Europe’s #1 City for Solo Female Travelers…Have a look at the Best of Copenhagen

Why Copenhagen?

Copenhagen is one of my all time favorite cities! The architecture stands out to me, as if you are walking through a fairy tale written by the Danish author, Hans Christian Andersen. Copenhagen also has some of the world’s best restaurants making it so easy for me to love! This city is one of the more expensive places I’ve been, so it’s important to do your research.

Some of the best advice I have for you to save money is to avoid taxis, they are very expensive, and not necessary. The public transit is fantastic, and goes straight from the airport to the center of town. Airbnb is a great option for affordable accommodations, as well as my Stylish Saver Hotel picks listed below. This city has so many wonderful sights that you can visit for free, you won’t have to break the bank when coming to this amazing city.

Copenhagen is home to Tivoli Gardens, the 2nd oldest functioning amusement park in the world. Walt Disney has said that he got his inspiration for Disney World from Tivoli. I was pleasantly surprised this February as Tivoli had an amazing winter opening! Be sure to check out its opening times as it is not usually open year round.

If you are looking to experience a wide range of Copenhagen eats, you must visit Reffen. This place is packed with street food vendors, it replaces Paper Island after it’s recent closing. Reffen is not opened during the winter, but will open in the spring thru fall.

Torvehallerne

If you are looking for a more upscale food market experience then you must head over to Torvehallerne. Here you will find boutique food shops, craft beer, fine wines and gourmet coffee. Torvehallerne has several tapas style bars, with a variety of food choices, perfect for lunch or early evening snack.

Meat Packing District

A really fun and trendy area of Copenhagen is Vesterbro, home to the meatpacking district. The site of the old meatpacking factories have been converted into bars and restaurants. A few of my favorites that shouldn’t be missed would be War Pigs. Here you will find a great selection of beers, and BBQ style food. Mother, which has delicious pizza and wine. NOHO for some fantastic cocktails, and upscale dining.

Church of Our Savior

The best city view of Copenhagen can be found here, at the Church of Our Savior. Be sure and save time to climb to the top of this corkscrew church! The Church of Our Savior, red brick church with what looks like a corkscrew on top.

Boutique Hotels:

Bertrams Guldmedens Located in the heart of Vesterbro neighborhood, this boutique hotel is stylish, comfortable and peaceful. I was very impressed with the hotel staff, they were very accommodating and had lovely suggestions on where to go.

Hotel SP34 Located in centrally in Copenhagen, not far from Tivoli. I have toured this hotel, and can highly recommend its quality and amenities.

Hotel Ski Petri This hotel is mid size, centrally located minutes from Nørreport St. metro station, and stylish. The bed was very comfortable, and the bathroom spacious and luxurious. The onsite restaurant was fantastic, as well as the room service.

Luxury Hotels:

D’Anglete rre This is the hotel of your dreams. Luxurious down to every detail, including the indoor swimming pool. When you are ready to treat yourself to a five star experience, choose Hotel D’Angleterre.

Nimb Hotel The Nimb hotel is special like no other as it is in Tivoli Gardens Park. High class all the way up to the roof top pool! This modern and chic hotel is a stunner.

Nobis Hotel This hotel could be compared to staying in a palace with its royal and pristine interiors. You will find this hotel dripping with marble floors and crystal chandeliers. Service is world class, along with the dining options.

Stylish Saver Hotels:

Urban House Copenhagen located 2 mins from central station, this place is a winner. Hip and trendy, as well as clean. This Urban House runs a good show. Check out the bar downstairs, free WIFI, great beer, and friendly staff!

Wakeup Copenhagen Modern Minimalist hotel with all the amenities. Located very close to Central Station and Tivoli.

Hotel SCT Thomas This is your standard fair budget hotel, highly maintained, and free breakfast. Located in Vesterbro neighborhood.

Best of Where to Eat:

Breakfast:

Cafe Atelier September has the best avocado toast I’ve ever had. Pair that with a damn fine cup of coffee, mmm!! You will find this located centrally close to the famous Nyhavn.

Mad & Kaffe is located in Vesterbro, close to the meat packing district. It is probably my favorite spot, as I have visited several times, with my laptop. They have a concept of ordering dishes in three’s or fives. I often dream of their cinnamon bun.

The Union Kitchen– Something for everyone in this delicious establishment. Located very close to the famous Nyhavn.

Lunch:

La Neta is trendy Mexican joint with great prices, and quality tacos. It’s a casual spot in the heart of the Nørrebro neighborhood.

Aamanns is the home of the open faced sandwich. You won’t find this place to be too trendy, but a great combination of quality and affordability. It shouldn’t be missed. You will find it located near the Museum of Natural History

Vækst is a lovely choice for lunch or dinner. It is a higher end style restaurant with pre-set menu and al carte options. I highly recommend the cauliflower!

Dinner:

Høst was a slice of heaven! The service was very attentive and friendly, and the food, p-e-r-f-e-c-t! They have a prefix of either 3 or 5 course, with wine pairing choices. I was delighted with all the extra free dishes they serve in between courses. Centrally located, and shouldn’t be missed!

Gemyse – I had a wonderful dinner at Gemyse, and would definitely go back! I do need to point out this restaurant is located within Tivoli, so you must also buy entrance to the park. This should be factored in if you are planning on visiting the park so you can do it in the same day. I had a lovely few courses, lots of al-a-carte choices, and some tasty drinks. Wonderful staff, who had the best suggestions. To complete the night, I enjoyed walking around the fully lit and functional theme park. I was very impressed.

Gro Spiseri Rooftop restaurant with farm to table concept! Reservations are required, and can be made online. The restaurant is located in the Østerbro neighborhood, a little north of the city center. Lots of options for vegetarians.

Restaurant R adio I was very pleased with my fish dinner, and would come back again and again! Creative dishes paired with crisp and clean wines. Centrally located and close to Metro Station Forum.

Bæst Swanky environment and best pizza in Copenhagen! Make reservations, bookable online.

Tapperiet Brus I visited this place everyday of my trip! It has a wide selection of beer, great music, and tasty food! The vibe is casual, hip, and comfortable. They open at noon, and start serving food at 3pm on the weekdays, and brunch on weekends at 11am! They serve an upscale bar food menu that I highly recommend!

Best of Where to Drink:

Best Bars:

Noho located in the meat packing district offers inventive cocktails in a trendy environment. You can also come hungry, as this place does serve food.

Mikkeller & Friends this is where all the good beer comes from in Copenhagen! They have multiple locations to choose from, so no matter where you are, you should be able to find one. I have had the pleasure of drinking in the bar located in Vesterbro. This venue is cozy and very cool, located basement level of a residential building. Great lighting, music and the best beer in the city.

Vinhanen is for the wine lovers, and should be on your list! Quality wine without the crazy price. Cozy and sleek venue, located just cross the bridge in Nørrebro!

Best of What to Do:

Top Attractions: The Little Mermaid, Tivoli Gardens,Nyhavn, Round Tower, Strøget, Copenhagen Zoo, Kronborg Castle, Christiania, Frederiksborg Castle

Transit Information:

The transit information can be found here. A 24hr day pass is approx. $12 and a 48 hour pass is approx. $22. It is worth getting a pass if you are going to be doing a lot of site seeing in cold weather. It is a very walkable city, so if it is warm, you may use the train less. Another idea would be to get the Copenhagen Card. This card is handy if you plan on visiting a lot of Copenhagen’s Museums, as many entrance fees would be waived. Transit in the local Copenhagen area would also be included with this card. A 48 hour card cost 77 euros for adults. There is a handy Transit App called DSB, but to use this app you must have a phone number from the following countries: Denmark, Finland, Faroe Islands, Germany, Greenland, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden or the UK. If you don’t have a phone number from those countries, it will not work for you.

To get to downtown Copenhagen via train, you can obtain your ticket from the ticket machines that are on the right hand side at the airport exit. You will have the option of using the Metro Train or the main train. I personally use the metro as it is more frequent, and you have more stop options. Please note that when leaving the airport the Metro will be up the escalator and straight, while the main train will be on your right hand side and require you to go down the escalator. So if you are going up, you are going Metro, if you are going down, then you are going main train, direct Central Station.

Day Trip Ideas From Copenhagen:

From Copenhagen, there are a couple great spots worthy of a day trip! Kronborg Castle, located in the town of Helsingør, is approx. 1 hour north of Copenhagen by train. The train between Copenhagen Central and Helsingør runs every 20 mins. An exclusive tip, if you have trouble using the ticket machine at Helsingør station, tickets can be purchased on site in the 7-Eleven. This tip will save you time roaming around aimlessly looking for help. I had trouble with this machine when the credit card I was using didn’t have a pin code. The machine would not let me use it.

The castle and grounds are open to the public, Tuesday through Sunday from 11am to 4pm. This castle is extra special for having been immortalized as Elsinore, in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. If you dare, you can explore the spooky underground caves beneath the castle grounds. Look out for bats…though I didn’t see any…

Frederiksborg Castle:

Frederiksborg Castle is 1 hour north of Copenhagen by train, and 40 mins by car. The castle is located in a town called Hillrød, and is open Monday through Sunday from 11am to 3pm. The grounds of the castle are decorated with beautiful baroque gardens. The renaissance castle, built in the 17th century by King Christian IV, has house the Museum of National History since 1878.

Denmark to Sweden a Must Do Day Trip:

Traveling to Sweden is incredibly easy from Copenhagen. For a nice day trip you can visit both Malmö and Helsingborg by train or ferry! My suggested route would be to start from Copenhagen central station and take the train to Helsingør, Denmark. Here you could enjoy a pastry and walk up to Kronborg Castle and tour the grounds and castle.

After getting your fix of the castle, the ferry to Helsingborg awaits! It takes only 20 mins to cross the sea into Sweden. Helsingborg is fairly small, and a great place to enjoy lunch. You will want to climb the stairs to Kärnan tower and check out the view point!