Nyhavn, Copenhagen: canal tours, real prices and the stories behind the coloured houses

Nyhavn in four lines of history

King Christian V had the canal dug in the early 1670s, by soldiers and Swedish prisoners of war, to bring ships and their cargo right up to his new square, Kongens Nytorv. For about three centuries it was a sailors' harbour, known for beer, taverns and rough nights; the oldest house still standing, no. 9, dates from 1681. Hans Christian Andersen lived on the quay three times: at no. 20 from 1834 to 1838, where his very first fairy tales were published in 1835; at no. 67 on and off from 1848 to 1865; and at no. 18 from 1871 until his final illness in 1875 (he died at Rolighed, a villa outside the centre, not in Nyhavn). When the cargo boats left after the Second World War, locals fought to save the harbour: it became a veteran ship and museum harbour in 1977 and the quay was closed to cars in 1980.

The houses are private homes, hotels and restaurants, so you admire them from the street. Look for the plaque on no. 67, and at the Kongens Nytorv end, the big Memorial Anchor (1951), which honours the Danish seafarers who died in the Second World War.

Sources, checked 21 October 2026: the H.C. Andersen Centre at the University of Southern Denmark (Andersen's addresses), VisitCopenhagen, 71 Nyhavn Hotel (oldest house 1681) and Wikipedia (museum harbour, pedestrian quay, Memorial Anchor). Sources give the digging as 1670–1675 or 1671–1673, so we say the early 1670s.

Canal tours from Nyhavn

Two companies sail one-hour canal tours straight from the quay, and both run all year. Here in Denmark we usually tell visitors to take the boat on day one: it shows you the Opera House, Amalienborg, Christiansborg and the Little Mermaid from the water and helps the city make sense.

Tour	Leaves from	Adult price	Good to know
Netto-Bådene	Nyhavn, by Heibergsgade (small white ticket booth opposite the restaurants)	DKK 80 (about US$12); children 3–14 DKK 40 (about US$6)	About 60 minutes. The budget choice. Pay by card, cash or MobilePay at the booth; no strollers or suitcases on board. Departures were only from Nyhavn when we checked.
Stromma Classic Canal Tour	Nyhavn 3	From DKK 149 (about US$22)	1 hour, live guide in English and Danish. Not covered by the Copenhagen Card from Nyhavn.
Stromma Classic Canal Tour & The Harbour	Nyhavn 3 or Ved Stranden 26	From DKK 249 (about US$37)	1 hour 45 minutes, adds the outer harbour and Nordhavn.
Stromma from Ved Stranden (by Gammel Strand)	Ved Stranden 26, about ten minutes' walk	From DKK 135 (about US$20) booked online 3+ days ahead	The departure point where the Copenhagen Card covers the classic tour.

Timing: in autumn and winter Stromma's first boat leaves at 10:00 and the last from Nyhavn between 16:30 and 19:00; in high summer the first leaves at 9:30 and the last as late as 21:00. Netto-Bådene runs fewer boats in winter (two or three a day) and more in summer. Queues at Nyhavn are longest around the middle of the day on sunny summer days, which is when a pre-booked ticket from Gammel Strand saves time.

Want to compare every operator, GoBoat self-drive boats included? Our best Copenhagen canal tours guide goes through them. In port for one day on a cruise? Our cruise port guide has a day plan that starts with the boat from here.

Stromma tickets can be booked ahead on Tiqets (affiliate link) if you want your Classic Canal Tour sorted before you arrive.

Affiliate link: if you book through Tiqets, NordGuide may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure.

Checked 21 October 2026 on Stromma's canal tour page, Netto-Bådene's FAQ and timetable and VisitCopenhagen (Copenhagen Card from Ved Stranden only). Prices are adult walk-up or online "from" prices and can change by date.

What it costs to eat and drink in Nyhavn

Nyhavn is the most famous view in town and the prices know it, but it is not as wild as people fear. Here's what two classic places on the quay charged when we checked their own menus:

What	Where	Price
Draught beer (Royal Pilsner), 30 cl / 50 cl	Nyhavn 17	DKK 54 / 75 (about US$8 / 11)
Cocktail (Aperol Spritz, Mojito and others)	Nyhavn 17	From DKK 109 (about US$16)
Burger or fish and chips (dinner)	Nyhavn 17	DKK 159 / 169 (about US$24 / 25)
One piece of smørrebrød	Nyhavns Færgekro	DKK 95–145 (about US$14–22)
Herring buffet, 12 kinds of herring	Nyhavns Færgekro	DKK 185 (about US$28) per person
Lunch deal: 2 smørrebrød + a drink, 11:00–17:00	Nyhavns Færgekro	DKK 250 (about US$37) per person

• Smørrebrød is the thing to order. Two pieces make a proper Danish lunch. Try fried plaice with remoulade, egg and hand-peeled shrimp, or roast beef with crispy onions, on dark rye bread.
• Check the glass size. Beer comes in 30, 40 or 50 cl depending on the bar, so compare like with like.
• Card fees. Some places add a fee for cards issued outside the EU/EEA; Nyhavns Færgekro says so on its menu. Look for the note before you pay.
• Tipping is not expected here in Denmark, because service is included in the price. Rounding up for good service is kind, not required.
• Fyraftensøl is our word for the beer you have when the working day is done. On a warm afternoon you'll see plenty of us having one by the water.

More ideas for keeping costs down are in Copenhagen on a budget, and our Danish food guide explains smørrebrød, herring and the rest.

From Nyhavn 17 (drinks), Nyhavn 17 (dinner), Nyhavns Færgekro (lunch menu) and Nyhavns Færgekro (lunch deal) and VisitDenmark (tipping), checked 21 October 2026. All prices in DKK, US$ at about DKK 6.65 = US$1, rounded.

Best time to visit Nyhavn

• Early morning (before the first canal boats at about 9:30–10:00): the quay is quiet, the water is often still, and you get the coloured houses without the crowd. The best time for photos.
• Late afternoon: the north side, with the odd house numbers, is the sunny side, which is why the café tables are there. Grab a seat as the light turns golden.
• Summer days and evenings are the liveliest and the busiest, with tables full and long canal-tour queues at midday.
• Winter: darker and calmer, with Christmas lights and stalls in December (see below). Canal tours keep running all year, and Netto-Bådene seats everyone indoors in winter.

Pair it with your season: Copenhagen in October, November, December or winter.

Departure times from Stromma, sunny side from the H.C. Andersen Centre (no. 67 is "on the sunny side"), Netto-Bådene and Wikipedia, checked 21 October 2026.

How to get to Nyhavn

• Metro: Kongens Nytorv station is served by all four lines, M1, M2, M3 and M4, and is the only station where all four meet. Nyhavn starts at the edge of the square, a few minutes on foot.
• From the airport: the M2 runs direct from Copenhagen Airport (Københavns Lufthavn) to Kongens Nytorv. That's a 3-zone ticket, DKK 30 (about US$4.50). Within the centre a 2-zone ticket is DKK 24 (about US$3.60). See our Copenhagen Airport guide.
• From Central Station: the M3 (City Circle Line) goes from København H to Kongens Nytorv, or you can walk there along Strøget in about 25 minutes.
• Harbour bus: there's a stop at the mouth of Nyhavn by the Royal Danish Playhouse.
• On foot from Christianshavn: the Inderhavnsbroen walking and cycling bridge lands right at the harbour end of Nyhavn.

From Metroselskabet (Kongens Nytorv) and DOT (single ticket prices 2026), checked 21 October 2026. Fares can change in January.

Nyhavn at Christmas

In December the quay fills with a Christmas market: decorated stalls, twinkling lights and the smell of gløgg (our spiced mulled wine) and æbleskiver, the little round pancake puffs we eat with jam and powdered sugar. VisitCopenhagen describes it as an annual market. The 2026 dates had not been announced when we checked on 21 October 2026, so we're not printing dates we can't stand behind; check VisitCopenhagen before you plan around it.

For every confirmed market this season, with dates checked against official sources, see Copenhagen Christmas markets 2026 and Copenhagen in December 2026. On New Year's Eve, Nyhavn is lovely for an evening walk but narrow and busy at midnight; our New Year's Eve guide has better spots for the fireworks.

From VisitCopenhagen's Nyhavn page and Metroselskabet, checked 21 October 2026.

Free things to do in and around Nyhavn

• Walk both sides of the canal. The painted houses are on the north side; the south side has the grand mansions and Charlottenborg Palace on the corner of Kongens Nytorv. Find Andersen's three homes and the 1681 house at no. 9.
• The old ships. The inner part of the canal is a veteran ship and museum harbour, with historic wooden ships moored along the quay.
• Cross Inderhavnsbroen, the 180-metre walking and cycling bridge, to Christianshavn and its canals.
• The waterfront by the Royal Danish Playhouse and Ofelia Plads, with views across to the Opera House.
• The Changing of the Guard at Amalienborg, about ten minutes' walk north. The guards arrive on the palace square just before 12:00 every day; when the King is in residence the parade marches from Rosenborg past Kongens Nytorv with the band.
• Frederik's Church (the Marble Church) behind Amalienborg: free entry, Monday–Thursday and Saturday 10:00–17:00, Friday 12:00–17:00, Sunday 13:00–17:00, closed to sightseeing during services. The dome tour costs DKK 50 (about US$7.50) on Saturdays and Sundays at 13:30.
• Kongens Nytorv itself, the square at the top of the canal, with the Royal Danish Theatre's Old Stage and Hotel d'Angleterre.

Plenty more in free things to do in Copenhagen and Copenhagen like a local.

From the Royal House (Changing of the Guard), Marmorkirken (opening hours), Marmorkirken (dome), Metroselskabet and Wikipedia, checked 21 October 2026.

Where to stay near Nyhavn

Staying on or near the canal puts the metro, the harbour and the old town at your door. It's one of the pricier corners of the city, so Christianshavn across the bridge is the calmer alternative. Our where-to-stay guide covers every area.

Some links below are affiliate links. If you book through one, NordGuide earns a commission at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure.

Hotel details from 71 Nyhavn Hotel, Hotel Bethel and Hotel Skt. Annæ, checked 21 October 2026. We haven't listed nightly prices because they change by date; check live prices for your dates.

Quick answers

How do I get to Nyhavn by metro?

Take the metro to Kongens Nytorv, which is served by all four lines, M1, M2, M3 and M4. Nyhavn begins at the edge of the square, a few minutes' walk from the station exit. The M2 runs direct from Copenhagen Airport to Kongens Nytorv; that trip is 3 zones, DKK 30 (about US$4.50), and a 2-zone ticket within the centre is DKK 24 (about US$3.60).

Can you take a canal tour from Nyhavn?

Yes. Stromma's one-hour Classic Canal Tour leaves from Nyhavn 3, from DKK 149 (about US$22) for adults, and Netto-Bådene sails from the Heibergsgade end of Nyhavn for DKK 80 (about US$12), children 3–14 DKK 40. The Copenhagen Card covers Stromma's classic tour only from Ved Stranden, a ten-minute walk away, not from Nyhavn.

How much does a beer cost in Nyhavn?

At Nyhavn 17, a draught Royal Pilsner was DKK 54 for 30 cl (about US$8) and DKK 75 for 50 cl (about US$11) when we checked on 21 October 2026, and cocktails started at DKK 109 (about US$16). Check the glass size, because it varies from bar to bar.

Which houses in Nyhavn did Hans Christian Andersen live in?

Three: Nyhavn 20 (from 1834 to 1838, where his first fairy tales came out in 1835), Nyhavn 67 (on and off from 1848 to 1865) and Nyhavn 18 (from 1871, on and off until his final illness in 1875). He did not die in Nyhavn; he died at the Melchior family's villa, Rolighed, on 4 August 1875. The houses are private, so you see them from the street.

Is there a Christmas market in Nyhavn?

Yes, VisitCopenhagen describes an annual Christmas market on the quay with stalls, gløgg (mulled wine) and æbleskiver. The 2026 dates had not been announced when we checked on 21 October 2026, so check VisitCopenhagen before you plan around it.

When is the best time to visit Nyhavn?

Early morning, before the first canal boats leave at about 9:30–10:00, is the quietest time for photos. The north side, with the odd house numbers, gets the sun in the afternoon and is where the café tables are. Sunny summer afternoons and evenings are the busiest.

Plan your Copenhagen trip

Some links below are affiliate links. If you book through one, NordGuide earns a commission at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure.