The Best Things to do in Copenhagen in Winter

Home » Denmark » The best Things to do in Copenhagen in Winter

Are you visiting Copenhagen in winter? And are you looking for the best things to do in Copenhagen in winter… then you have come to the right spot! In this blog post I will be guiding you through what to do in Copenhagen in winter. This blog post is for you if you are coming to visit Copenhagen as a tourist, however it is also for you if you are living in Copenhagen and simply looking for things to do in Copenhagen in winter. In this guide you will find experiences and activities for everyone, specifically Christmas Markets, Museums, winter-bathing, etc.

Before starting, let’s talk a little bit about Copenhagen in winter…

Winter in Copenhagen…

Winter in Copenhagen is an overall quieter time of the year, and this means if you choose to go to Copenhagen during winter, you will probably beat the crowds but as a result, there will be less events going on in the city.

If you prefer to have the liveliness of the city and want to do as many winter activities in Copenhagen as possible, then I would suggest going around Christmas since this will be the time that the city is most alive. However if you are looking to beat the crowds and get the sights all to yourself then you should consider going in late winter: anytime from January till late february is a great time for this. This time of the year you will really get to experience some of the best winter activities in Copenhagen without being distracted by crowds.

Danish Christmas traditions…

Here are a couple of the most common (and slightly strange) Christmas traditions in Denmark:

Getting out the Danish Flag… in Denmark we flag, all the time. Any chance we get, we will bring out the Danish flag. We usually flag during holiday seasons and when celebrating birthdays, weddings, confirmations, baptisms, etc.: really any time there is a celebration of some kind, we will flag.

Mandelgave (Almond gift)… Mandelgave translates directly to “Almond Gift”. “Almond gift” is a game where you hide an almond in the Danish Christmas dessert “Risalamande”, and whoever finds it, gets a present. “Risalamande” is a cold rice pudding served with hot cherry sauce on top, and somewhere hidden inside of this dessert is an almond.

Watching a Christmas Calendar Series… Every year it is tradition to watch Christmas Series, and these series are on TV from the 1st of December all the way up to the 24th which means one episode per day! These are some of the most famous ones: The Julekalender, Jul i Valhal, Jesus og Josefine, etc.

The weather in December-February…

The weather in Copenhagen is usually surprisingly mild during the winter. Most of the time the snow does not reach Copenhagen until late January. The average temperature for Denmark in the winter is 1.8C. The coldest month of the year is January with an average temperature of 0.8C. If you are not one for the cold weather, I would recommend going for early winter. However, if you are coming here for the snow, don’t show up too early, because you will not be getting any snow in December. Instead, opt. for coming in late January, and you will have a much higher chance of getting to see the city covered in snow (and sometimes even the canals and sea freeze over!). Click here to see the current weather conditions for Copenhagen.

The Best Winter Activities in Copenhagen

Now that you have learned a little bit more about Copenhagen in winter, let’s get to it! These are the best winter activities in Copenhagen:

1. Admire the Christmas Decorations in Tivoli Gardens

Oh Tivoli. This is the first on the list of best winter activities in Copenhagen for a reason. Tivoli Gardens is a must-visit for coming to Copenhagen in winter, so if you are only doing a few of these winter activities in Copenhagen, then you have to make sure this is one of them! You absolutely cannot miss going to see the amazing Christmas Decorations in Tivoli Gardens, because inside Tivoli you will not only find beautiful Christmas Decorations, you will also find cafés and restaurants serving the most traditional Danish Christmas foods and drinks.

The entrance fee for visiting Tivoli is: 135 DKr mon-fri and 145 DKr sat-sun. There are also options for getting an unlimited ticket pass. This one starts at 245 DKr. Click here to book your Tivoli ticket now

2. Explore the Christmas Markets in the city

Copenhagen has a few Christmas Markets in the city, and they are all absolutely worth visiting… and in addition to that, they are all pretty close to each other. The Copenhagen Christmas Markets offer everything from Christmas decorations (including the Danish flag!) to Danish Christmas foods and treats so you will not be able to leave empty handed or on an empty stomach. These are the Christmas Markets you must go to when visiting Copenhagen in winter:

3. Try one or more of the traditional Danish Christmas treats

If you really want to experience the true Christmas spirit of Copenhagen then you must eat! One of my favourite things about Danish Christmas is the food and drinks. You can find a variety of different traditional Christmas treats in the city, and you will especially have an easy time finding any of these in the Christmas Markets! Here are a few of the foods you cannot miss when visiting Copenhagen during Christmas:

– Glögg is the most delicious mulled wine you will ever taste! You will not be able to miss this drink when visiting in December. It will be everywhere you look and for good reason! Do not skip on this one.

– Æbleskiver is a traditional Danish dessert, to explain further: they are little sweet dough balls you dip into powdered sugar and marmalade and it is possibly the most delicious thing ever.

– Risengrød has its fair share of lovers and haters. Risengrød is hot rice pudding topped with cinnamon, sugar and butter!

– Risalamande is the cold version of “risengrød”, and instead of cinnamon, it is served with a hot cherry sauce. If you are lucky, you might find an almond in there somewhere!

– Pebernødder is directly translated to “peppernuts”, however they are not quite so peppery as the name suggests. Pebernødder are small, gingery cookies. If you are a fan of ginger and Christmas spices, you will love this one!

4. Go Kayaking for Saint Lucia Day

Do you want to be a part of a unique and magical Christmas experience in Copenhagen? Then you should go kayaking for Saint Lucia Day when visiting Copenhagen. Kayaking on Saint Lucia Day is a very special thing that you unlikely will forget. You will need to hire a kayak and decorate it with Christmas decorations! If you manage to do all of these, you will have the chance to be nominated as one of the best decorated kayaks: the winner of the competition will receive a bottle of champagne! So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and book your kayak now.

5. Go Ice Skating

There are several ice rinks in Copenhagen to enjoy, both inside and outside, and if you are visiting in late January you might even be so lucky to experience a natural ice rink! Here are some of the best places to go ice skating in Copenhagen:

Broens Ice Rink
If you are looking for an ice rink in the centre of the city, then this is the one for you. It is located right next to Nyhavn and it could barely be more central!
Frederiksberg Runddel Ice Rink
If you are looking for something a bit more local then you must go to the ice rink in Frederiksberg Runddel. It is a little bigger and a little less busy. It is also located right next to a lovely park called Frederiksberg Park.
Julemarked i Parken
This is a completely new spot in town that even locals may not have heard of yet! Julemarked translates to Christmas Market, and technically this is a new Christmas Market opening up from the 1st of December, however, they will also have an ice rink and it will be a big one! It will be 600m2 and after going ice skating you could also knock off the Christmas market, a win-win situation!
Enghaveparken Ice Rink
Possible Natural Ice Rinks: The Lakes, Amager Fælled, Kalvebod Fælled

6. See the big Christmas Tree in the town square

Are you looking for some Christmas magic? Then you have to go to the town square (Rådhuspladsen) to see the Christmas tree being light up! It starts out with a Christmas Parade with veteran vehicles, Santa Claus and elves. The Christmas Parade starts in Nyhavn and goes through Strøget all the way to Rådhuspladsen where the Christmas tree will finally be light up! The event takes place on the first day of Advent every year. To find out exactly when it takes place this year click here.

7. Have a relaxing time at CopenHot

CopenHot is located on Refshaleøen and is an outdoor spot with hot-tubs and saunas. If you want to have a cozy, unique experience then you must go here! They are most well-known for their standard hot tubs but also do a variety of other experiences such as saunas and even a SAILING hot tub?! What are you waiting for? This is definitely an experience you should not miss out on when going to Copenhagen in winter! The prices start at 300 DKr. To find more information on prices and experiences click here.

8. Spend a day inside the Museums in Copenhagen

Copenhagen has a lot of rainy days, even winter has quite a few rainy days, and during those days you might want to hide away: the best way to do that is to visit one or more of the museums in Copenhagen. Here are some of the best museums you must visit when visiting Copenhagen in winter:

Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (Free entrance on Tuesdays)
National History Museum of Copenhagen
The Cisterns
Museum of Copenhagen (Free entrance on Wednesdays)
Thorvaldsens Museum (Free entrance on Wednesdays)
SMK – Statens Museum for Kunst
The David Collection (Free entrance all days)

9. Visit the magical Castles and Palaces

Do you want a magical winter experience? Then you should consider visiting the castles and palaces in Copenhagen! There are a couple in the centre of Copenhagen and quite a few scattered outside the city. Here are some of the best castles and palaces you must visit if you are wanting a magical, winter experience in Copenhagen:

10. Go winter bathing with the Danes, if you dare…

Are you looking for something daring to do… something a bit out there… then you should consider winter bathing with the Danes. It does not matter if it is -10C or 30C, the Danes will still be going for a dip, I can assure you of that! They even go for a dip when the canals and sea are frozen… so there is no excuse to not go. “Why do the Danes go winer bathing?” you might think… well, it is actually proven to be beneficial to our health.

If you really want to have a local, Copenhagen experience, then you must go to one of these spots for a refreshing cold, Danish dip:

Islands Brygge
Kastrup Sea Bath
Sandkaj Bathing Zon

11. Go skiing on top of CopenHill

Copenhagen has a dry-slope ski area and it is very popular with the Danes. If you are wanting to have a skiing experience without actually heading down to the Alps then you have to go to CopenHill. They have a café, ski hires and drinks, and for a brief moment, if you close your eyes, it actually feels like you are in the Alps skiing. The ski hire package prices start at 125 DKr. Click here for information on prices.