Copenhagen is a great city to visit with kids. The city is clean, friendly and safe. If you are into history and museums you could spend days here. However, it isn’t a cheap city. There are ways to save money, like purchasing the Copenhagen City Card, but be ready for slightly higher prices. Here’s the perfect way to spend one day in Copenhagen with kids to see the most sights and have a great time!

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Start Your Day at Nyhavn Harbor 

Nyhavn is the most popular area in Copenhagen for good reason. It is beautiful. I would start your 24 hours in Copenhagen here because as the day continues, Nyhavn will get busier and busier. I prefer to avoid crowds, so one way to do that is to begin at the busiest locations first before others arrive. Wander down the harbor and take in the beautiful colored buildings that line the waterfront and snap some picturesque photos! Hans Christian Andersen even lived right in Nyhavn in house number 20.

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Get On The Canals And Take A Boat Tour

Option 1 – Guided Group Tour

When we visited Copenhagen, we were traveling with a big group of people. We ended up booking one of the big boat tours that you can take right from Nyhavn harbor. These tours take many people around the canals of Copenhagen and give some historical and landmark information as you go. 

If you do decide to go with this option, I would recommend going all the way to the back of the boat. You are outside, which might be too hot, too cold or rainy depending on the season you go, but you will be able to see much better than if you are inside. I sat inside by the window and was limited to what I was able to view. It was also much harder to hear what the tour guide was saying. Whereas Mike sat outside and could stand and see all the sights and could hear everything the guide was saying. 

You can purchase tickets for these boat tours at the docks or online. I would recommend booking in advance as they can get busy. The duration of the tour is 1 hour. 

Option 2 – Rent A Private Boat

The second option, and one I would have done if we had fewer people with us, would have been to rent our own boat and tour the canals at our own pace. In Copenhagen, you can rent from GoBoats. You can either rent a boat that fits up to 8 people and drive it yourself or there is also an option to rent a boat with a captain. 

With a captain, you can enjoy a private tour of Copenhagen and not have to worry about getting lost or driving the boat, which is nice, but you will be paying more money for the convenience. Check their website for more information. 

If you drive the boat yourself with GoBoats, you can bring your own food and drinks and even your dog. They have life jackets that you can use, even ones for the kids. You don’t need a license, but you need to be at least 18 years old to drive the boat. You can book it for anywhere between 1 and 5 hours. This is a great option in my opinion and a fantastic way to see Copenhagen from the water. You can see some great sights fairly easily and the kids won’t be complaining about tired legs!

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Street Food For Lunch

Copenhagen is known for their street food scene. We visited in October and the outdoor street food markets were closed down for the season, which was a huge bummer. There are, however, still plenty of hot dog stands around if you are looking to purchase a bacon wrapped hot dog or one with loaded toppings! There are also indoor food markets. Dinner will be in one of these, so keep reading. 

If you are around in the summer, the two outdoor markets you should check out are Reffen and Broens Street Food. Reffen just recently added an indoor section, which is great news if you are traveling during a cooler part of the year. Broens Street Food is open everyday until October 20th. In the winter, there is an ice skating rink to enjoy!

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Tivoli Gardens 

One of the best things to do in Copenhagen is to visit Tivoli Gardens. It is right in the city and is the second oldest amusement park in the world. Even if you don’t want to ride the rides, you can still explore Tivoli Gardens. The amusement park is decorated extravagantly and is a joy to behold. 

We visited Tivoli in October and it was decked out in Halloween decorations. It was so fun for the kids and us too. The year before our kids weren’t able to celebrate Halloween because we were traveling full time, so this was a great way to enjoy the holiday. 

When you visit Tivoli, you can purchase just an entrance ticket or you can purchase an entrance and ride ticket together. If you only purchase the rides ticket, you will still have to purchase the entrance ticket when you arrive. 

Tivoli Gardens opens at 11am most days. I would check their website to double check times. Since it isn’t the cheapest activity, I would plan to spend a good chunk of your day here. Just so you are aware, there aren’t huge rides, like big roller coasters you would see in Six Flags or Cedar Point. You can still find exciting rides though. Even a few of them were too scary for the boys to try. They also have some great options for really young kids too. For me, it is all about the experience, and I think it is well worth it! 

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Dinner In Tivoli Food Hall

There are a few different restaurants and food stalls in Tivoli, but what I would recommend is to head over to Tivoli’s Food Hall. You are technically leaving the amusement park when you go, but if you enter the food market from the Tivoli side, you will get a stamp on your hand and can return to the amusement park after enjoying your dinner. 

The Tivoli Food Hall has many different food options to choose from including Indian, Danish, Thai and sushi. We were feeling like pasta that evening, so we found a spot at the bar of La Baracca. It was delicious! 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where To Stay In Copenhagen With A Family? 

When we visited Copenhagen, we stayed at Moxy Copenhagen Sydhavnen. It was a fairly reasonably priced hotel for Copenhagen and in a good location. It had parking available too. In addition, it just recently got even more connected to downtown with the new metro station that opened up nearby.  We also really liked that the bar area was kid friendly with lots of games for the kids. The rooms were spacious and comfortable. 

Other options for hotels that are great for families are below: 

Tivoli Hotel: Great location, especially if visiting Tivoli Gardens. Indoor pool is a bonus!

CPH Hotel: Really nice location, indoor pool and a great set-up for family rooms. 

Charlottehaven: A more luxurious apartment hotel with a view and easy access to the metro.

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Can You Do Copenhagen In One Day?

Copenhagen has many different attractions for a family holiday. You can visit it and get a sense of the city but you won’t see everything. If you have only one day, you will have to pick and choose what you and your family want to see. This is why we like the boat option, as you can see many different sights easily and fairly quickly.

Is Copenhagen Good For Families? 

Copenhagen is a great city for families. It is a very safe city and easily walkable or bikeable with good public transportation. If you have small kids you can even rent cargo bikes to visit the city. This is a great way to get around too, especially if you don’t like boats. 

Family-Friendly Attractions Not Listed In This One Day Itinerary Copenhagen

Everyone has different interests and so if something in this itinerary of one day in Copenhagen with kids isn’t for you, here are a couple of other options for what to see in Copenhagen in one day. 

• Bike around the city to see the attractions. With small kids you can rent a cargo bike. Family Bike is a great place to do this.
• Find the 6 Forgotten Giant sculptures. These wooden trolls by Thomas Dambo are scattered around Copenhagen. You will need a car to find them all. If you only want to see a few, you can see them by bike. Here is Thomas’s troll map. We visited 3 when we were there!
• If you have animal lovers in your family, Copenhagen Zoo or The Blue Planet, Copenhagen’s aquarium could be good options. 
• Make a walking tour exciting for the kids by doing a treasure hunt. Seek n See has a couple of different options for treasure hunts in the city. These are self-guided and you just need to download them on your phone. 

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