Everything about Copenhagen feels like it was designed for people who love beautiful things — and we are absolutely those people.
There are cities you visit and cities that stay with you long after you’ve unpacked your bags. Copenhagen, Denmark is firmly in the second category. From the moment we arrived, we understood why this city consistently ranks among the most livable, most beautiful, and most sought-after destinations in all of Europe. It is compact, it is flat, it is gorgeous, and it is genuinely joyful in a way that sneaks up on you. By day two, we never wanted to leave.
If you’ve been dreaming about a European trip that combines history, stunning architecture, world-class food, design culture, and scenery that belongs on a postcard, Copenhagen belongs at the very top of your list. Let us tell you everything.
Where to Stay in Copenhagen
Copenhagen offers two wonderful hotel options that we recommend wholeheartedly, depending on what kind of stay you’re after.
Villa Copenhagen is an upscale choice — a beautifully restored historic building with the kind of thoughtful design, conscious luxury and serene atmosphere that makes you feel like you’re living your most elevated life. It has a pool, a rooftop bar with views that will make your jaw drop, and bicycles available for guests. It is, simply put, a dream.
Tivoli Hotel is the family-friendly option, positioned right next to the legendary Tivoli Gardens. It also has a pool, a rooftop bar, and bicycles for guests — and the energy here is warm, welcoming, and wonderfully festive. With children or without, it’s a genuinely delightful base for exploring the city.
Both are excellent. Your choosing between them depends entirely on your travel style — but you truly cannot go wrong with either.
Get on a Bike: The Best Way to See Copenhagen
Here is the single most important piece of advice we can give you about Copenhagen: get on a bike and don’t get off until dinnertime. Copenhagen is one of the most bike-friendly cities on the entire planet — not in theory, but in beautifully executed practice. There are dedicated bike lanes everywhere, the city is essentially flat, and cycling through the neighborhoods, along the canals, and across the bridges feels less like transportation and more like pure, unfiltered delight. Both Villa Copenhagen and Tivoli Hotel have bikes available for guests, so there is absolutely no excuse not to pedal your way through this city.
You can cycle to Nyhaven Street, but park your bike and stroll through Nyhaven— along, the iconic waterfront lined with brightly colored 17th-century townhouses and bobbing wooden boats. It is every bit as beautiful as every photo you have ever seen, and somehow even more magical in person. From there, let the city open up to you at bicycle pace.
Do not miss the Circle Bridge — a stunning pedestrian and cyclist bridge with a design that is equal parts sculptural art and functional beauty. It is one of those moments where you stop in the middle of the bridge, look out at the water, and think: yes, this is exactly why we travel.
Things You Absolutely Cannot Miss
Rosenborg Castle and the King’s Garden — This 17th-century Renaissance castle in the heart of the city is magnificent, and the surrounding King’s Garden is one of the loveliest places we found to simply slow down. The flowers are extraordinary. We sat on a bench in the sunshine, watched the Danes going about their day, and felt completely at peace. Make time for this.
The Round Tower (Rundetaarn) — A 17th-century astronomical tower you can spiral your way up (no stairs — a wide, winding ramp) for a panoramic view of the city rooftops. It is charming, a little surprising, and absolutely worth the climb.
GoBoat Harbor Tours — One of the true highlights of our entire trip. These are small, self-driven electric boats that you pilot yourself through the Copenhagen canals and harbor. There is something so wonderful about seeing a city from the water — the bridges, the architecture, the light — and GoBoat makes it completely accessible and genuinely fun. Book in advance.
Shopping and Studio Culture — Copenhagen is a city that takes design seriously, and shopping here means exploring beautiful Danish brands, gorgeous home goods, and one of the most thriving vintage clothing scenes we’ve ever encountered. For something special, visit Studio Arhoj, where you can watch glass and ceramic artists working right in front of you. The pieces are stunning and one-of-a-kind. We may have come home with a few.
The Pastry Crawl: Our Greatest Idea Yet
We planned a self-guided pastry crawl across Copenhagen — by bike, naturally, because a little exercise between buttery stops felt like the right approach — and it was, without question, one of the greatest mornings of the entire trip.
Copenhagen’s bakery culture is extraordinary. The pastries here bear almost no resemblance to what we call “danishes” at home. They are flaky, precise, beautifully crafted, and made with ingredients that taste alive. Our recommended stops:
Skt. Peders Bageri — A Copenhagen institution with lines that tell you everything you need to know. Get there early.
Buka — Warm, welcoming, and absolutely delicious.
Hart — Stunning, minimalist, and worth every calorie.
Rug — A beautiful neighborhood bakery with an excellent selection.
And then, our absolute favorite, the one we cannot stop talking about: Juno the Bakery. We had the cardamom bun, a cheese sandwich, a rhubarb vanilla cream danish, and butter cookies — and every single thing was transcendent. We are not exaggerating when we say that these are worth traveling back to Denmark for. If you do nothing else on our list, go to Juno.
Dinner Reservations Worth Making
Copenhagen’s restaurant scene is as impressive as its bakeries. We recommend booking ahead at The Olive Kitchen for Mediterranean-influenced cooking with the freshest produce, Sticks’n’Sushi for a Copenhagen institution that manages to be both casual and exceptional, and Bloom for something fresh, seasonal, and utterly lovely.
And one evening, don’t miss the Tivoli Food Hall — a wonderfully curated collection of food vendors inside the Tivoli Gardens complex, where the peacocks stroll freely among the tables and the whole atmosphere is magical. Afterward, walk through Tivoli Gardens at dusk when the lights come on. It is pure enchantment.
A Day Trip to Malmö, Sweden
No trip to Copenhagen is complete without hopping on the train across the Øresund Bridge to Malmö, Sweden — a journey of under 40 minutes that takes you into an entirely different country with its own distinct character. Malmö’s churches, public art installations, café culture, parks, and shopping are all wonderful, and the experience of standing in Sweden after breakfast in Denmark is one of those travel moments that reminds you how extraordinary the world is.
Well to be honest: nothing in our Malmö day happened according to plan. There was miscommunication in our group, compounded by a fire on the bridge between Sweden and Denmark which meant that our train route home was disrupted. What followed was a creative exercise in travel problem-solving that ultimately ended with an Uber ride back to Denmark. Not exactly what we planned — but things happen. Travel never goes perfectly, and that’s what makes it an adventure.
Copenhagen surprised us. We knew it would be beautiful — we didn’t expect it to feel quite so immediately smitten. The scale of it, the pace of it, the quiet confidence of a city that has figured out how to do life well — it stays with you. Start planning (and packing). You won’t regret a single pedal stroke.
Be sure to check out the blog next week. We are sharing how we spent the second half of our trip exploring across the Netherlands and Belgium.
Happy travels, friends.
