The Best Walking Tours of Copenhagen (Free and Paid)

Last updated on July 20th, 2023 at 04:57 pm

Copenhagen is a classy city with an interesting history that dates back all the way to the 11th century. What began as a moated castle built by Bishop Absalon from Roskilde has now grown into a cultural, economic, and governmental center of Denmark. There is so much cool stuff to discover here! You could spend weeks here and barely scratch the surface. Lucky for you, there are lots of great walking tours that will take you all over Copenhagen. They will help you quickly and easily uncover the history, the culture, and the beauty of the great capital of Denmark.

***Disclaimer: Be sure to check all travel rules and regulations for Denmark as well as any activities you would like to participate in before booking any part of your trip!

1. Self Guided Walking Tours of Copenhagen

Danish Flag at Old Military Fort in Copenhagen

I love a great self guided tour! For me the best part is that they are a lot more flexible to your schedule. You can start, stop for lunch or a coffee, and pick back up again at your leisure. You can plan it for when the weather is the best. And, you can pop in and out of sites along the way.

I’ve used a lot of self-guided tours from this particular website during my travels. I have enjoyed them quite a bit since they are well organized and include a map. This one really gives a great overview of some of the most historically important and architecturally interesting places in Copenhagen. It takes about a half day to complete and it can be done on foot or by bike. (Please note that biking will take less time than walking)

Keep in mind: if you plan to stop in at places along the way, this will lengthen the amount of time it takes to complete the tour. We personally made a stop in at Rosenborg Castle. But, due to some time constraints to our schedule, we saved our tours of Christiansborg Palace and the Round Tower for a separate day.

2. Hygge and Happiness Tours in Copenhagen

Cute Bird Fountain on the Hygge Walking Tour of Copenhagen

What is hygge? And, how does one even pronounce that word? (For the record, it is pronounced “hoo-guh”). Honestly, this Danish word doesn’t really have a translation. But, one could say that it represents the concept of coziness that accompanies feelings of wellness and contentment. It is about living well and creating great memories with loved ones. (Fun Fact: Did you know that the Danish people buy more candles than any other country per capita?)

And, this tour was all about creating a cozy environment and spending good times with good people. It was not your typical city walking tour. We took our time getting from place to place. We stopped to get some sweets from local bakeries and ate them at the local park or in a cozy alley. And, that’s what made this special: it wasn’t just learning about a Danish concept through words. It was about living it out for a few hours as we made our way around Copenhagen and allowing it to seep into our beings.

Booking Your Hygge and Happiness Tour

I booked my tour through AirBnb Experiences. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxed, friendly, and enjoyable walking tour in Copenhagen.

3. Free Walking Tour of Christianshavn

Christianshavn is an interesting little neighborhood of Copenhagen. It was originally build to help fortify and protect Copenhagen and serve as as merchant town. To achieve this, the marshlands were built up to create a man-made island that is now Christianshavn. Dutch workers were brought in to help build up the land to create a good place for people to build homes. The resulting series of canals echos some similarities with Amsterdam.

For about 35 years after it was built, Christianshavn was considered to be separate from Copenhagen. But, in 1674 it was finally incorporated into the greater city. Still, it was mostly used for fortification purposes and housing military. However, the barracks were abandoned shortly after WWII.

Nowadays, Christianshavn is a quirky and bohemian residential area with lots of interesting attractions. Currently, the well preserved fortifications from the 17th century have been turned into a park for residents and visitors. You can also enjoy views of the canals, climb the spiral tower of The Church of our Savior, or take a moment to enjoy the hippie paradise of Freetown Christiania.

Freetown Christiania in Christianshavn

The Giant Troll Guarding Freetown Christiania in Copenhagen

A visit to Freetown Christiania is not part of the free walking tour of Christianshavn. But, it is definitely worth a stop in to see one of the most unique parts of the city. It is located right in the military barracks of Bådsmandsstræde which were abandoned shortly after WWII.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, housing costs in Denmark rose extremely high. In an act of protest, a group of people broke down the fence and moved into the abandoned military barracks on Christianshavn. Over the years, this protest has turned into a movement which has culminated in the existence of Freetown Christiania.

Their mission statement was:

“The objective of Christiania is to create a self-governing society whereby each and every individual holds themselves responsible over the wellbeing of the entire community. Our society is to be economically self-sustaining and, as such, our aspiration is to be steadfast in our conviction that psychological and physical destitution can be averted.”

And the nine rules of the community are: No weapons, No hard drugs, No violence, No private cars, No biker colours, No bulletproof clothing, No sale of fireworks, No use of firecrackers, No use of incendiary devices, and No stolen goods.

Nowadays, this area is probably most famous for “pusher street” where soft drugs are sold. But, there is more to this little town than that. Here, there are small shops and restaurants, interesting graffiti to admire, you can say hello to the troll (Green George), and talk with the locals. If you visit, it is important to remember: Do NOT run and do not to take photos of “pusher street”.

Booking Your Free Walking Tour of Christianshavn

In order to book this tour, please go to the Free Walking Tours Copenhagen website. Just remember, that although the tour is free, the guides do work for tips. How much you tip is strictly up to you based on how pleased you were with your experience.

They also offer a Grand Tour of Copenhagen, a classic tour, and a pub crawl. I personally didn’t have the chance to go on the other tours of Copenhagen. But, if they’re anything like the Christianshavn Tour, they will not disappoint!

In Conclusion

I hope this post has given you some great inspiration to help you find the best tours in Copenhagen. I would love to hear about your own experiences in the comments below!

Happy Travels,
<3 Christine