2024 ended in such a wonderful way: my partner planned an entire mystery roadtrip for me, with my only clues being that I needed a suitcase full of winter clothes for ten days.
→ I documented the entire mystery roadtrip on reels; check it out on Instagram!
Heading north out of Munich, where my partner lives, we stopped along the way through Germany including the Eremitage Schlosspark in Bayreuth, the magical Duchess Anna Amalia Library in Weimar and then spent two nights in Lüneburg, a hidden gem of a city just an hour south of Hamburg.
From there, we headed to the northern German coastline to catch a ferry across the border into Denmark. I visited Denmark 12 years ago on a post-high school graduation celebration trip in 2012 and stayed with a family friend for a few days in Copenhagen. It was such an unexpected joy to be back and get to rediscover the city I fell in love with so many years ago!
A note on the photos in this blog post: my camera was on weird settings for our entire 24 hours in Copenhagen so all the photos have ended up coming out looking like they were shot on a film camera. The camera has since been fixed but the photos will forever look like they were taken 30 years ago. At the time I found out, I was super bummed... but looking back at them now, I think they're kind of a vibe. I hope you like them.
By car: We traveled to Copenhagen by car as part of our big three-country mystery roadtrip. Copenhagen is situated in the far east of the country, looking across the water to neighbouring Malmö in Sweden. The Øresund Bridge (with a pricey toll) connects Denmark with Sweden and you cross the border (indicated only with the typical EU sign, there is no actual border crossing) while on the bridge. Parking can be a challenge in Copenhagen and fairly expensive; we left our car in the Q-Park Vesterport as recommended to us by our hotel.
By ferry: As we were driving, we took the 45-minute passenger ferry from Puttgarden, Germany up to Rødbyhaven and then carried on by car into Copenhagen, a two-hour drive through the islands. A direct ferry also connects Copenhagen with Oslo in neighbouring Norway.
→ Check out my detailed guide to visiting Oslo!
By flight: Copenhagen's international airport is located just south of the city, just a 20-minute drive away. Buses and metro lines connect the airport with downtown Copenhagen in only 15 minutes, making it a super accessible airport.
By train: Copenhagen is also serviced by a major train station, the København H, just on the west side of the city. Tickets can be booked with DSB.
By bus: Local and international buses service Copenhagen from across Denmark and neighbouring Sweden. The Flixbus also services Copenhagen directly from 115 cities.
Ferry docking in Puttgarden, Germany
First sighting of a very grey Denmark!
Øresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden
Copenhagen is a bustling city. We made our way around exclusively on foot but this did mean we ended up walking quite a long way between everything. I would avoid driving in the city as streets are tight and parking is minimal. However:
→ Check out Copenhagen's extensive bus and metro system.
You might also want to join a walking tour of Copenhagen to get a really good insight from a local of the history and learn a bit more about the city.
We had just one night in the city as part of our mystery roadtrip. My partner had pre-booked all the hotels as the entire trip was a complete surprise to me. He picked such a delightful hotel for Copenhagen.
For our stay in Copenhagen, we booked into the Grand Joanne, just five minutes walking distance to Tivoli Gardens. It was a bit further away from the old town and Nyhavn but we actually found the location perfect for us as it meant we could park and then walk into the city. The Grand Joanne is a boutique hotel with comfortable (if small) rooms, gorgeous decor and wonderful staff.
While in Denmark, be sure to sample some traditional local foods such as a Danish pastry and a smørrebrød, an open-faced sandwich!
Brunch at Buzz Kaffebar
Unfortunately, while earlier reviews seemed to be much better, we didn't have a great experience here. Perhaps we were just unlucky.
Coffee at Coffee Collective Bernikow
Mouthwateringly good chai lattes in a beautifully decorated interior gallery.
Lunch at Café Kopenhag
Absolutely delicious smørrebrød and wonderful service in a cozy corner restaurant.
Dinner at Tivoli Food Hall
As part of the Tivoli Gardens (but also accessible without visiting the gardens), this delightful food hall is jam-packed full with loads of different food stalls serving up delicious fares from around the world. I think I had one of the best pad Thais of my life here (outside Thailand, of course!).
Dessert in Tivoli Gardens
You must visit Tivoli Gardens during your visit to Copenhagen, the world's second oldest amusement park. While here, you can sample loads of yummy goodies from all the different food huts. We had a simply mouthwatering kardemummabullar (cardammom roll, similar to a cinnamon roll) and a hazelnut chocolate crêpe for our dessert!
We had just one night in Copenhagen as part of our multi-country mystery roadtrip and so tried to squeeze in just the major highlights - it was my partner's first time in the city and I showed him around my favourite spots from my visit to the Danish capital 12 years in 2012!
Spend an evening at Tivoli Gardens
Tivoli Gardens is the world's second oldest amusement park, opened in 1843. Situated right in Copenhagen, this gorgeously decorated theme park doesn't give off any gaudy vibes and is actually a seriously delightful way to spend an evening, any day of the year. As we visited at the end of the year, all the Christmassy vibes were still in full swing with twinkle lights, Christmas markets and yummy local food to sample - we enjoyed plenty of treats!
You can buy an entrance pass to the park which gives access to everything including the many restaurants and attractions on site. You can additionally purchase a ride pass for unlimited rides, or you can pay for single rides in the line-up; we did do one very twisty-turny-upside-downy ride...!
I can highly recommend dinner at the Tivoli Gardens Food Hall where you'll find a wide range of international foods all served in an inviting, bustling food hall.
→ Check out the Tivoli Gardens website and book tickets in advance (not required, we bought on site when we arrived).
Spot the iconic harbour at Nyhavn
This is by far the most famous spot in the entire city of Copenhagen. Along the Nyhavn harbour, a number of beautifully coloured buildings line the waterfront. From here, you can also take a boat tour of the harbour to visit some of the highlights of the city, including Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid statue, a boat tour I did back in 2012.
Wander the streets of Copenhagen
With our limited time, we spent the rest of our 24 hours in Copenhagen simply wandering through as many of the streets as we could, turning down each one we found beautiful and endearing.
I thought it would be fun to show three photos we recreated from my trip to Copenhagen 12 years ago in 2012!
Nyhavn
2012
2024
World's Tallest Man Statue
Notice how they've since painted his coat!
2012
2024
Tivoli Gardens
There appears to be a new pavement and a few updates to the signs!
2012
2024
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
