After a week in Sweden, I decided to return to London via Copenhagen. Partly because it was significantly cheaper- strange but true fact- and partly because it seemed like a way more fun idea than just going straight home. Denmark is known for being rather expensive, so I turned the whole experience into a game of ‘how-little-can-I-spend-whilst-still-having-fun-times.’ So, pals. In no particular order, here is my very budget-friendly guide to spending 24 hours in Copenhagen.
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Updated 2026.
Copenhagen is ideal for a Scandinavian stop-over. Not only is it overflowing with things to do, but it’s extremely walkable, and the city’s public transport is also quite frankly 10/10. Bravo, Denmark. On a mission to see a decent number of sights on a fairly tight budget, I discovered that 24 hours in Copenhagen can be stretched a long way; and quite frankly, fell in love with this charmingly cool city.
24 hours in Copenhagen: in list form
- Travel into the city from the airport directly by train.
- Check in to your accommodation.
- Check out the view of the city from the Round Tower.
- Wander through Torvehallerne and tuck into an open sandwich.
- Visit the Botanical Garden
- Walk to Nyhavn, the picturesque harbour filled with colourful houses.
- Tuck into a hotdog or two. (Denmark is renowned for them.)
- Go on a sunset stroll along the waterfront, and say hi to the Little Mermaid.
- Catch the Changing of the Guard at Amalienborg Palace.
- Visit Mormors, my personal fave cafe.
- Head back to the airport in 15 minutes flat.
The Best Things to Do in Copenhagen
How to get from Copenhagen airport to the city
It couldn’t be easier to get from Copenhagen airport into the centre of the city. I’m guessing that if you’re only spending 24 hours in Copenhagen, you’ll also be travelling light, and that you won’t need any extra luggage room that a taxi would afford you.
So pals, to get on the train or Metro, you’ll first need to buy a 3 Zone ticket. You can get this from either one of the ticket booths or machines at Arrivals, or you can buy it ahead of time from the DSB app. The train and Metro stations are both right next to the airports Arrivals hall, so are super easy to locate.
The Metro runs 24 hours a day, with Metro trains running through the airport every 2 minutes (and around every 15 minutes at night), and you can take a train to Kongens Nytorv in around 13 minutes.
If you’d rather take a normal train with more of a scenic route, you can jump on a train running direct to Copenhagen Central Station every 10-20 minutes during the daytime. The journey time is also around 13-15 minutes.
Make sure you’ve got an eSIM ahead of your trip so you still use data to navigate the city! Find my discount code for Sim Local here.
Where I stayed in Copenhagen
For those on a strict budget (especially if you’re travelling solo), it’s worth checking out a hostel. I stayed at the Generator Hostel, which was significantly more affordable than staying in one of the city’s equally centrally-located hotels.
I stayed in one of the Generator’s 6-bed all-female dorms with a private bathroom, met some awesome people, they’ve got a stylishly-designed area to chill out in- plus a bar, a restaurant, and a pétanque pitch. They have larger dorms for less money, or private dorms for more. Take your pick, pals.
Check room rates and availability.
24 Hours in Copenhagen: the details
View the city from the Round Tower
Danish design is sleek, modern and generally downright beaut, and seemingly this is a historical trait of the Danes. The Rundetaarn- or Round Tower- was built in the 17th Century as an observatory, and what makes it quite astonishing (maybe I’m just easily astonished), is that there are no stairs to get to the top. Instead there’s just one long spiral. Like an internal helter skelter, know what I’m saying!?
You can climb the tower to see across the red rooftops of the city, for a mere 60DKK. Purchase the ticket directly from the ticket office at the tower; payment in cash or card. Check it out here.
Note for 2026: the Rundetaarn is currently being refurbished, so check ahead of your visit that opening hours aren’t affected.
Tuck in to something delicious at Torvehallerne
Torvehallerne is a covered food market near the central train station, and whether you’re looking for a bite to eat or not, it’s well worth a browse. However if, like me, food is one of your top ten things in the history of the world, then it’ll be even more worth your while.
Find the most delicious-looking pastry that you can, or for something savoury go for a smørrebrød. What’s a smørrebrød, I hear you ask? That’s the classic Danish open sandwich, normally made with dark rye bread.
This may be the coolest street food market in Copenhagen
Get lost in the local jungle
That’s right! Copenhagen has it’s own real live jungle, you guys!
Sort of.
Hidden in the University of Copenhagen Botanical Gardens is a great big massive and very elegant-looking series of glasshouses. The gardens themselves are beautiful (and involve ice-skating ducks, in winter), and they’re a very peaceful place to have a roam around.
The main greenhouse is divided into rooms housing various collections of plants. In the winter it makes for a bit of a shock to the system to go from the sub-zero temperature of outside to the humid conditions within. (Especially when wearing all the layers.)
But aside from the beauty, double awesomely, you can just wander in and have a little nosey around free of charge. A spiral staircase leads to a narrow walkway around the top of the glass dome in the largest room, so as long as you’re not afraid of heights it’s definitely a place I’d recommend checking out.
Check out Nyhavn Harbour
This is the iconic harbour full of colourful townhouses from the 17th and early 18th centuries, many of which are now restaurants, bars and coffee shops. The harbour was originally dug by Swedish prisoners of war, and more recently it was used as a filming location for The Danish Girl.
It’s beaut to have a little stroll along here at any time of the day or night, even in the icy freezing morning cold like I did. And despite it being a popular place it never seemed to get too packed out with people.
(2026 update: my first visit to Copenhagen was before instagram had really taken off. These days, to be completely honest with you: Nyhavn is a far busier spot.)
Eat a Danish hotdog
Prior to my visit I’d been told that hotdogs in Copenhagen are kind of a big deal- and I’m pleased to say I was not disappointed in the slightest, despite not really considering myself a hot dog fan. They’re also a great budget food if your trying to keep your costs down.
You’ll find hotdog stands or carts dotted all around the centre of the city, and most of them take card payments as well as cash. Can you really say you’ve spent 24 hours in Copenhagen if you haven’t sampled a hotdog?
I think not.
What to Eat in Copenhagen: The Complete Guide
Say hi to the Little Mermaid. She’s a good lass.
I’m going to be honest here, when I first decided to spend 24 hours in Copenhagen I wasn’t too bothered about seeing the Little Mermaid statue. I’m not really a statue-loving kind of a gal, generally speaking. But, actually- wouldn’t it have been a bit of a dumb thing if I’d have gone all the way there and not seen her??
Am I right!?
Well, anyway I decided I was right, that would have been dumb, so set off at around sunset to pay her a visit. And it was rather lovely actually! The statue itself is rather small, just perching on her rock looking mildly forlorn, but it was all rather peaceful and tranquil and actually I think it’s one of those things in life that you just have to do if you find yourself in that part of the world.
Good old Hans Christian Andersen himself (author of the Little Mermaid, obv), lived in the city, so it’s rather fitting that she gets to chill out here all day long nowadays. The walk back along the Langelinie promenade is totally worth it too, as long as you bear in mind the temperature and length of time you’ve been outdoors for.
If it’s -3ºC you’re probably going to start feeling it, eventually.
Go on a Palace Hunt
It seems to me as if every time a new king alighted to the throne in Denmark, he decided the most important thing he would need to do was build himself a new palace. As a result, Copenhagen is now completely full of the things. To be fair to those old kings of yore, the various palaces strewn across the city are very lovely-looking indeed.
Rosenborg Castle is set in the Kings Garden, a lovely large park in the heart of the city, complete with ice-skating ducks (in winter), topiary, and a statue or two thrown in for good measure.
My favourite, though, was Amalienborg Palace. This is the Danish royal family’s official residence, and at 12pm every day, the changing of the guard occurs here.
Photo Diary: Inside Amalienborg Palace
I somehow stumbled into this without realising, but it was actually a good thing to chance upon, I reckon! Amalienborg comprises 4 palaces centered around a courtyard, and as I walked into this courtyard I realised that there was quite a collection of people building underneath the statue in the middle- all looking expectantly (and creepily quietly), towards the direction I was walking from. Once I’d figured out that they weren’t actually waiting for me to do something, crowd psychology worked on me and I decided to hang out with the gang for a bit to see what on earth all the silent fuss was about.
Within a few minutes, the sound of drums and whistles could be heard. And not the ravey kind, I hasten to add.
The Danish soldiers, dressed up to the nines in their blue uniforms and furry busbies were marching in perfect time to ‘It’s a Long Way to Tipperary,’ played by their co-soldiers on their soldierly instruments. It was all very marvellous and proper, and involved a lot of shouting (once the music stopped), and well-choreographed stepping. As grand as it is to see, I did feel a bit sorry for those chaps. It was absolutely freezing and it’s quite a drawn-out way of going for your coffee break. Which is what I presumed they were doing once each guard had been changed. Bravo to them.
It was a very different vibe to the Athens changing of the guard, but I enjoyed the pomp and circumstance all the same.
Warm up in a cafe or two by drinking all the coffee
Well, not all the coffee. That would be a bit rude really, wouldn’t it? But the Danes love a bit of coffee and so it’s worth venturing into a few places to see what they have to offer.
And for something atmospheric and vintage-feeling, finish your time at Amalienborg and then head straight over to Mormors. Two minutes from Amalienborg, it’s basically like stepping into your Danish grandma’s living room. There’re records playing, all sorts of strange vintage memorabilia displayed in side-cabinets, and cross-stitch pictures adorning the walls. It is seriously CUTE, I’ll tell you that free of charge.
So there you have it. A very fleeting but affordable 24 hours in Copenhagen. I missed out a few things on my trip that I’d like to go back and take a look at. But, for a short but sweet start, I’m pretty pleased with everything I managed to see.
All the Best Things to Do in Copenhagen
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great photos! I’d love to visit Copenhagen but I’m off to Stockholm soon:)
Thankyou! Enjoy Stockholm, I’ve only visited once so didn’t get to explore too extensively but it’s a beaut city 😊
Oh my goodness! I absolutely enjoyed Copenhagen too. It was actually by far one of my favorite European cities and will definitely come back again! I stayed in Bedwood Hostel but I heard a lot of good things about Generator Hostel as well. Good piece of writing, I enjoyed reading your experiences 🙂
Thankyou! I hadn’t heard of the Bedwood Hostel though I’ll look it up if I ever go back. Such a pretty city, that’s for sure!
Love this post! And I love Copenhagen so much, we were there for Christmas a couple of years ago and we went to Tivoli Gardens and it was the most incredible place I’ve ever seen. Like a magical wonderland !
Love your pics, especially the spirally staircase !
Betty x
The Betty Stamp
Ahhh thankyou 😆 Yes it’s proper beaut isn’t it!? Would love to see it at Christmas…wish I’d seen Tivoli Gardens but I’m sure I’ll be back one day!!
Ugh I was in Copenhagen for a brief time and wasn’t able to explore much. I need to go back though, look beautiful!!!!
It’s really pretty isn’t it!? There’s still more I’d go back and see too as I was only there do such a short time 😆
Nice post! Copenhagen is indeed mostly not associated with budget travel so these tips are great! 🙂