Hello everyone, during this holiday season we spent 4 days in Copenhagen and I‘m glad to share my Copenhagen Fun and Food Guide * with you. This guide is dedicated to travelers with kids as well as passionate foodies, because one thing doesn‘t exclude the other - especially not in family-friendly Copenhagen. So me and my girls have tested not only many great activities in the city, but also great restaurants with vegan food.
This was our first time in Copenhagen and what can I say, we were very impressed by the city from the very beginning. It captivated us with its charm and this was certainly not our last visit. The best time to visit with kids is summer: June and July are warmest at around 21°C, the days are long and the sun sets close to 10 pm, while May and September are quieter if you prefer fewer crowds.
COPENHAGEN CARD
I can really recommend anyone to get a Copenhagen Card first. All public transport is included – metro, bus, S-tog and harbour buses, even the train ride from the airport to the city. In addition there are over 80 entries, sightseeing tours, etc. Especially handy for families: two children under twelve travel free per paying adult, and the card is sold for 24 to 120 hours so it adapts to your stay. More detailed information can be found here.
Hotel:
At the **invitation of Wonderful Copenhagen **we stayed at the CitizenM, a fairly new, urban hotel that especially convinces with its central location, proximity to Tivoli and the main train station. The rooms are rather small, but bright and modern with a large bed that can easily fit 2 adults and 1 child or 1 adult and 2 children. There are no extra beds, so it is less suitable for a family of 4. In this case you would need 2 rooms.
I especially liked the smart room system, which allows you to control everything with an iPad. Lighting, TV and blinds - very practical and very hip and urban :-).
Breakfast was also available in the hotel, but we didn‘t book it as we wanted to explore as many restaurants as possible.
Activities
Day 1
On the first day we explored the district VESTERBRO. The neighborhood is very hip with its meatpacking district, many trendy cafés and fashion shops. We first enjoyed a breakfast at the GRANOLA, the porridge was delicious and everyone will find something delicious there (the café is not vegan). Værnedamsvej- the street where the cafe is located, is very charming and especially the flower shop next door was a highlight for us.
With children you shouldn‘t miss the park Skydebanehaven in **VESTERBRO. **In front of an impressive background there is a cool playground for the kids and a large meadow where you can play or take a break.
Those who need a refreshment after the playground should visit Mad & Kaffe. A great brunch restaurant, where you can assemble your plate from many elements. It's very popular, so you have to wait to get seated. We only went for a coffee and chocolate to go, so I can‘t comment on the quality of the food, but it all looked very delicious.
Past the Meatpacking Districtwith its bars and restaurants, the path then led us back towards downtown, everything within walking distance. Walking was our preferred way to explore the district.
We were curious about the TIVOLI** **and since the entry is included in the Copenhagen Card, we went there in the afternoon. I was surprised how beautiful the park is. Everything is very well maintained and the rides fit in very harmoniously. There are many historic buildings to admire, playgrounds and restaurants - all in all such a nice place for a walk, even if you don‘t use the attractions. If you decide to use the attractions, there are several passes that can be purchased in the park.
Afterwards we ate something at the adjoining Tivoli Food Hall, got a stamp (remember in order to re-enter) and decided to come back in the evening to experience the atmosphere.
From Tivoli we walked towards downtown to take the CANAL TOUR from Gammel beach. This is also free with the Copenhagen Card and I highly recommend it. The open boat goes past many sights, exciting buildings and you can see the little mermaid (if only from the back right). We also liked the many houseboats. The tour lasts about 1 hour and is in Danish and English (sometimes German), which was totally interesting.
After a small coffee break at Coffee Collective** **(there are several branches) with their delicious coffee and coffee kombucha, we decided to have dinner at SimpleRaw, a vegan restaurant with a great interior. The food was very delicious. Next to burgers, summer rolls, bowls and salads you can find fresh juices and delicious desserts there.
An exciting first day then came to an end at Tivoli, we enjoyed the evening atmosphere there, the children were allowed to ride a carousel and extensively romped on the playground. The Tivoli is so beautifully lit in the evening and there are always concerts, you shouldn‘t miss it.
Day 2
On our 2nd day in Copenhagen we decided to explore one of the great beaches, because the sun was shining and we felt like sea breezes. For a quick breakfast on the way to the metro we made a stop at one of the bakeries. You can find several branches of Lagkagehuset ** or Emmerys **all over the city. In both you can get coffee with oat milk (important for me) and a large selection of typical danish pastries (important for the children).
We then drove to Amager Strandpark ** **by metro - again very uncomplicated. Depending on where you get off, it‘s about 10-20 minutes from the metro stop to the beach. The beach park is very large and long, there are several bathing beaches, foot bridges and various possibilities to get something to eat or buy ice cream and snacks.
We spent a great morning at the beach only 20 minutes outside the city. The kids were brave enough to get into the water – for me it was too cold. There are climbing frames and the long beach path is perfect for cycling, running or skating. It only takes about 30 minutes by bicycle from the city to get to Amager Beach.
We combined the day at the beach with a visit to the **National Aquarium Denmark, Den Blå Planet **. It’s just a 30 minute walk from Amager Beach, but of course you can take the metro to get there. With the Copenhagen Card you can get in free to the largest aquarium in Northern Europe and it's really worth it. The aquarium is divided into different areas, you can admire coral reefs, feed sting rays and watch sea otters play. But we especially liked the big ocean basin. We could have sat there for hours, simply fascinating. This basin alone is worth the visit of the aquarium.
We then went back to **Norreport **station by metro and took a walk through the Torvehallerne **, **a food market with a wide range, where everyone can find something. We also liked the atmosphere there, certainly worth a visit, whether for a coffee, snack or a Smörrebröd.
Afterwards we decided to have dinner at the SOULS, which is only a few minutes away from the food market. This vegan restaurant offers incredibly delicious burgers, salads and great brunch/breakfast (more about that later). It was definitely our favorite restaurant in Copenhagen and I highly recommend it.
For dessert we went across the street to Naturbageriet to get vegan cinnamon rolls – so delicious. We had to go there, even though we were already full. If you love baking vegan yeast pastries, our brioche with apple-cinnamon filling is a lovely recipe to recreate that fika feeling at home.
Day 3
We started our third day in Copenhagen with a visit to the queen. On our way we bought a little something at Emmerys bakery for the kids (coffee for me of course, I always have my keep cup with me). **Amalienborg Palace **is very centrally located in the city and you should definitely take a look at it. Especially beautiful is the scenery with the **Frederikskirche **in the background. Since the girls were a little disappointed that they weren‘t allowed to directly say hello to the Queen, we at least went into the museum and got a little insight into the royal life there. The museum consists of several rooms and shows the history of the royal family. The rooms alone are exciting to look at.
For extensive breakfast/brunch we went to **Østerbro **by bus. There is another branch of SOULS and we enjoyed the vegan brunch there, which I can highly recommend, with fresh juices and delicious coffee. As you can see in the pictures, the plates are lusciously filled and 2 portions are definitely enough for 3 people.
**Østerbro **is especially popular as a residential area for families and is home to the great Fælledparken Park- the largest park in Copenhagen. After a snack stop at the sweet bakery Juno the Bakery, we went straight to the park and found some really cool playgrounds there with trampolines, slides and swings of all kinds - you can really spend several hours there. Luckily I always had my Kindle with me. While the girls were at the playground I could read extensively – perfect for me.
We then had to flee from the rain and have therefore made a stop at the **café pavilion **of the park. Next to beverages you can also find cake, ice cream, and real food there.
After the short rain shower we continued to explore the next district: Nørrebro. It‘s the multicultural district of Copenhagen. At the main street Nørrebrogade you will find kebab and falafel shops, hairdressers and rather cheaper shops. A nice contrast is a walk through the old cemetery Assistens Cemetery. In general the cemeteries in Copenhagen are more like parks and it’s absolutely ok to ride your bicycle through them.
After a stroll through the popular Hans Gadewith its colorful houses, our destination was the Superkilen Park, a mix of skate park, playground and green park, with elements of very different origins. Of course the girls explored the playgrounds right away, went up and down the skate park and were extra fascinated by the cool black octopus slide. All in all it‘s a cool place for a nice afternoon. The only thing that bothered us a little was some dirt and cigarette butts on the playground. Definitely not a spot for toddlers.
My **Nørrebro **highlight was definitely the Jægersborggade, a street near the park with great cafes and restaurants, hip shops, an organic shop and a special urban feeling, which I really like. Don‘t miss the vegan hot dogs at PLANTEPØLSEN. The girls and I agreed very quickly: the best hot dog we've ever had. We almost regretted that we decided to share one.
For dinner we chose the Ramen to Birru, because we love Ramen and we weren‘t disappointed there. The restaurant is very easy, you pull a ticket, order your desired soup at the bar and then look for a place to be served. The ramen were really tasty and for us it was a perfect end to a day with lots of walking and some rain.
Day 4
Our last day in Copenhagen and we started it a bit outside the city. We went to the Experimentarium** **in Hellerup by bus, about 6 km north of downtown. We had breakfast at the 42Raw, which is right next to the museum in the shopping center and is absolutely recommendable. You can get delicious smoothies and acai bowls, fresh juices, and also pancakes and granola there.
Then we went inside the Experimentarium, a very great interactive science museum, which inspires children. Here you can touch, participate and discover everything. There are various areas that focus on the human being, science and technology for example, and explain them in exciting experiments for all ages.
It is highly recommended, we spent several hours there and still didn’t see and tried everything. I think there is something to discover for all ages, and it’s also really exciting for adults. We particularly liked the soap bubble aquarium, the interactive cinema, the sea area and also the beautiful roof terrace.
And again it’s free with the Copenhagen Card.
In the afternoon there was a small highlight for my dance enthusiastic girls, because I had bought tickets for the Copenhagen Summer Dance on Ofelia Square. An open air stage in the water with a great background. The performance was a mix of modern and classical dance. We didn’t like all of it, but it was a great experience and the girls were happy.
And then unfortunately it was time to say goodbye to Copenhagen. We spent 4 fantastic days in the Danish capital and we will be back for sure! The city is so family friendly, the people incredibly nice and there is so much to offer, culinary, cultural and for children – simply a great mixture.
Our next stop: Malmö, Sweden – just about 35 minutes away by train across the Öresund Bridge, with departures roughly every 20 minutes. You can find our guide for Malmö with children here on the blog. And if you would like more city trips with kids, take a look at our weekend in Lucerne with kids too.
I hope I was able to inspire you for a visit to Copenhagen and you liked the Copenhagen - Fun and Food Guide. I really found it very uncomplicated with the kids and no matter if you travel with family, partner or friends, you will surely have a great time.
And here is a summary of our highlights that you shouldn‘t miss:
Activities:
VESTERBRO TIVOLI CANAL TOUR AMAGER Strandpark NATIONAL AQUARIUM SCHLOSS AMALIENBORG OSTERBO FAELLEDPARKEN PARK NORREBRO EXPERIMENTARIUM
Food:
SIMPLERAW MAD & KAFFEE SOULS (Osterbro & Norrebro) EMMERYS JUNO THE BAKERY PLANTPOELSEN 42RAW RAMEN to BIRRU COFFEE COLLECTIVE
Love, Verena
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**This blogpost was created in cooperation with Visit Copenhagen – all opinions are my own. *
