What better way to get in the festive spirit than a short trip away in December? This is my fourth year running of doing a Christmas getaway and now that autumn is here, it’s the perfect time to start planning before places are booked up and flights get pricey. Find out why the Copenhagen Christmas Market is my favourite.
Choosing Copenhagen
The Pandemic disrupted global travel like never seen before delaying new adventures. It was late 2021 and I was desperate to go abroad after all the lockdowns and quarantines we endured. At the time, it was easiest to solo travel despite being a few years since my 1st solo trip. I was looking for a short 4-day budget hostelling solo trip to explore the Christmas markets and local attractions. The shortlist included cities such as Berlin, Prague, Cologne, Budapest and Salzburg from my research. However, I had already travelled to these wonderful cities and preferred to visit a new country. Despite the reputation of Scandinavia being expensive, I researched Denmark and saw an image of a Copenhagen Christmas market that caught my attention. My decision to choose Copenhagen (København) was ideal as a winter festive wonderland.
Copenhagen Christmas Market
The Copenhagen Christmas Market (Julemarked in Danish) is among the best in Europe thanks to the cuisine and Hygge influence. The markets generally run from the end of November to early January. The 5 main markets are Tivoli Gardens, Nyhavn, Højbro Plads, Kongens Nytorv and Hans Christian Andersen Christmas Market. The largest market is the Tivoli one but it requires a ticket to enter the Gardens. My favourite one is Nyhavn because of the colourful buildings along the waterfront. In every market, you’ll have various handmade crafts in wooden stalls that will bring some Hygge to your life. Hygge is the Danish lifestyle of comfort and contentment through cosiness. You’ll find various food stalls and Gløgg stalls, that serve the warming boozy drinks to fight off the cold. The Christmas trees around the city are impressive and colourful with the Tivoli one being my favourite. The markets are bustling in the centre and add to the Christmas atmosphere.
The Itinerary
The four-day itinerary was pretty full and ensured I made the most of the time abroad. I had pre-booked Rosenborg Castle for Day 2 but was flexible with all the other places to see. Looking back, this itinerary meant I had seen nearly all of Copenhagen’s main districts and Christmas markets. With a longer trip, I would look at a day trip out of the city or pay to visit other attractions.
| Day | Location / Activity | Duration | Cost |
| 1 | Heathrow Flight | 2h0m | £65 |
| 1 | Copenhagen Arrival & Train | 0h15 | £4- |
| 1 | Højbro Plads Market | 1h00 | £0 |
| 1 | Nyhavn | 2h00 | £0 |
| 2 | Rosenborg Castle | 2h00 | £15 |
| 2 | SMK Gallery | 3h00 | £15 |
| 3 | Amalienborg | 3h00 | £0 |
| 3 | Christiania | 2h00 | £0 |
| 3 | Tivoli Gardens | 4h00 | £22 |
| 4 | Strøget | 1h00 | £0 |
| 4 | H.C Andersen & Norrebro | 2h00 | £0 |
| 4 | Copenhagen Departure | 2h00 | £5 |
Must See Places
- Tivoli Gardens – One of the oldest amusement parks located in the middle of Copenhagen.
- Nyhavn Harbour – The colourful buildings along the harbour give an iconic photo
- Rosenborg Castle – Home of the crown jewels and an impressive throne hall
- Little Mermaid – A popular statue mermaid in the water where tourists flock to
- Strøget – One of the longest pedestrianised shopping streets in Europe
- Copenhagen Christmas Market – see below for more details on each one
Accommodation
Let me Introduce Steel House in Copenhagen.
The luxury hostel is a change from the usual budget-conscious hostels. The dorms had pods which had comfy mattresses, plenty of plugs and storage. The bathrooms were plentiful and always clean. Even though Scandinavia is expensive, the 2-4-1 Happy Hour is much welcomed along with an affordable and filling breakfast! The facilities are what sets this Hostel apart with Arcade machines, shuffleboard, snooker and table football, lots of tables & sofas. Then downstairs there is a stage, a gym and a swimming pool…. yes in a Hostel! I met lots of people near the bar and found it had a great layout. I would 100% stay again and highly recommend Steel House.
See where it ranked in the Hostelling Power Rankings Table.
Day 1 – Strøget & Nyhavn
Strøget
After an early start to Heathrow, I arrived in Copenhagen in the late morning. Having a full day ahead, I dropped my backpack off at Steel House Hostel and got ready to discover Copenhagen. The first stop was to see the entrance of Tivoli Gardens. I got my bearings and walked to Rådhuspladsen and admired the City Hall building. Soon I found Strøget Street and the shopping area with many high-end fashion shops. The beautifully painted old buildings and rooftops take your attention away from the crowds all around you. It took a while to walk from Rådhuspladsen to the Storkespringvandet (Stork Fountain) at Højbro Plads where I found my first Copenhagen Christmas market. The Højbro Plads Market is off Strøget in a large square with the Bishop Absalon statue at one end. The stalls, people and music were all compacted into a merry square creating a warm atmosphere in the cold. I admired some local artwork and scouted out the food & drink scene which most markets matched.
Nyhavn
After, I found Seks Café for a tasty hummus and sourdough lunch with a warming latte. I ventured back out and began to understand how freezing Scandinavian Winters are as I walked Kongens Nytorv (Plaza) and onto the stunning Nyhavn Harbour. The iconic multi-coloured buildings combined with the Copenhagen Christmas market make for a festive walk. The bridge had the best photography view of ships and buildings before I walked past the restaurants and cafes. Along the Nyhavn harbour, there are little Christmas stalls selling warm drinks, nuts, wooden crafted gifts and other souvenirs. The sun was setting early and I decided to head to Steel House to check into my dorm and recharge myself and my phone.
As a solo traveller, dinner time is a small hurdle as it takes confidence to eat at a restaurant by oneself. For speed, convenience and selection, I went to Tivoli Food Hall which was a 5-minute walk away. On the 1st night, I found Cock & Cows and didn’t just go for the name as the burger, fries and beer deal hit the spot. Back at the hostel, I didn’t plan on going out but got talking to several people in the lounge. I was offered to go to a rave with some new Finnish friends but tickets were ridiculously expensive and instead met a group of Irish girls who drank me under the table.
Day 2 – Rosenborg & SMK Gallery
Rosenborg Castle
The hangover was real on Day 2! A very valuable lesson should have been learnt but I have repeatedly gotten drunk on solo trips and almost written off a day’s itinerary. A shower and light breakfast gave me some strength to start the day. I popped into Social Brew for a latte and pain au chocolate as there was no appetite for real food. Then, I prepared for the walk to Rosenborg Castle which took me via the delightful Ørstedsparken Park on the 30-minute walk. Rosenborg Castle is a Dutch Renaissance palace and gardens and the home of the Danish crown jewels. Despite not feeling 100%, I enjoyed seeing the Throne room with the golden lions and then the basement armoury before seeing the prized jewels and crown. As the COVID virus was very much a thing, the indoors required wearing a mask and caused my glasses to steam up a fair bit here and later at SMK. It took a few hours to visit the palace and grounds before I continued my exploration. The Botanical Gardens are opposite Rosenborg and in hindsight, I wished I had gone inside even if I was cold.
Fælledparken
I decided to go for a long walk over to the Kobanhavn FC Stadium and Fælledparken. First, I found SMK Gallery which was my afternoon activity plan. Finally, I decided to eat some actual food by trying the Danish speciality of Smørrebrød which are open sandwiches on dried rye bread. Aamaanns is a restaurant and deli not far from SMK, I ordered 2 Smørrebrød to keep me going which were delicious even if a little messy to eat! Netto supermarket was a quick stop to grab water and snacks before walking in the cold to the Football Stadium. The FCF store was a fun visit but I did not purchase any souvenirs so I continued to the expansive Fælledparken with the ponds, playgrounds, and sports pitches.
SMK Gallery
My last stop of the day’s itinerary was the National SMK Gallery (Statens Museum for Kunst) to see the collection of Danish art. The entry cost £15 and it was good value to see a vast collection of styles. Half the gallery was about etching, traditional landscapes, and portrait styles whereas the other was modern art which was not helpful for the hangover. After SMK, I walked back in search of water feeling rather dehydrated and then popped back to the Hostel. Once again for dinner, Tivoli Food Hall delivered with Gorm’s being the chosen stall. An innovative white-based pizza championing potato was different and tasty. No drinking was on the cards after Night 1 so I had an early night back at Steel House. I played some shuffleboard and chilled in the cinema room before calling it a night.
Day 3- Amalienborg & Tivoli Gardens
Amalienborg
Feeling refreshed and alive again, I planned a full day with Tivoli being the main attraction. Once again I walked past the City Hall Square and up Strøget into the heart of the city and walked around Højbro Plads Christmas Market. Winter in Copenhagen had average temperatures of 2/3 degrees Celsius so stay wrapped up super warm. The freezing Baltic breeze was particularly bad on Day 3 and I went to Peak Performance to buy a warm fleece neck gaiter to protect it. With my new warmth, I walked to Frederik’s Church and took a moment of silence inside before walking onto Kastellet. It’s a star-shaped fortress with a visible security presence. which made access confusing. I enjoyed a lap around the outside before visiting one of the most popular landmarks in Copenhagen.
The Little Mermaid (Den Lille Havfrue) is a bronze statue inspired by H.C Andersen’s work and attracts flocks of tourists. Honestly, I was disappointed by the statue and preferred Amalienborg with its impressive equestrian statue of King Frederik facing the church with the namesake. Nyhavn was strolled along as was quieter before deciding to go visit Christianshavn. I had read up on the Freetown of Christiania and was intrigued by this lawless town. The graffiti upon entry and the smell of herbal smoke set the scene for this half hippie half drug dealing place. I did not feel completely safe and limited the photos taken but it was an experience being constantly offered drugs to buy (for the record, I politely declined). I stopped at Lagkagehuset for a sandwich, coffee and one of the best Danish cinnamon pastries I’ve had.
Tivoli Gardens
Fuelled and rested, I made my way to Tivoli Gardens and paid £22 for the ticket while some daylight remained. It’s busy but is a large space so the crowds aren’t too concentrated. The first thing to see is the Nimb Palace 5* Hotel which later on had an amazing projected light show. There are numerous food stalls to explore and at Christmas time, Gløgg stores that serve the hot mulled wine variant. If you want to ride the rollercoasters there are ticket options or you can pay per ride but it’s rather expensive. I didn’t do any rides as I was there for the gardens and Christmas shops. Some areas are old Western-inspired and oriental inspired and when darkness falls, the Gardens come to life. The illuminated Christmas tree, windmill and tests with red hearts made the place very festive. This Copenhagen Christmas market mixed amusement park with traditional Danish traditions seamlessly.
My favourite view was across the ponds to the roller coasters and Pagoda-inspired buildings at dusk. After doing a few circuits of the amusement park and visiting a couple of shops to check out the Christmas gifts, I decided to watch the light show. Even before the show, the palace looked stunning with the thousands of lights glowing brightly. The projected light show lasted 10-15 mins and took you on a winter journey and the quality of the projections was very artistic! Overall Tivoli is an enchanting place where you could spend a full day on the rides and not feel like you’re in the middle of a European city.
Tivoli Food Hall
And for the 3rd day in a row, Tivoli Food Hall was the dinner destination. After burgers and Pizza for the previous 2 days, I decided to try WokWok Thai street food. A combo of bao buns, spring rolls, a refreshing lemonade and Bon-Bons were packed full of spices and flavour. After, I went for an evening stroll to the wonderfully named Meat Packing District. The main thing to see is the large market and industrial buildings before looping home to Steel House. I chilled in the lounge to read and journal then struck up some courage to talk to some fellow backpackers. I met a group of Portuguese so learnt more about Lisbon (their home city) and a young German female backpacker. It was enjoyable exchanging stories and experiences from our travels and adding a few new cities and countries to the bucket list.
Day 4 – Markets & Vesterbro
It was the final day in Copenhagen and I was cherishing the freedom of the solo travel. The ease of making my own decisions and time to go off on mini adventures was a fun element. I had breakfast at the hostel which was a bargain for coffee, pastry and a granola yoghurt pot for £5. The Osprey was all packed and ready to leave in the luggage store as I checked out the hostel swimming pool, gym and retro arcade games room. There was one final Christmas market to visit and that was H.C. Anderson Julemarked, a slightly better-spaced market and quieter than the more central ones. I was eyeing up some Christmas gifts for the family in the markets but decided to visit Magasin du Nord (a huge department shop) to look at Danish men’s fashion brands as well as sports gear. In the end, I found Skandinavisk Christmas Candles in a home shop and got Hygge comfy slippers in the Kongens Nytorv market. To keep me going, I stopped in a shop and picked up a mouth-watering cinnamon bun which I enjoyed as it started to snow by Nyhavn harbour, I felt very Danish at that moment.
Norrebro
After feeling like I had seen most of the city centre, I ventured out and saw the Norrebro area. But first, a quick visit to the Round Tower (Rundetaarn) which towers above the streets below. I walked along the colourfully painted streets and more Christmas decorations past the station towards Vesterbro. The long street took me to Assistens Cemetery where H.C. Andersens’ Gravestone is. I walked around the snow-covered cemetery then I found the famous landmark and paid my respects. It was time to finish my short and festive trip to Copenhagen and start heading to the airport. As darkness began to fall, I went to Steel House for one last time to collect my bag and had a short walk to København H station. Before I realised it, I was at the airport, through security and sad to be leaving the beautiful and charming city of Copenhagen. And to top off just how freezing it was, the plane was delayed to remove the build-up of ice on the wings. Unfortunately, I didn’t get an extended stay and was back in the UK to spread the Christmas spirit I had gained.
Food & Drink
Danish food has a reputation for being of the highest quality and from my experience it certainly delivered. Despite not eating out at any restaurants or the Christmas Markets, the food was all hearty and didn’t feel full of oils/grease. Of course, the standouts were the pastries which were the most indulgent I’ve tasted. And my favourite meal from Tivoli Food Hall was the WokWok Thai boa buns, spring rolls and Bonbons! On Day 1, I made the most of the 2-4-1 Carlsberg deal at the hostel and don’t remember how much drinks cost but around £8 for a pint of beer.
Budget
Copenhagen being Scandinavia is expensive and it can add up quickly! The flights were £150 return to Heathrow and the hostel was £70 for 3 nights (£23 a night) so pretty good value. In terms of spending money, I spent more than expected in Copenhagen on food, drink, gifts and attractions. In total, I spent £350 on everything and around £200 while out there. I saved a lot of money on food & drinks by going to the Tivoli food market instead of eating in restaurants. After Night 1’s drinking, didn’t have much alcohol on the trip and will have to visit the bars another time. It’s easy to spend on clothes and souvenirs as there are many high-end fashion and Scandi fashion brands to explore. I walked everywhere as it’s an easy and pretty city to discover and only used the metro to get from the airport.
Lessons & Tips
- Hygge – The Copenhagen Christmas market is all about Hygge and celebrating the festivities. Hygge is about appreciating the simple things in life and having that sense of cosiness. The warm clothing, scented candles and home décor make your place feel cosy, and comforting is something we can all get behind to relax and help our well-being.
- Pastries – Danish pastries aren’t’ originally from Denmark but the cinnamon rolls were sticky, sweet and indulgent delights! A lot of self-restraint was used not to eat several a day so pop into a bakery and try the artisan breads and a variety of sweet treats.
- Weather & Packing – Winter in Copenhagen is very cold with freezing wind chill making the temperatures plummet. Bring warm clothes and layers to make going outside bearable so you can enjoy the markets and attractions. I used my 40L Osprey Farpoint and the Ultimate Hostelling Packing List with warmer gear.
- Safety – Copenhagen felt like one of the safest cities I’ve travelled to. The only place where my guard was up was a Freetown Christiania where people were selling illegal substances and didn’t feel policed so be careful.
- Getting around – Even though public transport is good, I didn’t use any of it because I chose to walk. It is not a massive city and could cover most of it in an hour. From the airport, it takes 20 mins to get to the central station and costs £4.25.
- Language – I didn’t need to learn any Danish beforehand as everyone speaks English to a high standard. This made food ordering easy and navigation as well.
Final Thoughts & Next Time
I loved my time in Copenhagen and after years of not travelling, it reignited my passion to explore and for solo travel. It didn’t take me long to get used to hostelling and solo travel again which offers the freedom to do what I fancied and options to meet like-minded backpackers. Steel House Hostel is by far the best hostel I have stayed at and would 100% recommend it! The Copenhagen Christmas market brings memories of Hygge & traditional decorations. What I remember most is the cold winter days mixed with the Christmas spirit around the city. If there is one place to recommend most it is Nyhavn Canal and waterfront with the café and restaurants next to the moored boats. Tivoli Gardens is a close second on places to visit along with the Copenhagen Christmas Market.
When I next return to Copenhagen, it will not be in the depths of winter but a spring or summer trip more likely. In Particular, there are places and things I wish I had done upon reflection with the Botanical Gardens topping the list! I would have liked to properly see Frederiksberg Gardens which is further out from the centre as it looks stunning and go visit Christiansborg Palace which is the Danish parliament building. In most other trips, I have done Free Walking Tours and having not done so felt I could learn more about the Danish history, culture and Copenhagen’s origin story. And as mentioned, there is a world-class food scene to be appreciated on another trip.
Where do you think is the best Christmas Market destination? I would love to have some recommendations and please share the post with others who are interested in visiting Copenhagen.