Things to do in Copenhagen, splurging
Rosenborg and the Designmuseum, smørrebrød at Schønnemann, dinner at texture and Barr.
This is Copenhagen for the traveller who wants the table that takes three months to book, the boutique that ships nothing online, and the bar that actually knows what it's doing. The pace is generous but the choices are sharp: mornings in great coffee shops and world-class museums, afternoons in the design districts, evenings at top-level tables followed by a proper nightcap before midnight. You'll want a base dead-centre in the old city, because everything here is walkable and the plan uses every minute of the day well.
Day 1: Old town, HAY House, Kong Hans territory
The day moves from a neighbourhood coffee shop through Greco-Roman sculpture and Copenhagen's definitive design flagship before landing at two of the most talked-about tables in the old city.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:30 AM
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
Palm-filled Winter Garden with Egyptian, Greek and Roman sculpture, and serious French painting.
Map - 12:30 PM
Admiralgade 26
Wine-led modern Danish in a 1796 townhouse; let them pour by the glass from the long cellar list.
Map - 2:15 PM
HAY House
HAY's flagship upstairs on Østergade: the whole colour-blocked range of chairs, lamps and small homewares.
Map - 7:30 PM
Krogs Fiskerestaurant
The 1910 fish restaurant on Gammel Strand, reopened in May 2026 under a new chef; book for the seafood menu.
Map - 9:30 PM
Cafe Malmö I / S
Wood-panelled basement bodega on Havnegade: cheap draught, smoke-stained walls and a mixed local crowd.
Map
Day 2: Rosenborg, Schønnemann, texture
A Noma-pedigree pastry start, the Crown Jewels at Rosenborg, smørrebrød at Schønnemann, a park walk, and dinner before a late set at Jazzhus Montmartre.
- 9:30 AM
Andersen & Maillard
Noma pastry-chef-founded spot, get the cube croissant and a serious espresso to start the day.
Map - 10:30 AM
Rosenborg Castle
The Crown Jewels and a 17th-century royal castle set in Copenhagen's oldest park, a proper morning wander.
Map - 12:30 PM
Schønnemann
Smørrebrød house since 1877: herring three ways, a shot of house snaps, then the curried egg and shrimp.
Map - 4:30 PM
- 7:30 PM
texture
Karim Khouani's French cooking with caviar, truffle and shellfish in a six-table Sølvgade basement.
Map - 10:00 PM
Jazzhus Montmartre
Historic jazz club on Store Regnegade where Dexter Gordon played; book the late set if there is one.
Map
Day 3: Frederiksstaden, the waterfront, Victory
The design museum, a private canal boat, smørrebrød at Sankt Annæ and dinner at Barr, ending with cocktails on Papirøen.
- 9:30 AM
Atelier September
Pale, calm café known for its avocado on rye and matcha; get there early for a window seat.
Map - 10:30 AM
Designmuseum Danmark
Designmuseum Danmark is the essential stop for a design-obsessed traveller, applied arts, furniture icons, and fashion all under one roof.
Map - 12:30 PM
- 2:30 PM
Hey Captain | Boat Tours | Ofelia
Private captained canal boat from Ofelia Plads, the premium crowd-free way to see the city from the water.
Map - 7:30 PM
Barr
Beer-hall cooking from the North Sea coasts in the old Noma warehouse: frikadeller, schnitzel and a long beer list.
Map - 9:30 PM
Victory - Cocktail Bar 🍸
Rooftop bar on the 25hours Hotel on Papirøen, mixing seasonal cocktails with its own gin and aquavit.
Map
Where to stay
Hotel d'Angleterre
The grande dame of Copenhagen hotels, right on Kongens Nytorv: doorstep access to every day of this plan and the fit for a full-spend trip.
Hotel Sanders
Hotel Sanders sits a short walk from the canal and Frederiksstaden: a beautifully designed boutique property that matches the taste level 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