Copenhagen Walking Tour: 50 Free Video Stops

This Copenhagen walking tour links 10 sights and 50 short video stops narrated by Clarissa, from the spiral ramp of the Round Tower and the palace island of Slotsholmen to the coloured houses of Nyhavn, the royal square at Amalienborg, the Little Mermaid and the evening lights of Tivoli. The city is flat and compact, so the whole route can be walked, and the notes below add timing, transport, etiquette and the free sights worth knowing. For official visitor information, also check VisitCopenhagen, the official tourism site of Copenhagen.

Route 1, the old town and the palace island (stops 1 and 2). Start at the Round Tower on Købmagergade, finished in 1642 for King Christian IV, and play the videos as you walk up the wide spiral ramp to the observatory and the rooftop view. Walk south through the old town to Slotsholmen and Christiansborg Palace, home of the Danish parliament, the royal reception rooms and the ruins of older castles beneath. Cross the riding ground, climb the palace tower for a free view, and leave by the Marble Bridge.

Route 2, Christianshavn and Nyhavn (stops 3 and 4). Cross the harbour to Christianshavn for the Church of Our Saviour, the Baroque church with a golden spiral staircase wrapped around its spire; the last stretch of the climb is in the open air. Walk back over the water to Nyhavn, the canal dug in the 1670s, lined with coloured townhouses where Hans Christian Andersen once lived, and wooden ships moored in the middle. This is the most famous picture on any Copenhagen walking tour.

Route 3, the royal quarter and the harbour front (stops 5 to 8). Walk north to Amalienborg, four palaces around an octagonal square and the residence of the king, where the guard changes at noon when he is in residence. Look straight up the axis to the great copper dome of the Marble Church, free to enter. Continue to Kastellet, the star-shaped citadel whose ramparts are now a public park with a windmill, and walk out along Langelinie to the Little Mermaid, Edvard Eriksen’s small bronze unveiled in 1913.

Route 4, castle and gardens (stops 9 and 10). Walk back into the city to Rosenborg Castle, Christian IV’s pleasure palace, with the crown jewels in the basement and the free King’s Garden around it, the oldest royal garden in the city and a favourite picnic lawn for locals. Finish your Copenhagen walking tour at Tivoli Gardens beside the central station, opened in 1843, a garden, concert park and fairground in one, best after dark when the lights come on.

One king links many of these stops. Christian IV, who ruled Denmark and Norway for sixty years in the early 17th century, built the Round Tower, Rosenborg Castle and the first Kastellet, founded the district of Christianshavn and reshaped the city’s harbour front. As you walk, look for his monogram, a crowned C with the number 4, carved and painted on the buildings he commissioned.

For photos, the best viewpoints on this Copenhagen walking tour are the top of the Round Tower, the Christiansborg tower, the spiral of the Church of Our Saviour and the Nyhavn quayside in the early morning, before the cafes fill. The Amalienborg square, looking toward the Marble Church dome, is the classic royal view.

With one day, walk Routes 1 to 3, the core free walking tour Copenhagen visitors can do entirely on foot, and save Tivoli for the evening. With two days, add time inside Rosenborg, Christiansborg and the museums.

Late spring and summer are the best seasons for a Copenhagen walking tour, with long light evenings and outdoor cafes along the canals. September is quieter and still pleasant. Winter is cold, windy and dark early, but the city is cosy, and Tivoli opens for Christmas with markets and lights. Carry a rain jacket whatever the season, because showers come and go quickly.

Tivoli Gardens does not open all year; it runs seasons in spring and summer, around Halloween and at Christmas, so check its calendar before you plan the last stop. The Church of Our Saviour spire can close in high wind or rain, and Rosenborg uses timed tickets in summer. Opening hours for the palaces and museums vary, so check each official site before you go.

Copenhagen is flat and easy to walk, and it is one of the world’s great cycling cities, so renting a bike is a good way to link the stops. The metro, including the City Circle line, buses and harbour buses cover the city. Check the current tickets, travel cards and apps on the official public transport sites before you travel. Many visitors simply walk, because the distances between stops are short.

From Copenhagen Airport, the metro and trains run to the city centre in a few minutes, so you can reach the start of this Copenhagen walking tour very quickly after landing. Copenhagen Central Station is next to Tivoli, so if you arrive by train you can walk the stops in reverse; every stop has its own Map button.

Bike lanes are busy and fast, so never stand or walk in them, look both ways before you cross, and listen for bells. At Amalienborg, keep a respectful distance from the Royal Life Guards and do not block their route. Inside churches such as the Marble Church and the Church of Our Saviour, speak quietly and avoid visiting during services.

Try smørrebrød, the open rye sandwiches piled with herring, roast pork or shrimp, a hot dog from a street stand, a cinnamon pastry from a bakery and new Nordic dishes in the many restaurants. Nyhavn is lovely but busy, so the side streets often offer better value. Service is included in Danish prices, so tipping is not expected, though rounding up is welcome. Tap water is excellent and safe to drink.

Copenhagen is a very safe city, but pickpockets work busy places such as Nyhavn, the central station and Strøget, the long pedestrian shopping street, so keep your bag closed. The cobbles in the old town and at Nyhavn are uneven, so wear comfortable shoes, and take care near the harbour edges, where there are often no railings.

Hans Christian Andersen is never far away on this walk. He lived at several addresses in Nyhavn, his fairy tale inspired the Little Mermaid, and his statue sits beside City Hall Square near Tivoli, which he visited. Reading one of his stories before you go adds charm to the harbour stops.

Many sights on this Copenhagen walking tour are free. Nyhavn, the Amalienborg square and the changing of the guard, the Marble Church, Kastellet, the Little Mermaid, the King’s Garden at Rosenborg and the Christiansborg riding ground cost nothing to visit, and the Christiansborg tower is usually free. You pay for the Round Tower, the Christiansborg rooms, the Church of Our Saviour tower, the Amalienborg museum, Rosenborg Castle and Tivoli Gardens.

Children often enter museums free or at reduced prices, and students and seniors may get discounts. If you plan to visit several paid sights, compare the official Copenhagen Card with single tickets. Prices and rules change, so check the official sites before your Copenhagen walking tour and buy tickets only from official sellers.

Copenhagen is a good city for wheelchair users. The centre is flat, many streets have smooth paving, the metro is step-free, and most buses have low floors. The Round Tower’s spiral ramp is easier than stairs but long and sloping, while the Church of Our Saviour spire has steep stairs. The cobbles at Nyhavn and parts of Kastellet are uneven. Ask each site about access before you go.

After this Copenhagen walking tour, carry on with more free walks in Scandinavia and northern Europe: the Stockholm walking tour, the Oslo walking tour, the Helsinki walking tour and the Amsterdam walking tour. You can browse every city on the Free City Tours home page.