually free and I found a really great hostel for $40/night so I was running out of excuses. So I booked the trip.

After spending 3 days exploring Copenhagen, I want to talk about the highlights! I narrowed everything down to what I believe would be the perfect day spent in Copenhagen!

What to know before visiting Copenhagen

Getting Around: Copenhagen is very walkable! There is also a very efficient metro and train system. If you absolutely need a taxi, you can find one, as well as Uber and Bolt. I bought a 72 hour metro pass through this app.

Currency: While Denmark is part of the EU, they don’t use the Euro. They use Danish krone (DKK). I never needed cash at any point- Copenhagen is VERY card friendly.

Other things to know: Copenhagen is safe, peaceful, very bike-forward (be mindful of that), and has excellent infrastructure. It’s definitely a very beginner-friendly destination.

Spending the perfect day in Copenhagen

Start your day at Nyhavn

Nyhavn was once a commercial port that connected Copenhagen to the sea, but it is now a major tourist spot because of the beautiful, colorful architecture. There honestly isn’t anything super worthwhile to do here, but it’s a great photo spot. Come early (between 8-9am) and you will have the place to yourself!

Grab breakfast at a bakery

Copenhagen has phenomenal bakeries! I’m not exaggerating when I say I had some of the best pastries I’ve ever tried during my visit! My favorite is Juno Bakery. It is a little ways away from Nyhavn (a metro ride plus a 10 min walk), but WELL worth it!

Another favorite is Andersen Bakery! If you’re into history, Sankt. Peders Bageri is the oldest in Copenhagen.

Rent a boat and enjoy the beautiful views

No boating license? No problem! You can rent a boat in Copenhagen & I highly recommend it. There are a few good companies to rent your boat through. We used FriendShips and had a wonderful experience! I recommend doing this earlier in the day before it gets more crowded out on the water.

Copenhagen is such a gorgeous city & it’s really meant to be explored by boat in some way! If you don’t want to rent a boat, you can also take a city boat tour for a decent price (there’s several good companies that run many tours daily).

Have Smorrebrod for lunch

Smorrebrod is Denmark’s famous open-faced sandwich. There’s many flavors to choose from, and I really enjoyed the chicken salad the most!

Where should you get smorrebrod? It’s tough to narrow down the countless options, but I have 2 recommendations:

For a dining experience: Restaurant Kronborg was excellent- very friendly staff and a huge variety of options.

For a quick meal: Hallernes Smorrebrod at Torvehallerne market has several excellent flavors and everything is made fresh!

Tivoli Gardens

Tivoli Gardens is the 3rd oldest amusement park in the world, and Walt Disney was inspired by Tivoli in creating Disney Land. There are a lot of similarities!

Tivoli Gardens requires at least 4 hours, especially if you like rides! I recommend arriving about an hour or two before sunset so you can see the park both in daylight and at night- both are beautiful! Besides rides, there’s also games, lots of food, and the occasional show. Plus, it’s right in the heart of the city, making it especially convenient to visit.

Grab a drink (If you still have some energy)

If Tivoli didn’t tire you out, I’d recommend checking out one of Copenhagen’s bars. We enjoyed 1656 in Vesterbro for their unique cocktails and great service. We didn’t get to visit, but the Library Bar looks really cool as well (but you need to book in advance to be guaranteed entry- hence why I didn’t get to visit)

Skip the Little Mermaid

Seriously. It’s small. The area is crowded. It’s VERY underwhelming and not worth the trek.

Would I revisit Copenhagen?

Absolutely! The safety, peaceful vibes, and friendly people made me feel welcomed! I really loved my short trip and I would love to revisit and also see more of Denmark one day. Plus, I must make a return to Juno Bakery- that almond croissant was magical!

If you find yourself in Europe and you want to visit a city that’s less crowded than the likes of Paris, London, Amsterdam, and Rome, give Copenhagen a chance! You’ll love it!