We all know that feeling when you`ve been traveling for hours and then when you finally arrive in Copenhagen, you really don`t want to spend too much time trying to figure out how you get to your next stop. (more…)
Christmas in Copenhagen embodies the concept of hygge where locals and visitors enjoy themselves and some delicious treats surrounded by loved ones and in intimate, cozy settings. Tivoli Gardens, the Christmas markets, and the many quality restaurants serving up traditional, Danish Christmas delicacies are a must-visit when in town for the holidays.
To really experience Danish Christmas, the best way is to eat and drink your way through it. Danes love their food, and the Nordic cuisine is on everyone’s lips these days, so why not add a Christmas twist to it and dig in.
Christmas lunch at Slotskælderen hos Gitte Kik
Christmas lunch in Denmark is traditionally enjoyed at home with the family on the 25th or 26th December. It consists of an enormous gastronomic cold table orgy, which starts in the afternoon and often continues until late at night. At the very least lunch can be expected to last seven hours.
A traditional Christmas Lunch table could consist of herring in a variety of guises, cold marinated salmon, country style liver pate with crispy bacon, confit of duck, roast pork, a selection of cheeses and a special Christmas rice pudding known as ris à l’amande, which is boiled rice swathed in whipped cream and vanilla, mixed with chopped almonds and served cold with a hot cherry sauce. It is all lubricated with Christmas beer and snaps.
If you want to try a Danish Christmas lunch, make a visit to Slotskælderen hos Gitte Kik. Here you will find a broad selection of Christmas lunch dishes. And here it does not have to last seven hours.
Address:Slotskælderen, Fortunstræde 4, 1065 Copenhagen K.
Sushi-sized Christmas lunch at Royal Smushi Café
If Christmas lunch sounds like too much food for you, then Royal Smushi Café has the solution. They serve traditional Christmas “smørrebrød” (open sandwiches) in sushi sizes and call them smushies. They are smaller than traditional open sandwiches, and that way you can try more variations of the Christmas lunch. Royal Smushi Café is located next door to Royal Copenhagen’s flagship store, where you can pay a visit to the Royal Copenhagen Christmas Tables exhibition while you are there.
The exhibition is one of the most popular Christmas events in Copenhagen. Every year since 1963, the tables have been set by different Danish artists and celebrities and put on display on the first and second floor of the Royal Copenhagen flagship store. Six tables, each with their wonderful story, provide a creative and inspirational view of Christmas. The artists are free to choose from any of Royal Copenhagen’s comprehensive collection of iconic porcelain, sophisticated figurines and historical collectibles. The exhibition is free to visit and open from mid November until the end of December.
Christmas is the time for “gløgg”, a potent variant of mulled wine, served steaming hot and heavily spiced with raisins, almonds, cinnamon sticks and cloves steeped in pure aquavit or snaps. It is just the thing for cheering up a dark and cold day. For Copenhagen’s best “gløgg”, make your way to Hviids Vinstue. They make theirs from red wine, port, cognac and rum. A white version is also available.
Address: Kongens Nytorv 19, 1050 Copenhagen K.
Rice porridge at Grød
For those sticking to the old Danish Christmas traditions, any Christmas lunch will begin with a bowl of “risengrød”, which is a type of hot rice porridge, served with a scoop of butter in the middle and sprinkled with a layer of cinnamon and sugar. Nowadays, most people eat it for dinner, because it is quite filling, during December and on the 23rd December, the eve before Christmas, which is celebrated on the 24th of December in Denmark.
Not many places serve “risengrød”, but Grød is the one place in Copenhagen which excels in porridges. You will find the original restaurant in Jægersborggade street, but they also have a stall in Torvehallerne food market halls near Nørreport station.
Address:Grød, Jægersborggade 50, 2200 Copenhagen N.
Christmas cookies at Conditori La Glace
If you have a sweet tooth, a visit to Conditori La Glace is a must, anytime of year. La Glace is the oldest and probably best confectionary in Denmark. Founded in the middle of old historic Copenhagen in 1870, it has delivered joy and quality in its beautiful old rooms through six generations. During Christmas, you can find some of the best Christmas cookies and cakes around, such as “brunkager”, “klejner” and traditional marzipan pigs. Everything at La Glace is like a little bite of Christmas.
Address:La Glace, Skoubogade 3, 1158 Copenhagen K.
Christmas beers everywhere
Danish breweries add to the spirit of Christmas in their own inimitable ways. Every first Friday of November horse-drawn Tuborg wagons deliver the annual specially brewed Christmas brew. Almost every Danish brewery now launches a Christmas beer, and any bar, pub and restaurant have Christmas beers on the menu, so just pick one.
Christmas Eve Dinner in Copenhagen
Restaurants that are open on Christmas Eve
Planning to celebrate Christmas in Copenhagen? In case you’re looking for a place to have dinner, we have listed a few of the restaurants that were open on the special night where many restaurants take a well-deserved night off.
Von Plessen
The beautiful Hotel Phoenix in Copenhagen’s mondaine Bredgade is home to Restaurant Von Plessen which offers their traditional Christmas dinner.
On Christmas Eve, Nimb Brasserie invites you to an enchanting dinner in the beautifully decorated Tivoli. The three-course dinner starts at 18.30 with snacks and a glass of champagne.
Italian dining on the top of Carlsberg Byen. Tramonto combines delicious food with a pretty spectacular location. It is located on top of the new Hotel Ottilia.
Certainly, it’s not easy to please everyone, any parent with multiple children knows that from a simple example of the most mundane everyday task. But how do you have a perfect family holiday making memories in a country you have never been to and let´s be honest, know little more than the second page of google dropped on your search attempts.
Well, listen here, we have a magic word, and that is a wonderful local friend, called a personal tour guide. A local friend, who will be there to greet you at the cruise port or your hotel, take care of any transportation and logistics issues while you kick back and enjoy a good laugh over a medieval legend and your mind is satisfied knowing your children are learning more here over a course of a day, then they would in any other academic institution at the same time. And you know what, it is a that more fun if you have a passionate and super tour guide to lead the way.
More importantly, because there aren´t any other guests in your group, your family can “go with the flow” at your own pace.
Such private tours are growing more popular, whether a family wants to celebrate an anniversary sailing on a Baltic Sea cruise, go canal boating in Copenhagen, explore the devilishly delicious marzipan in Tallinn, try on a real kings helmet in Stockholm or sit at the top of the world at Holmenkollen ski jump tower in Oslo, we got this!
We have hand-picked the most unique and original activities to be enjoyed with your children during your Baltic Sea cruise stops. The tour itineraries are built to entertain both the young with fantastic stories and legends, but also educate and offer a broader understanding of local culture and traditions to more experienced in life.
Ideal tour highlighting family friendly and entertaining atmosphere of Copenhagen in a perfect balance of city sightseeing and Tivoli adventures. Do not let the splendid historic appearance of this Nordic pearl trick you, as behind the delightfully medieval and charming facade lies a city with a soft spot for some simple pleasures in life – fun rides, lush parks and delicious local tastes waiting to be discovered. Just like the good old days, a day at your own pace to please both the lively and spirited to an adventurer seeker looking to sit back, relax and enjoy the day!
Tivoli Gardens is a famous amusement park and pleasure garden in Copenhagen, Denmark. The park opened on August 15, 1843 and it is the oldest amusement park which has survived intact to the present day.
Tour the best of Copenhagen and visit the National Aquarium of Denmark with a private pick-up from your hotel, airport or cruise dock.
This short sightseeing tour and aquarium visit is an ideal way to discover Copenhagen with family in tow. The flexible order of visits in the itinerary allows this tour to be your pre- or post-cruise vacation discovery of Copenhagen. We will enjoy the wonderful must-see sights of the Danish capital on a panoramic drive with photo stops at Amalienborg Castle, Little Mermaid and Christiansborg Palace. The undeniable charm of Copenhagen is most visible when we see the colorful architecture and harbor front at Nyhavn. Classic sites, such as Tivoli gates and Town Hall square are also part of the program.
For a fun filled day to remember in a land of mystical medieval courtyards, castle walls and towers.
This tour is tailored for families with children to get the most out of their visit to both our medieval Old Town and the beautiful city outskirts.
This tour is designed to entertain and educate your young explorers with fun filled facts and fascinating stories and legends about Old Tallinn and the surrounding area. Tour activity options and a flexible schedule to suit your preferences make for an experience that both kids and parents will enjoy.
Join an exciting day of visits in the stunning Old Town Tallinn and gain a first-hand experience of fierce Viking village lifestyle in an authentic fortress. The Nordic cross has for long been known by the Estonians. The strong ties and not so amicable battles between the Estonian Vikings and Scandinavian tribes date back to the 13th century. After all, the Estonian sailing vessels were called pirate ships by the Nordic clans for a reason.
Perfect combination of Helsinki highlights on a city tour and a unique experience of the Nordic atmosphere in Winter Wonderland & Ice Bar. Experience the thrill of a fairy tale winter wonderland with fun skis and wondering around ice labyrinth finding your inner child or on a sliding hill in the cool atmosphere wrapped in protective thermal clothing and enjoy a drink at the Ice Bar from a frozen glass.
Experience the northern magic on a tour complete with Helsinki sightseeing and Finland’s southernmost Reindeer Park visit. Located at a short panoramic drive from Helsinki at Nuuksio National Park, the Reindeer Park offers a fantastic opportunity to enjoy traditional Lappish culture by meeting and feeding this fabled animal in a ‘up close and personal’ way.
A perfect day tour for discovering the Norwegian capitals best sights both on foot and by bus including Viking Ship and Open-Air Museum.
Traditional log house in the Norwegian Folk Museum in Oslo, Norway.
We will start our day with an enjoyable panoramic drive to the charming Bygdøy peninsula. One of Norway’s oldest cultural landscapes is rich in history and stunning nature. The area also boasts beautiful parks and forests and some of Oslo’s most delightful natural seaside. Our tour at the Museum of Cultural History presents an exquisite collection of artifacts in a village of more than 150 real-life buildings relocated to tell the story of Norwegian inhabitants over the last 500 years.
Get an excellent overview of Stockholm with Vasa Museum and delight in open-air museum adventures complete with a children’s zoo.
Skansen: The world’s oldest open-air museum, and possibly, the most fun as well
In addition to the Old Town we will visit the fascinating Vasa Ship Museum and see historic Sweden in miniature at the Skansen Outdoor Museum. We start with a panoramic drive through the city center, passing the neighboring island of Djurgården, known as Stockholm’s outdoor recreation center, and such historic sites as the National Museum and the Royal Dramatic Theater.
Experience the spectacular city of Stockholm and its history on a walking tour through the old town and The Armoury in the cellar of the Royal Palace. We will tour the The Royal Armoury housed in the spectacular cellar vaults and filled by not only great stories but priceless treasures of Swedish royal family. Display includes weapons, period fashion, carriages, coaches and event the blood soaked clothes worn by King Gustav III when he was assassinated by nobles at a masquerade ball in 1792.
Enjoy a countryside tour to one of the most beautiful Dutch villages- experience traditional windmills, cheese tasting and a clog workshop. We will take joy in a relaxing panoramic drive out of Amsterdam towards the wholesome setting of rich cultural heritage on the fine green fields of polder de Beemster. One of the most famous examples of how reclaiming land from water is done.
Sugar-coat your experience of Riga with a city sightseeing and old town tour followed by a visit to the Laima chocolate factory.
The capital of Latvia has such a culturally rich and diverse center to explore.
This tour is a perfect balance of charming tales of medieval old town, stunning Art Nouveau architecture and a bit of indulgence with a visit to the Laima Chocolate Factory. A sweet visit to a chocolate lovers paradise complete with a cup of molten cocoa drink. Although chocolate is often meant to be eaten when down and gloomy, it can also make a good day even better.
We could go on for hours about Copenhagen, and all the cool things you could be doing on your summer holiday. There’s the vibrant city life, the lush gardens and Nordic beaches all in one – and you can bike between everything! But we should probably restrain ourselves, so we’ve boiled our inflammatory speech down to seven really good reasons why you should spend the summer in Copenhagen.
Rent a bike, jump in the saddle and get ready to conquer the streets of Copenhagen. Biking is by far the easiest way to get around in the conveniently small capital. Oh, and this place, Bryggen 11, has excellent ice cream – definitely one of our favourite frozen fixes.
The water of Copenhagen’s old industrial harbour is super clean, which is actually a rare thing. Throughout summer, the harbour baths are full of people splashing around or practicing head dives from Islands Brygge‘s staircase, while boats peacefully sail by.
Park between the Christiansborg palace and the Danish Jewish Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Copenhagen is nothing like the metropoles that house millions of people in enormous skyscrapers. Denmark’s capital is still pretty earthbound and sprinkled all over with green oases such as King’s Garden and Assistens Cemetery. Perfect places for chilling out, sunbathing and picnicking.
Are you looking for Danish delicacies, local vegetables, fresh fish, or maybe some Italian specialties? Then visit Copenhagen’s popular market place Torvehallerne. Torvehallerne is situated right by Nørreport Station, and offers more than 80 shops.
Taste the whole world and flush down the local Copenhagen vibes with top-class Danish craft beer. How’s that?
Can’t decide between city break and beach holiday? Well, you don’t have to. Svanemøllen and Amager Beach Park are just two examples of popular, sandy stretches not far from the centre. If you are looking to take a trip out of the city, there’s plenty of beautiful coastline to explore all over Zealand.
Declared the happiest people in the world multiple times, the Danes almost burst with excitement in the summer months. Maybe it’s something in the air, maybe they’re just bouncing back from the cold winter – either way, you’ll meet smiling faces everywhere.
…for when you need a change in scenery. During an enjoyable scenic countryside drive south-west of Copenhagen, you can learn more about the Danish Vikings and their role in the world history. Take an advantage of our Private Viking Heritage Tour to Roskilde & Viking Ship Museum Experience.
Or how about visiting another country for a day? A short trip across the sound will take you to Malmö – Sweden’s third largest city where you can meet the Danes’ melodiously speaking neighbours and have Swedish ‘fika’. Come and discover the inviting Swedish city of Malmö on a Copenhagen to Malmö Private Day Trip.
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