Copenhagen Travel Guide: Christmas Markets, Tivoli Gardens & a Day Trip to Sweden
Hi all my blog fans—welcome back!
For my latest trip, I decided it was time to explore a bit more of Northern Europe. After looking at destinations that were close and relatively inexpensive, I landed on Copenhagen, Denmark—and it turned out to be a great choice.
Copenhagen ticked all the boxes:
- A compact, easy-to-explore capital
- Famous Christmas markets (one of the main reasons for the trip)
- And the added bonus of being just a short trip from Sweden, meaning I could squeeze in another country
✈️ Flying to Copenhagen & Getting Into the City
I flew out of Gatwick early Friday with Norwegian Air. For those unfamiliar, they’re a relatively young budget airline that has expanded into international routes, including the US.
The experience was surprisingly good:
- Friendly and helpful staff
- A modern Boeing aircraft
- Onboard WiFi (always a bonus)
Arrival at Copenhagen Airport was smooth. The airport itself is modern and well laid out, located less than 10km from the city centre.
Getting into Copenhagen:
- 🚆 Train: ~36 DKK (£3.60) – fastest and best value
- 🚌 Bus: slightly cheaper
- 🚖 Taxi: ~250 DKK – quickest, but more expensive
I opted for a taxi purely because the ticket machine queues were huge.
🎄 Tivoli Gardens Christmas Market: The Highlight
I stayed at the Radisson Blu Royal, which is perfectly located near Tivoli Gardens—one of the main reasons for visiting Copenhagen in December.
Tivoli is a large city park that transforms into a Christmas market and winter wonderland during the festive season.
What to expect:
- Entry: ~£10 (or ~£15 with ride access)
- Restaurants, food stalls, and market booths
- Rides and attractions
- Beautiful festive lighting
You can also re-enter the park throughout the day with a hand stamp.
I really enjoyed Tivoli. Yes, it’s quite commercial—but that’s part of the charm, and it’s done very well.
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| Tivoli Gardens at night...beautiful! |
🛍️ Exploring Copenhagen: Shopping, Food & First Impressions
I spent some time walking around the main shopping district, which is:
- Pedestrian-friendly
- Busy and lively
- Full of familiar international brands
Prices were slightly higher than other European cities, but not enough to deter the crowds—particularly the large number of visitors from Asia.
After wandering the city, I ended up back at Tivoli for dinner.
And of course…
🍺 There was beer.
Proud to say I’ve now had a beer in nearly 30 countries! (Update: This post was from 2015, 11 years later and the number is now in the 40's!!)
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| There's always beer... :-) |
Day Trip to Malmö, Sweden
One of the biggest advantages of Copenhagen is how easy it is to visit Sweden.
The train from Copenhagen crosses the impressive Øresund Bridge directly to Malmö.
Key details:
- Trains every ~20 minutes (Platform 5/6)
- Journey time: ~45 minutes
- Cost: ~£12.50 (one way…found that out later!)
- Passport checks at first stop in Sweden
- Charming canals
- Relaxed atmosphere
- Great food
I had one of the best meals of the trip at a local Swedish restaurant.
And yes…
🍺 There was beer.
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| Did I mention that there's always beer...? |
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| It was cold in Malmo but once the rain stopped it was nice. Lots of canals... |
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| Oh, and a beer.... |
🚌 Copenhagen Sightseeing: Bus Tour Highlights
On my final day, with limited time and less-than-ideal weather, I opted for a hop-on hop-off bus tour—something I’ve grown to appreciate.
I used Grey Line, which cost around £12.50 for ~90 minutes.
It’s not the most in-depth experience, but it’s a great way to cover ground quickly.
Highlights included:
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