This half day in Copenhagen with children is short but still packed with sights and chances to learn about the beautiful city in Denmark. Use it to ease your family into a longer visit there, or as half of a longer day to which you add other Danish sights and experiences!

Description: A great way to start your day by getting an overview of the city from a very different angle. The architecture of the old city center is a sight to behold, and you’ll be able to spot most major attractions and orient yourself for the day. Guided tours will provide a good dose of culture and history as you take in the sights. While weather can be a factor
some of the fleet are covered and heated for inclement days. The boats are roomy enough to allow for some great photo taking opportunities.

Our Experience: First off, it is worth noting that we had planned to use another canal tour on our original itinerary. This is one our taxi driver recommended which he said was half the price of the original. He said it was the same thing and he doesn’t know why one company charges twice as much. We all really enjoyed it. The narration was nothing special but seeing the city from the canals gave us a great perspective on Copenhagen we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to get from street level. Definitely worth doing.

Christiana Just One of Many Unique Stops In Copenhagen

Description: Regarded by the city as a commune, Christiania is a self proclaimed neighborhood. It is actually governed by its own law, the Christiania Law of 1989. It was originally a military area, which was subsequently co opted by proponents of the hippie and squatter movements, collectivism and anarchism. It is a truly unique community unlike any other in the world. It is important to note however that while there are strict policies against violence and hard drugs, the sale of cannabis and hashish are fairly tolerated in the area. Please consider this carefully in deciding whether you want to bring your children here or not. You don’t know what they might see, or the questions they may ask. If you go, you should go past “pusher street” and the so called “green light district.”

Our Experience: While we all thought it was mildly interesting to see the area, it really was not for kids at all. No drug selling was completely obvious, but as adults we knew what was going on. Also, seeing people drinking alcohol and dozing on the sidewalks at 9:30 AM was not exactly family oriented. Perhaps this is a place for adults (we can’t comment on that one way or the other) but really not worth stopping with kids. Our older kids thought it was worth maybe 10 minutes (we stopped for about 30 minutes) just to see the area but it was neither fun nor enjoyable for them. We found a small playground deeper inside the area that the kids used. Everything was dingy, dirty and very gritty. We know that it is not advertised as a place for kids, we chose to take them because we thought it might be a valuable experience and interesting to see but we would not recommend it. It didn’t have the value we thought it might.

Description: Strøget is a car free zone in Copenhagen renown for its mix of old and new. It
was created in 1962 as cars were beginning to take over the small central streets of the city. The creation of this pedestrian area led to a flourishing district for shopping, eating and enjoying. Grab a quick bite in a cafe for lunch, visit stores ranging from historic favorites
like the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Factory to modern luxuries like Louis Vuitton and Burberry. There are also a host of street performers and entertainers for family amusement.

Amagertorv is the city’s most central square. It dates back to the middle ages when it was a central marketplace and a venue for festivals and public gatherings. Today it boasts great shopping and some of the best examples of classic architecture in Copenhagen. The famous Stork Fountain sits in the square and the Illum department store dates back to the 1890’s.

Our Experience: The kids enjoyed this shopping area. It is a nice little corner of the city with a great assortment of stores. It really give you a sense of being a in nice European retail space. It was good for teens who want a nice mixture of more regular shops and interesting boutiques. There was also an outdoor market with jewelry and an assortment of things. All in all this was a good immersion into Copenhagen. Enjoyable, but not the best day.