Definitely go see Christiania.
I was skint when I visited Copenhagen and it's been over 15 years, so that is all I got.

zorg wrote: Tue Mar 10, 2026 11:10 am

Gramsci wrote: Tue Mar 10, 2026 9:09 am

zorg wrote: Tue Mar 10, 2026 7:58 am

How old are the kids? are you renting a car?

Hey.
Early teens. No car.

If you've brought appropriate (layers + raincoat) clothing definitely rent bikes it will get you around town easiest, and let you explore. CPH is small enough that you can circumvent it in a day. Otherwise the Metro (underground) now gets you almost everywhere very easily (including the airport).
A lot of the fun is just in getting coffee/drink/pastry and wandering about in neighborhoods and green spaces. I might also add that you can get to Sweden in 30 minutes and if you have 5 days, a trip to Malmo is a fun excursion. If there is a particular interest (record store, shows, football, coffee, restauranting, beer, skateboarding, etc...) you are trying to include, do ask, otherwise the below are blanket recommendations.
Danish Food-
Splurge: Aamans for smorrebrod
Budget: DOP Danish hotdog
Culture-
SMK
Glyptoteket
Louisiana (worth the trip, but will eat up a whole day)
Touristy shit -
Rundetarn/Nordhavn/Stroget (these are all located together)
Christiania
Tivoli

Amazing. Thanks. Are you local?

A couple of nice neighbourhoods with places for coffee, eats, maybe a random gallery or museum.

I was there 10 years ago, bikes and walking seems to be the thing.

Gramsci wrote: Tue Mar 10, 2026 2:58 pm
Amazing. Thanks. Are you local?

A couple of nice neighbourhoods with places for coffee, eats, maybe a random gallery or museum.

I was there 10 years ago, bikes and walking seems to be the thing.

I lived there for almost a decade, so mostly know my way around.

Suggested walk 1. Superkilen Park -> Norrebro park -> Jagtvej -> Assistens Kirkegaard (HC Andersons grave) -> ByOasen petting zoo -> Norrebrogade -> Torvehallen -> Botanical Garden -> SMK (all free except the museum)
Suggested walk 2. Frederiksberg Alle -> Frederiksberg Have -> Scenic Outlook/Zoo (you can see the elephants without paying) -> Sondermarken -> Carlsberg Brewery/Byen -> Engehave Plads -> Meatpacking district -> Tivoli/Glyptoteket. (all free except Tivoli and museum.)

Both of these routes have lots of variety and things to eat or drink, but feel free to cut loose and get lost, it's hard to go horribly wrong. You can also punt and get on the metro and do something else. Most people get pretty excited about Coffee Collective for coffee and Juno the Bakery for baked goods, but everybody has their favorites (you will need to do the local breakfast of fresh baked bun+butter+cheese at least once, both those places have "fancy" ones). There is also Danish brunch at a number of places which is more akin to an a full english but less heavy, and very nice if you have a bigger appetite. The aforementioned hotdogs and open-face sandwiches stand as top recommendations. If you go to Malmo, I would highly recommend Swedish Meatball lunch at Clemens Kött & Husman.

zorg wrote: Tue Mar 10, 2026 3:54 pm If you go to Malmo, I would highly recommend Swedish Meatball lunch at Clemens Kött & Husman.

I had an excellent seafood lunch in that city at Johan P. But this was also 25 long years ago, well before the New Nordic cooking revolution and all that. Just old-school Swedish classics.

As for Copenhagen? Same deal. Prehistoric, certainly before Noma and all that. So long ago.

Christiania was grimy and amusing in those days. Nørrboro was very much happening. Vesterbro, at least around the station, was still kinda sleazy but fun, red light district w/minor-league, tame (by NYC standards) drug stuff going on. I'm sure it's all changed a ton.

Louisiana was definitely worth the daytrip, and I'm not a museum person at all.

And I'd like to think that the Pølsevognen stand in Nyhavn still serves a decent bacon-wrapped hot dog at all hours.

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Tue Mar 10, 2026 4:11 pm
Christiania was grimy and amusing in those days. Nørrboro was very much happening. Vesterbro, at least around the station, was still kinda sleazy but fun, red light district w/minor-league, tame (by NYC standards) drug stuff going on. I'm sure it's all changed a ton.

And I'd like to think that the Pølsevognen stand in Nyhavn still serves a decent bacon-wrapped hot dog at all hours.

The red light district is gone except for few stripclubs and a methadone clinic, and Norrebro is now all baby carriages. I honestly don't know where to find anything approximating danger, but for more "up & coming" neighborhood you can try Nordvest. The hot-dog stands are all solid, but DOP is the new king of street dogs. My order: Hotdog with mash made of parsnips, potatoes and kohlrabi and a side of mustard, ketchup and beetroots....the stewed kale is also great. I'm typing this out to satiate my craving.

Thank you everyone for the recs - lots of excellent stuff to pour over in the coming days.

Great stuff Zorg, much appreciated!

We spent Xmas and then the new year in Seoul and Tokyo. 100% recommend. Not crap. Lots of cats. Good people. Good food.