Free Things to Do in Copenhagen: Museums, Views and Harbour Baths

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There are more free things to do in Copenhagen than most visitors expect, including the kind you would normally pay for. You can visit an art museum without a ticket, see the city from 44 metres up for nothing and swim in the harbour in the middle of town. Below are the free things to do in Copenhagen that really cost nothing, sorted by neighbourhood and by situation: with kids, on a rainy day and when you want to keep transport cheap. We have also included the places many people think are free, but are not.

Free museums in Copenhagen: when is entry free?

Museums are where you save the most if you plan around the day of the week. The rules differ from place to place, so this table is worth saving. Common to all of them: children and young people under 18 get in free.

Davids Samling on Kronprinsessegade is the obvious place to start. Entry to the collections and public guided tours is always free, and it holds one of the largest collections of Islamic art in the Nordic region, plus European decorative art, spread over quiet, beautiful rooms that are rarely crowded. It is open until 21:00 on Wednesdays.

Thorvaldsens Museum, next to Christiansborg Palace, is free for everyone every Wednesday. Even if sculpture is not your thing, the building itself, with its brightly coloured ceilings, is worth a visit. The free Wednesday was briefly cut to once a month in 2024 but was reinstated the same autumn, which is why you may see conflicting information online.

Glyptoteket offers free entry to the whole museum on the last Wednesday of every month. The winter garden under the glass dome is a reason to come in itself, but expect more visitors than usual on those days.

SMK and the National Museum have no free days for adults. They make most sense when you have children with you, as only the adults in your group pay.

Free in the city centre and by the harbour

Christiansborg Tower

The tower at Christiansborg Palace is Copenhagen’s tallest (106 metres), and the viewing platform is 44 metres up. Entry is free. You go in through the King’s Gate (Kongeporten) facing Slotspladsen and pass an airport-style security check, so there can be a queue. The tower is closed on Mondays and open into the evening on weekdays; check the times on the Danish Parliament’s website before you go. The view over the city’s green copper roofs is worth the wait.

Changing of the guard at Amalienborg

The Royal Life Guards change the guard on Amalienborg Palace Square every day at around 12:00. When the King is in residence, the guards march from their barracks on Gothersgade at 11:27, past the Round Tower and Kongens Nytorv, and the band plays a short concert on the square. Stand along the route rather than on the square itself if you have small children with you; the view is better.

Nyhavn, Kastellet and the Little Mermaid

Nyhavn is free to walk along, and it stays cheap as long as you skip the waterfront restaurants. Buy a drink from a kiosk and sit on the edge of the quay like the locals do.

From Nyhavn it is a pleasant walk north along the water to Kastellet. The fortress is still a military area, but everyone may walk on its roads, paths and ramparts from 06:00 to 22:00 in summer and until 20:00 in winter. The ramparts give views over the harbour, and the windmill and red buildings make it a calm stop in the middle of the city.

Just below lies the Little Mermaid on Langelinie, which has sat on her rock since 1913. She is smaller than many expect, and there are lots of tourists around midday. Come early in the morning and you will have her almost to yourself. On the way you pass the Gefion Fountain by Churchillparken.

Parks and the library by the harbour

The King’s Garden (Kongens Have) by Rosenborg Castle and the Botanical Garden by Nørreport are both free. The Botanical Garden is open 08:30–18:00 from 1 March to 24 October and 08:30–16:00 in the winter season, when it is closed on Mondays. The garden itself is free, but the Palm House with the Butterfly House requires a ticket, and parts of it are being renovated.

The Black Diamond, the Royal Library’s glass building on the harbour, is free and open every day. The permanent exhibition “Treasures of the Royal Library” is included. It is also a good place to shelter from the rain in the centre.

Christianshavn, Islands Brygge and Amager

You can walk freely around Christiania. The car-free commune has workshops, self-built houses and green paths along the moat. Remember that people live here: do not photograph residents, and follow the signs you see along the way.

The harbour bath at Islands Brygge is free and open all year from 06:00 to 22:00. There is a lifeguard from 1 June to 31 August, 10:00–18:00; outside that period you swim at your own risk. On a warm summer day, the lawn next to the bath is also a great place to watch Copenhagen life.

CopenHill on Amager is a waste-to-energy plant with a ski slope on the roof. The hiking trail, running route and rooftop area are free during opening hours, and from the top, about 85 metres up, you can look out over the Øresund. Only skiing, climbing and equipment hire cost money. The path is steep, so allow an hour.

Amager Strandpark is Copenhagen’s city beach, with an artificial island, a lagoon and a long promenade. It is free and easy to reach by metro. In summer, the shallow lagoon is good for younger children.

Nørrebro and Nordvest: free city life and architecture

Superkilen in Nørrebro is an urban park in three parts: the Red Square, the Black Market and the Green Park. The furniture, from benches to lamp posts and signs, comes from the many countries that local residents have roots in. It is not a place for a whole day, but it is easy to combine with the rest of the neighbourhood.

Assistens Cemetery is both a cemetery and one of Nørrebro’s most-used green spaces. Hans Christian Andersen and Søren Kierkegaard are among those buried here. It is free, but remember it is still a place of mourning, so keep your voice down by the graves.

Grundtvig’s Church in Bispebjerg is a striking piece of Danish church architecture, with a facade that resembles a giant organ. Entry is free, but visiting hours are limited to parts of the day on weekdays, so check grundtvigskirke.dk before you go.

Free things to do in Copenhagen with kids

With children, choose based on how much they need to move. These are the free experiences that work best for families:

• Changing of the guard at Amalienborg: short, concrete and with music.
• CopenHill: for children who can manage a steep path.
• Islands Brygge harbour bath: best in June–August, when there is a lifeguard.
• Amager Strandpark: shallow water in the lagoon.
• Kastellet: ramparts to run on and no cars.
• SMK, Glyptoteket, the National Museum and Thorvaldsens Museum: free for everyone under 18.

Free things to do when it rains

A rainy day is actually a good time to collect the free indoor sights. A realistic route in the centre could look like this:

• Morning at Davids Samling (always free).
• On to Thorvaldsens Museum if it is a Wednesday.
• Lunch break and reading room at the Black Diamond.
• Christiansborg Tower: if the clouds lift, the view is best just after a shower.

On the last Wednesday of the month, you can swap Thorvaldsens Museum for Glyptoteket, close to City Hall Square.

Free walking tours: how they work

“Free” walking tours in Copenhagen, such as Copenhagen Free Walking Tours, are tip-based. Joining is free, but at the end you pay the guide what you think the tour was worth; most guides accept cards. The classic tour starts on the steps of City Hall on City Hall Square, lasts about 2.5–3 hours and covers around 3 km. Tours run in English and Spanish. Book a spot in advance, as groups are kept small.

Cheap transport in Copenhagen

The cheapest option is walking: distances in the centre are short, and the Nyhavn–Amalienborg–Kastellet–Little Mermaid route is easy on foot. For longer trips, these are the main money-savers:

• The harbour bus runs on the same ticket as buses, trains and the metro, and gives you a cheap boat trip on the harbour.
• City Pass Small covers zones 1–4, including the airport and the harbour buses, and is available for 24–120 hours.
• One adult with a City Pass can bring two children under 12 free, and children aged 12 to 15 travel at half price.
• A bike is often faster than the metro for short trips in the inner neighbourhoods.

Visiting around New Year? Public transport is under extra pressure on New Year’s Eve. See our guide to New Year’s Eve in Copenhagen; many of the best spots are free to enjoy from the street.

Not free, even though many think it is

The classic that most people think is free is the Round Tower (Rundetårn). Adults pay DKK 60 (about €8), while children aged 0 to 17 get in free. Tickets cannot be bought in advance; you pay at the ticket office by card, in Danish kroner or with euro notes. For a view without an entry fee, Christiansborg Tower and CopenHill are the two free alternatives.

To keep costs to an absolute minimum, combine Davids Samling, Christiansborg Tower, Kastellet and the harbour bath in one day. That gives you art, a view, history and a swim without paying an entry fee anywhere.

Frequently asked questions

Which museums in Copenhagen are free?

Davids Samling is always free. Thorvaldsens Museum is free every Wednesday and Glyptoteket on the last Wednesday of the month. Everyone under 18 gets in free at SMK, Glyptoteket, the National Museum and Thorvaldsens Museum.

Where can you get a free view of Copenhagen?

From Christiansborg Tower, 44 metres up, and from the roof of CopenHill, about 85 metres up. The Round Tower costs DKK 60 for adults.

Can you swim in Copenhagen harbour for free?

Yes. The harbour bath at Islands Brygge is free and open all year from 06:00 to 22:00, with a lifeguard from 1 June to 31 August.

Are Copenhagen’s free walking tours really free?

They are tip-based: joining is free, and you pay the guide what you think the tour was worth at the end.

Last updated October 2026. Prices, opening hours and free days can change at short notice, so always check the venue’s own website before you go.