A city trip to Copenhagen with kids is fun! There are plenty of activities to do in this capital of Denmark to easily entertain the family for a few days! There are also plenty of (budget) airlines that fly to Copenhagen from the Netherlands, making it easy to visit Copenhagen for a few days with the family. We visited Copenhagen during a multi-day city break and listed the best activities in Copenhagen with kids.
Copenhagen with kids #1: exploring downtown
Copenhagen has a cozy and compact city center, where it is definitely fun to walk around. For example, you have the car-free shopping street Stroget that runs right through the center and is lined with many stores. Street musicians often perform here as well, creating a cozy atmosphere. From this shopping street you can walk straight to the lively Nyhaven, where you have plenty of nice restaurants and pubs and where you can enjoy a terrace.
Like the city of Amsterdam, Copenhagen is known for its canals and it is fun to book a canal cruise along those canals. We found it a relaxing way to see more of the city. In the process, you also passed by the city’s famous mermaid, which is really nothing in reality, but where you see dozens of tourists standing by all day to photograph this little statue by the water.
From Nyhaven you can walk in a few minutes to Amelienborg Palace, where you can attend the ceremony of changing the guard at noon every day (if the Royal Family is present). You can also see this palace inside. From Amelienborg Palace you can walk in 15 minutes to another great castle in downtown Copenhagen: Rosenborg Castle. You can see the castle’s crown jewels in this castle, and the park near the castle also has a playground for kids.
So as far as that goes, you can take a tour of the city center and stop in between regularly for a bite to eat and a drink downtown.
Copenhagen with kids #2: Copenhagen Zoo
You can also go to the zoo in Copenhagen with kids. The Copenhagen Zoo is located slightly outside the city center and by public transportation (bus 6a) it takes about half an hour to get to the zoo (by car less than 15 minutes). This green zoo is not super big, but it has many of the great African animals such as the lion, elephant, rhino, hippo, giraffe and different kinds of monkeys.
In addition to these large African animals, the zoo also has several other special animals such as the panda bear, polar bear, red panda bear, Tasmanian Devil and tiger. Several animals you can also feed (you can buy food at the ticket counter) and at certain animals such as the kangaroos you can walk among them.
At several places in the zoo you have playgrounds for children and there is also a water playground for kids to cool off in the summer months. There are plenty of catering establishments in the zoo, where you can get something to eat and drink. Count on spending at least half a day visiting this zoo. You can visit the zoo with the Copenhagen card.
Copenhagen with kids #3: Tivoli amusement park
You can take kids to as many as two different amusement parks in Copenhagen. Among these, Tivoli amusement park is the most famous, since this amusement park is right in the center and you can walk right to it. This amusement park is open from mid-April through mid-September, and you’ll find dozens of rides and catering establishments.
The amusement park is a bit of a combination of a carnival, an amusement park and various food trucks, and in the summer months the amusement park can get quite crowded. Besides the various attractions, it is also a park with beautiful gardens and in the middle you have a field with nice relaxing chairs. There are several spectacular attractions, as well as several rides for the smallest kids.
Just keep in mind that visiting this amusement park with an entire family is not very cheap. After all, you pay for the entrance and also for the attractions still. The Copenhagen Card gives you access to this amusement park. For more information on opening hours, admission prices and different attractions, take a look at Tivoli’s website.
Copenhagen with kids #4: Experimentarium
You can visit several museums in Copenhagen with kids, but the one most suitable for kids is Experimentarium. This is Copenhagen’s science museum, where kids can do all kinds of experiments. This science museum is located fairly downtown and by public transportation takes less than half an hour from the city center.
Both parents and kids are given a tape, which keeps track of everyone’s scores. In addition to the various experiments you can do here, kids can also play a lot here and you also have exhibits that you often see in an illusion museum (think, for example, that kids can crawl under a table and their head ends up on a plate).
Keep in mind that this museum does have a few hours of entertainment. It is also a suitable option when the weather is not so good in Copenhagen and you still want to do something with kids. Be sure to visit the museum right when it is open, as the museum gets increasingly crowded during the day. You can also get something to eat and drink at the museum. For more information about this museum, check out its website.
Copenhagen with kids: other activities
In addition to the activities in Copenhagen with kids described above, there are more activities to do in this city. We briefly list the best remaining activities in town here.
#6 Bakken Amusement Park: this is the second amusement park you can visit in Copenhagen with kids. This is the oldest amusement park in the world and is located just outside the center of Copenhagen. They have more than 30 different attractions here and admission is free. The price for the various attractions is a lot lower than at Tivoli amusement park, and of course you can make it as expensive as you want. The rides are similar to the rides you find here at the fairgrounds.
#7 Copenhagen bike tour: the Dutch company BajaBikes organizes bike tours of Copenhagen led by a Dutch guide. You’ll cycle around the city in three hours, stopping at the city’s various attractions. We did this bike tour in Paris with our daughter and found it a fun introduction to the city. They have kids’ bikes for kids as young as six, and child seats are available for younger children.
#8 Hop on Hop off bus + boat: like most major cities in the world, you can also take the Hop on Hop Off bus in Copenhagen. These buses run a specific route and stop at various points of interest in the city. In Copenhagen, in addition to the bus, you also have a hop on hop off boat, which stops at various attractions.
#9 Den Bla Planet: this is Copenhagen’s national aquarium and it is located slightly outside the center south of the city by the sea. It is a very nice aquarium in a futuristic building. The aquarium is also fairly interactive with several touch screens. You will find many different species of fish including sharks and manta rays. Again, as in many such aquariums, you have a tunnel through which you can walk and see the entire underwater world above your head. In addition to the fish, you will also find various reptiles and butterflies in the museum.
#10 Amager Strand: If you visit the city of Copenhagen in the summer, it is possible to go to the beach for a few hours on a hot summer day. The Amager beaches are half an hour by public transportation and have miles of white beach. The beach itself does not have super many facilities, so bring some food and drinks from the supermarket in advance if you want to stay here a little longer.
#11 Rundetarn: You can also see Copenhagen from a great height with kids. Rundetarn is a tower to walk up with no steps and where you can even drive a baby carriage to the top (quite heavy though). The view atop the tower is beautiful. You can visit several other viewpoints in Copenhagen with kids, such as the towers at Frederiks Kirke and the Vor Freizers Kirke. This last church is quite spectacular as you walk outside the tower and it gets narrower and narrower the higher you get.
Copenhagen with kids: Copenhagen card
As in many major cities, Copenhagen also has a map of the city, which you can purchase and use to access various attractions and public transportation. Many of the attractions discussed above have free admission with the card, and each parent can get a free card for two kids up to age 11. Take a look in advance at what all you want to see and what the costs are and then see if you can get a cheaper deal with the family by purchasing the card. For all information about the card, check out the Copenhagen Card website.
Where to stay in Copenhagen with kids?
You can stay in Copenhagen with kids just fine. You can find plenty of accommodations suitable for families with kids. Keep in mind, however, that accommodation prices are not cheap. We have listed the best options for each price range.
Budget hotel: Go Hotel Saga
Mid-range hotel: Scandic Sydhavnen
Luxury hotel: Absalon Hotel
For a list of all accommodations in Copenhagen, take a look here.
