Day trips from Copenhagen: Top 9 excursions

Copenhagen is a wonderful city, named as best destination in the world 2019 by Lonely Planet, but the fun in Denmark doesn’t stop there. Here, I put together a list of fantastic day trips from Copenhagen. This is a list of 9 great excursions that you can go on when you are based in Copenhagen, and come back to your accommodation in the same day. Here we go:

1. Feel royal at Frederiksborg Palace

Just about 30 km north of Copenhagen is the little town of Hillerød. This town is famous for its Renaissance palace Frederiksborg Slot, which was a royal residence of the King of Denmark and Norway as the royal hunting lodge. Frederiksborg is the biggest Renaissance complex in the whole Scandinavia.

Main entrance at Frederiksborg Palace

The palace, which now holds the Museum of National History, is located on an islet in the middle of a lake, and its terrains include a beautiful Baroque garden. The museum is worth spending some time, as it guides the visitor through Denmark’s history with rooms decorated in styles of different periods. The chapel, the best preserved area, is a great example of Danish Renaissance.

Opening hours: Mon-Sun 11-15; Price: 75 DKK (10 €).

If you don’t want the hassle of planning the trip, you can get a guided bus tour from Copenhagen to three Danish castles, including Frederiksborg Castle. Buy your tickets here.

The Baroque Garden, the lake and Frederiksborg Palace

The Frederiksborg Palace is one of the most beautiful castles in Scandinavia

The town of Hillerød has attractions of its own, like bike routes through the hunting lodge, the Gribskov forest or the Æbeholt Abbey Museum, as well as events like the famous Hillerød Art Days (Hillerød Kunstdage) happening yearly at the end of March.

2. To be or not to be at Kronborg Slot

The quirky town of Elsinore (Helsingør), 45 km north of Copenhagen, doesn’t only have a beautiful old town to offer, but a very important literary spot: the Kronborg Castle.

The old town centre with ancient cobbled streets and bourgeois houses can be a great addition to your trip. Photo credit: Martin Heiberg

Kronborg castle, as you may know, is the location of the events in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. So, to be or not to be? I say you have to be at Kronborg Slot and explore its Renaissance rooms and its dungeons, home of Holger Danske (Ogier the Dane), a legendary Charlemagne warrior that is said to dwell in the dungeons of Kronborg and that he will awake if Denmark is in peril. You can also watch for attacks from Sweden, since Swedish land can be seen from the castle grounds.

Kronborg Castle, known worldwide from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Photo credit: Thomas Høyrup Christensen

Opening hours: Tue-Sun 10-16, Mon (Apr-Oct) 10-16, Jun-Sep daily 10-17.30; Price: 90 DKK (12 €).

If you don’t want the hassle of planning the trip, you can get a guided bus tour from Copenhagen to three Danish castles, including Kronborg Castle. Buy your tickets here.

You can take a fantastic tour through the rooms of the castle

3. Enjoy modern art at Louisiana Museum

Lousiana Museum is located in the town of Humlebæk, 35 km north of Copenhagen, and is a leading modern and contemporary art museum.

The integration of modern architecture, contemporary art and nature is one of the best features of Louisiana Museum

The museum’s name derives from the former owner of the property, Alexander Brun, who named the Victorian villa after his three wives, all called Louise. The former villa can still be visited in the museum grounds, but the museum itself has a modern architecture and is located in a beautiful scenery, with gardens and a beautiful seafront.

The original villa in the property where Louisiana Museum is located

The fantastic waterfront of the museum gives it an extra charm

The museum, being the most visited in Denmark, offers a stable collection of modern art from famous artist such as Warhol or Picasso, as well as a section of Pre-Columbian art and a sculpture garden. It also hosts temporary exhibitions that vary seasonally. One of the best features of the museum is how interactive it is, with walk-in art constructions.

Me being silly with one of the interactive art constructions

Opening hours: Tue-Fri 11-22, Sat-Sun 11-18; Price: 125 DKK (17 €).

4. Have a peek of Sweden in Malmö

One of the most known architectonic features of Denmark is the Øresund bridge, an 8-kilometre long bridge connecting the island of Zealand (actually the artificial island of Peberholm) in Denmark with the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula. Copenhagen is connected with the Peberholm island through a 4-kilometre underwater tunnel, which is then followed by the Øresund bridge, which reaches the Swedish city of Malmö.

The Øresund Bridge in a very Danish weather

Malmö is the 3rd largest city of Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg. One of the earliest and most industrialized towns of Scandinavia and, with the construction of the Øresund bridge having major architectural developments, it makes a great escape from Copenhagen and having a sneak peek of the life in Sweden. Enjoy modern architecture with the Turning Torso tower or old architecture with the Malmö Castle. Have a prayer at St. Peter’s Church or a walk in nature in Kungsparken. Go to the beach at Ribersborg or feel the history at Stortorget and Lilla Torget.

Malmö and its symbol, the Turning Torso Tower

The windmill at Malmö Castle’s terrains with a fleeting plump of geese

The historic Ribersborgs Kallbadhus (open-air bath) is worth the 20 minutes of beautiful walk along the shore from downtown Malmö. Photo credit: Dianne Pavletich

The train trip is around 40 minutes and can be purchased at the train station for around 200 DKK (26 €) roundtrip. If you are on a budget, perhaps you should check Omio for bus prices, that start at 6 €.

5. Be a viking in Roskilde

Roskilde is a town located 30 km west of Copenhagen in Ise Fjord. The history of Roskilde starts with a viking settlement that would later on christianize, with the beautiful Roskilde cathedral as an example. Roskilde would eventually become capital of Denmark from the 11th to the 14th century.

Roskilde Cathedral in the viking town of Roskilde. Photo credit: Martin Heiberg

Roskilde is famous for its viking history, and its most popular attraction is the Viking Ship Museum. The central part of the museum is five excavated viking ships, as well as reconstructions of viking ships that can be sailed in the Roskilde fjord.

Opening hours: May-Sep 10-17, Oct-Apr 10-16 (daily). Mondays Historical Museum closed; Price: 90-130 DKK (12-17 €).

If you don’t want the hassle of planning the trip, you can get a guided bus tour from Copenhagen to Roskilde full of viking history and facts, including the Viking Ship Museum and Roskilde Cathedral. Buy your tickets here.

Havhingsten ‘The Sea Stallion’, the world’s largest reconstructed viking ship, in Roskilde Fjord. Photo credit: Martin Heiberg

But among everything else, Roskilde is known for the Roskilde Festival, one of the largest music festivals in Europe originally for hippies but now comprising all mainstream music genres. Artists the size of Coldplay, Bob Dylan, Jay-Z, The Rolling Stones, Rihanna, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Paul McCartney, U2 and Prince have conquered the stages of Roskilde Festival. Typically held in the beginning of summer, tickets for the full festival start at 2125 DKK (285 €).

Roskilde Festival is one of the largest music festivals in the world and the largest in Norther Europe. Photo credit: Thomas Rousing

6. Dyrehavn and the Hermitage

Dyrehaven (or Jægersborg Dyrehave) is a forest park north of Copenhagen popular for its ancient oak trees and a large population of deers. It is a perfect getaway for a sunny summer day with bikes.

Deers roaming around at Dyrehaven. Photo credit: Kim Wyon

Originally a fenced forest commissioned by the king as a hunting area, the Hermitage, a hunting lodge, was built for hosting royal banquets during hunts.

The Hermitage, the royal hunting lodge, at Dyrehaven

To get to Dyrehaven take the S-train (C) or the regional train (direction Nivå St.) and get off at Klampenborg station. A short walk will take you to the red gates that mark the beginning of the park.

Also, since you are already there, you can check out Bakken, the oldest amusement park in the world (first opened in 1583), which is also located in Klampenborg.

Opening hours: variable, check here; Price: free entrance to the park pay-per-ride or 270 DKK (36 €) for a multi-ride ticket.

7. Go cliff-watching at Møns Klint and Stevns Klint

One of the underrated features of Denmark is its dramatic landscapes. I already wrote about some of them in the post about North Jutland, but the island of Sjælland has its own natural beauties to offer. The southern part of Sjælland as well as the island of Møn are known for their moon-like chalk cliffs: Møns Klint (in Møn) and Stevns Klint (in Sjælland).

The white cliffs of Møns Klint

Møns Klint is perhaps more spectacular, while Stevns Klint is far less touristic and has its own charm with a hanging church and wheat fields. A drive there takes around 2 and 1 hours, respectively. Bus or train combinations are complicated and long.

The less famous but equally beautiful Stevns Klint

8. Be a child again at the fairytale capital Odense

In the island of Funen (Fyn), located west of Sjælland, there is the town of Odense. Even though it is the capital of the region and the third largest city in Denmark, it has a very charming village feel to it.

Although being the third biggest city in Denmark, Odense feels like a small town

The best part about Odense is that it is the proud hometown of fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen, author of The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling or The Emperor’s New Clothes, among others. You can visit Andersen’s youth home as well as try to find all the sculptures of his works that are hidden in little corners around the city. It makes a great escape for a trip with children as well.

Sculpture of H.C.Andersen’s The Emperor’s New Clothes on a hidden square in Odense

9. Enjoy summer in the North beaches

It is true that Denmark’s beaches are not comparable to those in Spain, Thailand or Polynesia, but they have their own charm and they are a fantastic getaway during the summer. Danish villages come alive and fishing towns get all pretty and active, and a swim in the Baltic Sea can revitalize anyone.

Colourful bath houses in Tisvildeleje. Photo credit: Klaus Bentzen

The north of the island is full of fantastic beach towns, some more famous summer destinations such as Gilleleje or Tisvildeleje and some just quirky little beach towns like Kikhavn, you have the whole range. In any case, you will most certainly have space to leave your towel, unlike some beaches in Costa Brava or Phuket.

The quirky little town of Kikhavn

Personal favourite beaches in North Sjælland: Tisvildeleje, Gilleleje, Hornbæk, Liseleje, Nødebohuse, Lynæs, Trekanten (Hundested), Gråstenvej, Kikshavn… in no particular order. The last one not so much for the beach but for the isolation and the beauty of the landscape and surroundings (great for hiking!).

How to move around in Greater Copenhagen

Most of the cities in Greater Copenhagen are fairly well communicated with trains, buses or a combination of them. The S-train will be your friend in these occasions, as it is a relatively cheap and direct way to go to the main locations, especially north of Copenhagen.

To go further away, such as Malmö, Roskilde or Odense, the regional train works best. All trains leave and arrive to Copenhagen Central Station. Other options are mid-range buses and, of course, renting a car, which will give you more flexibility on your route. You can check schedules and prices for trains and buses in here or in the box below:

More remote locations, such as the cliffs in the South or some of the beaches in the North require more complex combinations of trains and buses, and some of them cannot be accessed even that way. For these, I suggest renting a car. Have a look at Sixt, Avis, Budget or Europcar.

Accommodation in Greater Copenhagen

The point of this article is to help you find excursions that you can do using Copenhagen as a homebase. Thus, you can keep your accommodation in Copenhagen:

→ Best accommodation in Copenhagen

That being said, in some occasions it will be more comfortable to find an accommodation and spend the night, for example in Odense because of the distance or in the beaches in the North because you probably want to relax in the beach a bit longer. For bigger towns I suggest getting an accommodation through Booking.com, while in the north beaches I suggest to rent a summer house through Airbnb and cozy up to the beauty of the Danish Riviera.

Closing statement

These are only a few ideas of fun plans that you can enjoy while visiting Copenhagen, so make sure to squeeze some of them in your plans. To get the best of your trip, make sure you check out our article on the best things to do in Copenhagen.

→ Top 15 things to do in Copenhagen, Denmark

→ Where to eat and drink in Copenhagen: best restaurants and bars

Make sure you don’t miss out in any of Copenhagen’s activities by purchasing your tickets in advance!

If you are not so much into urban tourism, worry not! Visit our post on North Jutland, a more rural part of Denmark, but equally stunning:

→ North Jutland: a beginner’s guide to the North of Denmark

Denmark is a wonderful country, not only in beauty, but in many other ways and I would like people to fully get to know it and enjoy it, instead of just using it as a starting point for Baltic cruises. So, make sure to stay tuned with Feast of Travel!

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