If you get the chance to visit Denmark, make sure that you take the time to spend at least a day in Copenhagen. Although one day in Copenhagen doesn’t allow you to do everything this amazing city has to offer, you will be able to see some of what makes it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

How to Spend a Perfect One Day in Copenhagen

With limited time, you still can see four of the most popular sites in the city. This is how you spend the day:

Christiansborg Palace

You should begin your first day in Copenhagen at Christiansborg Palace.

This former Danish palace is currently the seat of the Danish Parliament, the Danish Prime Minister’s Office, and the Supreme Court of Denmark.

Christiansborg Palace has a history that dates back 800 years (it burned to the ground several times before being rebuilt to its current state).

Inside, you will find elaborately decorated rooms along with period furnishings and vintage heirlooms.

There is an underground tour of the Christiansborg Palace Ruins, but there isn’t that much to see. I wouldn’t bother wasting your time on it, especially when you only have one day in Copenhagen.

Canal Boat Tour

One of the best ways to explore Copenhagen is on a canal boat tour.

The boat tour is part of the Copenhagen card and will allow you to see parts of the city that you can’t see on foot!

The canal boat will take you to see these Copenhagen landmarks and popular architectural sites.

These are some of what you will be able to see on a Copenhagen Canal boat tour.

• Amalienborg Palace
• The Old Stock Exchange
• Christianshavn
• Our Saviour’s Church
• The Sixtus Battery
• The Black Diamond
• ‘BLOX’
• Little Mermaid Statue

Roskilde

After your canal tour, take the 30-minute train ride to Roskilde. It’s part of the Copenhagen Card transportation package!

Here, you will get to see the Roskilde Viking Museum and a UNESCO Gothic Cathedral.

The main attraction in Roskilde is the Viking Museum.

While you might not think about Denmark as a hub for Vikings, but it was!

Inside the Viking Museum, you will find five ships discovered at the bottom of the nearby fjord, along with other various artifacts.

It is truly one of the best Viking Museums I’ve visited and is worth the visit even when you are short on time!

Admission is free with the Copenhagen Card.

Also in Roskilde is a 12th-century Gothic Cathedral that sits along the fjord and adjacent Medieval village.

It is the first Gothic cathedral known to be built of brick and thus deemed a UNESCO World Heritage site.

With only one exception since the reformation, all Danish kings and queens have been buried in this Cathedral.

Tivoli Gardens

If you are looking for something to do in the evening on your day in Copenhagen, consider going to Tivoli Gardens.

Walt Disney visited Tivoli Gardens as a young man, and it is what sparked his imagination to create Disneyland. It is filled with rides, restaurants, and even live entertainment.

You will get free entry into the park with your Copenhagen Card, but if you wish to ride any of their rides, you will have to pay for ride tickets separately.

Overall, you really can see a lot when you are only in Copenhagen for a day. The key to seeing all of this is careful planning.