30 free things to do in Copenhagen that are actually free in 2026

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Free museums and free days in Copenhagen

Free days change more often than anything else on this page. These are correct as we checked them in October 2026; check the museum's site before you go.

For the paid museums worth your money as well, see our best museums in Copenhagen guide, with prices, late openings and Monday closures.

Travelling with kids or teenagers? Under-18s get into most Copenhagen museums free on any day, which makes the paid museums a lot cheaper for families.

The 30 best free things to do in Copenhagen

Grouped by type, and roughly in order of how much we'd insist on them within each group. Only things that genuinely cost nothing are on the list; where part of a sight is paid, we say so.

Free museums and culture

1. 1. David Collection (Davids Samling): always free

   One of the West's finest collections of Islamic art, plus Danish and European art and furniture, spread through a townhouse on Kronprinsessegade by the King's Garden. There's no ticket at all. It's closed on Mondays and open late on Wednesdays. Source: davidmus.dk, checked Oct 2026

2. 2. Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek: free on the last Wednesday of the month

   Roman portraits, Egyptian rooms, French sculpture and a palm-filled winter garden, next to Tivoli. On the last Wednesday of every month the whole museum is free. Other days adults pay 150 DKK at the door (135 DKK online), and under-18s are always free. Closed Mondays. Source: glyptoteket.com, checked Oct 2026

3. 3. Thorvaldsens Museum, Nikolaj Kunsthal and the Museum of Copenhagen: free every Wednesday

   These three city-run museums share one free day, and it is every Wednesday. Copenhagen Municipality brought back the free Wednesday on 16 October 2024, and all three museums list it on their own admission pages today (checked 27 Oct 2026). Under-18s are always free, and pensioners get in free on Tuesdays. Thorvaldsens is otherwise 110 DKK for adults and is closed on Mondays. Wednesdays are busier, so arrive early. Sources: thorvaldsensmuseum.dk, nikolajkunsthal.kk.dk, checked Oct 2026

4. 4. Christiansborg Tower: the city's best free view

   The Danish Parliament's tower at Christiansborg Palace has a viewing platform 44 metres up, and it's free with no booking. You go through airport-style security at the Royal Gate and take a lift, and only 40 people are allowed up at a time, so expect a queue. Closed on Mondays and over Christmas and New Year; it can close for bad weather. It stays open until 21:00 Tuesday to Saturday, so it is one of our favourite things to do in Copenhagen at night. Source: thedanishparliament.dk, checked Oct 2026

5. 5. The Black Diamond (Royal Library)

   The black granite library extension on the harbour is free to walk into. Ride the escalators through the atrium for the framed harbour view, then cut through to the older library building. Some exhibitions and events charge, but the building itself doesn't.

6. 6. Royal Library Garden

   A small, quiet garden hidden behind Christiansborg, between the palace and the old Royal Library. It's free, a good place for a sandwich, and most visitors walk straight past it.

7. 7. Copenhagen Cathedral (Vor Frue Kirke)

   The cathedral is free to enter, and it holds Thorvaldsen's marble Christ and the twelve apostles, the same sculptor as the museum above. Services and concerts take priority, so check the opening times on the day.

8. 8. Marble Church (Frederik's Church)

   Its green copper dome lines up with Amalienborg, a minute's walk away. Entering the church is free; the guided dome climb is a paid weekend tour. Source: marmorkirken.dk, checked Oct 2026

9. 9. Grundtvig's Church

   An expressionist church built from yellow bricks, out in Bispebjerg, that looks like a giant church organ. It's free to visit and rarely busy. A bus ride from the centre; opening hours are shorter than the city churches and change with services.

10. 10. City Hall (Rådhuset)

    You can walk into City Hall's main hall for free on weekdays and on Saturday mornings. Closed on Sundays and public holidays. The tower climb and the guided tours are paid extras, at set times. Outside, the bronze Hans Christian Andersen statue sits on the boulevard named after him. Source: kk.dk, checked Oct 2026

Royal Copenhagen, for free

11. 11. Changing of the Guard at Amalienborg

    The Royal Life Guards leave their barracks on Gothersgade, by Rosenborg Castle, at about 11:27, march through the city and change the guard at Amalienborg at 12:00 every day. Walking alongside them is half the fun. Source: kongehuset.dk, checked Oct 2026

12. 12. King's Garden (Kongens Have)

    The city's living room. Picnic on the lawns with Rosenborg Castle behind you, and find the Hans Christian Andersen statue in the garden. The castle and Crown Jewels are paid (see our Rosenborg Castle guide for tickets and whether it is worth it); the garden isn't.

13. 13. Kastellet

    Walk the ramparts of the star-shaped 17th-century fortress, still in military use, past the windmill and the red barracks. On the way in, stop at the Gefion Fountain next to St Alban's Church.

14. 14. The Little Mermaid

    Just outside Kastellet on the waterfront. It's small and usually busy, so treat it as a short stop on the Kastellet walk, not a destination in itself. The Langelinie cruise pier is right next to it; see our cruise port guide if you arrive by ship.

15. 15. Nyboder

    Rows of yellow terraced houses south of Kastellet, first built under Christian IV for navy families. A few of its quiet streets are worth the five-minute detour.

Harbour and neighbourhoods

16. 16. Nyhavn and the Hans Christian Andersen houses

    The postcard canal is free to wander, and it's best early or at golden hour. Andersen lived at Nyhavn 20, 67 and 18; look for the plaques. Drinks on the quay are expensive, so a lot of locals sit on the edge of the canal instead. Real menu prices, canal tours and the history are in our Nyhavn guide.

17. 17. Nyhavn to Christianshavn harbour walk

    The best free orientation in the city: cross the Inderhavnsbroen walking and cycling bridge from Nyhavn, look back at the Opera across the water, and carry on along the harbour.

18. 18. Christianshavn canals and the Church of Our Saviour spire

    Christianshavn's canals, houseboats and old warehouses are free to walk. The corkscrew spire of the Church of Our Saviour, with its staircase wound around the outside, is one of the city's great sights from the street. Climbing it is paid.

19. 19. Christiania

    The self-governing freetown is free to walk around: the lake paths, home-built houses and workshops are the real draw. Follow the residents' signs, including any that ask you not to take photos.

20. 20. Harbour swimming

    In summer, the harbour baths are free and you'll swim where the locals do. Islands Brygge is the classic; Fisketorvet and Sluseholmen are good alternatives. Follow the posted water-quality flags and lifeguard hours.

21. 21. CopenHill viewpoint

    A ski slope on the roof of a waste-to-energy plant on Amager. The hiking trail, stairs and lift to the rooftop are free during opening hours, with a big view over the harbour and the Øresund. Skiing and climbing are paid, and events or wind can close the top. Source: copenhill.dk, checked Oct 2026

22. 22. Superkilen

    An urban park in Nørrebro, filled with benches, signs and street furniture from around the world, split into a red square, a black-and-white-striped plaza and a green park. It's free and open all hours, and works well with Assistens Cemetery nearby.

23. 23. Assistens Cemetery, Nørrebro

    Hans Christian Andersen, Søren Kierkegaard and Niels Bohr are buried among joggers and readers. It's a park as much as a cemetery, so be respectful near the graves.

Parks, beaches and nature

24. 24. Botanical Garden (Botanisk Have)

    The outdoor garden by Nørreport is free. The historic Palm House is ticketed (70 DKK for adults); check opening times, as parts can close for renovation. Source: snm.dk, checked Oct 2026

25. 25. Frederiksberg Gardens and Søndermarken

    A romantic landscape garden with canals, a Chinese pavilion and old trees, then Søndermarken across the road. The Cisterns under Søndermarken are paid; the parks aren't.

26. 26. Amager Strandpark

    A city beach and lagoon on an artificial island, a short metro ride from the centre on the M2 line (Amager Strand station). Free all year, and busy in a heatwave. It is also a few stops from the airport, so it works on a layover too: see our Copenhagen layover guide.

27. 27. Dyrehaven (the Deer Park)

    A former royal hunting forest north of the city, full of free-roaming deer and big old oaks, and part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. Take the train to Klampenborg and walk up to the Hermitage hunting lodge (from outside). Free, all year.

28. 28. Bakken (Dyrehavsbakken)

    At the edge of Dyrehaven, one of the world's oldest amusement parks has free entry; you only pay for rides. It isn't open all year: the main season runs from spring to late summer, with extra autumn and Christmas dates. Check bakken.dk before you go. Source: bakken.dk, checked Oct 2026

Free to browse

29. 29. Food halls and street food

    Torvehallerne, the glass food halls by Nørreport, are free to walk through for the smell of coffee and smørrebrød. Reffen street food on Refshaleøen is free to enter in season. You pay only for what you eat.

30. 30. Design shops on Amagertorv

    Illums Bolighus, the Royal Copenhagen flagship and HAY House are all within a few steps of each other off Strøget, and they're free design museums in all but name.

A free one-day route through Copenhagen

This route links the best free sights on foot, with no tickets needed. It suits Tuesday to Saturday: on Mondays the David Collection and the Christiansborg Tower are closed, so start at the King's Garden instead.

1. 10:00 David Collection on Kronprinsessegade
2. 11:10 King's Garden and the Andersen statue. At about 11:27 the guards leave the barracks on Gothersgade, at the garden's edge; follow them
3. 12:00 Changing of the Guard at Amalienborg, then step into the Marble Church across the street
4. 12:45 Gefion Fountain, Kastellet's ramparts and the Little Mermaid; walk back through Nyboder
5. 14:15 Nyhavn, then cross Inderhavnsbroen to Christianshavn's canals and the Church of Our Saviour spire
6. 15:30 Christiania's lake paths
7. 17:00 Walk across to Slotsholmen for the Christiansborg Tower view and the Royal Library Garden
8. Evening: swim at Islands Brygge in summer, or walk the harbour past the Black Diamond

Got a second free day? Head north to Dyrehaven and Bakken, or spend it in Nørrebro (Assistens Cemetery, Superkilen, the Botanical Garden), then catch the sunset from CopenHill. For a fully planned two-day trip, see 2 days in Copenhagen.

When paying is worth it

Free Copenhagen is excellent, but a few paid things are worth the money even on a tight budget:

• A canal tour is the easiest way to see the city from the water on day one. Compare options in our Copenhagen canal tours guide.
• Tivoli isn't free to enter, but at dusk it's the one paid garden most visitors don't regret.
• The Copenhagen Card only pays off if you'll fit several paid museums, castles or tours into each day. If most of your list is on this page, skip it. Run your plan through our Copenhagen Card worth-it calculator before you buy.

Stay where the free stuff is

Most of this list is within walking distance of Indre By, so a central hotel saves you transport money. Budget pick: Vesterbro. See where to stay in Copenhagen, and for more ways to save, Copenhagen on a budget.

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