Strategies

Upon Arrival: Things to Do in Copenhagen

However exciting it may be to have reached your destination, the first day of a trip can be taxing. Long flights are tiring, and hotels don’t always have rooms ready for check-in before mid-afternoon. Few travelers care to leap into their trip bleary-eyed, embarking on a full-day excursion, nor do they want to waste the day completely. In the spirit of finding a happy medium, we have outlined how to spend the ideal arrival day in in Copenhagen, customized to where you are staying.

Contact Indagare for assistance planning a trip to Copenhagen. Our specialists can book you at the hotel that is right for you and plan guided tours, activities and secure restaurant reservations.

Related: Top Tables Copenhagen: Best Restaurants in the City

From Hotel Sanders or Hotel d’Angleterre:

  • Late Breakfast: Enjoy a delicious breakfast at the Hotel Sanders where meals are served at tables outside in the garden, in the lobby lounge or upstairs on the rooftop terrace.
  • Restore: Treat yourself to a massage at the Hotel d’Angleterre
  • Perfect Lunch: Have a traditional Danish lunch at Palaegade, which serves the best open-faced sandwiches (smorrebrod) in the city.
  • Culture Moment: Head to the Designmuseum Denmark for a crash course in sleek Scandinavian style or to the King’s Garden, where the Rosenborg Castle is filled with royal treasure including the crown jewels (Øster Voldgade 4A).
  • Shop Around: The streets fanning out from Kongens Nytorv Square mix international luxury brands and local labels such as Stine Goya on Gothersgade street. Hay House and Illums Bolighus feature Danish design at a range of prices and, for serious collectors, so does Klassik.
  • Caffeinate: For a connoisseur’s coffee experience, head to the Coffee Collective, which is committed to fair trade and specialty roasting. The Broens Gadekokken location is a short walk across the bridge from Nyhaven at Strandgade 95. Or, head to the very first Joe and the Juice stand, which is located inside the housewares shop Rue Verte and also a close walk from the hotels.
  • Lovely Stroll: Amble along the canal to take in the brightly colored houses on Nyhaven, then make your way to the Amalienborg Palace, where the royal family still lives, and the changing of the guard occurs every day at noon.
Related: First Look: Noma 2.0

From Hotel Nimb:

  • Late Breakfast: Begin at the hotel, where breakfast standouts include muesli and fresh juices.
  • Restore: Indulge in a spa treatment in your room, which can be organized by the hotel.
  • Perfect Lunch: Nearby, Mother is great spot for wood-fired pizzas in a fun, relaxed atmosphere; Fiske Bar offers some of the freshest seafood in town and a see-and-be-seen atmosphere (but without the Michelin-star pricing to go with it). Hija de Sanchez serves up delicious tacos made with fresh, authentic ingredients.
  • Culture Moment: Visit the grand Glyptotek museum, which holds a wide range of works that date from antiquity to the 20th century. Highlights include the Rodin sculptures, French Impressionist paintings by Claude Monet and Paul Gauguin and the ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman artifacts from circa 3000 BCE.
  • Shop Around: Browse the incredible ceramic workshop, Tortus Studio, which is set inside a grand historic house. Beautiful stone bowls and vases in varying shapes and hues, including periwinkle, coral and onyx, are handcrafted in this light-filled studio. Note: be sure to make an appointment in advance.
  • Lovely Stroll: Nimb guests enjoy free access to the scenic Tivoli Gardens. Right outside, the sleek Tivoli Food Hall offers a smorgasbord of gourmet food stalls that offer global snacks like sushi, tapas, pizzas and Danish smørrebrød.
Related: Melissa’s Travels: Copenhagen and Noma 2.0Contact Indagare for assistance planning a trip to Copenhagen. Our specialists can book you at the hotel that is right for you and plan guided tours, activities and secure restaurant reservations.

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We only feature hotels that we can vouch for first-hand. At many of them, Indagare members receive special amenities.

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