My Solo Trip to Copenhagen
As I boarded my flight from Berlin to Copenhagen, a rush of excitement burst inside my chest. This was the trip I had been waiting years for and it was finally here. 45-minutes later, as we began our descent, I watched the choppy waters of the Baltic Sea below lead us into the capital city of Denmark. The colorful Scandinavian homes provided a sense of warm content. I had finally arrived.
The kind, friendly energy in the air was
Copenhagen is the perfect city for a solo trip for a variety of reasons and it’s a place that I will continue to recommend to anyone asking for travel recommendations (whether they’re traveling solo or not!)
As soon as I arrived, I purchased my Copenhagen Card and off I went to check into my Airbnb in Nørrebro. (Check out all of the gorgeous homes available and get $28 off your first booking here!)
Read more: The Ultimate Guide to Copenhagen, Denmark
Day One
I love the feeling of home when you stay in an Airbnb but I don’t always choose to stay in one. Sometimes when you’re traveling alone, the convenience of a hotel with a concierge and not having to coordinate a key hand-off are quite nice.
However, everything worked out so well with this Airbnb (You’ll find some photos of it and the link to the listing in this post) and it made all the difference staying in a flat with such a
I was lucky to have had an early morning flight from Berlin and an early check in. So, I didn’t get too settled into my flat for the weekend before heading out to finally explore Copenhagen.
The good thing about staying in the Nørrebro neighborhood is that you’re still relatively close enough to walk to just about any of the major attractions, yet you’re staying amongst locals. It’s the best of both worlds!
The first thing I like to do after checking in to my accommodation is go for a nice stroll to get acquainted with the area and see the city up close and personal. Walk as much as possible if you can. Especially in Copenhagen! (Of course, in Copenhagen, bikes are such a common method of transportation, so you could do that too.)
The downfall about Copenhagen in the winter is that your hours of sunlight are limited. When I was there in late November, the sunrise was after 8am and the sun was setting around 3:45pm. When you’re traveling and want to see as much as possible, this is not ideal but I did my best to make it work and I ended up seeing so much in three days.
I spent the rest of day one photographing Amalienborg Palace, going inside the beautiful Marble Church, and then enjoying a little
I ended the evening with an incredible walk back to my Airbnb which took about 20-25 minutes. I just marveled at everything around me. Copenhagen has such a quaint,
Day Two
I awoke early the next morning and as soon as the sun was up, I was off to the iconic Nyhavn. I’m sure you’ve seen photos of the colorful buildings on the 17th-century canal and it definitely lived up to my expectations. I had the entire canal to myself. The perks of waking up early! There was a peaceful hush in the air and I still couldn’t believe I was in Copenhagen.
From Nyhavn, I continued walking through the city, this time, heading over to the oldest streets in Copenhagen (which you can get all the history and details about in my travel guide here). Again, other than a few delivery trucks, I had the streets to myself to wander in awe.
I had a lot on the agenda for the rest of the day. So, I grabbed a coffee and headed back to Amalienborg Palace for the Changing of the Guard ceremony. Definitely something I recommend checking out, even if you don’t stay for the whole thing.
At that point, I had done so much walking around that I had started to get a very painful blister. I know… blisters are the worst when it comes to travel! Luckily, I found a pharmacy to pop into and they were so helpful. Having kind locals who don’t make you feel silly for not speaking the local language is SO lovely when you’re traveling solo. That said, try to always learn some of the basic phrases. You might not need them, but it doesn’t hurt!
With a smile and a “Tak!” (“Thank you” in Danish), I was off to explore the Round Tower for one of the best views in Copenhagen.
After that, I stopped for some street food and a wander inside some of the shops, such as Hay House. It was starting to get dark at that point, so I stopped for a latte to warm up my hands, and headed back to the Airbnb for a short break before my evening plans.
Once it was completely dark, and I had some time to warm up my toes, it was off to the magical Tivoli Gardens for an evening of festive fun! I popped into the food hall where I was very impressed with the selection of food they offered. I went for a traditional Danish dish, Smørrebrød which was very filling and did not disappoint.
Tivoli Gardens felt like a winter wonderland and I’m so glad it was included in the Copenhagen Card because otherwise, I might not have gone (and I’m so glad that I did!) I’m not one for amusement park rides so the cute, little shops covered in ‘snow’ were my favorite to wander through. I ended up finding some beautiful earrings from a local jewelry company and a beautiful brass candle holder from a Danish company as well! I found some gifts for family and then took the bus back to my Airbnb for the night.
A note about public transportation: I only took the Metro to and from the airport and took the bus to and from Tivoli Gardens and must say, from my experience, it was very easy to get around and I always felt very safe! It seemed as though there were always lots of other people my age around which always makes me feel better.
Read more: Solo Travel Archives
Day Three
It was my final full day in Copenhagen and I was already dreading saying goodbye. How was I supposed to leave this city that felt so much like home?
I started the morning with a tour of Rosenborg Castle as soon as they opened. Travel tip: It’s always best to go first thing in the morning or before closing at most popular tourist attractions. More on that later!
I didn’t love the interior of Rosenborg as much as other palaces, such as Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin or the Neues Palace in Potsdam and it certainly was not as impressive as Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, but seeing the crown jewels was a highlight. I always love walking around the palace grounds too, so even if you don’t opt for the tour of Rosenborg Castle, do wander around the beautiful King’s Garden.
Read more: All of my Europe Travel Guides
I walked around the city some more, exploring its architecture and history before hopping on the train over to Malmö, Sweden which you can read all about here.
Upon arriving back in Copenhagen that evening, I had one more destination on my list: the Glyptotek. The Glyptotek is now one of my favorite museums in the world and the reason for that is the way the museum harmoniously combines art with the stunning architecture and interiors of the buildings. It’s not just the art that impressed me (if you’re a Greek and Roman sculpture lover too, I highly recommend visiting), but the entire atmosphere.
I went in the evening, an hour before closing and I had the entire museum to myself. It was pure magic. I can’t wait to visit again during the daytime as I can only imagine how stunning it is with the sunlight beaming in.
Since the Tivoli Gardens are just next door, I stopped by the Food Hall again to try a different place to eat. I just so happened to meet another American girl (we had the same suitcase and everything!) and her Danish husband who were living there in Copenhagen. We chatted and enjoyed our meals until it was time for me to head back to get some sleep before my early morning flight back to Berlin.
Copenhagen is such a special place. I had very high expectations after years of dreaming about visiting and it absolutely exceeded those expectations. I think it’s the perfect city to explore on your own. It’s quaint, charming, the people are lovely, and to top it all off, it’s incredibly safe.
But none of that really matters in the end, does it? What matters is the experience we take away once we board our flight or train back home. And I distinctly remember the way I felt as I was leaving Copenhagen. It’s not that I felt changed, it’s that I felt I had acquired something my soul had been needing for a very long time. I had a greater sense of clarity and a deeper sense of purpose. I was lit up and the puzzle pieces were all aligning.
Copenhagen was a breath of fresh air. A dream manifested. A place I will return to again and again.
Have you been to Copenhagen or are you planning to go?
If you’ve made it this far,
