Copenhagen Travel Guide: My Top Picks

Copenhagen is my favorite city in the world next to Vancouver. I’ve been there a few times for work and every time I leave, a little part of me considers packing up my family and going back for good.

Obviously my tourist views are starry eyed as I’m typically there in the summer months when the weather is nice and during my free time I’m doing all the fun touristy things like; drinking, eating, shopping and riding bikes. I’m also not having to pay their ridiculously high income tax rates. But I guess those actually attribute to their high standard of living, free education, free child care, free(ish) healthcare….. Maybe I should move there??

I digressed a little there….

The real point of this post is not to sell you on moving to Copenhagen but rather to share with you some of my favorite places to grab a pint, see some sights and ride a bike in one of the world’s happiest cities.

Places To Go, Things To See

I’ll preface this by saying I’m not really in to visiting traditional tourist attractions like museums and amusement parks when I travel. Copenhagen has an abundance of them, you’ll see Tivoli Gardens as soon as you walk outside the main train station, but my list will consist more of free attractions and places to enjoy views, admire architecture and take photos. If you’re more interested in the former, I’d check Trip Advisor’s list of top attractions in Copenhagen.

But if you’d like a little heard start on where to go. Here are some of the best spots in my touristy opinion:

• Rent A Bike
  • The first tip I’m going to give you is learn how to ride a bike. If that’s checked off your list, then you’re good to go. Copenhagen isn’t a big city so most of your adventuring can be done on foot or on a bike seat. They have a decent metro system as well (from what I’ve heard) but I’ve never actually used it aside from getting to and from the airport. As someone who brings his camera everywhere, riding a bike around the city is one of my most favorite things to do. The colours, the architecture, the people… Copenhagen is a city that will keep you entertained just by exploring. Riding a bike around is, in my opinion, the best way to explore.
• Reffen Street Food market
  • You’re going to see Reffen show up in this article a few times because it has so much going on. It’s probably my favorite spot to visit in Copenhagen. Located at the far end of town at an old industrial harbor, this bustling food market features over 30 food vendors as well as 3 breweries and multiple cocktail spots pouring drinks. Everything is outdoor and right on the edge of the canal, perfect for grabbing food and a drink while sitting on the water’s edge in one of the many lounge chairs available. There’s also a skatepark right in the middle of the market and an area with sand they’ve brought in for beach vibes. You might even randomly catch a music fest with dancing pirates like I did this past Summer. Part of the fun of Reffen is also the bike ride to get here. Get yourself on a Donkey (bike) and pedal your way through the city to this old industrial area. You won’t regret it. Heads up they’re only open from Spring to early Fall.
• The Meatpacking District
  • If you like hip restaurants, great bars/clubs and a cool art scene, the Meatpacking District is the spot for you. It’s also home to a couple breweries; Warpigs and Åben Brewery. Add in the fact that it’s a great spot for photography with all brick roads and old buildings, it all makes the Meatpacking District one of my favorite hangouts in Copenhagen.
• TorvehallerneKBH
  • I have TorvehallerneKBH listed under the food category below as it has a ton of great options for quick meals but also for fresh local goods. But even if you’re not in the mood for a bite, TorvehallerneKBH is just a great spot to walk around, take photos and people watch. There’s also a great bottleshop here run by Mikkeller where you can buy beer from all over the world
• Nyhavn
  • Is it touristy? Yes. Is it busy? Yes. Will you find it on every “guide to Copenhagen”? Yes. All that aside, even if it’s just for a quick look, stopping at Nyhavn is a must-do in my opinion. Those colorful buildings along the canal are so beautiful and iconic that it’s worth a few minutes to take them in and snap some photos. You can also visit a couple of the flats where Hans Christian Andersen used to live.
• Olufsvej
  • A spot I found randomly while exploring the city on bike, this little strip of colorful houses is one of the most photogenic spots in Copenhagen. It’s a 200m street (closed to traffic) located in the Østerbro area of Copenhagen and the two times I’ve been here I haven’t seen any other tourists. Definitely a hidden gem for photographers.
• Søerne (aka; The Lakes)
  • The Lakes of Copenhagen are an iconic part of the city’s history. They’re also a great spot to go for a run or bike ride (4 miles or 6.4 km around the whole area in case you’re wondering). For me, it’s a great spot to sit on the grass, eat some take-away food and” take a break from riding my bike around while admiring the views. It’s not top of my list as a “must visit spot” but if you’re in the area and just want to sit down and relax, then this is the spot.

Shopping

Copenhagen has one of the best shopping scenes in the world in a fairly condensed area. If you’re like me, aside from finding breweries & taking photos, you love looking for clothing, furniture and food shops while in a new city. Here are some of my go-to’s in Copenhagen:

• Wood Wood
  • Wood Wood is one of my favorite Danish clothing brands. They’re a bit of a mix of skate culture and streetwear. They have a few locations throughout the city but I usually visit the one in Indre By as most of the clothing stores listed below are in the same area.
• Norse Projects
  • Another clothing store I can’t miss in Copenhagen. Norse Projects house brand makes some amazing pieces and their store carries some great higher-end streetwear brands.
• Storm
  • Storm definitely has a great selection of clothing and footwear but I usually go here to check out all the wonderful photography and architecture books they carry.
• Le Fix
  • Le Fix is where streetwear meets workwear meets “gorp-core“. You can find brands like Stone Island, Manastash, Stan Ray, Snow Peak and many more. It’s a small shop with a lot of stairs but it’s laid out very cool and you have to enter through a beautiful courtyard lined with lights and colourful buildings.
• Illum
  • Do you want to see what a luxury department store should look like? Then visit Illum. They carry every premium and luxury brand you can think of and the store is massive. I can’t even begin to image what their total inventory value is on any given day. They also have a great rooftop restaurant and coffee shop that spoils you with some epic views from the top of the city.
• Other clothing stores
  • Copenhagen also has a lot of other great clothing stores like Carhartt WIP, Packyard, Acne Studios, A.P.C., Sidewalk Skateshop and more. Just walk around the shopping district in Indre By and you can spend a lot of time (and money) looking at garb.
• Hay
  • Think “upscale, higher-end Ikea”. I’m sure Hay wouldn’t agree with me on that descriptor but that’s the easiest way to explain it. You’ll definitely find something to buy here that you’d never be able to fit in your luggage. Even still, it’s a great store to go browse through because of all the unique designs and splashes of colour.
• Søstrene Grene
  • Søstrene Grene is like a maze of home goods and interesting food items. Seriously, the store set up has you walking through a narrow network of aisles until you can’t remember which way you came from. Despite the disorientation, I probably bring home more suitcase friendly gifts from here than any other store I visit when I’m in Copenhagen.
• Sømods Bolcher
  • A quaint little candy store in the heart of Copenhagen. Sømods Bolcher is definitely the spot to buy gifts for the candy lover in your life. It’s a 4th generation, family owned shop making traditional Danish candy the same way they have been for over 100 years.
• Faraos Cigarer
  • No, it’s not a cigar shop. Faraos Cigarer is a comic shop. Not typically my jam but when you see the size of it you definitely get drawn in. They have everything you could imagine for comics and graphic novels. Plus, if you have Harry Potter fans in the family, which I do, they have an entire basement devoted to Potter books, clothes and other toys & trinkets.

Food

Food recommendations are always tough because food tastes vary and with Copenhagen specifically, they have a lot of great restaurants to choose from. Also, while I’d love to have spots like Noma or Geranium on this list, those are a little out of my price range. The short list below are a few of my fav spots I’ve discovered while wandering around Copenhagen.

Beer

“What beer is the Thirsty Explorer going to recommend?” It’s what you’ve all been waiting for right?

Something to note, Mikkeller runs this town. If you include all their bars, restaurants and HQ they have 16 locations just in Copenhagen! So you’ll see the my condensed list below has a couple mentions of the local beer powerhouse.

Another thing that’s important to note, at the time of writing this Mikkeller has been going through a turbulent couple years of harassment and bullying allegations from former staff members. There hasn’t really been any relevant updates since the end of 2022 but you can read up on things HERE and HERE as well as Mikkeller’s Action Plan HERE.

• Reffen Market
  • I don’t need to go in to too much detail here as I wrote about Reffen in sections above but it’s worth mentioning that there are multiple beer vendors here, including Reffen Brewery by Nørrebro Bryghus and Mikkeller’s Baghaven location.
• BRUS by To Øl
  • BRUS is To Øl’s experimental brewing facility in the hip area of Nørrebro. They have some great beer and, arguably, an even better food menu. There are also a ton of cool spots to take photos in this area.
• People Like Us
  • Not only was the beer great and the tasting room picture worthy, People Like Us is a huge proponent of inclusion and acceptance of all people. According to their website, “Approximately 70 percent of our employees have one or several diagnoses which have a significant impact on their lives”. They are a firm believer that everybody has something valuable to offer.
• Bicycle Brewing
  • They may be small and off the beaten path but I had one of my best brewery experiences at Bicycle 2 years ago. I walked in to the tiny tasting room with about 3 tables to sit at and ending up sparking a conversation with the owner, a local beer nerd and couple from Texas who had just moved to Copenhagen. Sometimes those intimate settings are what make a brewery experience great. Oh, and the Imperial Stout and Fruited Pale Ale I had were both fantastic! So even if you don’t like to talk to strangers, it’s still worth a visit for the beer.
• Flying Couch Brewing
  • I showed up to Flying Couch this year on their birthday celebration day. They had beer specials, food trucks and live music. I assume it’s not always like that but the patio they have is a great spot to soak up the sun and swig a pint.
• Åben Brewery
  • Located in the Meatpacking District, this is Aben’s tank location where you can get their beer fresh from the source. They have a cool little set up with a few indoor seats and a large “patio” area spread amongst the brick facade of the former slaughterhouse.
• Mikkeller CPH
  • A brewery at the airport! How could I not list it? At most airports your only options are Coors, Bud or some macro version of a “craft beer”. I know what you might be thinking, “Mikkeller isn’t really micro anymore”. I hear you, but the other thing this beer kiosk has going for it are the bottles they sell duty free! Just check out this LIST. I definitely grabbed a couple bottles to take home on my way back to Canada.
• Kihoskh
  • Speaking of bottle shops, I need to give a shoutout to Kihoskh. When you walk in to this unassuming little bodega you may not realize they have a dark, cramped beer cellar in the basement featuring some pretty rare bottles. I was even able to grab a bottle of Westvleteren 12. Maybe keep that to yourself though since they technically aren’t supposed to be reselling it, ssshhhh.

Well, there you have it, a beer tourist’s guide of the top spots in Copenhagen. I’ll most likely keep adding to this list so keep checking back for updates if you want to read about any new spots I find. And to anybody thinking of planning a trip to the happiest place on Earth, don’t hesitate, just go. You won’t regret it.

If you think I missed anything on my trips to Copenhagen please comment on the post. I’d love to add some new spots to check out on my next adventures there.