Family city break in Copenhagen

We enjoyed a family city break in Copenhagen last weekend.  This article aims to help other families make the most of their time in the Danish capital.

Copenhagen is a fabulous city break destination for families.  The city is more compact than other major European city break destinations such as Paris, it is also very child friendly with many family attractions.

Nyhavn-Copenhagen

Several low-cost carriers fly direct from the UK to Copenhagen such as easyJet and as the flight time is only 1 hour 30 minutes it is feasible with even the most active of toddlers!

The locals are very friendly, they are after all known as the World’s happiest nation and they love kids!  (We found the locals not overly gushy but certainly friendly with our boys during our weekend stay).  The Dane’s love of children is evident by the stores we enjoyed in the shopping district – the flagship LEGO store, Scandinavia’s only Disney Store and a Hamleys toy shop!  We were fortunate to visit as the Christmas Markets were opening up for their first weekend of the festive season.

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The easiest way to get around the city is by bike and according to Visit Denmark, the country’s tourist board, it takes just 20 minutes to get from one side of the city to the other.  (City bikes can be hired for short periods of time in a similar way to the Santandar cycle scheme in London).

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Of course hopping on a bike with young children is not so easy however, if you do not wish to explore on foot along the beautiful cobblestoned medieval streets, the city has an extensive transportation network (train and metro) which are both easily accessible with push chairs.

We made the most of our family city break in Copenhagen by visiting the famous Tivoli Gardens amusement park which had just reopened its doors for the festive season and had been transformed into a magical Winter Wonderland.  We cannot rate Tivoli Gardens highly enough.  We arrived as the park opened at 11am and left after watching the Illumination Show and Christmas Lights Show at 7.30pm however we had still not experienced all that the park had to offer such as the Tivoli Aquarium.  Click here for our full review of Tivoli Gardens and here for our tips for visiting Tivoli Gardens as a family.

Tivoli_Gardens

To make the most of our second day in the city we made our way to Nyhavn (meaning New Harbour).  A 17th-century waterfront, canal and entertainment district.  The pretty waterfront is lined with brightly coloured 17th and early 18th century bars, cafes and restaurants and is a popular spot in Copenhagen.  From Nyhavn we picked up our passes for the hop-on-hop-off boat and bus sightseeing tour operated by Open Top Tours.  

Nyhavn

Unfortunately, we only had a day to use our passes which were valid for 48 hours however we did have time to thoroughly enjoy a leisurely cruise along the canals.  We passed many of Copenhagen’s beautiful castles, old listed houses, and other sights of interest including Danish Architecture Centre (DAC), Christiansborg Palace, the Opera House, Experimentarium (the Science Centre) and of course Hans Christian Anderson’s, Little Mermaid statue.

During the boat tour we had the option to listen to an audio commentary (available in 11 languages) which although fascinating I sadly did not get to hear too much of as my youngest son found pulling the ear plugs out of my ears highly entertaining!

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The bus and boat combination tour tickets allow users to hop on and off as much as they like and as I mentioned above are valid for 48 hours.  The absolute beauty of the passes is that they allow you to sightsee at your own pace.  For families therefore they are ideal.  We had fully intended to stay on for the whole 1 hour 20 minute round trip tour however a few minutes prior to arriving back at Nyhavn, my youngest decided to have a meltdown and so we jumped off at the next stop (much I’m sure at the delight of all our fellow boaters!)

If we had more time (and baby had not been so grumpy!) we would have stopped for a spot of lunch and then jumped onboard one of the buses to experience sights such as Amalienborg Palace, Rosenborg Palace, Gammel Strand, Christianshavn, Christiania and Christiansborg Palace.

The bus and boat combo tickets cost 245 DKK (approx. £24) for adults, 125 DKK (approx £12) for children aged 6 – 11 and free for under fives.  I can honestly say, from my experience of selling excursions in Scandinavia whilst working as Shore Excursions Manager for a major cruise line, that they offer great value for money.  Many cruise excursions booked onboard would cost a similar amount for a two-hour tour and often the same boats will be used.  (For those of you who may be visiting Copenhagen on a cruise ship you will be interested to know that a cruise ship shuttle is included in this price).  

Accommodation

During our visit we stayed at Crown Plaza Copenhagen Towers.  A contemporary hotel located a short seven shuttle drive from the airport and a short train/metro journey from the city.  Although this business/conference hotel may not be the most obvious choice of hotel for families we can thoroughly recommend it.

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Our king room with bed cot on the 24th floor was modern and spacious.  The staff were friendly, helpful and very willing to go the extra mile to ensure we, and particularly our boys, were well cared for.  We were particularly impressed with the newly opened bar area which was absolutely huge and uniquely decorated with hundreds of olive trees and plants.

We enjoyed breakfast on both mornings in the executive lounge which guests can pay extra to upgrade to.  There was a tasty breakfast buffet which included typical breakfast dishes in addition to smoked salmon, Danish breads and pastries.  We also ordered from the menu both mornings and started our day with traditional pancakes and omelettes.

There was a metro station and train station within a few minutes walk of the hotel (no noise could be heard from inside) both of which provided easy access into Copenhagen for 24 DKK (approx. £2.40 per adult each way, children under 12 travel for free).

 

I hope this article helps you to thoroughly enjoy your family city break in Copenhagen!  Please do let me know if you have any questions, I would love to help if I can.


 

Disclosure – We were provided with complimentary hop-on-hop-off bus and boat tickets for the purpose of this review.  We were also provided with a complimentary room upgrade and access into the executive lounge for our stay at Crown Plaza Copenhagen Towers.  All opinions (and toddler meltdowns!) however are, as always, our own.

Copyright – Main feature image of Copenhagen canals Copenhagen Media Centre.  All other images copyright Travel Loving Family

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47 Comments

  1. 1st February 2017 / 4:14 pm

    Ah Copenhagen! It was our little discovery last year and we were lucky enough to return in the Summer with the rest of the family. Loved it! And, I didn’t know Tivoli reopened for Christmas, plus the light show is at a much better time for kids – it’s 11.30pm in the Summer and our kids just wouldn’t make it to that late so we missed out sadly.

  2. 30th January 2017 / 3:31 pm

    i’m so looking forward to our trip to Copenhagen in April now Lisa! Thanks for all the top tips and advice. #getgone

  3. 30th January 2017 / 2:41 pm

    We did this between Christmas and New Year and loved it. We stayed in the Tivoli hotel, which is a bit out of the way for the rest of the city, but only a short walk to Tivoli Gardens, where we spent most of our evenings.

  4. 8th November 2016 / 4:04 pm

    Some fine tips here, thanks. Copenhagen really seems to be in vogue at present. As a child I loved Lego so will aim to visit the city’s store.

  5. 8th February 2016 / 12:20 am

    I had no idea Copenhagen was as small as a 20 minute bike ride across – sounds like the perfect size for a family! Tivoli Gardens look great – earmarking!

    • Lisa
      Author
      10th February 2016 / 5:03 pm

      It is perfectly sized for families Corey:) I would love to return when both of my boys are old enough to ride bikes because there is so much more I would like to see

  6. 18th January 2016 / 10:59 pm

    Oooooh, I can’t WAIT to visit!

  7. 18th January 2016 / 10:46 pm

    Thanks so much for the hotel recommendation – they are like hen’s teeth! I’ve Pinned your post for our trip :)

  8. Ting at My Travel Monkey
    12th December 2015 / 9:28 pm

    A brilliant guide Lisa. My son would love the Lego store and hopping on and off the bus. I love cities where you can just amble along foot, bike, whatever takes your fancy! It looks such a pretty city and child-friendly. I must admit, I really would like to go now!

    • Lisa
      Author
      12th December 2015 / 11:35 pm

      It is very child friend Ting. The transportation system in Copenhagen makes a mockery of the London underground system and lack of lifts for pushchair & wheelchair users. Book your flights, you will not regret it!

  9. 28th November 2015 / 7:50 am

    I nearly took my daughter to Copenhagen this year but we ended up in Lille instead as it worked out too expensive. Definitely on my list to visit though!

  10. 25th November 2015 / 8:26 pm

    Copenhagen sounds like a great place to visit at this time of year. I love your pictures and the hotel sounds lovely

    • Lisa
      Author
      25th November 2015 / 9:44 pm

      Thanks Zena. I have visited Copenhagen many times but when it is decorated for Christmas it is especially magical!

  11. 25th November 2015 / 7:34 pm

    Great tip about using the boat tour and bus to see the sights. Ah, baby meltdowns – a city break wouldn’t be complete without one! I must check out your Tivoli Gardens posts next! #citytripping

    • Lisa
      Author
      25th November 2015 / 9:51 pm

      Thanks Claire. The hop on and off boat and bus were great, especially as travelling with our boys. As there was no set itinerary we could just do as we (and by we, I mean baby!) wanted:) You would love Tivoli Gardens at this time of year in particular, it was magical

  12. 25th November 2015 / 4:37 pm

    Never been to Denmark before. I’d love to visit one day. Sweden and Finland are in my list too.

  13. 25th November 2015 / 9:23 am

    Copenhagen looks so wonderful and photogenic! All your photos are amazing. Thank you for sharing your travel experience. I hope that I can go there someday as well and enjoy the beauty of Copenhagen. :)

    • Lisa
      Author
      25th November 2015 / 9:52 pm

      Thanks Lizelle. I don’t always get the time (or spare hands!) to take the photos I would like to take when travelling with my boys, so I’m glad you like them:)

  14. 24th November 2015 / 10:42 pm

    I love the colorful architecture that Copenhagen has to offer. The views are breathtaking, you always have such fun holiday pictures.

    • Lisa
      Author
      25th November 2015 / 9:53 pm

      Thanks Ana. I agree the colourful buildings along Nyhavn waterfront are lovely

  15. 24th November 2015 / 9:46 pm

    Copenhagen looks like such a beautiful city, I have never been but my parents love it there so hoping they may take us too one day lol! xxx

    • Lisa
      Author
      25th November 2015 / 9:53 pm

      I will keep fingers x for you Kay!

  16. 24th November 2015 / 8:08 pm

    Looks lovely Lisa, Tivoli Gardens sounds like so much fun and that Lego store😍…I’m not sure who’d have more fun there – me or my son:) #citytripping

    • Lisa
      Author
      25th November 2015 / 9:54 pm

      LOL Abbie, I had to drag my husband out of the Lego store to get us to Tivoli in time for the opening!

  17. 24th November 2015 / 7:21 pm

    Copenhagen is just such a great place with kids – I can’t believe how long you spent at Tivoli! It is huge though. Thanks for linking up with #citytripping

    • Lisa
      Author
      25th November 2015 / 9:55 pm

      We still didn’t get to experience everything that was there in that time either Cathy! In the summer months, without all the festive extra activities, families would not need to allocate as much time to Tivoli Gardens, however at Christmas with Santa and the shows etc it is a full fun day and evening event:)

  18. 24th November 2015 / 4:30 pm

    Great post Lisa, you have made me very excited about going to Copenhagen now. Thanks for all the tips and help. Can’t wait! Thanks for linking to #citytripping

    • Lisa
      Author
      25th November 2015 / 9:56 pm

      You are welcome Elizabeth. I am so jealous that you have all the fun of Copenhagen and Tivoli to look forward to!

  19. 24th November 2015 / 4:17 pm

    A really helpful piece, particularly as we’re considering a family trip to Copenhagen early next year. Do you think much would be open in February? (I know the Tivoli Gardens is closed then) I love the sound of the boat trip – we’d all enjoy that!

  20. 24th November 2015 / 4:12 pm

    Copenhagen has long been on my travel list but somehow never makes it to the number one spot due to price. I love Scandinavia and know I’d love it there and this article has made me want to go even more….but I just don’t know when!

    • Lisa
      Author
      25th November 2015 / 10:04 pm

      You should definitely lift it to number one spot Phoebe, particularly if you could visit in the festive season maybe next year. I have travelled around Scandinavia quite a bit on the cruise ships and so I was expecting it to be expensive however it really was not as expensive as what I had thought. Especially if you book the hop on boat/bus as that will occupy you for two days and the tickets include lots of discounts to other local attractions and restaurants (i.e free entrance into the Tivoli aquarium)

  21. 24th November 2015 / 12:58 pm

    Oh I’d really love to go to Copenhagen after reading this, it looks so pretty. I like the fact that you can easily walk or bike around and the hotel looks really cool too.

    • Lisa
      Author
      25th November 2015 / 10:07 pm

      Yes it is very appealing to be able to walk and cycle everywhere Cliona and unlike London where riders are expected mainly to join the regular traffic there are lots of bike lanes, so it feels much safer too:)

  22. 24th November 2015 / 12:49 pm

    What a beautiful place! And a LEGO store? A whole store dedicated to LEGO? My kids would be in absolute heaven! I however, like the idea of a cruise a long the canal. Sounds amazing. I’m glad you all had a wonderful time :) I’d love to visit Copenhagen one day.
    Great post and stunning photographs. xx

    • Lisa
      Author
      25th November 2015 / 10:08 pm

      Thanks Sarah. Yes I had to drag my husband out of the Lego store! Boys will be boys

  23. 24th November 2015 / 12:38 pm

    It’s in my bucket list! I think it looks absolutely lovely! Too bad baby was grumpy and you weren’t able to explore it as much as you’d love to but maybe when the baby is a bit older, you can go back and show him the spot where he had a meltdown. :p

    • Lisa
      Author
      25th November 2015 / 10:09 pm

      Lol yes I will do that Pinay, what a great idea!

  24. 24th November 2015 / 8:45 am

    Oh, this takes me right back. I haven’t been to Copenhagen for years – time for a return trip I think! x

    • Lisa
      Author
      24th November 2015 / 11:59 am

      Absolutely! Book your flights:)

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