Cheap things to do in Copenhagen
Three days of free museums, good sausages, and the right kind of bar
This is Copenhagen for people who would rather spend money on beer than on a tasting menu. The plan moves between medieval lanes, royal parks and canal-side neighbourhoods, keeping costs low without sacrificing anything worth having. If your ideal day ends in a wood-panelled bodega with a cheap pils, this is your guide.
Day 1: Old town, free museums, grill dinner
Start in Middelalderbyen with good coffee and Sicilian street food, spend the afternoon in the Glyptotek's Winter Garden, and end the night at a no-frills grill and a brewpub in the Meatpacking District.
- 9:30 AM
Lille Fugl
Top-rated neighbourhood coffee shop right in Middelalderbyen, great start to the day.
Map - 10:15 AM
Det Kongelige Biblioteks Have
Free walled garden behind Christiansborg with a fountain, a pond and the old library's arcades.
Map - 12:30 PM
La trinacria / Taste of sicily
Cheap, top-rated Sicilian spot just up the street, honest Italian food at street-food prices.
Map - 2:00 PM
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
Paid entry, but free on the last Wednesday of the month; the palm-filled Winter Garden and Roman busts are worth it.
Map - 7:30 PM
- 9:00 PM
Warpigs Brewpub
Mikkeller's brewpub in the Meatpacking District: two dozen house beers on tap and Texas barbecue by the pound.
Map
Day 2: Rosenborg, parks, brown bars
A cube croissant and a lap of Ørstedsparken set the tone before affordable smørrebrød, the castle's Crown Jewels, and a long evening at Palæ Bar with billiards and cheap beer.
- 9:30 AM
Andersen & Maillard
Noma pastry-chef-founded spot, get the cube croissant and a serious espresso to start the day right.
Map - 10:30 AM
Ørstedsparken
Free, hilly park around an old moat lake by Nørreport, a short walk from the Rosenborg gardens.
Map - 12:30 PM
Aamanns Deli & Takeaway | Østerbro
Takeaway smørrebrød on dense rye for a fraction of restaurant prices; eat it in the King's Garden.
Map - 2:00 PM
Rosenborg Castle
17th-century royal castle with Crown Jewels set in the King's Garden, one of Copenhagen's best-value heritage visits.
Map - 7:30 PM
Fabro
Affordable Italian in Frederiksstaden, solid cheap eats with a neighbourhood feel, close to the castle area.
Map - 9:00 PM
Palæ Bar
Classic brown bodega with billiards and a dim, unpretentious vibe, exactly the kind of cheap local bar worth ending a night.
Map
Day 3: Christianshavn spire to canal nightcap
Climb the twisting spire of the Church of Our Saviour for the city's best view, a sausage on the waterfront, a walk on the old ramparts, and a cheap vegetarian dinner in Christiania before a local bodega.
- 9:30 AM
Grød
Cheap, hearty porridge breakfast right in Christianshavn, perfect fuel before climbing the spire.
Map - 10:30 AM
Church of Our Saviour
Climb the twisting external spire for the city's best rooftop view, canal-side beauty without Nyhavn crowds.
Map - 12:30 PM
Kejser Sausage
Pølser from a stand on the Christianshavn waterfront by the old Noma warehouse; get the ristet with everything.
Map - 4:30 PM
Christianshavns Vold
Walk the grassy 17th-century ramparts and moat of Christianshavn, free and almost empty most afternoons.
Map - 7:00 PM
Morgenstedet
Christiania's vegetarian canteen: the day's hot dish with salads in a garden house, for little money.
Map - 9:00 PM
Cafe Malmö I / S
Wood-panelled bodega with cheap beer and a real local crowd, exactly the unpretentious nightcap this day deserves.
Map
Where to stay
Wakeup Copenhagen, Borgergade
The only clearly budget-priced option here, and it sits right in the middle of all three days' routes.
25hours Hotel Indre By
Mid-range price, central Indre By location, and an unpretentious crowd that suits the tone of this itinerary.
Make Copenhagen your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Tivoli Gardens: a few days ahead
- GoBoat: a few days ahead
- Church of Our Saviour: a few days ahead
- Jazzhus Montmartre: a few days ahead
- Hey Captain: weeks ahead
- CopenHill: a few days ahead
Skip these
- The Little Mermaid as a destination: see her incidentally from a canal boat or with Kastellet, never build a morning around her.
- Eating on Nyhavn: walk it and photograph it, then eat in Christianshavn, five minutes away, for the same canals with real restaurants.
- Strøget as shopping: global chains, souvenir mark-ups and the pickpocket strip. Danish design is in the side streets and Nørrebro vintage.
- Christiania as a drug stop: that era ended in April 2024 and anyone selling to tourists there now is a legal risk.
The full Copenhagen travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around