How to Explore Copenhagen on a Budget

It’s well known that Copenhagen is not the top of a backpacker’s list, as stories about its high prices have spread among travellers all over the world. It cannot be denied, Copenhagen is expensive, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t discover the city’s sights, eats and drinks on a budget. You only have to know the right places. Of course there are limits to exploring such an expensive place on a small budget, but it can be done. The budget also depends on the number of days spent in the city. Here is an overview of the things you can explore in Copenhagen on the cheap.

How to Explore Copenhagen on a Budget

1. What to do in Copenhagen

Exploring the many things the city has to offer is one of the great joys of visiting Copenhagen. Walking around the city is possible, but you can also rent a bike to see the city with easier access. During the summer, the city often offers free bikes (for a deposit which is returned). Buy a 72 hour Copenhagen Card and you can see the best of the city for yourself (there are cards for 24 hours and 48 hours as well). With the card you can freely enter museums like the Danish Design Center or the National Museum. The pass not only offers free admission to much of the city, it also allows you to use the bus, trains, and subway for free, as well as get discounts to restaurants and shops. You can even get free admission to Tivoli Gardens, the amusement park that offers breathtaking scenery, roller coasters, kid rides, theater, museums, and arcades.

2. Transport

Copenhagen offers a great transportation system, with night buses, a 24 hour metro and the S-train that runs from 05.00am to 00.30am. But all good things in life come with a price, and in this case it is 24DKK for a 2 zone-ticket, which you can use for approximately one hour. So, if you’re planning to move around city by public transport, it’s much cheaper to buy the Citypass, which costs 80DKK and is valid for 24 hours, the 7-days FlexCard for 260DKK or the Copenhagen card (detailed above). And if you like to travel on a bike, renting it with Donkey Republic and Baisikeli would be two of the cheapest companies in town.

3. Museums

Exploring Copenhagens museums and exhibitions can be a bit on the costly side. Entry fees range from 50DKK to 130DKK. But some of the most important museums have free admission days. You just have to look out for them. Visit the Ny Carlsberg Glyptoteket museum with free admission on a Tuesday, or discover the Danish Golden Age at Thorvaldsen museum on Wednesdays. If you are a culture enthusiast and two museums are not enough, don’t despair. Buy the Copenhagen card with 379DKK (54 US$) and you’ll have free admission to 73 museums!

4. Culture

There are many other ways to discover Danish history and culture for free. Visit Amalienborg Palace and take a stroll among the four rococo palaces that comprise the Royal’s Family residence. Walk along the canals at Slotsholmen island, in the heart of the city center and observe the Christiansborg Palace. The Neo-Baroque building, that nowadays hosts the Danish executive powers, offers free guided tours to the parliament and to the public galleries. Just around the corner stands the building that used to be Copenhagen’s market-place in the 17th century, the historic Borsen. Last but not least, in approximately 10 minutes walking time, is located The Royal Library. A must-see for architecture lovers.

There are many other ways to discover Danish history and culture for free. Visit Amalienborg Palace and take a stroll among the four rococo palaces that comprise the Royal’s Family residence. Walk along the canals at Slotsholmen island, in the heart of the city center and observe the Christiansborg Palace. The Neo-Baroque building, that nowadays hosts the Danish executive powers, offers free guided tours to the parliament and to the public galleries. Just around the corner stands the building that used to be Copenhagen’s market-place in the 17th century, the historic Borsen. Last but not least, in approximately 10 minutes walking time, is located The Royal Library. A must-see for architecture lovers.

5. Food and Drinks

Unfortunately, restaurants in Copenhagen aren’t really cheap but supermarkets are (especially Netto and Fakta). So, the best way to save some money, that you can spend on other things later, is to prepare your lunch or a bag full of goodies before leaving your room. Supermarkets offer a great variety of foodstuff, but if you want to be a proper local get a smorrebrod. The Danish typical sandwich is almost in every lunch box. For vegetables and fruit check out the city’s grocery stores. They are cheap and fresh. If cooking is not in your plans while visiting Copenhagen, look out for the city’s hot dog stands and durum (kebab) restaurants. Find some of the tastiest and cheapest choices here. As far as drinks go, in the summer grab a beer from a kiosk or a supermarket and relax at one the city’s parks. Luckily, there are plenty around. Frederiksberg Have, the King’s Garden or the lakes around Dronning Louises Bro in Norrebro are some of the top choices for locals when the sun shines. For the rest of the year it’s a better idea to snuggle up in a cosy bar. There are plenty of them in the city center as well as in Norrebro and in Vesterbro.

6. Where to stay

Hostels would the cheapest option for your stay while visiting Copenhagen. Just like Copenhagen, many of the hostels are clean and modernly designed, which offers a unique hostel experience. Staying in the center of Copenhagen (or close to it) is the best way to ensure that you don’t have to spend money on public transportation since everything may be in walking distance. However, if you want to save money on your hostel room it’s usually cheaper to stay in neighboring areas, such as Norrebro. For me personally hostels are not the best option, so I rented through Airbnb in the Valby neighborhood.