I'm planning a four-day trip to Copenhagen in the beginning of March. Please, please, please, read my rough itinerary and tell me if I'm on the right track!

Day 1: (coming off of red eye flight) Walking tour from Lonely Planet guide, very mellow- look at Little Mermaid statue, Rosenborg Slot, ruins under Christianborg, and Kastellet among other sights

Day 2: Walk from Rodhuspladsen to Amalienborg area- stroll (or depending on the weather, muddle) through Stroget, Nyhavn, see Amalienborg Slot, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek

Day 3: Carlsberg Brewery, Nationalmuseet, Latin Quarter

Day 4:
Choice A is Frederiksborg slot, spending the day in the 'hood
...OR...
Choice B is taking the ferry to Malmo and then on to Lund for a day-long "Svedish Adventure"

So, two questions for anyone with experience in Copenhagen- first, is my itinerary too ambitious? too unambitious? I am young and travelling alone, so I can zoom around the city pretty quickly. Secondly, which daytrip would be more worthwhile- Lund or Frederiksborg Slot? I really enjoy castles and historic buildings in general, and want to feel like I'm using my day to the fullest and experiencing something that really adds to my perception of Scandinavian culture. Input?

Finally, I'm thinking about participating in the "dining with Danes" program, where you go to dinner at a local family's home- has anyone tried this or something similiar?

Whew. Thanks for reading this, and any input or advice you might have is much appreciated!

You've forgetten Copenhagen's number one tourist sight - the 'Free City' of Christiana - a relic today and one of the world's few surviving 1970s communes - dates from when squattors took over prime military land in center of Copenhagen and has evolved into an amazing community now that is, perhaps after Tivoli, Copenhagen's number one tourist sight.
Lund makes a great day trip as you rail across the new train tunnel/bridge over the Sound, getting great views from the bridge for miles around and then seeing the lovely university town of Lund and its famous cathedral. Fredriksborg Slot is a neat day trip too and much closer - it's on a island in a lake. Hard to say which is better. Actually could do Frederiksborg in a half day so manybe do both.

If you're interested in Viking history, the Ship Museum in Roskilde is worth a morning. You'll see the open boats they piled into and headed out into the North Atlantic.

(I get chilly just <u>thinking</u> about it!)

Some museums are free on certain days - I don't have my guide book with me at the moment but from memory I think it's National Museums on Monday or Tuesday - anyway, it's worth finding out and scheduling your visits accordingly.

Old guy to young guy...Copenhagen is a place to cool out (is that the right term) which you will note along Nyhavn.
Actually, what you have scheduled looks OK and it is compact enough that you can walk most everywhere (or of course rent a bicycle).

You didn't mention Tivoli Garden which may seem kind of old fashioned, but then it kind of is. I think it is fun. Close by Glyptotek deserves time. As for Christiania, yes it is possible
...didn't know it was still in existence. I believe they do have walking tours of this commune-like area.

Enjoy...Bill in Missouri [email protected]

Your iteneray looks great. You are gonna have some packed days for sure.

The national museum is free on Sunday and Wednesday. Unless of course the days have changed in the past year.

Personally I would hit Fredriksborg Slot. It is so beautiful and interesting and not a lot of people make the trip to see it. Hillerod is a cute little town and you would give you a chance to see the outskirts of Copenhagen without all the hussle and bussle of the city.

If you do get a chance the dining with the Danes program is suppose to be very good. The Danes are so warm and welcoming and its such a treat to be invited to their homes to share a meal.

Hi jt,

As a person who plans everything to the last detail, I think you are overplanned. Please realize that you will not fit this all in.

&gt; which daytrip would be more worthwhile- Lund or Frederiksborg Slot?&lt;

Frederiksborg. It is the perfect castle.

Roskilde is well worth the trip - Viking Ship Museum and Cathedral.



Too bad that Tivoli Gardens don't open unti April 1.

jtankers: Your proposed itinerary is very doable. We are much older than you and strolled the Stroget on our first morning (about a 10:30 arrival after an all night flight). As you wander the Stroget (be sure to wander the side streets on either side in order to see how the Danes live). You will pass through Nyhavn and on up to and though the Kastellet Citidal which is in fine repair and, perhaps, stop at the small Resistance Museum. Continue through the Citidal and up the stairs at the far end. Turn to your right and in a short distance you will be in front of the Little Mermaid. If you walk back along the water's edge, you will come to the Amalienborg Palace where the Queen resides. It is pretty, but not special. If you are there at noon, you will see the chnging of the gaurd, but, only when the Queen is in residence. If the changing of the guard is important, you can stop at Amalienborg on the way up instead of the way back in order to be there at noon.
If it is early enough, you can get to Christianborg very quickly from here and the ruins under the current palace are very interesting. Again, the current palace is not special.
Nyhavn is close by and you can catch a cruise of the harbor here. It is very worth while. This plan will save you a lot of back-tracking.
Do the Rodhuspladsen and Rosenborg Slot (very special) on the second day. You will have plenty of time for Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek and, probably (depending on how much time you spend in the Art Museum) for the Carlsberg Brewery as well (the tour is an hour and the tasting is thirty minutes. If you didn't take the harbor cruise on the first day, take it now.
Day three as you have suggested, but if you have done the Brewery, go to Christiania, &quot;a communal cornucopia of dogs, dirt, soft drugs and dazed people or a haven of peace, freedom and no taboos&quot; depending upon your perspective (taken from Rick Steves). Or, go to Frilandsmuseet, the open air folk museum. It is a traditional Danish Park filled with architecture and folk culture. It takes a short train ride but would be my preference.
On day four, you can go to Roskilde for the impressive cathedral and the Viking Museum and the Frederiksborg Slot which is fantastic. Both are twenty minutes from Copenhagen and each other by public transportation.
While you might enjoy the trip to Malmo, it is an industrial area with not much to see or do. Lund is more interesting, has a small &quot;old town&quot;, an impressive cathedral and some quaint cafes. But, it is small and not a &quot;destination&quot; location.
Eat one lunch or dinner at Riz-Raz, a vegetarian buffet that will really suprise you. It is really quite good. Copenhagen is a wonderful touring City. You will enjoy it. Have a great trip.

Hi,
how old are you?
I am living in Copenhagen (am born here) and I would also suggest that you visit Noerrebro and Vesterbro, which are far more happening than central CPH. Nyhavn is NOT the place to be, it is only for tourist! You should also look at www.aok.dk (aok=alt om k&oslash;benhavn = everything about copenhagen) click on the english version. I myself use it all the time for recommendations of cafes, museums, restaurants and so on.
I would visit Malmo - very nice little city, take the train in stead of the ferry, it takes about 25 min. from the Central Station.
If you are into art Louisiana in Humlebaek (20 mins from Central station) is woth a visit. Beautifully located at the sea and the museum itself is great.
I hope you have a great stay and if you need any info, please ask!

Thanks for all the good advice so far!

I think I'll go to Frederiksborg Slot for my mini-trip, and if I end up with extra time, I'll head into Sweden for a bit. I'll defintely check out Christiana, as well- I just wasn't sure what one actually *sees* there, but I'll wander around for a spell.

Joegri, thanks for the restaurant recommendation- do you have any other favorite places to eat in Copenhagen? I love me my food, so it's exciting to hear about good places!

Katrine- I'm 23, so I definitely would prefer to see places in the city with a younger, more urban vibe...but, since I'm travelling alone, I don't want to feel conspicuously solo anywhere. What would you suggest I do in Noerrebro and Vesterbro?

Again, thanks to all who responded, and I would appreciate any more advice or tips! Only two weeks until I leave...this is getting exciting!

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jtankers: Sorry I did not get back to you sooner. I don't get here every day. In addition to Riz-Raz, we enjoyed Restaurant Le St. Jacques. It is very small, but very popular with the locals. They feature fresh ingedients and whatever is currently available. They specialize in intriguing combinations: smoked salmon with mashed eggplant, scallops with leeks, sole with basil and reduced balsamic vinegar, etc.
On our last night we ate at Tivoli and this won't help you as it will be closed when you are there.
The locals and students appear to like Sebastopol: salads, sandwiches and burgers. It is supposed to be good and has outdoor seating. Might be a good stop for you.
No one has suggested it, but if you enter Copenhagen in the search window at the top of the page, you will get many threads that deal with this great city and much more information about everything you ask. Good luck.

topping for jtankers.

jtankers - sorry for not getting back sooner, i have been away from my computer...
there is not something to &quot;see&quot; in Noerrebro and vesterbro (meaning no museums etc) but the areas are more exciting for eating and shopping, lots of nice cafes and interesting shops. if you feel like it you should check out what's happening at VEGA - the best place to hear live music in copenhagen as well as a great place for clubbing and drinking at weekends. istedgade and the side streets in vesterbro are interesting as well. this area has undergone a transformation - it used to be the red light district of cph but now its hip and funky. Noerrebro is a bit the same - I think someone on this thread has already mentioned Cafe Sebastopol on Sankt Hans Torv, which is in the middle of Noerrebro. RUST on Noerrebro (very near Sebastopol) is also a great place for live music. TEA TIME in Birkegade (Noerrebro) is serving great tea and cakes - in a very feminine atmosphere (dont know if you are male or female...). Sebastopol and the other cafe on Skt Hans Torv called &quot;Pussy Galores&quot; serves great cafe food.
In Vesterbro try one of the cafes in Istedgade - Bang &amp; Jensen f.ex.. Or try Cofoco - new restaurant in Vesterbro which has received great reviews and is not too expensive(I am trying it next thursday!).
I live in the area called Frederiksberg and my favorite restaurant in Copenhagen is also situated here. It is called Fiasco, serves italian food and the atmosphere is great - booking essential.
My second choice for a nice meal that is not too expensive or formal is the wine bar PANZON - great tapas plate! This is in Oesterbro - very nice area as well.

See www.aok.dk for adresses and phone numbers.

My own suggestion for your day-trip would be to go to Helsingor (via easy train ride) to see the castle (=Elsinore in Hamlet), view from the castle, and the surrounding town, and then take the train back far enough to spend lunch and the afternoon at Louisianna (the art is interesting but even if you aren't a big art fan, the grounds are fun). My most memorable day from my 4 days in Copenhagen.

Thanks for all the great advice! I'm definitely incorporating a lot of it into my itinerary. I really appreciate all of you who took the time to respond...now, only a week until I leave!