Exploring Copenhagen With Kids – A Family Adventure Awaits

THINGS TO DO WITH KIDS IN COPENHAGEN 

things to do in Copenhagen with kids. Visit the Nyhavn Canal district

Copenhagen With Kids – The Perfect Family Holiday

Our first trip to Denmark’s capital was a sneaky adult weekend away last winter but we loved it SO much that we found ourselves returning to Copenhagen with kids and grandparents in tow a few months later.

What a fantastic city! And, for a family holiday, Copenhagen certainly comes up trumps.

Travelling to cities with kids can often be the cause of nervous breakdowns and adoption statistics rising but holiday with kids in Copenhagen won’t do that to you – I promise. You’ll feel the laid-back poise of the Danes the minute you get off the plane and children are not seen as an interference like in some cities. Add to that the fact that their weather is often not that great so they’ve already thought of dozens of ways to entertain you indoors.

You’ve heard of the word hygge, right? Comfortable contentment, and enjoying the good things in life with your favourite people around you. Well, a bit like the Batchelors soup advert, a hug in a cup, Copenhagen draws you in, kindly takes you by the hand and softly introduces you to a good time.

There are so many great things to do with kids in Copenhagen, along with that hygge ethos, it really does make for the perfect family holiday.

Nyhavn Canal with all it's street cafe's and beautiful boats, Copenhagen, Denmark

The Best Hotel in Copenhagen For Families

If you’re still in the planning stages of your trip, here are a few personal recommendations for family hotels in Copenhagen…

We stayed at the lovely family hotel NH Collection, with waterside views, and LOVED it!

The hotel has family rooms as well as interconnecting rooms for that extra bit of privacy. And, the breakfasts were top-notch and kept our brood going for most of the day! It wasn’t cheap but the locality was important for us as we only had 2 days in Copenhagen with the kids.

Our interconnecting room at NH Hotel

However, we almost booked a newly refurbished apartment in the Vesterbro district as this was our favourite area when we visited earlier in the year. It’s less central but if you hired bikes this is a great location full of small parks, family-friendly cafes and restaurants, and really close to the zoo.

Family apartment in Copenhagen’s Vesterbro district.

Things To Do With Kids In Copenhagen

Our Copenhagen family holiday was full of museums, theme parks, food markets and a whole host of other attractions and activities. We’ve put together a list of our favourites to help you decide what to put on your itinerary.

1. Tivoli Gardens

Top of any ‘Copenhagen for kids’ list is always going to be Tivoli Gardens.

This 180-year-old vintage theme park sits right in the centre of Copenhagen but is cleverly hidden from view to passers-by. You might hear snippets of music and screams from the rides, but what goes on behind those thick hedges is beyond your imagination!

Tivoli may be the 2nd oldest theme park in the world but it’s groomed to the hilt and gives Disney a run for its money any day of the week. In fact, it is true that Walt Disney did indeed take inspiration from Tivoli for his own theme parks – you’ll understand why when you visit.

Once you’ve paid the €20 entrance fee (€9 for 3-7 year olds) you are free to roam the park and take in the shows, the gardens and the restaurants. But if you want to ride the rides you have the choice of paying another €30 for a ride pass which will give you unlimited thrills on any ride. Or for individual rides you can purchase ride coupons at several pay-machines. This works well because not all adults have the stomach for rides but they won’t miss out on the beautiful park sights.

The most famous ride in Tivoli gardens is the 110 year old original wooden rollercoaster, Rutschebanen. But the highlight of our Copenhagen family holiday had to be Vertigo – the 5G and 360-degree spinning left us laughing in delirium for 10 minutes after. I couldn’t have stomached a second go but the kids went back for 3rds and 4th’s!

It really is such a great place; well-rehearsed shows, gardens from a Mary Poppins pavement picture, and enough choice of rides to satisfy any age group. And the options for meal-times are bounteous. We chose the German Beer Keller and couldn’t finish our food – even the kiddie portions were very generous. Prices were what you would expect for a captive audience but not too excessive either.

The park was quieter between 11am – 1pm then buzzed up after lunch so if you’re not a big fan of crowds, arrive early. Park opens at 11am. The weekend (Saturday) light show begins at 10.30pm.

For more information visit their website www.tivoligardens.com

NOTE: Tivoli is open April – September and certain times over Halloween and Christmas.

2. Take A Copenhagen Boat Tour

There are many ways to see the sights in Copenhagen – you can cycle, walk, skate, kayak or even hire a gondola but for a mere €4 (Adults €7) you can simply sit, for an hour, in the comfort of a Netto-Boat and listen to a tour guide tell you stories and fascinating facts about this sea-faring city. I’d say you can’t beat the value for money you get for your hard-earned Krone more so than on this little excursion, and what child doesn’t like a boat trip??

A NETTO boat-tour along the canals of Copenhagen, which incorporates a lot of sites and gives you a grounding of where you are

A lot of the Copenhagen neighbourhoods can be reached by water so if you take the cruise early on in your visit it helps you to get your bearings and decide which areas you perhaps want to visit on foot later on. Plus, no offense Hans (Christian Andersen) but your little mermaid ain’t all it’s cracked up to be – I found the underwater merman much more exciting. So, to not have to take a 20-minute walk from the centre in a direction that bypasses nothing of interest, I was very happy to just get a quick glimpse (without having to elbow fellow tourists out of the way) from my seat on a comfy boat.

Tours leave Nyhavn every 10 minutes or so and there is no need to book. Take an extra layer for the open water section.

3. Eat At Copenhagen Street Food On Paper Island

If you did the above boat tour you will have passed this indoor street food market as soon as you left the Nyhavn canal. From the water you can see this huge old paper warehouse looking like, well, nothing spectacular. But, step inside and you are transported to a world with no border controls, a neighbourhood where Sushi puts the bins out for Tagine, and Duck-Burger feeds Smorgasbord’s hamster when they’re on holiday, and Chicken Shwarma is constantly losing his ball in Thai Curry’s garden. Plus, the little huts are sprayed with the best street art.

A view of Paper Island (the Copenhagen Street Food Market) from the NETTO boat tour. Once an old paper factory, now a food market serving dishes from all corners of the earth.
A view of Paper Island (Street-Food Market) from the boat tour

Have a wander around first before you decide what you fancy because chances are, after trying all the little samples you’ll probably only feel like sharing something between two of you (and then having a slice of the best cheesecake you’ve ever eaten in your life. True story)

Every food booth takes credit cards and all the stall holders are super friendly and happy to answer any questions. Click here for opening times etc.

4. Visit LEGO in Copenhagen

Denmark is the home of LEGO and Copenhagen is the home-of-the-home of LEGO – a flagship store at Vimmelskaftet 37, on the famous pedestrian retail street Strøget.

Visit the Lego shop in Copenhagen with the kids.

You should absolutely not leave your other half in there looking at the mini versions of Copenhagens tourist spots with the kids whilst you nip out undetected to drool in Ilums Bolighus. But don’t worry, you’ll have time to explore all 10,000 square meters of the most delectable homeware and design store in the whole of the universe (Ilums Bolighus) because your OH and the kids will be too busy building stuff back at LEGO headquarters and deciding which exclusive LEGO sets and limited edition kits they are going to spend their pocket money on. Did I mention Ilum Bolighus’ beautifully elegant escalator makes you believe you can fly? And, I don’t think I told you how you will need to take hankies because it’s so beautiful you will cry.

OK, this is a post for kids – I digress (but get your ass to Ilum Bolighus when you can, and don’t take the kids – they will not appreciate it and will probably leave sticky handmarks on the cashmere throws.

5. Visit Ilum Bolighus Without The Kids

Ok, I think we’ve covered this.

Ilum Bolighus Department store on Stroget. Things to do in Copenhagen without the kids

6. Abuse The Copenhagen Card

The what? Well, if you’re staying in Copenhagen for a few days and have to provide your own travel to and from the airport, this could definitely be your ticket to a fun-packed stay in the city. A Copenhagen card can be purchased online or at the airport and covers all your transport PLUS free access to 73 attractions in and around the city! And, each paying adult is allowed to bring along 2 children for free – it really is great value for money. Here are some of the attractions loved by children to which you get free access;

  • Entrance (no rides) to Tivoli
  • Netto-Boat tours
  • Copenhagen Zoo
  • The Planetarium
  • The Natural History Museum
  • Church of Our Saviour (the one with the twisty spire you can climb)
  • The Round Tower
  • The National Museum
  • Falkonergarden (indoor and outdoor performances from falcons)
  • The National Aquarium

and dozens of museums if your kids are that way inclined.

Plus, the card gives you discounts at several restaurants. How to purchase one is described in detail at this website. Go on – get your culture on!

7. Watch The Changing Of The Guard

Like us, Denmark has a Royal Family and their palaces can all be found in the Amalienborg area of Copenhagen.

Changing of the guard at Amalienborg Palace, Copenhagen. For kids

The changing of the guard takes place at noon every day and it’s free to watch. The full changing of the guard takes place between September and April, when the Royal Family are living in their winter home here in the capital. It’s a loud affair with plenty of music and if you’re in the area it’s definitely an entertaining 10 minutes for the kids.

There is a smaller ceremony still every day when the Royal Family are no longer in residence.

8. Superkillen’s Skate park & more

You may notice there are multiple skate parks around Copenhagen and even more 4-wheel yielding travellers just hanging out on street corners – it seems the Danish struggle at the suggestion to grow up!? Our kids loved watching all the kicks and tricks all over Copenhagen.

However, one place that might be worth an extra little detour, and pretty cool for the adults in your party too, is Superkillen Park in the Nørrebro neighbourhood.

Nørrebro has long been associated with social challenges and violence but Copenhagen decided to try and pull some diverse ethnicities together in the city and create a meeting place full of colour and hope. It’s a sight to behold, and the amount of photo’s of this park on instagram are testament to the funky landscaped designs and sculptures. A great attraction in Copenhagen for children.

9. Hire Bikes in Copenhagen For Kids

Renting a bike in Copenhagen is a great idea. For a start, it’s a bike city, with plenty of cycle tracks to keep you safe. But even if you have to cycle on the road, motorists are so used to cyclists in their city that you’re never going to cut up or missed.

Most of the bike hire shops have children’s bikes and a lot have ‘Christiana’ bikes too – or a cargo bike, where the child sits up front in their own little carriage.

It’s a fun way to get around with kids in Copenhagen as there are lots of cool bridges to cross and places like Superkillen Park where they can ride free and play about.

10. Indulge In Desserts

I don’t know about yours but our family loves a good dessert stop! And with bikes waiting outside ready and waiting to burn off the sugar, we didn’t feel too bad about indulging. What am I talking about, we didn’t feel bad at all!

Some of our favourite places we ate with kids in Copenhagen were…

  • Vaffelbageren on the Nyhavn canal. Amazing waffles with amazing views.
  • Freakshakes at The Midwest Diner, American retro style.
  • Bertels Salon – cheesecakes really worth the hype.
  • Rajissimo on the Nyhavn canal. Gelato and churros with all the dream toppings.

So there you have it – our favourite things to do in the Danish capital. In Copenhagen, kids really do get to enjoy it as much as the adults – we just know you’re going to have a fab time in Copenhagen with kids!


Copenhagen made it into our recent post “The 10 Best Weekend Breaks in Europe You’ve Not Thought of Yet” – you might want to take a look if you’re wanting some inspiration for your next European short break!

Pin For Later…

Copenhagen is a great city to take the kids, check out my top 5 tips and ideas to have a fab time in the Danish capital.

22 Comments Add yours

  1. Hey No doubt Copenhagen is one of the best place in the world and this is not only good for kids but also for adults.

    Thanks a ton for telling us such awesome places in Copenhagen .. I’ll definitely look into it .

    Thanks

  2. Mandy says:

    What a great guide. People say Copenhagen is expensive but you definitely seem to have found value for money.

    1. Alex says:

      Thanks Mandy! I guess it is expensive, probably similar to London prices on the whole though. There’s always way to eat good and cheap if you do your research 😉

  3. theCuriousPixie says:

    Absolutely love this! Copenhagen is so on my wanderlust list. Totally know what you mean about the card. We went to Innsbruck this summer and the Innsbruck was so worth it for our 3 day stay.

    1. Alex says:

      Really – I shall remember that for when we visit Innsbruck then. Thanks!

  4. I loved Copenhagen – my daughter was younger but it would be great to go back and try a few of the tips in your post especially Paper Island, sounds delicious. #citytripping

    1. Alex says:

      Paper island is really cool!

  5. Enjoyed reading this Alex! We loved Copenhagen although we went in December. You were brave going on the Tivoli rides. We went at Christmas time and Tivoli looked so magical. I didn’t see the paper island either but I am sure we’ll be back….especially if I can get such a good deal on flights. Thanks for linking to #citytripping

  6. Loved reading this post and not just because you made me laugh so much. We loved Copenhagen a few years ago. We wnet at Easter just after Tivoli had opened so managed to visit. Agree the boat tour is great and can get chilly. Didn’t spot Paper Island – another reason to return.
    #citytripping

    1. Alex says:

      Aw thanks Trish! Tivoli is brill – I’d go back for that too. And Ilum Boghus of course 😉

  7. Ruth says:

    I have wanted to visit Copenhagen for a long time. Every person who talks about the city describes that warmness you wrote about. Your photos give more desire to visit.

    1. Alex says:

      It is really apparent. You’ll love it!

  8. I’m planning a visit to Denmark next Summer and I’m so undecided whether to spend all 5 days in Copenhagen or to do a road trip to Billund. It seems Tivoli is a must-visit, though I also read about crazy crowds and long queues so I’m really undecided. Sigh.. decisions decisions. Wish I had £19.99 return flights so that I don’t need to try to squeeze as much as possible in and can just.. well.. chill and hygge? #CityTripping

  9. Lolo says:

    I think half the reason why I REEEALLY want to visit Copenhagen is really only to visit Tivoli Gardens haha #CityTripping

    1. Alex says:

      It’s a good reason!!

  10. Great post as always, Alex. And very inspiring. I’m really torn as in where to go first next summer and Scandinavia looks more appealing with kids than I first thought. Copenhagen looks great and I am sure my kids would love Tivoli. Pinning this for later.

    1. Alex says:

      Your kids would LOVE Tivoli. Our kids’ grandparents got so much joy out of seeing our kids faces all day. And I’m not even that big a fan of theme parks!

  11. We are considering a visit to Copenhagen soon and reading your post has made me consider going sooner rather than later! Looks amazing!

    1. Alex says:

      It really is Tracy, and great in summer or winter. The Danes have it nailed – I’m changing nationality! 😉

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