A Guide to 48 (ish) Hours in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen was a city which promised much, but failed to deliver on a number of accounts. HOWEVER. Many other people have been to the city and had a fab time, so just because we didn’t love it doesn’t mean you can’t visit and form your own opinions. Here’s how to get the most out of 48(ish) hours in this Scandinavian capital city.

One of the best ways to see Copenhagen is from the water. Jump on one of the tours from Nyhavn or Holmenskirke, and spend an hour floating through the waterways, hopefully picking up lots of interesting tidbits about the history and layout of the city as you go. We used Netto-Bådene; their partially covered, glass-topped boats take you past some of Copenhagen’s most famous sights, including the Opera House, Little Mermaid (or at least, the back of the Little Mermaid), Amalienborg Palace, the “Black Diamond” and various church spires

I’m a big fan of a city walking tour, even more so when it’s free. And in a city as pricey as Copenhagen, free counts. A lot. Departing daily at 11am and 2pm from outside City Hall, this three-hour tour takes in many of Copenhagen’s famous landmarks. The tours vary according to your guide, who are a diverse mix of Scandinavians and ex-pats. We follow our English guide and her yellow umbrella from City Hall to Christiansborg Slot to Kongens Nytorv and Nyhavn, to the waterfront before finishing off at Amalienborg Palace. Wear comfy shoes and wrap up warm! Oh, and please do tip if you enjoy the tour – it’s not compulsory but it’s definitely nice to reward the person that’s just spent three hours trying to keep an unruly crowd of multi-national tourists engaged. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).