I can still vividly remember when I was jolted from deep slumber by my husband's mobile phone alarm. I rushed to the kitchen to prepare our breakfast and my "lunch box" full of carrots to take with me to Copenhagen while my husband woke his sleeping nerves up under the shower. We wolfed down our food and then we rushed to the bus stop (Egerodvej) to take us to the train station in Hillerød. We got there just in the nick of time. Armed with a map, 2 cameras and an iPad and zero expectations, we eagerly anticipated to arrive at the Nørreport station and finally start our journey for the day - Copenhagen.
Copenhagen is a city that is brimming with Scandinavian minimalistic style and design as well as a good mix of Nordic architectural influence. You can almost see "Danish Design" plastered on every local product in stores and shops. It's beautiful, really beautiful, full of life and charm. You would never really understand what I mean though if you will not go there yourself.
Here's my list of what to do in Copenhagen if you only have 1 day to spare:
Here's my list of what to do in Copenhagen if you only have 1 day to spare:
9:00AM
Walk from the Nørreport Station to Nyhavn. You can't miss it. It's a canal with boats and a row of restaurants and colorful houses on the north side of the canal. There's also a huge anchor display (Great Memorial Anchor) at the end of Nyhavn. You can also take the Kongens Nytorv metro station which is situated at the far end of the square outside the mall, Magasin du Nord.
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9:15AM
Buy your tickets for the Nyhavn canal tour. There are at least 2 establishments that sells tickets for the relaxing harbor cruise. When we went there, we picked the more expensive one because we didn't see the competitor but it was all worth it. The tour takes approximately an hour and thirty minutes and your ticket affords you to see the Little Mermaid, the Black Diamond or the Royal Library, the Opera, the Amalienborg Palace, the National Museum, Christiana among others. You can even get off the boat and ride the next boat from the same company after about an hour.
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11:00AM
Avoid the lunch hour rush. Walk towards Strøget, the main shopping street in Copenhagen, after the canal tour. The place has both high-end and local shops as well as dozens of cafes and museums. You may opt to visit the Rundetaarn or The Round Tower before you have lunch. You need to climb the spiral ramp and when you reach the top you will have a good 360 degrees view of Copenhagen. The ramp is 209 meters long and is the only way up to the top - no shortcuts. You need to purchase an entrance ticket at the ground floor. The tower was built between 1637 and 1642 by King Christian IV and belongs to the Trinitatis Church. It is considered to be the oldest functioning observatory in Europe.
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12:00PM
Buy your tickets for the Nyhavn canal tour. There are at least 2 establishments that sells tickets for the relaxing harbor cruise. When we went there, we picked the more expensive one because we didn't see the competitor but it was all worth it. The tour takes approximately an hour and thirty minutes and your ticket affords you to see the Little Mermaid, the Black Diamond or the Royal Library, the Opera, the Amalienborg Palace, the National Museum, Christiana among others. You can even get off the boat and ride the next boat from the same company after about an hour.
11:00AM
Avoid the lunch hour rush. Walk towards Strøget, the main shopping street in Copenhagen, after the canal tour. The place has both high-end and local shops as well as dozens of cafes and museums. You may opt to visit the Rundetaarn or The Round Tower before you have lunch. You need to climb the spiral ramp and when you reach the top you will have a good 360 degrees view of Copenhagen. The ramp is 209 meters long and is the only way up to the top - no shortcuts. You need to purchase an entrance ticket at the ground floor. The tower was built between 1637 and 1642 by King Christian IV and belongs to the Trinitatis Church. It is considered to be the oldest functioning observatory in Europe.
12:00PM
Have lunch or coffee in one of the cafes in Strøget or buy rød pølse or waffle in one of the street food stalls. Sit in one of the benches near the flower vendor and enjoy your lunch while you people-watch on the side.
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2:00PM
Time to shop! Strøget is comprised of four streets - Vimmelskaftet, Amagertorv, Frederiksberggade and Østergade. It is the longest shopping area in Europe and is only open to pedestrians. Yes, no cars allowed. You will find shops like Louis Vuitton, Mulberry, Prada, Burberry, Hermes, Bang and Olufsen, Gucci and other affordable stores like Aldo, Sephora, H&M and a lot more. There are also several museums, fastfood shop and souvenir shops in this area.
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4:00PM
Coffee break! Yes, no Starbucks in Strøget. You can buy some good coffee and Danish pastries in any of the cafes through.
4:30PM
Head to the Amalienborg Palace. On your way there, make sure to drop by the Marble Church near Frederiksgade 4. A short awalk away from the church will lead to the four palaces that comprise the Amalienborg Palace. There is a square in the middle of palaces. This is the winter residence of the royal family of Denmark. If the museum is still open, I would recommend for you to visit it and spend time before dinner.
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5:00PM
It's time to wind down. You can opt to go back to Nyhavn or to Strøget to have dinner. You can also take the train and alight at the Copenhagen Central Station where you can try one of the restaurants in Tivoli. I mentioned in one of my blog post that Denmark is expensive so if you plan to eat in a restaurant be sure that you have extra kroner in your wallet. If you are lucky and Tivoli is open when you visit, you can get inside the garden and enjoy the rides and other attractions. You can continue your shopping while inside. Don't forget to sample churros, warm chocolade, æbleskiver and buy souvenirs while you're inside. You will easily spend some time while inside. If you have to catch a train to go home, no need to fret because the Central Station is just a hop, skip and jump away.
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Have you been to Copenhagen? What will you recommend for me if in case I will go back?
2:00PM
Time to shop! Strøget is comprised of four streets - Vimmelskaftet, Amagertorv, Frederiksberggade and Østergade. It is the longest shopping area in Europe and is only open to pedestrians. Yes, no cars allowed. You will find shops like Louis Vuitton, Mulberry, Prada, Burberry, Hermes, Bang and Olufsen, Gucci and other affordable stores like Aldo, Sephora, H&M and a lot more. There are also several museums, fastfood shop and souvenir shops in this area.
4:00PM
Coffee break! Yes, no Starbucks in Strøget. You can buy some good coffee and Danish pastries in any of the cafes through.
4:30PM
Head to the Amalienborg Palace. On your way there, make sure to drop by the Marble Church near Frederiksgade 4. A short awalk away from the church will lead to the four palaces that comprise the Amalienborg Palace. There is a square in the middle of palaces. This is the winter residence of the royal family of Denmark. If the museum is still open, I would recommend for you to visit it and spend time before dinner.
5:00PM
It's time to wind down. You can opt to go back to Nyhavn or to Strøget to have dinner. You can also take the train and alight at the Copenhagen Central Station where you can try one of the restaurants in Tivoli. I mentioned in one of my blog post that Denmark is expensive so if you plan to eat in a restaurant be sure that you have extra kroner in your wallet. If you are lucky and Tivoli is open when you visit, you can get inside the garden and enjoy the rides and other attractions. You can continue your shopping while inside. Don't forget to sample churros, warm chocolade, æbleskiver and buy souvenirs while you're inside. You will easily spend some time while inside. If you have to catch a train to go home, no need to fret because the Central Station is just a hop, skip and jump away.
