I planned a trip to Copenhagen, Berlin and Edinburgh with my college/travel friends. Since my friends are studying for their masters’ in Edinburgh, we planned to travel during their spring break. We, finally, decided to spend 48 hours in Copenhagen, four days in Berlin, and then visit their home in Edinburgh.
Since we spent 48 hours in Copenhagen, I’m sharing a guide on what to see and do in that timeframe.
Accommodation
In order to save money, we split a private room Airbnb in the Amagerbro area. It wasn’t the most glamorous Airbnb, however, it was in a good location, had the necessities and was cheap.
Play.
Freetown Christiania
Even though Christianshavn was a stop away on the metro from our Airbnb, — we, however, decided to walk. We wanted to stretch our legs, take in the scenery and enjoy the 70° weather. Christianshavn is a neighborhood on the island of Amager, and our first stop was to Freetown Christiania – an autonomous neighborhood. Many locals openly sell, and smoke, cannabis here. It was a truly interesting experience walking around and seeing a diverse range of people coming together.
Note: Christiania residents don’t like photos taken within the community, and there are signs letting you know when not to.
Rosenborg Castle Gardens
We stumbled upon this park — which, in fact, is the oldest park in Copenhagen — while en route to Torvehallerne. There were beautiful flowers starting to bloom, and tree-lined avenues in the park.
Nyhavn
A canal with many of food options and attractions, the atmosphere is really lively. This is also where we started our hour boat tour. For ~$12, this boat tour takes you to famous landmarks, such as the Little Mermaid, and you learn Copenhagen’s history.
Round Tower
After Nyhavn, we visited the Round Tower to get views of the city – the entry fee is cheap (25 DKK | $3.25). It’s quite a spiral trek to the top, but there are different rooms to explore in between breaks. For example, they had an art exhibit in one of the rooms, and a library in another.
University of Copenhagen Botanical Garden
The botanical garden is free and provides a collection of plants. You can go inside the greenhouse and/or walk around outside. However, the inside was hosting a private event at the time we went. So, we walked around outside, which offered beautiful flowers, plants and views.
Strøget
A shopping center, Strøget offers fashion stores, food, souvenir shops and more.
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Café Lystig
This pub was two doors down from our Airbnb, and was basic, but provided: cheap drinks and good American music. The bartender offered us a free shot and snacks before his shift ended, and the patrons were friendly.
Torvehallerne
This market reminded me of the Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid due to its glass structure. Inside, you have many food options to choose from, including: cheese, fresh bread, cold pastas, seafood, wine and pastries. We went to Torvehallerne both days — on day one, two of my friends and I got fish and chips. Meanwhile, my vegan friend got a delicious platter of vegetables. Day two, we grabbed bread, cheeses, fruits and vegetables to make a charcuterie board, with wine, for dinner. We got this cranberry cheese that was unbelievably delicious, in fact, it tastes just like cream cheese with cranberry chunks.
Strøgb Geriet
On day two, we grabbed breakfast from this small bakery, I got a roll of bread with cheese and butter. It was so good, the bread was soft on the inside and slightly crunchy on the outside. There was also just enough butter and cheese to support the bread.
Baresso Coffee
Across the street from the bakery is this well-known coffee shop. I got a cup of coffee, and although I’m not a big coffee drinker, I actually enjoyed it.
Is there anything you’d add to this 48 hours in Copenhagen guide? If so, let me know in the comments!
