Swimming at Islands Brygge Harbour Bath
Islands Brygge
Swimming in clean harbour water in the middle of the city, for nothing.
- Address:
- Islands Brygge, 2300 København S
- Best time:
- June to August; lifeguards are only on duty in summer
- Cost:
- free
12 free things to do in Copenhagen
Copenhagen is expensive: a coffee runs close to €8, a sit-down dinner well past €40. These don't cost that. Swimming in the harbour, walking through a 400-year-old garden, a sauna and a bowl of soup on a Sunday in winter. Full address and the best time to go for each.
Walking up to the CopenHill roof
Amager
Free way up to the highest point in the city, by lift or on the 490-metre walking and running route.
- Address:
- Vindmøllevej 6, 2300 København S
- Best time:
- any season, on a clear day
- Cost:
- free (skiing and climbing cost extra)
A walk through Assistens Cemetery
Nørrebro
A historic cemetery the city uses as a park. Free, and made for a picnic or a shoot.
- Address:
- Kapelvej 2, 2200 København N
- Best time:
- morning
- Cost:
- free
Wandering through Superkilen
Nørrebro
Free, open park and public art installation in one.
- Address:
- Nørrebrogade, 2200 København N
- Best time:
- all day
- Cost:
- free
A picnic in Frederiksberg Have
Frederiksberg
A free English garden with a lake and a Chinese pavilion, and almost no tourists.
- Address:
- Frederiksberg Runddel, 2000 Frederiksberg
- Best time:
- afternoon
- Cost:
- free
Wandering around Kastellet
Indre By (harbourfront)
A quiet 17th-century fortress, free to walk through. The windmill and the moat do the work.
- Address:
- Kastellet, 2100 København Ø
- Best time:
- morning
- Cost:
- free
Free museum days (Glyptoteket / Thorvaldsens / Museum of Copenhagen)
Indre By
Glyptoteket is free on Tuesdays, Thorvaldsens Museum on Wednesdays, Museum of Copenhagen on Fridays.
- Best time:
- the listed day of the week
- Cost:
- free on the days listed
Torvehallerne
Indre By
A covered food hall two glass buildings locals actually eat lunch at, not just a tourist market. Right in the center, a two-minute walk from Amagertorv and Flying Tiger, so it's an easy add-on rather than a special trip.
- Address:
- Frederiksborggade 21, 1362 København K
- Best time:
- weekday late morning to early afternoon to avoid lunch rush; open Sundays 10:00-18:00 if that's your only free day
- Cost:
- free to enter and browse; food and drink separate, roughly 60-150 DKK (~€8-20) per dish depending on the stall
La Banchina Sunday Soup & Sauna Club
Refshaleøen
Every Sunday from October to April: walk-in sauna plus vegetable soup, at a reduced price.
- Address:
- Refshalevej 141, 1432 København K
- Best time:
- Sundays, October to April
- Cost:
- discounted; the full price isn't published. It's described as low-budget
Free walking tour (tip-based)
Starts in Indre By
Free to join, and you tip whatever you want at the end. A fast way into the city's history.
- Best time:
- the morning tour
- Cost:
- tip-based (suggested: 100-150 DKK / ~€13-20)
A free walk through Nyboder
Indre By / Østerbro border
Walking the historic mustard-yellow rows costs nothing.
- Address:
- Krusemyntegade and the streets around it
- Best time:
- any hour
- Cost:
- free
Kongens Have (The King's Garden)
Indre By
Denmark's oldest public garden. Laid out over 400 years ago for Christian IV. And its most-visited, free to walk through any time of year. Rosenborg Castle sits inside the grounds on a separate paid ticket if you want to go further.
- Address:
- entrances on Gothersgade and Øster Voldgade, 1350 København K (surrounds Rosenborg Castle)
- Best time:
- late April through August for roses and full bloom; weekday mornings for a quiet walk, or go with locals on a summer weekend for the picnic-blanket crowd
- Cost:
- free (Rosenborg Castle entry is separate and paid)
When you're ready to spend money, spend it well
The full Copenhagen guide covers where these free hours fit around real meals: every cafe, restaurant, and bar we'd actually go back to, by neighborhood, with addresses and what to order. $17, instant download.
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