Touring Copenhagen

[bellaggio]

We will be in Copenhagen for a full day on a cruise. Can you tour the city on your own or would you be better off with a guided tour? Any suggestions for which guided tour to take?

Thanks for your help. :)

[Noxequifans]

We did it on foot and spent some time in the Tivoli Gardens ... Not to be missed.

[Paulchili]

Combination of a canal boat trip (a must!) and walking the Stroget and Nyhaven area. If time allows, a castle or two (Christianborg, Rosenborg, Amalienborg).

Many like Rick Steves, I like Frommer's guides. Why not get one from the library and read the chapters on Copenhagen and Amsterdam (including suggested walking tours).

It has all the info you will need - time required for the walking tour, opening hours and fees for the attractions, etc, etc. It will give you an idea of what is available and then you can decide what YOU might be interested in.

JMO.

Edited January 17, 2014 by Paulchili

[gabelle]

A Copenhagen city card is a good choice. It gives you access to transportation and entry into many places. We used it a few years ago and were very happy with it.

[hondorner]

Second the recommendation for a Copenhagen Card. You can order it online before you go. Most of the castles, museums, Tivoli Garden are included, along with canal boat rides on either of two vendors. All public transportation is also included, however it's a very walkable city if you're in halfway decent shape. If you're going to be there in the evening, make Tivoli Garden your last stop, seeing it in daylight at dinner time (more food choices than you can imagine; we ate in a beer hall), then walk around the park after the lights come on -- dazzling. The free entrance to Tivoli included on the Copenhagen Card also includes the amusement rides if you're game; the best we could do was their version of "It's a Small World" ;).

 

You can do it without the card, but the entrance fees for almost everything will pile up fast...

[Paulchili]

A Copenhagen city card is a good choice. It gives you access to transportation and entry into many places. We used it a few years ago and were very happy with it.

 

Does it pay for itself for just one day stay?

We used a city card in Stockholm and got very good value from it but we used it for 3 days.

[gabelle]

They have 24, 48 and 72 hours cards, if I remember correctly. As Don mentioned, we ordered it ahead of time and picked it up at the airport as we were there a day before our cruise. I'm sure there are many other locations to pick it up.

[cbb]

I second Paul's rec'd of Frommer's guides; we tour independently as much as possible and have used their walking guides for years.

 

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/copenhagen/248970

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/copenhagen/248971

 

http://www.frommers.com/images/destinations/maps/jpg-2006/48_walkingtour1theoldcity.jpg

http://www.frommers.com/images/destinations/maps/jpg-2006/48_walkingtour2kongensnytorvinlangelinie.jpg

 

also second the rec'd of taking a cruise...wonderful way to see Copenhagen. Love the city!

[hondorner]

Does it pay for itself for just one day stay?

We used a city card in Stockholm and got very good value from it but we used it for 3 days.

 

They have 24, 48 and 72 hours cards, if I remember correctly. As Don mentioned, we ordered it ahead of time and picked it up at the airport as we were there a day before our cruise. I'm sure there are many other locations to pick it up.

 

As gabelle noted, the price varies for the number of days. We got a 24 hour card. I ordered it on line, and far enough ahead of time that it was mailed to our home (for a small fee). I didn't want to traipse around the airport to find the pickup office (it might have been next door, but I was willing to pay the small mailing fee for the convenience). It is not dated and the time does not start until the first time you use it. We stayed at a hotel near the airport about two Metro stops from downtown and needed the card to get from the hotel -- and the hotel was not a pickup point for the card.

 

We rode the Metro to the city center, then worked our way to the other end, away from Tivoli and near the Little Mermaid, stopping in palaces and castles as we came to them, including the canal tours. We knew we were coming back to the city, so we did all the fee-based things we wanted to do while we had the card. Then, we rode the trolley back to Tivoli. When we were ready to leave, we walked out the door of Tivoli and into the door of the train station across the street to go back to the hotel. Next day, the cruise line (not Oceania) provided transport to the ship.

 

This was a round trip Copenhagen/Copenhagen, although we did a back to back from the turn-over day in Copenhagen. On that turn-over day, without the card, we enjoyed all the fee-free things we could find.

 

If you are going to or from one of the cruise berths to the city center, and you do not mind walking, you can walk from the Freeport Terminal to Nordhavn Station in 15 minutes, and you can walk from Langelinje Quay and Nordre Toldbod to Østerport Station in 15 minutes, or to city center in about 30 minutes (about 3 km). We walked into the city (a little bit industrial) and rode the train back to Østerport Station. Next time, I would ride the train both ways.

[Two Happy Cruisers]

You can definitely do Copenhagen on your own. It's a walkable city with many of the attractions near the Tivoli and the main train station.

 

You can also buy the 24-hour city card or just a 24-hour train pass, which will allow you to travel outside of the city as well.

 

About 22 miles from Copenhagen there's a fabulous museum called Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (named after the first owner's three wives, all named Louise!) My daughter and I toured it a few years ago, when she was attending graduate school in southern Sweden. The only disadvantage was the long line to get in, so if you're truly interested and the ship offers a tour to Louisiana, you may want to consider it rather than going on your own, to make sure you get back onboard on time.

 

~Benita

[corpkid]

We will be in Copenhagen for a full day on a cruise. Can you tour the city on your own or would you be better off with a guided tour? Any suggestions for which guided tour to take?

Thanks for your help. :)

 

We spent 4 days in Copenhagen post-cruise last August (on Marina) and it's a very walkable and fun city. The Copenhagen food tour on viator.com was a lot of fun, and is a 3 hour thing. That will give you time to wander on your own after the tour. You will not be hungry. Tivoli at night is probably the best spot on the planet. So magical.... Enjoy!