The Unknown Ahead

Let’s get our hygge on! Haven’t heard of hygge? Danish culture embraces hygge as “a quality of coziness that engenders a feeling of contentment.” Basically, it’s cold outside, but let’s make the best of it! Copenhagen in November is chock-full of hygge from their adorable christkindlmarkets to eating outside next to a fire to some pretty epic sauna action, it’s hard not to feel cozy and warm despite the weather. Or maybe I was feeling warm due to my large consumption of Glühwein. Either way, here is a family-friendly guide to Copenhagen around the holidays. 

Day 1

• Icelandair has an awesome stopover policy that we took advantage of before coming to Copenhagen. If you’re travelling transatlantic from the USA, you can stop in Iceland for 1 to 7 days and carry on to another location without paying extra airfare. We spent two nights in Iceland which certainly has it’s perks. Firstly, it allows the kids to adjust to a new timezone with a little more ease. Secondly, Iceland is awesome! If you’re looking to add some time to your travel, I would definitely recommend looking into this option. You can check out our Iceland itinerary here!
• Are you stuck in limbo with all of your luggage while you wait for check-in time? Use Radical Storage to find a spot to stash your bags so that you can start roaming the city with ease. There are a ton of convenient spots in Copenhagen to pop your bags for only $5 per day.
• Once in Copenhagen, grab some breakfast at one of the many coffee and pastry shops in town. Joe and the Juice is a good option for easy coffee (it has Starbucks vibes). 
• Wander along the main pedestrian road, Strøget. All the high end stores are along this road, but there are also a lot of family-friendly stops like the LEGO store! 
• Make your way to the Round Tower (it opens at 10am) to climb to the top and get a view of the city.
• In need of a little warm-up and a sausage? Perhaps a Raclette? Perhaps your first Glühwein of the day? Pop into one of many christkindlmarkets for some lunch and browsing. We found that all the vendors accept credit cards. 
• You have so many options for the second half of your day depending on the interests of your kids. I would highly recommend getting The Copenhagen Card. This is an app for your phone where you pay a fee per day, but in return you get access to nearly all of the museums, castles, zoo, public transit (including trains, buses, and ferries/boats), canal tours, and general admission to Tivoli Gardens. This made a lot of financial sense to us since we wanted to pop into as many places as we could throughout our stay. The app also has a really great map that shows you the locations of the included attractions. If you find yourself with an empty hour on your hands, you can check out what’s nearby and pop in.
• Options near Strøget for the kids include:
  • Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
  • Guinness World Records Museum – this was my favorite kid-pleasing stop. It’s really hands-on, so they can learn about the world record, but then actually try some challenges themselves. 
  • Hans Christian Andersen Museum
• Hungry? You’re in for a treat. Copenhagen has an awesome food scene. If you’re looking for something special, the city is packed with Michelin stars. Although my kids are pretty adventurous eaters, I’m not ready to spend $500 per plate on them yet. But know that Michelin is an option, if that’s your thing. I’d suggest Oranje for your first night. It’s a boat in the Nyhavn canal with the best oysters I’ve ever eaten. The view is lovely, and they have a great fish ‘n chips for the kids.
• Nyhavn is quite picturesque in the evening. They have a christkindlmarket set up along the canal, so grab another Glühwein, Glögg or hot chocolate!        

Day 2

• Time for a canal tour! Netto Boats take off from Nyhavn at 10am, but also have three more sailings per day (weather permitting). You can BYOB on your trip too, so plan ahead for some drinks and snacks. You can also check off the Little Mermaid statue from your tourist list. Although the Little Mermaid seems to be a huge draw, it was one of the more disappointing statues that I’ve seen. Don’t get too excited.
• A short walk from Nyhavn is the Amalienborg Palace. This palace is still in use by the royal family. There’s a little museum here and a cute gift shop. There’s also a changing of the guard ceremony daily, but it wasn’t that exciting compared to similar experiences I’ve had elsewhere. 
• Now it’s time for some Danish hygge! You’re going to La Banchina to have a little sauna time. This is a bit of a trek from the main Copenhagen area, but is a really unique experience. You can take a ferry from Nyhavn and be there in about 20 minutes. The boats are really clean and run like clockwork. You also get to see the Black Diamond opera house and some naval boats on your journey. Before you go to La Banchina, be sure to throw a swimsuit on under your clothes and grab some towels. Once you check in, you have a huge barrel sauna all to yourselves. Adjust the heat to your liking and hang out. If you’re feeling adventurous, run down to the canal and do a little polar plunge into the cold water! There’s nothing quite so invigorating! 
• At this point, you’ll want to head back to your hotel or rental to shower and get ready for the evening. For dinner, sit outside at Havfruen next to the fire. People eat outside here well into the winter, so just bundle up and use the blankets provided at the restaurants. This restaurant is more seafood oriented, but they have a lot of options to please everyone.    

Day 3

• We’re spending the day at one of the most popular places in all of Denmark – Tivoli Gardens! This amusement park has been open since 1843 and was a huge inspiration for Walt Disney. At the time of our visit my kids were 11 and 8, which was perfect for the level of thrill rides here. The Copenhagen Card will get you into the park, but you’ll still need to purchase ride tickets. I am happy to report that all of the rides are included with your purchase – no individual tickets or tokens per ride are needed. Tivoli had some amazing food and was beautifully decorated for the holidays. You can really spend all day here.
• There’s a special LEGO store just outside the entrance to Tivoli too. You can create a custom mini-fig which makes a really fun souvenir.  

Day 4

• Let’s head to a castle this morning! The grounds are lovely AND you get to see some crown jewels. We’re going to Rosenborg. This was one of the only locations we visited where you’re encouraged to secure tickets ahead of time. We got the earliest slot available, and there was already a little crowd waiting for the doors to open. Spend a few hours here looking at the ornate rooms, collection of weapons, fine art, and plenty of fancy jewels. If you have little kids with you, ask about their scavenger hunt! They provide a little coloring book with a scavenger hunt, and if you complete it, there’s a free prize waiting for you in the gift shop.
• I LOVE food markets, and you’re pretty close to a good one. Walk to TorvehallerneKBH for two buildings worth of food options. Want tacos? How about Copenhagen’s famous smørrebrød open-faced sandwiches? Pasta? Pickled herring? Charcuterie? Sushi? You can have it all! 
• The afternoon offers you some options:
  • Check out the National Aquarium  
  • Stroll about the Botanic Garden and greenhouses
  • Christiansborg Palace and underground ruins
  • There are SO MANY museums included in the Copenhagen Card, so just pick a few that look interesting to you. There’s a lot of history and art available, so pick something that interests your kids.
• For dinner, we’re heading to a new neighborhood. You can walk from Nyhavn by going over the pedestrian bridge (aka The Kissing Bridge) and walking a few blocks. You’re on your way to Restaurant Barr for some elegant fare. We did a wine pairing dinner here that was something truly special. Although more upscale, it still had several options that the kids enjoyed.

Day 5

• We love a good zoo. This one requires a train ride, but the public transportation is SO easy and clean in Copenhagen. This zoo has all of the biggest hits including elephants and pandas! We also had an amazing lunch on site at the zoo – this was way better than your American zoo hamburger. There’s also an awesome playground so the kids can run around and get out some energy. Did I mention that there’s a beer stand right across from the playground? The Danes have it figured out.
• Across the street from the zoo is a really weird underground art installation called The Cisterns. You head down several flights of stairs and into the darkness of what was once a water reservoir for the city. It’s a little creepy, but also really neat. The featured artist changes often, but experiencing the space itself is worth the visit. Just hold hands with little ones or they might end up in 10-inches of water. 
• Next, wander by the Frederiksberg Palace which is no longer occupied by the royal family. It’s now an Army Academy, but the grounds and park behind the palace are beautiful. There are lakes, rivers, playgrounds, and lots of walking trails.  
• The Carlsberg Brewery isn’t too far from this neighborhood if you’re in the mood for a tour or a taste.

Day 6

• Let’s explore some more of Denmark with a little day trip! Here are some options that can be reached using trains and buses:
  • Option 1 – Kronborg Castle (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and location of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. This is about 1.5 hours on public transportation and takes you north to the town of Helsingør. A Maritime Museum is nearby for kids that want to see boats and submarines. There are also some beaches to explore in this port city.
  • Option 2 – The Viking Ship Museum is one hour west of Copenhagen. Go back in time 1000 years and see how the Vikings took to the sea. The Roskilde Cathedral is also a local draw for tourists along with some hiking along the Roskilde Fjord. 
  • Option 3 – Take a little jaunt into Sweden! You can take a 40 minute bus ride to Malmö. There’s a main square lined with little cafes, a castle, and a Disgusting Food Museum…do with that information what you will…
  • Option 4 – Does the idea of leaving town not appeal to you? If you’re with young children, you could check out The Experimentarium science museum. It’s still about a 30 minute train ride north, but it’s a really interesting hands-on museum for the younger family members.
• Have a some dinner at The Union Kitchen and enjoy some farm-to-table food. It’s your last night in town, so I’d spend a little more time at the Christmas markets seeing Santa and enjoying that hygge feel of being outdoors with those that you love.     

Day 7

• You can easily take the train right to the airport from the Kongens Nytorv station. They were pretty strict at Københavns Lufthavn, so although efficient, expect a thorough inspection (they took my face moisturizer!) and be prepared to check your bag if it’s at all close to the size restrictions.   

Check out a detailed Google Map list HERE.