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Overview

Travel Tips for Copenhagen

This travel tips hub for Copenhagen brings together planning help and money-saving advice - 30 sights from free to paid entry, the Copenhagen Card versus the Slotspas, and sensible itineraries for every day of your trip.

Contents

Copenhagen is a surprisingly affordable city to explore: its best moments are spread across public squares, parks and churches that are open to all, while the big-ticket attractions are worth the entry fee. This guide sorts thirty places by what they cost and shows you how to combine them into sensible days. For the full list, see Attractions, sorted by theme in Museums, Palaces and Churches.

Free to explore: fourteen places with no entry fee

Fourteen of the thirty places are completely free. At the core is a walk through the city centre: the Strøget pedestrian street, Kongens Nytorv square, and the colourful harbour arm of Nyhavn, whose promenade is free to walk - only the canal boat tour costs extra, from around 80 DKK. Right on Strøget you'll find two churches with no admission fee, Vor Frue Kirke (Copenhagen Cathedral) and Trinitatis Kirke; Holmens Kirke on the canal is also free. Helligåndskirken, reopened since March 2026, is a parish church and so is usually free to enter too, though the congregation makes no official statement on admission or donations.

Down at the harbour, head to the Royal Library (the Black Diamond), whose exhibitions - including TREASURES - are always free, and the Børsen visitor centre. Walking out to The Little Mermaid takes you through the free Kastellet fortress grounds. Green space comes courtesy of the Kongens Have palace garden and the alternative free town of Christiania. And at the Torvehallerne market hall, entry is free - you only pay for what ends up on your plate.

Paying for entry: what's worth it and how to save

Sixteen places are generally paid, though many have a free element built in. The best single paid attraction is Tivoli: the amusement park is open in 2026 from 27 March to 20 September, followed by its Halloween and Christmas seasons. Entry starts at around 150 DKK; single ride tickets are bought day-by-day at kiosks or in the app, while the Turpas ride pass from 299 DKK pays off from around four or five rides. Among the palaces, Rosenborg (140 DKK online, 150 DKK at the door) is the best value with its crown jewels; the Amalienborg Museum (125 DKK online, 135 DKK at the door) pairs well with the free changing of the guard at noon, and at Christiansborg the lift to the top of the 106-metre tower is even free - the ideal money-saving alternative to the view from Round Tower (60 DKK). For all three palaces together, the Slotspas (345 DKK, valid three days) is usually the cheapest option.

Group the big museums by theme: the National Museum of Denmark and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (135 DKK each online, 150 DKK at the door) sit near Tivoli and Central Station, while SMK (the National Gallery of Denmark) and the Hirschsprung Collection are in the Parkmuseerne quarter. Then there's the Designmuseum Danmark (140 DKK), Charlottenborg palace (90 DKK, free on Wednesdays from 17:00) and the underground art space Cisternerne (115 DKK, open mid-March to late November). Savvy visitors target the free windows: the Glyptotek is free on the last Wednesday of the month, and SMK on SMK Fridays. At the churches, you only pay for extras, such as the tower climb at Vor Frelsers Kirke (Church of Our Saviour, 70 DKK) or the dome tour at Marmorkirken (Marble Church, 50 DKK). At the Botanical Garden, only the Palm House (70 DKK) charges admission - the garden itself is free.

Read on: the planning guides in detail

Whether a sightseeing pass pays off for your trip is covered in the Copenhagen Card comparison. For the bigger picture, see trip planning and the best time to visit; for where to stay, check where to stay and the best hotels. Families will find tried-and-tested routes and prices in Copenhagen with kids, and if you have an extra day, pair the city with a day trip to Louisiana, Kronborg, Roskilde or Malmö.

Frequently asked questions

Which Copenhagen sights are free to visit?+
Of the thirty places this guide covers, fourteen cost nothing at all - the Nyhavn waterfront, the Strøget pedestrian street, Kongens Nytorv, The Little Mermaid, the Kastellet fortress grounds, the Christiania free town, the Kongens Have palace garden, Torvehallerne market hall (only the food itself costs money), the Royal Library including the Black Diamond, the Børsen visitor centre, and the churches Vor Frue, Holmens and Trinitatis. Helligåndskirken, as a parish church, is also usually open free of charge, though there is no official statement to that effect. On top of that, several paid attractions have strong free elements: the Amalienborg changing of the guard at noon, the free lift to the top of the Christiansborg tower, and the Botanical Garden (only the Palm House costs 70 DKK).
What is the one tip from this Copenhagen guide you shouldn't miss?+
For a free day out, walk the loop through the city centre and harbour - Strøget, the free churches, the Royal Library, Nyhavn, Kastellet with The Little Mermaid, the Amalienborg changing of the guard at noon, and the free lift up the Christiansborg tower. The best single paid attraction is Tivoli in the evening, closely followed by Rosenborg Castle with the crown jewels.
How many places does this Copenhagen guide cover?+
Thirty selected places. Fourteen of them are completely free, including public squares, parks, landmarks and churches that are open to all. Sixteen are generally paid or have a paid core component, such as Tivoli, the major museums or the royal palaces. Many of these still have a free element, so you can plan a full day even on a tight budget.
Is the Copenhagen Card worth it?+
The Copenhagen Card (DISCOVER 2026 - 589 DKK for 24 hours, 859 DKK for 48 hours, 1,039 DKK for 72 hours, including public transport) pays off from around two to three paid entries per day. Fully included are Tivoli (garden entry), Rosenborg, Amalienborg, Christiansborg, the National Museum of Denmark, SMK and the Glyptotek, among others. Not included are Round Tower (60 DKK), the Marble Church dome tour, the Palm House in the Botanical Garden and Tivoli's rides. If you mainly want to see the three palaces, the Slotspas (345 DKK, valid three days) usually works out cheaper - and for the fourteen free sights, the card doesn't apply at all.
How much does admission cost at the paid attractions?+
Tivoli from around 150 DKK (adults typically from around 200 DKK, rides extra), the National Museum of Denmark and Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek 135 DKK each online or 150 DKK at the door, Rosenborg Castle 140 DKK online or 150 DKK at the door, SMK and Designmuseum Danmark 140 DKK each, the Amalienborg Museum 125 DKK online or 135 DKK at the door, the Christiansborg combination ticket 215 DKK, and Round Tower 60 DKK. Under-18s go free at most museums and palaces. All prices in Danish kroner (DKK).