The best 2 day Copenhagen itinerary for first-timers

Last Updated on July 29, 2026 by Ioana

Copenhagen is one of those cities that looks almost too perfect in pictures.

Colorful houses line the canals. Bicycles seem to be everywhere. Pastries are basically a food group of their own. And even the most ordinary streets have that effortlessly Scandinavian aesthetic.

I recently spent time exploring Copenhagen with my mom and brother. And while I obviously couldn’t see everything in two days, I was able to cover most of the city’s major sights without spending the entire trip running from one attraction to another.

I also learned a few things I’d do differently next time.

For example, I loved the canal cruise and the Round Tower, but I thought the Little Mermaid was incredibly underwhelming. I also discovered that Copenhagen’s famous hot dogs are very hit or miss. And I definitely have an opinion about which ones you should skip.

This 2 day Copenhagen itinerary is designed for a first-time visit, with the attractions grouped geographically so you aren’t constantly crossing the city.

If you have more than two days, I’ve also included my favorite day trips from Copenhagen at the end. This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Find out more here.

Day 1: Nyhavn, Central Copenhagen, and Tivoli Gardens

For your first day, I’d focus on the heart of Copenhagen. Most of today’s attractions are within walking distance of each other.

So you can spend the day exploring the city on foot rather than constantly jumping on public transportation.

Start your morning at Nyhavn

If you’ve seen pictures of Copenhagen before your trip, you’ve almost certainly seen the Nyhavn Canal.

This is the famous colorful canal lined with brightly painted townhouses, historic wooden ships, and outdoor restaurants. And I’m happy to report that it actually lives up to the hype.

I visited early in the morning and there were only a handful of people around, which made such a difference.

The colorful buildings reflected in the water looked beautiful. And I could actually take pictures without having to wait for dozens of people to move out of the way.

If you’re looking for that classic Copenhagen photo, this is probably the place.

I would, however, skip the restaurants directly along the canal. They’re in a prime tourist location and, in my opinion, you’re better off wandering a few streets away for a more local meal.

My tip: Make Nyhavn your first stop of the day. Later in the morning and especially around lunchtime, it becomes much more crowded.

Get Danish pastries at Sankt Peders Bageri

After exploring Nyhavn, start making your way toward the historic center.

And do yourself a favor and stop for breakfast or a mid-morning pastry at Sankt Peders Bageri.

This ended up being my second favorite bakery in Copenhagen, after Juno the Bakery.

Juno is fantastic, but it’s farther away and requires taking the metro. When I visited there was a 20–30 minute line, so it’s a longer trip.

Sankt Peders was much easier to fit into a sightseeing day, with only about a five-minute wait when I visited.

And the pastries were really good.

I tried the cardamom bun, which was soft and fragrant, but my favorite was the vanilla custard and saffron bun.

The saffron gave it a slightly unusual flavor that I hadn’t really encountered at other bakeries in Copenhagen. The pastry itself was incredibly soft, generously filled with custard, and wasn’t overly sweet.

Honestly, I could have eaten another one.

If you’re visiting Copenhagen partly for the food, don’t underestimate the bakeries. Danish pastries are one of the things I was most excited to try, and they absolutely lived up to the expectations.

Alternative: Take a Danish pastry tasting tour

If you’d rather have someone introduce you to Copenhagen’s pastry culture instead of choosing bakeries yourself, you can also take a guided Danish pastry tasting tour.

The tour lasts about two hours and takes you to five different bakeries, with a pastry tasting at each one.

You’ll get to try Danish classics such as Wienerbrød, Tebirkes, Kringle, and Hindbærsnitter. All while your guide explains the history and traditions behind them. 

The tour is limited to 10 people, so it’s a nice option if you’d prefer a small-group experience.

The total walking distance is around 5 kilometers, so come prepared to walk. But you’re essentially getting a walking tour of Copenhagen with pastries along the way.

And you’re also burning calories so you can eat more haha.

Climb the Round Tower

Continue toward the center of Copenhagen and visit the Round Tower, one of my favorite viewpoints in the city.

One of the things that makes this tower different from most European towers is that you don’t climb a traditional staircase for most of the way.

Instead, you walk up a wide, inclined spiral ramp.

This makes the climb much more manageable than towers with hundreds of steep stairs, and I actually found the walk up surprisingly easy.

There are a few stairs toward the very top, but most of the climb is the gradual ramp.

Once you’re up there, you’ll get a beautiful 360-degree view over Copenhagen’s rooftops.

I thought it was absolutely worth doing.

You can buy tickets on the spot, so this isn’t one of the attractions where you necessarily need to plan weeks ahead.

Canal boat tour

Next, head toward the water for one of my favorite experiences in Copenhagen: a canal tour.

I loved this.

The boat takes you through Copenhagen’s waterways and gives you a completely different perspective of the city.

You’ll see many of the major landmarks from the water, including the back of the Little Mermaid statue, which I actually preferred seeing from the boat.

Our live guide was hilarious and explained everything really well. It didn’t feel like one of those tours where someone monotonously reads facts at you for an hour.

There is one very important thing you should know before boarding, though.

The bridges in Copenhagen can be extremely low.

When the boat approaches one, the guide will tell you to sit down. Seriously, do it.

I watched people who were still standing have to duck dramatically as we passed underneath. You really don’t want to discover the hard way why they tell you to sit down.

If you’re trying to fit a lot into two days, I think the canal cruise is especially worthwhile because you get to see so much of Copenhagen while also taking a break from walking.

Walk along Strøget

After your canal cruise, explore Copenhagen on foot and make your way toward Strøget.

This is the city’s famous pedestrian shopping street, lined with stores, cafés, restaurants, and beautiful buildings.

I walked here early in the morning when there were barely any people around, and it was a completely different experience from later in the day when the street became much busier.

You don’t need to shop to enjoy Strøget.

I actually recommend wandering around the surrounding streets too. Copenhagen is one of those cities where I enjoyed simply walking without a specific destination.

Just looking at the architecture, popping into shops, and stopping for coffee whenever something caught my eye.

If Strøget feels too crowded, walk along one of the parallel streets instead.

You’ll still be in the heart of the city but with fewer people around.

Visit Copenhagen City Hall

Copenhagen City Hall is another easy stop while you’re exploring the central area.

You can enter the main hall for free and see the impressive interior and astronomical clock.

There’s also a tower you can climb for another panoramic view of the city.

I skipped the tower because I’d already climbed the Round Tower earlier in the day and didn’t feel the need to pay for another viewpoint.

If you haven’t done the Round Tower, though, the City Hall tower is another option.

Have a Copenhagen hot dog at Copenhagen Hotdog Deli

If you want a quick and inexpensive lunch, stop for a hot dog at Copenhagen Hotdog Deli.

These were the best hot dogs I had in Copenhagen.

The sausage tasted fresh and flavorful, and you can keep things simple because the menu is small, with only four main varieties: thin or thick sausage, with or without a bacon wrap.

I actually prefer places with a smaller menu when they’re doing one thing really well.

I also tried the famous hot dogs at DØP – Den Økologiske Pølsemand, which gets recommended all over Copenhagen.

And… I hated them.

I know, I know. Apparently I’m in the minority here.

The sausage seemed to have more casing than meat, became dry after a few minutes, and I didn’t like the bread either. I ended up throwing mine away.

0/10 for me.

So if you’re looking for a Copenhagen hot dog, my personal recommendation is Copenhagen Hotdog Deli instead.

There’s a spacious plaza right in front of City Hall with benches where you can sit down and eat, which makes this an easy lunch stop.

Spend the afternoon at Tivoli Gardens

Finish your first day at Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen’s famous amusement park right in the city center.

Buy your ticket online before you go!

When I visited, the entrance queue was at least a hundred people long. I initially thought I’d be standing there for hours even though I already had a ticket.

Surprisingly, the line moved incredibly quickly and I was inside in around 15 minutes.

But if you don’t have a ticket in advance, you’ll have to spend additional time waiting to buy one.

I have mixed feelings about Tivoli.

It’s cute, colorful, and definitely a fun Copenhagen experience. But the park is fairly small and it was packed when I visited.

There was a queue for essentially every ride. There wasn’t a single attraction where I could just walk up and get on.

After about an hour of navigating crowds and waiting in lines, I was exhausted and decided to leave.

So while I think Tivoli is worth seeing, I wouldn’t necessarily plan your entire evening around going on rides.

If you love amusement parks, you’ll probably have a very different experience. But if, like me, you’re not particularly passionate about roller coasters, I’d give yourself the flexibility to leave after you’ve had enough.

Day 2: Palaces, The Little Mermaid, and Freetown Christiania

For your second day, head toward the northern part of central Copenhagen in the morning before working your way back toward Christianshavn and Christiania.

This is another day where you’ll be doing a lot of walking, but the route makes sense geographically and lets you see several of Copenhagen’s most famous landmarks without constantly going back and forth.

Visit Rosenborg Castle

Start your second day at Rosenborg Castle, one of the most beautiful historic buildings in Denmark’s capital.

The castle is quite different from the grand palaces you’ll see elsewhere in Europe. I loved the darker, more intimate interiors and the Nordic aesthetic.

It’s home to the Danish crown jewels and royal collections, and the rooms give you a fascinating look at how the Danish royal family lived over the centuries.

If you have the Copenhagen Card, entrance to Rosenborg Castle is included.

And speaking of the Copenhagen Card…

Is the Copenhagen City Card worth it?

If you’re planning to visit several museums, palaces, and attractions, I think the Copenhagen Card is worth seriously considering.

It includes access to more than 80 attractions as well as public transportation, and you can buy it for 24, 48, 72, 96, or 120 hours.

I traveled with my mom and brother, and we spent around €20 on three round-trip metro tickets alone.

Copenhagen’s public transportation isn’t cheap, so I really wish we’d purchased the card.

If you’re visiting several paid attractions during your two days, do the math before your trip. You may find that this city pass saves you money while also making it easier to hop on public transportation whenever you need it. And you also get free transportation to/from Copenhagen Airport.

See the Little Mermaid but don’t expect much

Now for my controversial Copenhagen opinion.

The Little Mermaid was probably the most disappointing tourist attraction I’ve ever visited.

There, I said it.

The statue itself is tiny and sits right on the water, so you can’t really get close to it. And because essentially every tour bus stops here, there were huge crowds surrounding it.

I found the whole experience chaotic and underwhelming.

Honestly, if you take the canal cruise I recommended above, you’ll see the Little Mermaid from the water.

I’d call it a day there.

If you’re a huge Hans Christian Andersen fan or really want the classic photo, go see it. But if you’re trying to maximize your two days in Copenhagen, I wouldn’t spend a huge amount of time here.

Visit Amalienborg Palace and watch the changing of the guard

From the Little Mermaid, walk toward Amalienborg Palace.

This is where the Danish royal family actually lives, which makes it particularly interesting compared with palaces that are now primarily museums.

There’s even an easy way to tell whether the royals are home: look at the flags above the palace.

The changing of the guard takes place at noon.

I arrived at about 11:45 a.m. and there were already plenty of people gathered, so I wasn’t able to get a front-row spot.

The ceremony was interesting to watch, although I personally didn’t find it as impressive as the changing of the guard ceremonies I’ve seen in London or Athens.

Still, if you’re already in the area, it’s worth timing your visit around noon.

Try traditional Danish smørrebrød for lunch

Lunch is the perfect time to try one of Denmark’s most traditional foods: smørrebrød.

It’s essentially an open-faced sandwich, usually made with dense rye bread and topped with ingredients such as fish, meat, eggs, chicken salad, or other elaborate combinations.

I’ll be honest: I didn’t love it.

But I still think you should try it at least once because it’s such an important part of Danish food culture.

For a traditional experience, Schønnemann is one of the names you’ll see recommended repeatedly. Make a reservation well in advance because tables can sell out around 1.5 months ahead.

Other well-known options include Aamanns 1921 and Restaurant Palaegade.

Just be prepared for Copenhagen prices. Smørrebrød isn’t necessarily the budget lunch you might expect from an open-faced sandwich.

For more affordable options, look at places such as Ibens Smørrebrød or Domhusets Smørrebrød.

Visit Christiansborg Palace

After lunch, make your way to Christiansborg Palace.

One of my favorite things to do here is actually free: go up the tower.

The tower offers another fantastic view over Copenhagen, and there’s an elevator that takes you most of the way up.

There is usually a line for the elevator, but it moves relatively quickly.

You can’t take the stairs instead, so if the elevator queue looks long, don’t worry. You don’t have another option anyway!

Christiansborg is also home to the Royal Reception Rooms, the Parliament, and the Royal Stables.

When I visited, the horses weren’t there, so I skipped the stables. If you’re interested in royal history, though, they’re worth checking to see whether they’re open and whether the horses are present during your visit.

Explore Freetown Christiania

From Christiansborg, continue toward Christianshavn and Freetown Christiania.

Christiania is one of the most unusual places in Copenhagen.

It’s a self-proclaimed autonomous community with a very different atmosphere from the polished historic center.

You’ll find colorful street art, alternative architecture, creative spaces, and plenty of reminders that Copenhagen isn’t only about royal palaces and minimalist design.

I found it really interesting to walk around.

Just remember that this is a real residential community, not an open-air theme park. People actually live here, so be respectful, don’t treat residents like attractions, and follow any photography restrictions you see.

Wander through Christianshavn

Finish your second day by walking through Christianshavn.

This is another beautiful waterfront neighborhood with colorful buildings, canals, and boats parked along the water.

After spending two days seeing Copenhagen’s major attractions, I think this is a lovely place to slow down.

Grab a coffee, wander along the canals, and enjoy the atmosphere without having to check another attraction off your list.

That’s one of the things I loved about Copenhagen: even when you’re not actively sightseeing, there’s always something pretty to look at.

​If you have more than 2 days, take a day trip from Copenhagen

Copenhagen is a fantastic city for a short trip, but if you have an extra day, I’d definitely consider getting outside the city.

Take a day trip to Malmö and Lund

You can take a guided tour to both Malmö and Lund to avoid having to deal with the logistics yourself.

I went to just Malmö independently and absolutely loved it.

It’s a small, charming city with colorful squares, historic buildings, and plenty of character. It also gives you the fun experience of visiting another country during your Copenhagen trip.

If you’re going independently, here are a few things I particularly recommend.

Eat Swedish meatballs at Bullen

This restaurant is right in the center and is a great place to try the dish Sweden is famous for.

Go shopping at H&M

Yes, I know it sounds ridiculous to recommend H&M as a travel experience.

But H&M is Swedish, and I found the selection much more interesting (and significantly cheaper!) than shopping for the same brand in Denmark.

Get coffee at Lilla Kafferosteriet

This café was rated as the best café in Sweden, and I completely understood the appeal.

There was a line when I visited, but the café has plenty of seating both inside and outside, including a lovely interior garden.

And don’t skip the princess cake.

This traditional Swedish dessert is light, creamy, and covered in a distinctive layer of green marzipan. It’s very different from the heavier cakes I tend to gravitate toward, and I really enjoyed it.

Visit Møns Klint and the Forest Tower

Another option is a day trip to Møns Klint and the Forest Tower.

This is a completely different experience from spending two days exploring Copenhagen’s historic center.

Møns Klint is famous for its dramatic white chalk cliffs along the Baltic Sea, while the Forest Tower is an architectural viewpoint surrounded by forest.

If you enjoy nature and want to see a different side of Denmark, this is the day trip I’d choose over simply adding another museum to your Copenhagen itinerary.

FAQs about this 2-day Copenhagen itinerary

Is 2 days enough for Copenhagen?

Yes. I think two days is enough for a first visit if your goal is to see Copenhagen’s major highlights.

You’ll be able to see the main attractions, as well as take a canal cruise and visit Tivoli Gardens.

I wouldn’t try to squeeze every museum and neighborhood into two days, though. 

What should I not miss in Copenhagen?

For a first visit, my top picks would be Nyhavn, the canal cruise, the Round Tower, Rosenborg Castle, Amalienborg Palace, Christiansborg Palace, and a Danish bakery.

I’d also visit Tivoli if you enjoy amusement parks.

The Little Mermaid, on the other hand, would be low on my list. I found it disappointing and much more crowded than I expected.

Is Copenhagen expensive?

Yes, Copenhagen is an expensive city, particularly when it comes to restaurants, ticket prices for attractions, and public transportation.

That’s one reason I recommend looking into the Copenhagen Card if you’re planning to visit several attractions.

It includes more than 80 attractions and public transportation, and it may save you money depending on your itinerary.

What food should I try in Copenhagen?

Don’t leave without trying Danish pastries and smørrebrød.

I particularly loved the vanilla custard and saffron bun at Sankt Peders Bageri, while the cardamom bun was also excellent.

Smørrebrød wasn’t my personal favorite, but it’s such an important part of Danish cuisine that I think it’s worth trying at least once.

And if you want something quick, I recommend Copenhagen Hotdog Deli for a Danish hot dog.

Is Copenhagen walkable?

Very much so.

Many of the attractions on this itinerary are a short walk away from each other. Also, Copenhagen’s central neighborhoods are compact enough that exploring on foot is one of the best ways to experience the city.

The canal cruise is also a great way to rest your feet while still sightseeing.

What is the best area to stay in Copenhagen?

For a first visit, I’d stay somewhere central or close to a metro station so you easily get to the main attractions in the city center.

I stayed at AC Hotel Bella Sky and I took the metro to Kongens Nytorv every morning to get to the city center. The trip took only 10-15 minutes and the hotel was much cheaper compared to city center options.

Should I buy the Copenhagen Card?

If you’re planning to visit several paid attractions, I think it’s worth doing the math.

The card includes 80+ attractions and public transportation and is available for 24, 48, 72, 96, or 120 hours.

I traveled with my mom and brother and spent about €20 on three round-trip metro tickets alone, so I definitely wish I’d looked into the Copenhagen Card before our trip.

Is Tivoli Gardens worth visiting?

Yes, but I’d manage my expectations.

Tivoli is beautiful and fun, but it can get extremely crowded. When I visited, there were long lines for essentially every ride, and I personally got tired of the crowds after about an hour.

If you’re a big amusement park fan, you’ll probably enjoy it much more than I did.

Is the Little Mermaid worth visiting?

Honestly, I don’t think you need to make a special trip for it.

The statue is tiny, it’s difficult to get close to, and it gets extremely crowded because tour buses stop there.

You’ll also see the back of the statue from a Copenhagen canal cruise, which I thought was a much nicer experience.

Can you take a day trip from Copenhagen?

Absolutely. If you have more than two days, Malmö is one of my favorite options. You can also visit Møns Klint and the Forest Tower for a nature-focused day outside the city.

Both are easy ways to add another destination without completely changing your Copenhagen itinerary.