Copenhagen in 2 days

Morning

• Nyhavn Harbour45 min

  Start at Nyhavn before the terraces fill, shooting the painted houses from the bridge at the harbour end in morning light. Walk the quay once, then move on rather than paying the view premium for breakfast here.

  TipThis is the photo everyone comes for, best shot from the small bridge at the harbour end in morning light before the terraces fill. Sit here for a drink if you want the view, but eat one street back on Store Strandstræde or in the old town, where the same food costs far less than the quay premium.

• Amalienborg Palace1h15

  Walk up to Amalienborg for the royal palaces around the octagonal square, timing it for the noon changing of the guard and lining up the view to the Marble Church and the Opera House.

  TipThe royal family's home is four palaces around an octagonal square, and the free draw is the changing of the guard at noon each day, biggest when the Queen is in residence and her flag flies. Stand near the guardhouse a few minutes before twelve, then line up the view straight through to the Marble Church on one side and the Opera House across the harbour on the other.

Afternoon

• The Little Mermaid1h15

  Continue along the harbour path through the Kastellet star fortress to the Little Mermaid, a quick photo stop rather than a destination, then loop back toward the center.

  TipThe statue is small and always ringed by tour groups, so treat it as a five-minute stop folded into a harbour walk rather than a destination in itself. Come early morning for a clear photo, and combine it with the nearby Kastellet star-shaped fortress and the walk down to Amalienborg, which is the real reward of heading up here.

• Canal Boat Tour1h15

  Board an open canal boat at the Nyhavn jetty for the hour-long harbour loop past the Opera House, the Black Diamond and Christianshavn, the fastest way to read how the city sits on the water.

  TipAn hour-long boat loops the harbour and canals past the Opera House, the Little Mermaid, the Black Diamond library and Christianshavn, and is the fastest way to grasp how the city sits on the water. Board at the Nyhavn or Ved Stranden jetties, take an open boat over a glass-roofed one, and go late afternoon for the best light on the facades.

Evening

• 1h45

  Dinner in the old town a street back from Nyhavn, around Gråbrødretorv or the side lanes off Strøget, where prices and quality both improve on the quay.

• 45 min

  Finish with a harbour-side walk back along the water, the canals at their calmest once the day boats stop.

Morning

• Rosenborg Castle1h45

  Open the day at Rosenborg Castle on an early slot, heading straight down to the crown jewels in the treasury before the queue builds, then out into the free Kongens Have gardens.

  TipBook a timed slot online in summer, because the castle interior is small and the queue for the basement crown jewels backs up by midday. Go right at opening, head down to the treasury first while it is quiet, then walk out into the free Kongens Have gardens, the oldest royal park in the city and a fine spot for a picnic.

• Torvehallerne Food Market1h

  Walk to the Torvehallerne market halls near Nørreport for a smørrebrød lunch and a pastry, grazing the stalls rather than sitting for a full meal.

  TipTwo glass market halls of some sixty stalls near Nørreport, ideal for a smørrebrød open-sandwich lunch, fresh pastries and coffee without the tourist markup of Nyhavn. Come on a weekday around 11am before the lunch rush, try the classic pickled-herring or roast-beef smørrebrød at a counter, and note it closes earlier on Sundays.

Afternoon

• Round Tower (Rundetaarn)1h

  Climb the Round Tower by its spiral cobbled ramp for the cheap central rooftop view over the old town, pausing at the library hall and observatory on the way up.

  TipThe cheapest central viewpoint in Copenhagen, reached not by stairs but by a wide spiral cobbled ramp that a horse could climb, ending at an open rooftop platform over the old town. Buy the low-cost ticket at the door, go late afternoon for warm light, and look for the small library hall and observatory partway up, both included.

• Christiansborg Palace & Tower1h15

  Walk down to Christiansborg and take the free lift up its tower, the tallest in the city, for the best rooftop panorama of the day, then look at the palace square below.

  TipThe palace tower is the tallest in the city and, unlike almost everything else here, entirely free to climb by lift, with the best rooftop view over the old town. Go up first, then decide whether to pay for the royal reception rooms and the ruins beneath the building; the tower alone justifies the stop even if you skip the rest.

Evening

• Tivoli Gardens2h30

  If it falls in an open season, spend the evening in Tivoli Gardens, arriving in the last hours before closing when the whole park lights up. Check the calendar first, since it shuts for stretches of the year.

  TipCheck the calendar before you plan around it, because Tivoli is seasonal: open roughly April to late September, then for Halloween through October and again from mid-November to New Year for Christmas, and closed in between. Book entry online for a small saving, go in the last hours before closing when the gardens light up, and buy a ride wristband only if you actually plan to ride.