Top 6 places to visit for free with the Copenhagen Card

The Copenhagen Card is the easiest and cheapest way to visit the Danish capital region, because it lets you travel with the public transportation and enter many attractions for free.

You just need to visit the official website and buy the card for the duration you prefer, from 24 to 120 hours. You will receive a voucher by email that you need to exchange for the actual card once in town. We exchanged ours at the information desk in the airport Terminal 3’s arrival hall, but keep in mind you might need to wait some time in line

Tip: Remember to validate your Copenhagen Card by writing on it the start date and time.

Don’t waste your time trying to figure out how or where to swipe your card to access the metro, you don’t need to! Just board the train and show the card to the controllers when required. You can also just show it to the cashier to gain free access to the attractions included in the card.

We maximized the use of the card during our short stay in Denmark, visiting more than 20 attractions for free and thus saving more than 400 euros against the payment of 242 euro for two 5 days’ passes (now they are 266 euro).

While all major attractions are included in the card, here are the top 5 attractions you can visit for free with the Copenhagen Card and you should not miss!

Explore the canals with Copenhagen Boat Tours

Copenhagen (“merchant harbour” in Old Norse) spreads across a series of canals and tiny islands so the best way to get your bearings is with a boat tour that takes you through the most known areas of the city.

There are many tour operators available, however we chose Canal Tours Copenhagen by Stromma, whose yellow tour was included in the Copenhagen Card. The tour starts at Ved Straden, a walk away from the main kiosk at Nyhavn in the city centre and passes by many places of interest including the Little Mermaid, Christiania and the Opera House.

Our tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly and shared a lot of useful information about the city, its history and modern development. We would recommend to have the boat tour at the beginning of your visit because it is an excellent way to became familiar with the city.

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Climb the spiralling tower of the Church of Our Saviour

One of the best places where you can take panoramic photos of the city is the Church of our Saviour located in the heart of Christiania neighbourhood. You can climb to the top of the church’s tower, an architectural masterpiece visible from most of the city, and enjoy amazing views of the city and the canals.

The climb is not demanding but it is not everybody’s cup of tea, especially when the stairs gets so narrow that only one person can pass and reach the top of the tower, also considering that the last part spirals outside the tower. We gave up almost at the top because we were uncomfortable with the height and the wind.

Challenge: climb up and touch the globe on the top of the church’s tower to prove your manhood as they did in the old days!

We recommend to visit the church when the sun is not too strong, like early morning or late afternoon, to enjoy the view at its best. The church’s interior is extremely beautiful, do not miss it if you have a chance to enter. Unfortunately, we couldn’t go in because they were organizing a symphonic concert at that time.

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See the Crown Jewels at Rosenborg Castle

We were lucky with sunny weather when we visited Rosenborg Castle. Living in the desert for so long we always appreciate parks and greenery whenever we visit other countries so we really took our time to stroll through the King’s Garden surrounding the castle.

The castle is a masterpiece of Danish architecture, which became a royal residence even though Christian IV built it as summerhouse in 1606. Its interiors are so well preserved that you will have the impression you walked back in time to a period when kings enjoyed the expensive venetian glassware, rich tapestries and uniquely beautiful paintings.

We found the castle’s official website very useful, because it provides extensive information about the palace, its chambers and also identifies the objects worth a closer look.

Tip: there is free WiFi! Use the castle’s official website for useful information!

One of the most popular rooms in the castle is the vault, where the Crown Jewels and Regalia are showcased together with the Throne Chair of Denmark. We found some “traffic” there, so make sure you visit the place early in the morning to beat the crowds.

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Discover royalty at Christianborg Palace

The most important political building in Denmark is also the only building in the world where the three supreme powers are housed: Danish Parliament, Prime Minister’s Office and Supreme Court. Christianborg Palace also offers the visitors the chance to explore the interiors of the palace including the kitchens, stables and the reception rooms. You can also access the top of the palace tower and the foundation of the current building where the old structure is still visible.

Since it is a functional building it is not always possible to go inside. We couldn’t enter the Royal reception rooms because of a special event, so we ended up visiting the Royal Kitchens, where we witnessed the preparations for royal banquet as in 1937; the Stables with the collection of carriages and coaches still used by the royal family; and the 250-year-old court theatre and museum.

Tip: Make sure you check the visiting schedule on the palace’s official website for real time updates before you go.

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Have some fun at Tivoli Gardens

Tivoli Gardens is one of the most popular attractions in Copenhagen and we can see why: it’s an amusement park where adults have as much fun as the kids. If you dare to get on the rides, that is!

The park opened in 1843 and is the second-oldest operating amusement park and also the second-most popular seasonal amusement park in the world. Since it’s located in the city centre, it’s very easy to get to so you can plan it for an afternoon or evening after some sightseeing. The Copenhagen Card will give you free access to the gardens, but rides are paid extra.

Full disclosure: some of the rides looked really hard core, so we just enjoyed a walk around the gardens, but if you are a fan of rollercoasters and thrilling action, then this is the place for you. For the less brave, there are game arcades, a lake with rowing boats, and plenty of restaurants, cafes and shows.

Tip: Tivoli Gardens are open seasonally, during the summer, winter, Christmas and Halloween, so check the opening times before you go.

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Kronborg Castle – Elsinore, the home of Hamlet

If you’ve read or seen Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet” you may remember that the action takes place in a Danish royal castle called Elsinore, which is in fact Kronborg Castle in the town of Elsinore located about an hour north of Copenhagen by train. If you are looking for a day trip out of the capital, this is definitely a must see and it comes completely free with the Copenhagen Card!

Not only is the over 400-years old castle very well preserved, but it is also one of the finest Renaissance castles in Northern Europe and a UNESCO site. We recommend you follow one of the free guided tours which take you through the most important parts of the castle and last around half an hour. Don’t miss the Cannon tower, with amazing views of the surroundings, the flag bastion with the old cannons and the chapel, which is the only surviving construction from the 16^th century and will give you an idea of how the castle was originally decorated. There are also separate tours of the Casemates, the underground tunnels that run underneath the bastions.

When we visited, we were lucky to catch an immersive theatre experience and watch the story of Hamlet unfold before our eyes across different locations of the castle, just as Shakespeare laid them out in his tragedy. The play is acted in English and there’s not separate admission ticket, so even if you’re not a theatre fan, it will still make you feel like you stepped back in time.

Tip: If you visit in June-August, don’t miss Hamlet Live and see the tragic play performed around the castle

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