Practical information : Sightseeing Denmark
Timetable
The opening hours vary from one place to another, so it is important to check them before planning your day. Museums are generally open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm or from 11am to 6pm. One night a week, a nocturne pushes the opening to 9 or 10 pm. From June to September, most of them are open every day of the week, such as the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen, but they close earlier on holidays.
As far as monuments are concerned, the opening hours can be more limited, from 10am to 3pm or even 4pm.
To be booked
It's always a good idea to book online for highly-anticipated exhibitions. Likewise, pre-purchasing an admission ticket can be used as a ticket cutter, for example at the Louisiana Museum, HC Andersen or ARoS. It's best to book your guided tour at Listasavn Føroya (National Gallery of the Faroe Islands).
LEGO® MOVIE™ WORLD at Legoland in Billund also requires some forethought.
Bakken is the oldest amusement park. It reopens in April. One event draws the crowds: a meeting with hundreds of Santa Clauses! Otherwise, every July since 1957, don't miss the crowd at Bellevue Beach!
And don't miss Northern Europe's biggest festival, held in the old town of Roskilde during the first week of July. 100,000 festival-goers gather in front of the Orange stage! Book very, very early!
Budget & Tips
Purchasing a City Pass such as the Copenhagen Card is the safest and most economical option if you don't qualify for reduced or free rates, as many admissions are included, including those for temporary exhibitions. In Copenhagen, it's particularly useful for visiting Christianborg Castle (several entrance fees apply).
Otherwise, many museums are free for under-18s, as in Aarhus and Aalborg. The Silkeborg Festival or the Aarhus Summer Dance at Moesgaard museum.
Good to know: some museums offer free guided tours with the entrance ticket, although English is required. This is the case at the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen: every Sunday at 2.15pm, a half-hour guided tour of a masterpiece from the collections. Alternatively, Sandemans NewEurope Tours coordinates free tours of Copenhagen by independent guides, every day at 10am, 11am and 2pm. Meet at the Dragon Fountain on City Hall Square. You'll easily recognize them by their red polo shirts. And their little flag!
Main events
As in many northern European cities, the Christmas season is a particularly enchanting time of year, with lights, store window displays, Christmas markets, giant open-air ice rinks, horse-drawn carriage rides... At this time of year, sites and monuments close earlier or are not open to the public. The same applies to certain public holidays.
Remember to book your tickets well in advance to take full advantage of Tivoli Park in Copenhagen, which is very popular at these times of the year, overrun with pumpkins on Halloween, all powdered white and glittering with light at Christmas. The same goes for Tórshavn, where Christmas takes on a real magic!
In the Faroe Islands, the major annual festival is Summartónar, a classical music festival featuring contemporary composers (early June to late August).
Guided tours
To discover the city, original tours are programmed by private service providers: by bike, jogging, Segway, seaplane, zodiac... The great classics: in Copenhagen, the panoramic bus tour that allows you to understand the city in a global way, or the walking tour of the different districts. More specialized: themed tours. Reserved for those over 18, the Pub Crawl. A tour of trendy bars with a few drinks to experience the local and festive Copenhagen (https://www.pubcrawlcopenhagen.dk/). For food lovers and gourmets, the Food Tour. Everything you need to know about Danish culinary traditions with tastings included.
In the Faroes, it is essential to fly over the archipelago by helicopter or to see the coasts by fishing boat, or spend a day in Mykines, an island described as a "bird paradise" to discover the puffin colonies.
Smokers
Smoking is not allowed inside restaurants or bars, but Danes enjoy sitting on a terrace in any season where smoking is allowed. The exception is made for cafés that have a license to sell alcohol and are less than 40m2 in size! In this case, smoking inside is still allowed! Of course, the cigarette butt goes back with its owner or ends its life in an ashtray, but never, never, never on the ground or in a sewer!