Best Day Trips from Copenhagen: 12 Places to Visit in Denmark

Copenhagen makes a brilliant base for exploring eastern Denmark, with so many great places sitting less than an hour away by train or bus. From royal castles and seaside towns to historic harbours and UNESCO sites, you can pack a lot into a single day without spending half of it travelling. Whether you want something effortless and close by or you’re happy to go a little further for somewhere special, these are the best day trips from Copenhagen that are easy, quick and perfect for adding variety to your stay.

Taking day trips from Copenhagen is a brilliant way to see more of Denmark without the hassle of changing hotels. The city’s transport links are fast, reliable and easy to navigate. You get the best of both worlds: the buzz, food and culture of Copenhagen as your base, with relaxed escapes to castles, museums and seaside views just a short train ride away. It’s an effortless way to add more variety to your trip while still keeping everything simple and stress‑free.

1. Roskilde – Viking Ships & Cathedral Views

Roskilde is one of the easiest places to reach from Copenhagen and works well for a half‑day or longer. The Viking Ship Museum sits right on the water, with original ships on display and small workshops showing how they were built. The cathedral is a UNESCO site, and the burial place of Danish royalty, and the old town has a calm, historic feel.

This full‑day organised tour is a brilliant way to explore some of Denmark’s most impressive historic sites without the hassle of planning or navigating on your own. Starting from Copenhagen, you’ll visit a royal castle, a grand palace, a striking cathedral and the famous Viking Ship Museum, where beautifully preserved longships bring Denmark’s past to life. It’s a packed but well‑paced day that gives you a real sense of the country’s history, architecture and coastal landscapes. The duration of the tour is around 9 – 10.5 hours.

2. Frederiksborg Castle, Hillerød

Frederiksborg Castle sits on a lake surrounded by formal gardens and woodland. Inside, the rooms are filled with paintings, tapestries and ornate details, and the views from the gardens are some of the best in Denmark. It’s a peaceful place to wander, and the journey there is very straightforward.

This is an independent trip – You need to take the direct S‑train to Hillerød, which takes about 40 minutes, then walk 15 minutes to the castle or hop on bus 301/302 if you prefer. You can also drive in around 35–45 minutes, with parking available near the entrance. It’s one of the simplest and most rewarding day trips from the city.

3. Kronborg Castle, Helsingør (Elsinore)

Kronborg is best known as the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet, but it’s also a striking coastal fortress with wide sea views and long, echoing halls. The town itself is small and easy to explore, with a modern maritime museum built into an old dry dock.

Again, this is an independent trip – You will need to take the direct train to Helsingør, which runs frequently and takes about 45 minutes. From Helsingør Station, it’s a 10‑minute walk along the waterfront to the castle. You can also drive in around 45–60 minutes, with parking available nearby.

4. Malmö, Sweden

Crossing the Øresund Bridge into Sweden is a novelty in itself. Malmö is compact and walkable, with a mix of old squares, modern architecture and waterfront paths. It’s an easy way to add another country to your trip without much effort.

This popular organised day tour is a great way to experience both Denmark and Sweden in one easy trip. Leaving from Copenhagen, you’ll cross the impressive Øresund Bridge into Sweden to explore the historic university city of Lund and the modern waterfront of Malmö. It’s a relaxed, well‑paced way to see two very different Scandinavian cities in a single day, without needing to organise transport or navigate on your own. The duration of the tour is around 9 hours.

5. Dragør – A Quiet Fishing Village

Dragør is one of the most charming places near Copenhagen, with yellow‑washed houses, cobbled lanes and a small harbour. It’s quiet, easy to explore on foot and ideal for a slow afternoon away from the city.

Bus 250S departs from the city centre (it stops at places like Nørreport, Kongens Nytorv and Christianshavn). You will need to ride it all the way to Dragør, which takes around 35–40 minutes. The bus drops you close to the old town, so you can wander straight into the cobbled streets and colourful fishermen’s houses. If you’re driving, it’s about 20 minutes from central Copenhagen, with parking available near the harbour.

6. Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

Even if you’re not especially into art, Louisiana is worth visiting for the setting alone. The museum overlooks the sea, with sculpture gardens, glass corridors and a calm, open feel. Exhibitions change regularly, and the café has lovely coastal views.

You will need to take the train from central Copenhagen to Humlebæk Station, which takes around 35 minutes, then walk 10–15 minutes to the museum along a well‑signed route. By car, the journey takes about 35–40 minutes, with parking available on site.

7. The Forest Tower (Skovtårnet)

The Forest Tower is a spiralling wooden lookout rising above the treetops of Gisselfeld Klosters forest. A raised boardwalk leads you through the trees before you climb the gentle spiral to the top. On clear days, you can see all the way to Sweden. It’s a peaceful, scenic trip and a good contrast to the city.

On this guided tour, you’ll visit the striking white cliffs of Møns Klint, walk through beautiful forest trails and climb the impressive Forest Tower for sweeping views over the treetops. It’s a longer day trip, but the scenery and variety make it completely worth it. Tour duration is around 8 hours.

8. The Forgotten Giants (Thomas Dambo’s Trolls)

You can visit all the giants on your own because they’re free, outdoors and spread around the suburbs west and south of Copenhagen. The only challenge is that they’re not clustered together; they’re hidden in forests, fields and parks, so you’ll need either a car, bike, or a bit of patience with public transport and walking. Most people rent bikes or drive, which makes it easy to see several giants in one day. If you’re using public transport, you can still visit them, but you’ll likely see 2–3 giants per day rather than all six. If that sounds like too much of a hassle, there are guided tours by bus.

9. Møns Klint – White Chalk Cliffs

Møns Klint is one of Denmark’s most dramatic natural sights. The white chalk cliffs rise above the Baltic Sea, with forest trails and viewpoints along the top. It’s a longer trip, but the scenery makes it worthwhile. I have linked a tour that combines this with the forest tower above. Visiting Møns Klint independently is not easy from Copenhagen, so the tour linked in #7 is highly recommended.

10. Odense – Hans Christian Andersen’s Birthplace

Odense has a relaxed, small‑city feel with cobbled streets, cafés and a museum dedicated to Hans Christian Andersen. It’s an easy day out if you want something a little bigger than a village but quieter than Copenhagen. When in Odense, you can get the most out of your visit by booking a walking tour (this does not include transportation from Copenhagen, it’s just for when you get there).

You can reach Odense very easily by train from Copenhagen Central Station. Direct trains run frequently throughout the day, and the journey takes around 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, depending on the service. Trains are comfortable, fast and the most convenient option. If you’re driving, the trip takes roughly 1 hour and 45 minutes, following the E20 motorway across the Great Belt Bridge (note there’s a toll).

11. Køge – Timber‑Framed Houses & Harbour Walks

Køge is a small, traditional town with colourful timber‑framed buildings and a calm harbour area. It’s a simple, low‑key day trip that works well if you want something easy and close.

Køge is very easy to reach from Copenhagen, with frequent direct trains from Copenhagen Central Station taking around 30–40 minutes depending on the service. The station sits just a short walk from the town’s historic centre and harbour, making it simple to explore as soon as you arrive. If you’re driving, the journey takes about 35 minutes via the E20.

12. Bakken – The World’s Oldest Amusement Park

Set inside a forest, Bakken has classic rides, food stalls and a relaxed, old‑fashioned atmosphere. The surrounding deer park is lovely for a walk, and it’s a good option for families.

Reaching Bakken from central Copenhagen is wonderfully straightforward. The S‑train (Line C) runs directly from Copenhagen Central Station to Klampenborg Station in around 20 minutes, and from there it’s an easy 10‑minute walk through the edge of Dyrehaven (the deer park) to the entrance. If you’re travelling by car, the drive takes about 20–25 minutes, with parking available close to the park.

Billund is a place you could add to a Denmark itinerary, but with a six‑hour round trip from Copenhagen, it works far better as a short break than a day trip. When we visited, we flew into Copenhagen first and spent four nights exploring the city before driving across to Billund for a few nights. It was the perfect way to enjoy both sides of Denmark, the culture and canals of Copenhagen, followed by the theme parks, family attractions and relaxed pace of Billund. Copenhagen is a great city to visit on an extreme day trip.