Copenhagen hop-on hop-off bus: routes, prices and whether we would buy it.

Routes, timetables and prices were checked on 28 October 2026 against Stromma, Copenhagen Card and the public transport operators, listed at the foot of this page. Prices are "from" prices and change by season and sales channel, so confirm them on the booking page. Conversions use US$1 ≈ DKK 6.65 (ECB reference rate, 21 October 2026) and £1 ≈ DKK 8.9 (ECB, 27 October 2026).

How the Copenhagen hop-on hop-off bus works

There is one main operator. Stromma, the company behind the classic canal tours, runs both the red City Sightseeing double-deckers and its own green hop-on hop-off buses, and one ticket is valid on both: look for the Stromma logo. Other sightseeing bus companies also operate in the city, and their tickets are not interchangeable, so check the name on the bus before you board.

• Three routes, one ticket. The Red, Green and Purple lines share stops at Ved Stranden (stop 1, by Christiansborg) and Tivoli (stop 12), so you can change lines there.
• 24, 48 or 72 hours. The ticket starts the first time the driver scans it, not on the day you buy it. A 24-hour ticket first scanned at 14:00 on Tuesday is still valid at noon on Wednesday.
• Audio guide in 14 languages, with free headphones and Wi-Fi on board.
• Open-top in summer, covered and heated in winter. The roofs close when it rains.
• Children: on Stromma's own tickets, children under 6 ride free and children aged 6 to 15 pay half the adult price.

The three routes and where they stop

Red Line: Classic Copenhagen

This is the route most visitors want, and the only one that runs often. It loops through the centre past Christiansborg, Nyhavn and the royal quarter, out to the Little Mermaid and Langelinie, back past Rosenborg Castle and the National Gallery (SMK), and round to City Hall Square and Tivoli. On cruise days it also stops on Langelinie Pier itself (stops 6, 7 and 8). If you only ride one line, ride this one, and sit upstairs on the right-hand side for the waterfront.

Green Line: Home of Carlsberg

A short loop west into Vesterbro and Frederiksberg, the residential side of the city most bus tours ignore. It is useful if you plan the zoo or the Carlsberg brewery visitor centre, which are a long walk from the centre. Hop off at Værnedamsvej, a small street of cafés and delis that locals call Copenhagen's little Paris, and walk back through Frederiksberg Gardens.

Purple Line: Colorful Copenhagen

This line crosses the harbour to Christianshavn's canals, Freetown Christiania and the Opera, then out to the former shipyard at Refshaleøen and back via CopenHill, the power plant with a ski slope on its roof, and Islands Brygge. In summer, the Reffen street food market at stop 34 is the reason to ride it. In winter, Reffen is closed and the area is quiet.

Timetable: how often the buses run

In the timetable Stromma published at the end of October 2026:

• Red Line: every 45 minutes (traffic can delay it). The first bus leaves Tivoli (stop 12) at 9:30 and Ved Stranden (stop 1) at 10:00. The last full loop leaves Tivoli at 15:35 and Ved Stranden at 16:00.
• Green Line: two departures a day, from Tivoli at 12:00 and 14:00.
• Purple Line: three departures a day, from Ved Stranden at 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00 (Tivoli 15 minutes earlier).

Two things catch people out. First, this is a daytime service: there is no bus after late afternoon, so plan your evening around the metro. Second, outside the summer the Green and Purple lines may run only on some days of the week, and timetables change around Christmas, New Year and big events such as the Copenhagen Marathon. Check Stromma's live map and timetable on the morning you ride. Hours on the holidays themselves are in our Christmas in Copenhagen guide.

Copenhagen hop-on hop-off bus prices

Prices are Stromma's and Copenhagen Card's own "from" prices. Resellers such as GetYourGuide, Tiqets, Viator and Klook sell the same Stromma tickets, sometimes at a slightly different price and with their own cancellation terms, so it is worth comparing on the day you book. Groups of 10 or more get 10% off when booking directly with Stromma.

Is the hop-on hop-off bus worth it in Copenhagen?

Honestly, for most fit adults on a two- or three-day trip, no. The centre is compact, the metro runs every few minutes around the clock, and a 24-hour City Pass Small for the metro, buses, trains and harbour buses (airport included) is from DKK 100. Add a Classic Canal Tour, from DKK 149, and you have spent about DKK 249, against DKK 389 for the Bus & Boat ticket, and you can keep going after 16:00. That is why our 2-day itinerary leaves the bus out.

It is worth it when:

• You have one day off a cruise ship and want to see the highlights without learning the metro. The Red Line stops at Langelinie on ship days.
• Walking is hard for someone in your group, or you are travelling with small children who tire quickly. Children under 6 ride free.
• It is cold or raining and you want a warm seat with a commentary while you get your bearings on day one.
• You like an audio guide. The metro will get you there faster, but it will not tell you what you are looking at.

It is not worth it if you plan an evening at Tivoli or dinner across town (the buses stop by late afternoon), if you want to go beyond the city (there are no bus tours outside Copenhagen), or if you need step-free access: Stromma says it cannot take wheelchair users who are unable to move to a regular seat.

Bus only or Bus & Boat?

If you are going to ride the bus at all, we would buy the Bus & Boat ticket. The difference is about DKK 110 over the bus-only price, less than a separate canal tour, and the canal tour is the single sightseeing trip we recommend to every first-time visitor. The boat leaves from Ved Stranden or Nyhavn, the same area as stop 1 and stop 2; you redeem your ticket at the ticket house before boarding. Our canal tours guide compares the Stromma tour with the alternatives.

Prefer the canal tour on its own? Check Stromma Classic Canal Tour times (Tiqets) →

Copenhagen Card HOP or DISCOVER?

The Copenhagen Card comes in two separate versions, and only one includes the sightseeing bus:

• Copenhagen Card HOP: unlimited Stromma hop-on hop-off buses plus free entry to 40+ attractions in the city centre. It does not include public transport or the airport train. From DKK 600 for 24 hours.
• Copenhagen Card DISCOVER: free entry to 80+ attractions across the Capital Region plus all public transport in zones 1 to 99, including the airport and the harbour buses. It does not include the hop-on hop-off buses. From DKK 589 for 24 hours.

For most visitors, DISCOVER is the better card: it covers twice as many sights and gets you to day trips such as Kronborg and Louisiana, and the metro does the bus's job faster. HOP only makes sense if you specifically want the sightseeing bus and will visit several city-centre museums in the same 24 to 72 hours. Children aged 3 to 11 need a KIDS card on either version (from DKK 100 for 24 hours, up to two per adult, bought in the same order). Our Copenhagen Card calculator shows whether either card pays for your plan.

Check Copenhagen Card DISCOVER prices (Tiqets) →

The hop-on hop-off bus from the cruise port

Where you board depends on your ship's quay:

• Langelinie: the Red Line stops on the pier itself on ship days (stops 6, 7 and 8), so you can board at the ship and get off at the same place.
• Nordre Toldbod: the Red Line passes about 200 metres away; board at stop 4, the Gefion Fountain.
• Ocean Quay (Oceankaj): this terminal is outside the regular routes. On the day your ship arrives, Stromma runs a separate Cruise Bus (the black line) from terminals 1, 2 and 3 into the centre, stopping at Rosenborg, Tivoli, Ved Stranden, Nyhavn and the Little Mermaid, and back. If your ship stays several days, the Cruise Bus runs only on arrival day. Ask the staff at the quay what time the last bus back leaves, because it depends on the ships in port.

Our Copenhagen cruise port guide covers each terminal, the metro alternative and a day-in-port plan. Flying home straight after the cruise with luggage? A pre-booked driver from the ship to the airport at a fixed price is often simpler than the bus.

Price a fixed-fare transfer to Copenhagen Airport (Welcome Pickups) →

The cheaper alternative: the harbour bus and the metro

The harbour buses (lines 991 and 992) are ordinary public transport boats that zigzag across the harbour between Teglholmen and Orientkaj, stopping at Islands Brygge, the Royal Library, Nyhavn, the Opera and Refshaleøen. They take the same tickets as the metro and city buses, from DKK 24 for a two-zone single, or your City Pass. There is no commentary, but you see much of what the Purple Line shows you, from the water, for the price of a bus ticket. Two children under 12 travel free with each adult. The boats carry a maximum of 80 passengers and fill up on sunny summer weekends.

For the rest of the city, the M1, M2, M3 and M4 metro lines and the city buses reach every stop on the sightseeing routes. Note that ordinary public transport tickets are not valid on the sightseeing buses, and sightseeing tickets are not valid on the metro.

A one-day plan with the hop-on hop-off bus

This plan uses the Red Line and the Bus & Boat ticket, and works in any season. Times are approximate, so check the live map for the next bus.

• 10:00, Ved Stranden (stop 1): start with the canal tour from Ved Stranden to see the city from the water first.
• About 11:30: board the Red Line at stop 1 and ride to the Gefion Fountain (stop 4).
• Noon: walk five minutes to Amalienborg for the changing of the guard, then on to Kastellet and the Little Mermaid.
• 13:30, the Little Mermaid (stop 5): back on the bus to Rosenborg Castle (stop 9) for the crown jewels and the King's Garden.
• 15:30, Rosenborg (stop 9): ride the rest of the loop to City Hall Square or Tivoli (stops 11 and 12). From here, walk or take the metro for the evening: Tivoli when it is open, or dinner in the Meatpacking District.

Staying longer? Our 3 days in Copenhagen itinerary works with or without the bus, and our Copenhagen in 5 Days PDF (€9.97, about US$11.20) plans every day with prices in DKK and US$.

Where to stay near the bus routes

Every route passes through the centre, so any central hotel works. For the shortest walk to stop 1 and stop 2 and the canal tour piers, stay in Indre By, the old town around Nyhavn and Christiansborg. For stop 12 and the start of the Green Line, plus the trains from Central Station, stay in Vesterbro near Tivoli. Our where to stay in Copenhagen guide compares every area.

Practical tips before you ride

• Buy online or at a ticket house. Stromma's ticket houses are at Nyhavn 3 and Ved Stranden 26. On the bus, you can pay by card or MobilePay, or in euro or US dollar notes (no coins, change in kroner).
• Prams and luggage go on only if there is space, at the driver's discretion.
• There are no toilets on board. Stromma lists toilets at stop 4 (the Gefion Fountain) and stop 5 (the Little Mermaid).
• Small dogs up to 5 kg are allowed in a bag on the top deck; service dogs are always welcome.
• Bring your own drink: drinks are allowed on board.
• Do not tip the driver: service is included in Denmark.

Quick answers

How much is the hop-on hop-off bus in Copenhagen?

Stromma's hop-on hop-off ticket is from DKK 279 (about US$42) for 24 hours, with 48- and 72-hour tickets costing a little more. The Bus & Boat ticket, which adds a one-hour Classic Canal Tour, is from DKK 389 for 24 hours, DKK 399 for 48 hours and DKK 409 for 72 hours. Children under 6 ride free and children aged 6 to 15 pay half price.

Is the hop-on hop-off bus worth it in Copenhagen?

For most visitors who are happy to walk, no: the centre is compact, and a 24-hour City Pass Small for public transport (from DKK 100) plus a canal tour (from DKK 149) costs less than the Bus & Boat ticket. It is worth it for a single cruise day, for travellers who find walking hard, for small children and on cold or wet days, especially as the Bus & Boat ticket.

Does the Copenhagen Card include the hop-on hop-off bus?

Only the Copenhagen Card HOP does. It includes Stromma's hop-on hop-off buses and 40+ city-centre attractions, from DKK 600 for 24 hours, but no public transport or airport travel. The Copenhagen Card DISCOVER includes public transport and 80+ attractions, but not the hop-on hop-off buses.

What time does the hop-on hop-off bus run in Copenhagen?

It is a daytime service. In Stromma's late-October 2026 timetable, the Red Line runs every 45 minutes, leaving Tivoli at 9:30 and Ved Stranden at 10:00, with the last full loop leaving Ved Stranden at 16:00. The Green and Purple lines have only two or three departures a day and may run on fewer days outside the summer, so check Stromma's live timetable.

Does the hop-on hop-off bus stop at the cruise terminal?

Yes. The Red Line stops on Langelinie Pier on cruise ship days (stops 6, 7 and 8) and passes about 200 metres from Nordre Toldbod (stop 4). For Ocean Quay, Stromma runs a Cruise Bus from terminals 1, 2 and 3 into the centre on the day your ship arrives only.

Does the hop-on hop-off bus run in winter?

Yes, the buses run all year. In winter they are covered and heated, and in summer the roofs open in good weather. The Red Line runs every day; outside the summer, the Green and Purple lines may run only on some days, and timetables change around Christmas and New Year.

Sources, checked 28 October 2026: routes, stops, timetable, ticket and children's rules from Stromma's hop-on hop-off page and Bus & Boat prices from Stromma's Bus & Boat page; Copenhagen Card HOP and DISCOVER rules and prices from Copenhagen Card prices and Copenhagen Card conditions; harbour bus routes and tickets from DOT (Din Offentlige Transport); ticket prices from publictransport.dk; exchange rates from the ECB.

God tur from Team Nord Guide, nord-guide.com.

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