There are many reasons why Denmark is one of the happiest countries in the world. Take a visit to Copenhagen and you will exactly understand why. Aside from being one of the happiest places on Earth, the Danes have a great sense of style and appreciation for design and efficiency. From how the roads and buildings are designed to how public transport works (the metro in CPH runs 24/7 as it’s driverless), everything in Denmark just feels like it makes sense.

While at university, I had the fortunate opportunity of spending almost a year living in Copenhagen thanks to the ERASMUS exchange program. From my experience living in Copenhagen, I hope my recommendations and tips can be helpful to anyone that is visiting this beautiful city! And if you’re considering studying in Copenhagen, I also highly recommend choosing one of the universities/schools in Copenhagen!

Arguably the best time to come is in the spring or summer. The time before Christmas is also favourable for experiencing the Christmas festivities. I would only avoid the deep winter (around January – March) as it’s cold, icy, and snowy which makes it more bitter for exploring!

My top tips

• Rent a bike – Tier, Lime, and Bolt bikes are available in Copenhagen. The easiest way to get around the city. Denmark has a cycling culture, there are bike lanes everywhere.
• Eat lots of pastries – Scandinavians are known for their pastries. Enjoy a pastry with a warm beverage in a cosy environment for “hyggelig.” See “Food” below places you should check out!
• Go boating in the canal – Skip the touristy tour boats and rent a Go Boat with a packed picnic and explore the canals on your own. The canals are very swimmable as well. Obviously, weather permitting.

For sightseeing

• Little Mermaid
• Tivoli – Third-oldest operating amusement park in the world. Especially beautiful in the winter for the Christmas festivities and in the spring when the flowers are blooming.
• Nyhavn – When you google Copenhagen, this is likely the first place that pops up – the most iconic spot in Copenhagen, it’s the colourful harbour.
• The Round Tower – There’s a massive spiral ramp (like in a parking garage) to get up the tower. The spiral ramp was built for horses to go up and down the tower.
• Church of Our Saviour
• Amalienborg Castle
• Christianborg Palace
• Superkilen – Super cool park designed by famous Danish architect, Bjarke Ingels.
• Freetown Christiana – Hippy, lawless community. You can openly buy kush here.
• Danish Architecture Centre
• CopenHill

Museums and Galleries

• Copenhagen Contemporary – Contemporary art gallery with changing exhibits. Located on Refshaleøen Island.
• Design Museum – Showcasing designs and crafts from both Danish and international designers.
• Glypotek – The collection represents the private art collection of Carl Jacobsen, son of the founder of Carlsberg.
• Carlsberg Brewery – Learn about the famous beer brand and their history
• The National Gallery of Denmark – largest collection of Danish art from the 1700s to the present day

Shopping

You can find a variety of clothing and furniture shops in both Kogens Nytorv / Strøget and Nørrebro areas. Danish fashion is recognised for its sleek and simple designs. Some Danish brands that you might recognise are: Samsøe Samsøe, Mads Nørgaard, Norse Projects, and Ganni.

In Kogens Nytorv / Strøget, there are department stores like Illum (equivalent to Saks / Harvey Nichols / Selfridges) and Magasin du Nord where you can find both Danish international brands. The area is home to concept stores like HAY House, Lædersmeden (boot shop), Storm, and NAKED (sneaker store specifically for females) and vintage stores like Episode, Time’s Up Vintage, and Magnolia for more upscale finds. In Nørrebro, there are loads of vintage stores and you will also find the popular Acne Archive (Acne outlet store).

Food

Local cuisine to try

• Smørrebrod – try Sankt Annae or Restaurant Palaegade (both near Nyhavn) for gourmet smørrebrod
• Pastries! – see below for an extensive list of spots for pastry
• Pølse – hot dogs
• Licorice – Licorice gets a bad rep everywhere except for Denmark. Trust me, it actually tastes nice here!
• Tuborg Beer (Carlsberg) – if you’re going around Christmas time, they release a special edition Christmas beer annually and Carlsberg massively celebrates the launch every year, also known as “J-Dag.”

Bakeries and Pastries

• Lille Bakery
• Andersen & Maillard
• La Glacé
• Apotek 57
• Juno the Bakery
• Hart Bageri
• Rondo
• Bageriet Brød

Casual / Mid-range restaurants

• Madklubben – They have multiple locations around CPH. Reservations recommended.
• Torvehallerne – food market. My favouite vendors: Hija de sanchez (tacos) and Grød (porridge)
• Reffen, Copenhagen Street Food – located on Refshaleøen Island.
• Hija de Sanchez / Sanchez – restaurant by ex-Noma pastry chef. The tacos here are exceptional. Don’t miss out on the tepache drink (fermented pineapple).
• Cofoco
• La Banchina – located next to the docks on Refshaleøen Island, you can swim here before or after having a bite or a glass of wine. There’s also saunas you can reserve to use here too.
• Barabba – italian food with an innovative twist.
• Restaurant Gorilla
• Atelier September
• Bæst – v. good pizza

Brunch spots

• Mad & Kaffe – really good brunch
• Neighbourhood – brunch and pizza
• Laundromat cafe
• 42Raw – healthy food spot with multiple locations around Copenhagen
• Wulff & Konstalia
• Grød – porridge

Restaurants worth splurging for

• Noma – René Redzepi known for redefining nordic cuisine with his innovative approach and foraging distinctive ingredients. Noma held the title for number 1 restaurant in the world for numerous years.
• Geranium
• Marchal in Hotel D’Angleterre

Day trips near Copenhagen

• Louisiana Museum of Modern Art – contemporary art museum
• Kronborg (Hamlet Castle) – To get there: Take train from Central Train station. Louisiana closeby to Kronborg; Louisiana is at Humlebæk train station and Kronborg is at Helsingør train station
• Møns Klint – Chalk cliffs. To get there: Rent a car