Copenhagen in 3 days

Morning

• Nyhavn Harbour45 min

  Ride in from Vesterbro and start at Nyhavn early, before the terraces fill, for the painted-house photo from the harbour-end bridge.

  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 to Amalienborg for the four royal palaces and the noon changing of the guard, lining up the view through to the Marble Church and across the harbour to 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

  Follow the harbour path through the Kastellet fortress to the Little Mermaid for a quick photo, then double 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

  Take an open canal boat from the Nyhavn jetty on the hour-long harbour loop to see the Opera House, the Black Diamond and Christianshavn from the water in the afternoon light.

  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

• 2h30

  Head back to Vesterbro for dinner in the Kødbyen meatpacking blocks, the best-value food quarter in the city, then a natural-wine bar afterward.

Morning

• Rosenborg Castle1h45

  Start at Rosenborg on an early slot, straight down to the crown jewels before the treasury 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

  Lunch at the Torvehallerne market halls near Nørreport, grazing smørrebrød and pastries across the stalls.

  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's spiral ramp for the cheap rooftop view over the old town, stopping at the library hall on the way.

  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 & Tower1h30

  Take the free lift up the Christiansborg tower, the tallest in the city, for the widest rooftop panorama, then wander the palace square and the National Library's Black Diamond on the waterfront 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

  Spend the evening in Tivoli Gardens if it is open, arriving in the last hours before closing when the park lights up. Check the seasonal calendar first, since it shuts for parts 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.

Morning

• Freetown Christiania1h30

  Cross the harbour to the freetown of Christiania and wander its murals, workshops and lakeside paths, keeping phones away on Pusher Street, where photos are banned. Take it as a living community rather than a sight.

  TipThe self-governing hippie enclave rewards a wander for its murals, workshops, lakeside paths and alternative cafes, but obey the one hard rule: no photos at all on Pusher Street, where signs make it clear. Keep phones away there, explore the greener back lanes and the Green Light District's edges by day, and take it as a living community rather than a tourist attraction.

• 1h30

  Walk into Christianshavn proper along its canals and houseboats, and climb the external spiral staircase of Vor Frelsers Kirke for a view if you have the head for it.

Afternoon

• Nationalmuseet (National Museum)1h30

  Cross back to the National Museum, free to enter, and head straight for the Viking-age rooms with the Sun Chariot and the bog body, the strongest part of the collection.

  TipDenmark's main history museum is free to enter and the best rainy-day plan in the city, strongest on Viking-age finds like the Sun Chariot and a preserved bog body. Allow ninety minutes, head straight for the prehistory rooms first while you are fresh, and use the family-friendly children's section if you have kids in tow.

• 1h

  On a warm day, swap the museum for the Islands Brygge harbour bath across the water, a free open-air swimming spot in the middle of the city.

Evening

• Reffen Street Food2h30

  Take the 991 harbour bus, itself a mini boat trip, out to the Reffen street-food market on Refshaleøen for sunset over the water and dinner from the container kitchens. Check it is open, since it runs seasonally, and pay by card.

  TipA sprawling open-air street-food market of shipping-container kitchens on the Refshaleøen waterfront, best reached by the 991/992 harbour bus, which is a mini boat tour in itself. It runs seasonally from spring to autumn and closes in winter, so check it is open, go for sunset over the water, and pay by card, as most stalls are cashless.