Copenhagen has long been on my city break to do list, so one evening when I stumbled across some cheap flights I decided to book a Copenhagen city break. I booked my flights with Norwegian, who fly between London Gatwick and Copenhagen 5 times a day. I booked their early morning flight out of London one Saturday morning, and the return on the Sunday evening. The return flight cost just under £50pp. Norwegian is a low cost airline which is rapidly expanding their services from London Gatwick, and have the added advantage of free wifi onboard.
My Copenhagen City Break
For somewhere to stay on my Copenhagen city break I came across a deal on Secret Escapes for the First Hotel Mayfair, which looked very nice and modern. I noticed that it also had a very central location, located right by the main train station and very close to Tivoli Gardens. I actually ended up booking this hotel through hotels.com as the price was actually cheaper than Secret Escapes. Also by booking through hotels.com I would be one night closer to earning another free night, courtesy of their rewards program. Prices started from just £82 per room, per night.
Copenhagen in 36 hours
Here are my recommendations to make the most out of a short Copenhagen city break, based upon the things which I enjoyed during my trip.
Day 1
11am – Visit the Little Mermaid
Den Lille Havfrue, the Little Mermaid, was donated to the city of Copenhagen by Carl Jacobsen, the son of the founder of Carlsberg. The statue is based on the story of The Little Mermaid, by Hans Christian Andersen. The Little Mermaid is quite a walk from the city centre, but should definitely be on your to do list for a Copenhagen city break. I got a train to Østerport Station, from the main station which cost about £2 (20DKK), and this left me with a 20 minute walk.
1pm – Have Lunch at Nyhavn
You can walk to Nyhavn from the Little Mermaid along the water’s edge in about half an hour. Nyhavn is a harbour in the centre of Copenhagen, which is lined with colourful traditional buildings and full of great bars and restaurants serving some great traditional Danish food. Nyhavn translates into ‘new harbour’ in English. The colourful buildings that line the harbour create the famous image that is associated with Copenhagen. Find yourself a table with a view, and order a platter of traditional food, including herring, prawns, rare roast beef, cheese and chicken. I enjoyed a platter sampling all of these at Nyhavns Faergekro, and the food was absolutely beautiful. I highly recommend this place for lunch, but make sure you get a table outside for the wonderful harbour view.
3pm – Visit the Rundetårn
The Rundetårn, or round tower was built in 1642 for Christian IV and is a short 10 minute walk into the city centre from Nyhavn. Pay just £2.50 (25DKK) and start your climb up the sloping path that winds its way up the tower for some stunning views of Copenhagen. Your entrance fee also includes entrance to the art gallery located half way up the tower.
5pm – Afternoon Drink at the Hard Rock Cafe
I stopped off here for a quick cocktail, as I made my way back to the hotel. Located on Rådhuspladsen (City Hall Square) just before you get to the main train station. You might also want to stop off at one of the other bars or cafés in or around the square, completely up to you!
7pm – Visit Tivoli Gardens
A visit to Tivoli Gardens is an absolute must while on a Copenhagen city break. Explore the different themed lands, and sample food in the themed restaurants, or enjoy some high adrenaline rides.
Evening is the best time to visit as you get to experience the park in the daylight, as well as the evening illuminations. You can also enjoy some of their live concerts and performances, as well as laser light shows and even fireworks. Tivoli has some of the best theme park rides I have been on in years, and is also home to one of the world’s oldest wooden rollercoasters.
Day 2
11am – Visit Carlsberg
Anyone who likes beers, lagers and ales will love a trip to Visit Carlsberg. You can book your entrance fee online, which is recommended at busy times, or you can pay there. The entrance fee is approximately £10 (95DKK). Your entrance fee includes a self-guided tour of the museum, as well as two drinks of your choice.
You can also pay extra for a guided tour of the whole facility, and also an in-depth tasting of the many drinks produced by Carlsberg. The guided tour costs about £5 (50DKK) and the tastings cost the same. You can also purchase more drinks in the main bar afterwards as well as some light snacks. It is quite a walk from the city centre, so a taxi or train ride is recommended. Visit Carlsberg also offer a shuttle bus every hour to the city centre, but this can get quite busy.
2pm – Lunch at the Meat Packing District
Located just a stone’s throw from the main train station is the meat packing district, which has in recent times become home to many trendy restaurants. It also has a weekly food market where you can purchase a wide variety of foods from an array of different vendors. My best advice would be do some research, and call ahead to the restaurant of your choice to book a table, as I had the disappointment of not being able to get a table anywhere. This wasn’t a huge problem as I quite enjoyed sampling some of the delicious food from the vendors in the market.
4pm – Stroll Through Copenhagen City Centre
Before returning to the airport, take a stroll through the beautiful streets in the city centre, browse the city’s many designer shops and boutiques, and enjoy a coffee and Danish pastry from one of the many stunning bakeries found all over the city.
Would I Return to Copenhagen?
Absolutely!