Copenhagen: getting there, neighbourhoods, Tivoli, palaces and what changes for tickets and money in 2026

Copenhagen suits you if you want to combine royal palaces, art museums and canals in one trip. From the airport, about 8 km from the centre, the metro runs into the city around the clock according to the timetable. Direct trains go to Helsingør for Kronborg Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000, and to Humlebæk for the Louisiana Museum.

A good deal has changed for paying in 2026. All banknotes of the older series and the 1,000-krone note of the current series have been worthless since June; the National Bank now exchanges them only in exceptional cases. The Rejsekort plastic card has been switched off since 30 June, and you now pay by app, single ticket, City Pass or Basiskort, for example.

Copenhagen suits you less if you are looking for warmth: even in July the mean daily high at the airport is 21.2 °C (normals 1971–2000). Tivoli opens only in seasons and is closed in between.

Getting there and from the airport into the city

With 864,116 passengers from Germany, Copenhagen ranked 25th among international destinations in 2025, counted at the main German airports. Around 80% of these passengers departed from Frankfurt (251,381), Munich (244,211) or Berlin-Brandenburg (197,056). The busiest month was August and the quietest January. From January to July 2026, 490,814 passengers departed for Copenhagen, 0.6% fewer than in the same period of the previous year (Federal Statistical Office; breakdown by airport and month and the 2026 figures: own analysis).

Metro M2: 14 minutes to the centre

The metro and trains leave from Terminal 3, which you reach by walking straight ahead from the arrivals hall. According to the operator, the yellow line M2 towards Vanløse takes 14 minutes to the centre and, according to the timetable, runs around the clock every day. At the airport, according to the airport operator, a train comes every 4 to 6 minutes during the day and in the evening and every 15 to 20 minutes at night. For track work, the metro operator regularly suspends service briefly in the evening and at night or has you change; the dates are published in advance on m.dk (as of September 2026).

On the metro you never pay for more than three zones, even though the M2 runs as far as Zone 4. A single ticket into the city therefore costs at most 30 DKK and is valid for 90 minutes (as of September 2026). At the station's machines you pay by card or coins according to the airport; they do not accept banknotes (as of September 2026). All euro values are our own conversions at the central rate of the National Bank.

All four metro lines stop at Kongens Nytorv; according to the operator, it is a suitable stop for accommodation near Nyhavn, on the Strøget and in the rest of the inner city. For the Latin Quarter and the Botanical Garden it names Nørreport.

Train and bus to the Central Station

If your accommodation is near the Central Station (København H), the train is often the more direct choice according to the metro operator, because you do not have to change. According to VisitCopenhagen, the city's tourism organisation, it runs every 10 minutes during the day, every 20 in the evening and once an hour at night; the journey takes 15 minutes (as of September 2026). You need the ticket before boarding, none are sold on the train, and without a ticket you risk a fine (information from the airport, as of September 2026).

City bus 5C leaves directly in front of Terminal 3 and, according to VisitCopenhagen, takes around 35 minutes to the Central Station. On the bus you can pay in cash, but change for banknotes is not guaranteed (as of September 2026).

Taxi: no official fixed fare

For a taxi to the centre, VisitCopenhagen gives around 250 to 350 DKK (about €34 to €47) depending on traffic and a journey time of 20 to 30 minutes. The sources we analysed give no official fixed fare, but according to VisitDenmark you always get a receipt (as of September 2026). According to the airport, the tip is included in the fare; on journeys from the airport, some companies may add a surcharge (as of September 2026).

Where to stay: the neighbourhoods compared

The descriptions come mostly from VisitCopenhagen, the connections from the metro operator (as of September 2026).

Where a dash appears, the sources we analysed give no drawback.

Sights: times, prices and rules in 2026

Tivoli: seasons only, price depends on the day

Tivoli opened on 15 August 1843 and lies next to the Central Station, with entrances at Vesterbrogade 3 and on Bernstorffsgade.

In 2026 the Easter season ran from 27 March to 6 April, followed by the summer season until 20 September. Halloween follows from 2 October to 1 November, Christmas from 13 November to 3 January 2027. Tivoli is closed on 24 December and between the seasons (as of September 2026).

Tivoli uses day-specific pricing: admission, ride pass and combination package do not cost the same every day, and sometimes the time of entry also counts. The park's visitor calendar shows the prices for each day. Tickets are valid for one date and are not refunded; you can only rebook in person at a Tivoli ticket office on the new visit day, for a date at most 14 days later. On Fredagsrock Fridays from 17:30, anyone under 16 needs to be accompanied by someone aged 25 or over (as of September 2026).

You can enter the Tivoli Food Hall on the corner by the main entrance directly from the street all year round, without paying park admission (as of September 2026).

Nyhavn and the harbour bus

Colourful 17th-century houses line the old harbour canal Nyhavn, with cafés in front of them, and canal tours depart from here. Hans Christian Andersen lived in houses no. 20, 67 and 18 on the canal. It is a few minutes' walk from Kongens Nytorv metro station. Harbour bus 993 runs from Nyhavn to the Opera and costs the same as a bus journey (as of September 2026).

Christiansborg: parliament, royal rooms and a free tower

The current, third Christiansborg Palace (built 1907 to 1928) houses the parliament, the Supreme Court and the State Ministry. Until 1 November 2026 the Royal Reception Rooms, the ruins and the Royal Kitchen are open daily from 10:00 to 17:00. The combination ticket costs 215 DKK online (around €29) and 225 DKK at the ticket office. Children and young people up to 17 pay nothing but also need a ticket (as of September 2026).

During state occasions or when the royal family uses the palace, areas sometimes close without warning. The times for the current week are on the home page of the Royal Collection (as of September 2026).

Rosenborg: crown jewels and limited tickets

Christian IV had Rosenborg built at the beginning of the 17th century, and the crown jewels are in the cellar. In 2026 it is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00; from 2 November to 23 December it is closed on Mondays and otherwise open from 10:00 to 16:00. Admission costs 140 DKK online and 150 DKK at the ticket office; under-18s go free with a ticket. Because only a limited number of visitors may enter at the same time, tickets can sell out on busy days (as of September 2026).

Round Tower: a 200 m spiral ramp

The Round Tower (Rundetaarn) has been a landmark of the city since 1642, and a spiral ramp about 200 m long leads up it. From 1 April to 30 September it is open daily from 10:00 to 20:00. From 1 October it is open Monday and Tuesday from 10:00 to 21:00 and Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 (as of September 2026).

Admission costs 60 DKK (around €8), under-18s pay nothing. The ticket office accepts cash in kroner or euro notes, but gives change only in kroner (as of September 2026). Since April 2024 the tower is no longer included in the Copenhagen Card.

The Little Mermaid

Edvard Eriksen's Little Mermaid sits on a stone on the Langelinie. The brewer Carl Jacobsen gave the figure to the city, and it was unveiled on 23 August 1913. The Kastellet fortress and the National Gallery (SMK) are nearby.

Christiania: freetown since 1971

The freetown of Christiania in Christianshavn came into being on 26 September 1971, when squatters moved into empty barracks buildings. Since 2012 the site has belonged to the foundation Fonden Fristaden Christiania, and around 850 people live there. On 6 April 2024 the paving of Pusher Street was torn up in order to end the hash trade. According to figures from the city, 89% of residents in Christianshavn felt safe in 2025; in 2024 it was 79 per cent.

CopenHill: a ski slope on a waste-to-energy plant

CopenHill sits on the roof of the ARC waste-to-energy plant, and the ski slope and hiking hill have been open since autumn 2019. In October 2026 the roof, hiking trail and lift open at 11:00 Monday to Friday and at 10:00 at weekends. It closes at 17:00 on Mondays and Sundays and otherwise at 19:00.

The ski slope is open Tuesday to Friday from 14:00 to 19:00, on Saturdays from 10:00 to 19:00 and on Sundays from 10:00 to 17:00. During the autumn holidays (week 42, 12 to 18 October), the roof with café, hiking trail, slope and toboggan run are open daily from 10:00 to 18:00. CopenHill may close at different times during events or maintenance work on the plant. Bus 37 stops directly in front of the slope (as of September 2026).

Day trip: Kronborg in Helsingør

Kronborg Castle in Helsingør, built 1574 to 1585, has been on UNESCO's World Heritage list since 2000; the justification also mentions Shakespeare's “Hamlet”. The direct train from the Central Station takes around 55 minutes, partly along the coast. Until 31 October 2026 it is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00, and in November, according to the Danish castles website, daily from 10:00 to 16:00. In December it is closed on Mondays except on the 28th, and also on 24, 25 and 31 December. Adults pay 150 DKK, or 135 DKK online (around €18), children nothing (as of September 2026).

Day trip: Louisiana in Humlebæk

The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is in Humlebæk, around 40 km north of Copenhagen and within walking distance of the station. Direct trains run there from the inner city. It is open Tuesday to Friday from 11:00 to 22:00 and at weekends from 11:00 to 18:00; it is closed on Mondays, except on 12 October 2026. It is closed on 24, 25 and 31 December 2026 and on 1 January 2027 (as of September 2026).

Admission costs 145 DKK (around €19); under-18s and holders of the Copenhagen Card DISCOVER pay nothing. You do not need a time slot, but you also only enter the café and sculpture park with a ticket (as of September 2026).

Best time to visit: Copenhagen's climate month by month

The values come from the Danish Meteorological Institute DMI, Copenhagen Airport station (Kastrup, 5 m), and are means for the years 1971 to 2000. The sunshine hours come from the Københavns Toldbod station. DMI does not plan to publish the 1991–2020 normals for temperature and precipitation until the end of 2026.

May to August bring 241 to 262 hours of sunshine a month, but the temperature rises above 25 °C on only 8.9 days a year. The wettest month is September with 58.9 mm, the driest February. From December to February there are 14 to 18 frost days a month, and snow falls on average on 21.4 days a year.

Costs

The table gives the operators' prices, and for the taxi the range from VisitCopenhagen. 100 DKK is around €13.40 (own calculation at the central rate).

VAT and tips

The 25% VAT is included in all prices, and you also pay for service in hotels, restaurants and taxis with the bill. Tipping is voluntary and there is no fixed rule (as of September 2026).

Practical information

Local transport: no Rejsekort card since June 2026

Bus, train, metro and light rail share a zone system on Zealand, and you change on one ticket. Single tickets cost 24 DKK for 2 zones, 30 DKK for 3 zones and 38 DKK for 4 zones (as of September 2026). One adult can take two children under 12 along free of charge; otherwise children up to 15 pay half. If you are inspected without a valid ticket, you pay 750 DKK on the metro and DSB trains and 1,000 DKK on Movia buses.

Since 30 June 2026 the Rejsekort plastic card has been switched off; instead you check in and out with a swipe in the Rejsekort app. Single tickets are available in the Rejsebillet app and at machines. You can still get the balance on an anonymous card refunded until 29 June 2027, at points of sale such as DSB at the Central Station or via a web form.

Without the app you take the Basiskort, personal for 50 DKK or anonymous for 80 DKK, the anonymous one at the 7-Eleven at the station, for example. The 80 DKK is not refundable, and you must top up at least 100 DKK each time (as of September 2026). With the Rejsekort app or Basiskort you save 20% if the journey starts outside peak hours. That applies Monday to Friday from 11:00 to 13:00 and from 18:00 to 07:00, and all day at weekends and on public holidays.

City Pass or Copenhagen Card

The City Pass is valid for unlimited travel on buses, trains, the metro, light rail and harbour buses. The Small variant for Zones 1 to 4 including the airport costs 100 DKK for 24 hours and 220 DKK for 72 hours (as of September 2026). The Large for Zones 1 to 99 costs twice as much in each case, and two children under 12 travel free.

The Copenhagen Card DISCOVER costs adults 589 DKK (€79) for 24 hours and 1,039 DKK for 72 hours (as of September 2026). It includes local transport in Zones 1 to 99 including the airport and free admission to over 80 attractions, including a Tivoli visit, Rosenborg, Christiansborg, Kronborg and Louisiana. The time starts running from activation in the app and cannot be paused. The HOP variant with hop-on-hop-off buses is not valid on local transport.

Money, time, emergency number

You pay in Danish kroner (DKK); thanks to a treaty exemption, Denmark does not have to introduce the euro. The National Bank keeps the exchange rate stable at around 7.46038 kroner to the euro (as of September 2026).

Denmark has the same time as Germany. You can reach the emergency number for police, ambulance and fire brigade on 112, from a foreign mobile phone also without the country code. The service number of the police for non-urgent cases is 114, from a foreign mobile phone +45 114 (as of September 2026).

The current rules on entry, safety and health are given by the German Foreign Office.

Who this is not for

• Anyone travelling on a small budget: the Copenhagen Card DISCOVER costs 589 DKK (€79) for 24 hours, and at the ticket office Christiansborg costs 225 DKK and Rosenborg 150 DKK (as of September 2026).
• Anyone looking for beach weather: temperatures rise above 25 °C on only 8.9 days a year on average, and even in July the mean daily high is 21.2 °C.
• Anyone who needs light in winter: in December there are only 38 hours of sunshine on average, in January 46.
• Anyone who is counting on Tivoli: between the seasons the park is closed, for example from 2 to 12 November 2026 and from 4 January to 18 March 2027 (own derivation).
• Anyone who wants to sightsee spontaneously: Christiansborg sometimes closes without notice, and Rosenborg can sell out on busy days.
• Anyone who arrives with old banknotes or the Rejsekort card: older banknotes and the 1,000-krone note have been worthless since June 2026, and the plastic card has been switched off since 30 June 2026.