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Copenhagen in one day starts with a choice of how to see it. The capital of Denmark lies on the Øresund. Begin at the Nyhavn canal, add Tivoli Gardens, the Little Mermaid and the royal palaces, and choose below how you want to see them. The tours are alternatives, so pick the one that suits your pace.
Nyhavn is a canal and a historic district in Indre By. It is the natural first stop, and both walks below include it.
A small-group walk with a local guide through Nyhavn, Christianshavn and Holmen, about three hours long with a stop in a café, in English.
Audio stops with a GPS map, from Nyhavn to the royal palaces, with no guide and no fixed schedule, in English, Spanish or French.
Tivoli Gardens is an amusement park and pleasure garden in Copenhagen, opened in 1843. The Little Mermaid is a sculpture at Langelinie. Reach the statue on a puzzle walk, or turn the whole city into a game on your phone.
A self-guided walk of about four kilometres and under three hours, from the city centre through Nyhavn and past Amalienborg to the Little Mermaid, in German, English or French.
A GPS-guided hunt on your phone past Nyhavn, Tivoli Gardens, Amalienborg, Christiansborg and the Round Tower, about three hours long, in several languages.
Amalienborg is a royal palace, and Nicolai Eigtved was its architect. Rosenborg Castle is a palace and a museum, and Hans van Steenwinckel the Younger was one of its architects. Christiansborg Palace stands on Slotsholmen and is named after Christian VI of Denmark. Two guided options below cover the royal quarter: a private walk past Rosenborg Castle and Amalienborg, or a walk with a harbour ferry ride.
Walk with a private guide past Nyhavn, Rosenborg Castle, Amalienborg and the Little Mermaid, taking a little over three hours, in English.
Three hours with a local guide on foot and on a harbour ferry, ending at the palace gates for the Changing of the Guards, in English.
Rundetaarn, the Round Tower, is an observation tower and a museum. When the main sights are done, spend the rest of the day on something different: a walk through Vesterbro and Christiania, or a tasting of Danish food.
A private tour with a guide through Vesterbro and Christianshavn that takes in Christiania, lasting almost four hours, in English.
Three hours with a private guide tasting Copenhagen dishes, from gourmet hot dogs to cinnamon rolls, with vegetarian options, in English.
These experiences are alternatives, not one route. Decide how you want to move, on foot, with audio, with a game or by boat, check the language and inclusions of the product you pick, and see more things to do in Copenhagen.
Some of them, yes. Choose one walking option and let it set the order: the audio walk and the scavenger hunt both cover several of these places, but a single day will not fit everything.
Yes. The audio walk, the Little Mermaid puzzle walk and the scavenger hunt are self-guided, so you set the pace.
The walk and harbour ferry tour adds a ride on a ferry to a walk with a local guide, in English.
Sources: Wikidata (CC0).
