I adore Europe and try to go every year. I feel like I was on a streak of nearly every year from my study abroad in 2011 to our 2 year backpacking adventure in 2018. But then I was pregnant with Baby Marin and the pandemic happened and then I was pregnant with Baby Hobie, so needless to say we took a few years off. Flash forward to summer 2023 and I was raring to go!
We booked the best deal we could using our Skymiles and had to make a decision on starting in London or Copenhagen. After reading The Year of Living Danishly and craving to visit a place that doesn’t speak English or Spanish, we settled on Copenhagen, Denmark.
I think we visited Copenhagen during the best 3 days of the year. It was warm, sunny, and the city was thriving! Everyone seemed so happy to be out and about. I think the Scandinavians truly appreciate the warm, sunny days.
Copenhagen with Kids
When planning a trip I try to consider everyone’s interests while ensuring we make the most out of our destination, but this means it’s not all about the kids all the time. You won’t see us planning a day at the zoo or an amusement park (okay, well we almost went to Tivoli!). Our trips tend to look more like grabbing a delicious coffee (grant’s fav!) and enjoying it a nearby playground (Marin’s fav!) If you’re reading this and trying to decide whether bringing the kids along is worth it, it totally is. Just pack a few toy cars and they can be content anywhere. Seriously, Marin thinks riding public transportation is the best ever!
Copenhagen with Kids Travel Guide: Day 1
The first day of international travel is always tricky and jetlag hits toddlers hard! We landed early in Copenhagen, grabbed some coffee and acai bowls from Joe and the Juice and headed to our Airbnb for a nap!
Where to stay in Copenhagen
Staying in the burbs
I had a hard time finding a place in the city center on our budget but I found an awesome Airbnb in Fredericksburg. (We actually had to switch to their neighbors Airbnb because of an issue on our hosts’ end but it was even better!) Both were so kid-friendly and hygge AF.
I made everyone take a nap (Can you believe a sleep-deprived toddler still fights a nap?!) and then had to make them wake up begrudgingly so we could adjust to the time zone.
Parks in Fredericksburg
First stop to beat jetlag: Head outside and find a playground and some ice cream! It was Marin’s 3rd birthday on the day we visited so we had to celebrate (on the tail end of a week of celebrations at home!). I loved our neighborhood in Fredericksburg for this. While I am usually all for staying in the city center, the Danish suburbs are nice y’all. The parks were great and the town at dusk was so cute.
We played at Norrebroparken, grabbed delicious pizza from Neighbourhood, and finished up with a gelato from Isoteket.
Then we headed back to crash so we could be on track for a fun-filled day 2! What we didn’t consider: The 10 PM sunset! It wasn’t helping our jetlag case. Needless to say, it was a tough first night. (Except for breastfeeding baby Hobie who can sleep anywhere, anytime!)
Copenhagen with Kids Travel Guide: Day 2
Toy Stores, LEGO, and Torvehallere Market
We headed to the city center and had delicious coffee and croissants at La Pausa Cafe on the river. After a stroll through Orstedparken (the day couldn’t have been more beautiful!), we found a toy store so Marin could pick out a birthday gift. I had done a little research beforehand and loved the one we went to, Karrusella. Is there anything cuter than a Danish toy store?
After shopping we headed to Torvehallere market. I love a European market and this place was great! The boys munched on fresh strawberries while Grant and I had wine and oysters. Then we headed to the famous Lego store for another birthday gift.
We were gradually making our way to our dinner reservation at POPL, with stops on the way at a playground in Nikolaj Plads for the boys and a craft beer at The Tipsy Mermaid boat for me and Grant! The vibe was great! So many people sunbathing and enjoying the long summer day!
Dinner in Copenhagen with Kids
Grant and I love fine dining on occasion, especially while traveling, and a tasting menu with a preferably Michelin starred chef is right up our alley. The minute we decided Copenhagen we tried to snag a rest at Noma. Little did we know, they are now closed. (Apparently they are opening in Kyoto and I am itching to go there next!) I did see however that there is a casual, kid-friendly burger joint, POPL, by the same chefs. We made a same day reservation and probably could have just walked in.
The best part: the food was delicious (I mean this burger, y’all. Best I’ve ever had.) There are also burger accompaniments that were creative like foamy white asparagus soup. It was definitely kid friendly and the staff was amazing too!
The worst part: It cost $200… for cheeseburgers. (Okay, we had cocktails too… the pickle martini was good, but not that good!)
Copenhagen with Kids Travel Guide: Day 3
Nyhavn
We had a slow morning filled with toys, work, and laundry and then we hopped on the metro to the city to check out Nyhavn. This is the postcard image of Copenhagen and for good reason! It is beautiful but it was also the first part of Copenhagen we visited that felt super touristic and crowded. Be sure to stop in the beautiful square at Kongens Nytorv and snag some street food.
Reffen Market
Our food and drink tour continued so even on the way to street food market Reffen, we stopped at another street food market, Broens Gadekøkken! We loved this spot. We saw it the day before when we headed to POPL and were glad to be back. Think DJs, aperol spritzes, and oysters. It was kid-friendly enough in the day time for our crew.
Reffen is rad and had tons of food and drink stalls. It’s right on the water and you can enjoy the picnic tables and lawn games. It was a younger, party-ish crowd but we still had a blast with the kiddos.
Getting around Copenhagen with Kids
The public transportation in Copenhagen is great and we were able to do a combo of metros and boats to get around. We used our travel stroller and Ergobaby carrier. After dinner at Reffen we headed back home to crash before an early flight to our next stop, Prague!
What we didn’t do in Copenhagen with kids…
Tivoli Amusment Park
Like I mentioned before, we skipped Tivoli. It looked super fun but time-consuming and we had just went to Disney World a couple weeks prior so I think my theme park meter was full for a couple of years.
Freetown Christiana
We used to live in Ocean Beach San Diego so I’ve seen my fair share of weed-smoking hippies in the street, and while I respect the alternative lifestyle of these fringe society members (stick it to the man!) I didn’t think the boys necessarily needed the secondhand smoke.
If we had more time in Copenhagen with kids…
I wish we would have seen the Little Mermaid statue. It’s supposedly small but I think it would be cool. It was on the other side of town and we didn’t have time to make it over there.
Petting Zoo – There is a petting zoo park in Byoasen that looked fun but it didn’t make the cut in our itinerary either.
I was also interested in going out of town a bit to Malmo, Sweden, The Deer Park, or to see The Six Forgotten Giants. Maybe next time! I would love to come back to Copenhagen.
Delightfully Danish,
-Ray
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