72 hours in Copenhagen

Long weekend across the pond? More doable than you think

Long trips, short trips – we all love a vacation but sometimes it can be difficult to turn off & tune out. Enter the underrated, long-weekend vacation.

Research actually indicates this type of trip may be best – short spurts of recharge sprinkled throughout the year offer more events to look forward to. In fact, we derive nearly as much benefit from thinking about & planning for a vacation than we do taking the actual vacation or basking in its afterglow.

Need some inspiration to pull the trigger? Just returned from 3 days in Copenhagen – here’s the itinerary.

Passport Snapshot
Who: Me (solo!)
What: Long weekend trip
When: Friday – Monday in May (Thursday travel day)
Where: Copenhagen 
Why: Flight deal alert thanks to nextvacay.com
How: Icelandair, $396 BOS to CPH, via KEF
Spend: Approx. $500 (excluding flight)
Tip: Consider a hostel - Steel House Copenhagen, $193 for 4 nights 
Budget: Go cash-free/save on exchange rate with a travel credit card
Fun Fact: hygge, noun: a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture)

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Day 1, Friday – Copenhagen

• Kick things off with a crash course in Danish history  via a 10am “Grand Tour of Copenhagen” walking tour. You’ll visit the following & learn your way around: City Hall, Christiansborg Palace, the old City Center, Nyhavn Harbour and Royal Palace of Amalienborg 
• Refuel & refresh with a sandwich from Bak – local favorite is crispy pork (specifically, pork roast with red cabbage cream & cornichon)
• Gather at Højbro Plads at 4pm for your second walking tour of the day, this time around Christianshavn
• End at the Free Town of Christiania to explore the “Green Light District” – the world-renowned commune that ironically, has become quite elitist 
• On your way back to town, take refuge from the intermittent rain with wine at The Corner & dinner at the Bridge Street Kitchen’s food market. Recommend Grød, Denmark’s take on all things porridge (try the daal)
• Finally, take in Nyhaven Harbor’s brightly colored buildings, and Copenhagen’s main attraction, during the golden hour

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Day 2, Saturday – Copenhagen

• Start the day with a snegle & oat milk latte at Statement Coffee (Vester Farimagsgade), while appreciating the  modernist décor 
• For museum aficionados, a visit to the National Museet is worth the time (note: the Danish Resistance museum was closed due to fire during my visit but would have taken its place – Denmark was the only occupied country that actively resisted the Nazi regime’s attempts to deport its Jewish citizens during WWII)
• For more outdoor adventures, hop on a canal tour. Don’t book in advance, your previous day’s tour guide will likely provide a free voucher. General Tip: bring a raincoat, Danish weather can change every 5 minutes – we were met by rain, hail & sun all in the span of an hour cruise.
• Head over to Torvhallerne hungry (and with a group) to sample your way through the city’s best food market. Don’t miss the traditional open-faced sandwiches at Smørrebrød (my pick: butter-fried fish) or more porridge at Grød
• Continue on to the Botanical Gardens (consider packing up food market finds for a picnic) for a stroll around the grounds & Rosenborg Castle, which dates back to 1606
• Time to rent a bike & move like a true Dane – acclimate yourself on Nørre Søgade (eastern side of the city) for easy riding & beautiful water views
• Stop for some outdoor reading in one of the city’s many public squares – highly recommend “The Year of Living Danishly” by Helen Russell to learn more about one of the happiest nations on Earth
• Head over to Bastard Café for board games & beer – yes, you read that correctly

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Day 3, Sunday – Day trip to Sweden

• Easily spend another day enjoying Copenhagen or, for those craving another passport stamp, hop on a train for a 50 min ride to Lund, Sweden
• Wander the old university town, taking in the slower pace & varied architecture
• Make your way to Kulturen, the world’s second oldest open-air museum, for an authentic look at how Swedes lived across centuries
• Wrap up at Lund’s Cathedral dating back to the Middle Ages – don’t miss its remarkable astronomical clock / early calendar
• Head back to Copenhagen for dinner at Barr, a shining example of new Nordic cuisine. Incredible, locally sourced food (try the cod) & an ambiance that is, well, hygge
• Note: Consider swapping out the trip to Lund for a longer day trip to Aarhus

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Denmark is a beautiful, welcoming country with one of the highest standards of living in the world. As a tourist, you’ll experience all that and more, leaving with an awareness and appreciation of what it means to live danishly (and wanting to come back for more).

Here’s the itinerary as a PDF to easily print/drop into Google Docs to plan your own trip: Copenhagen Itinerary_Spring 2019

For more on Copenhagen travel, The New York Times’ “36 Hours in…” series is a personal favorite. The Copenhagen edition can be found here.