Copenhagen can be an expensive city for the visitor but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some suggestions on how you can enjoy Copenhagen on a budget.
1. Walk Everywhere
Copenhagen is quite a compact city and most of the sights are within walking distance of each other, though the Little Mermaid is a bit of a hike from the beautiful harbour area of Nyhavn. The city is also very pedestrian friendly and even has the oldest and longest pedestrian street in the world – Stroget. Be careful not to walk in the cycle lanes though – they are busy with cyclists and you don’t want to get in the way of a Dane on a bike!
2. Visit Christiansborg Palace Tower for City Views
There are several places where you can get good views of the city from the top of a tower or church spire. The Rundetaarn (25 Danish krone) and Our Saviour’s Church (35-45 Danish krone) are two of them. I never seemed to be near the Rundetaarn (Round Tower) and I got shaky knees at the very thought of climbing 400 steps, including 150 outside, at Our Saviour’s Church spire!
By chance I found out that I could go to the top of the Christiansborg Palace Tower, Taarnet, for free and much of it was by elevator – a bonus for my legs, a bit weary from miles of exploring. From the top, there are great views of the palace, the old stock exchange building and the church spires which make up the roofscape of the city.
3. Do a Free Guided Walk
Copenhagen Free Walking Tours run free guided walks. They have three tours which run every day – Grand Tour of Copenhagen, Tour of Christianshavn and Classical Tour of Copenhagen. Whilst you don’t pay for the tour upfront, it is based on the payment of tips – you tip the amount that you think the tour is worth. This is made very clear at the start of the walk.
I did the Christianshavn tour and was very impressed with the knowledge of my guide. You get to see some of Copenhagen’s canals and visit the Free Town of Christiania, an autonomous hippy neighbourhood which grew up in the 1970s.
4. Find some good value places to eat
Finding a good value place to eat is quite a challenge given that even some of the better value restaurants sell burger meals for 140 Danish krone. I did manage to find a couple of places where I could get a decent meal for 90-125 Danish krone.
Papiroen (Paper Island) is the home of Copenhagen’s Street Food Market and I found it on my first evening whilst wandering around Christianshavn. Based in an old warehouse by the river, it has stalls selling good value, tasty food from all over the world, as well as bars. On a sunny and warm spring evening, it was very popular and had a great atmosphere. Sadly, it may not be there for much longer as the site is due to be redeveloped soon.
Christiania is where the alternative crowd hang out. Our guide pointed out a few good places to eat so I decided to try Morgenstedet, a vegan restaurant. For under 100 Danish krone, I was able to get a filling plate of delicious, healthy food.
5. Take a Boat Tour
For just 40 Danish krone, it is possible to take a one hour guided boat tour with a company called Netto Boats. You can join one of their regular tours at Nyhavn or outside Holmens Church. If you wish to get a boat-side perspective of Nyhavn, I recommend that you start your tour there. In the spring and summer, Netto uses boats without roofs which is great for taking photos.
The tour takes in the main sights along the river, including the modern Opera House and the 18th century Amalienborg Palace, now home of the Danish royal family. It goes as far as the Little Mermaid but you only get a brief view of the back of her so it’s better to see her from the land. The tour also takes you down some of the canals and gives you views of historic buildings such as the National Museum and Christian IV’s brewhouse, the former royal brewery. I thought it was an interesting and enjoyable way of seeing some of Copenhagen’s main sights.
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