Denmark With Kids — Everything We Know From Someone Who Stayed Longer Than Planned

We drove down from Norway into Denmark after one month of living in Scandinavia and I was not sure what to expect. Norway is dramatic and big and rugged. Denmark surprised me. It is flatter, softer, and honestly more easygoing than I thought it would be. I adjusted within a day and then I really liked it.

We planned a few days and ended up staying longer. That is usually a good sign.

Copenhagen.

Start here. Copenhagen is very walkable and very manageable, even with four kids. The Nyhavn canal with the colorful buildings is exactly what you picture and it is just as pretty in person. We walked it, found a spot to sit, ate lunch, watched the boats. Nobody was in a hurry. That set the tone for the whole city.

Bikes are everywhere and people use them the way you would use a car at home. The lanes are real infrastructure, not an afterthought. We did not rent bikes but you feel the whole culture of it just walking around.

Tivoli Gardens is worth going to. It has been open since 1843 and it still has its character. Real rides, real flowers, real energy. Gavin rode everything he was tall enough for. Avilene wanted to look at the flower beds. Jake found the fastest ride and stayed on it. All three of them were happy the whole time, which is not a given with four kids and one ticket price.

Torvehallerne is the covered market near Nørreport station. Two glass halls full of fresh food, cheese, smoked fish, open sandwiches, coffee, and pastries. We went twice. The Danish pastry is better than what gets exported under that name everywhere else. That is not an exaggeration.

One thing to know going in — Copenhagen is expensive. Meals add up fast. We ate at a sit-down restaurant once and used markets and bakeries for everything else. The quality at a good bakery is high so you are not missing anything.

Billund and the Lego House.

We drove to Billund for the Lego House and I wrote a full review of that visit separately because it deserves its own post. Short version: we stayed from open to close. Nobody wanted to leave. Gavin asked if we could come back the next day. We could not. I have a small regret about that.

Billund is a small town built around Lego. It exists because Lego exists. The Lego House is extraordinary and Legoland Billund is right next door — a traditional theme park suited to roughly ages six to twelve. We did not get to Legoland because the weather turned and we were full from the robot restaurant. If you can give Billund two days, do it. One for each.

The day trip to Malmö, Sweden.

This one I want to make sure you know about because it is so easy and so worth doing. Malmö is in Sweden, forty minutes from Copenhagen across the Øresund Bridge. The bridge is impressive — long, flat, crossing open water between two countries. The kids went quiet when we got on it, which meant it registered.

Malmö is smaller and quieter than Copenhagen. The old town is beautiful and very walkable. We had Swedish meatballs, walked around, found a park for Poppy, and were back in Copenhagen by late afternoon. The drive back across the bridge in the evening light was genuinely one of the nicer moments of the trip.

You do not need a full day there. We were in and out in about five hours and it felt like exactly the right amount of time.

A few practical things.

Denmark uses the Danish krone, not the euro. Sweden uses the Swedish krona. Different currencies, both countries are almost entirely cashless, so a card with no foreign transaction fees and you are fine.

Driving in Denmark is easy. Clear speed limits, good roads, no surprises. Parking in Copenhagen is the usual European city situation — doable but plan ahead. People speak excellent English everywhere.

Danes are warm with families and with dogs. Poppy was very well received everywhere we went, which matters more to our daily logistics than I would have expected before we started traveling with her.

We would go back to Denmark. That is the simplest way I know to say it was worth the trip.

If you are planning a trip to Denmark and want help building the itinerary, that is exactly what I do. Reach out at nicole@fgluxurytravel.com and we can put something together.

Super Cool Places to Take Kids in Denmark, City by City

If you are planning your own Denmark trip, here are the family stops worth building your days around. These are the ones we loved and the ones high on every family’s do not miss list.

Copenhagen

• Tivoli Gardens, the dreamy old amusement park right in the heart of the city
• Den Blaa Planet, the largest aquarium in Northern Europe
• Nyhavn, the rainbow harbor, ideally with a canal boat ride
• Nationalmuseet, the national museum, with a wonderful hands on children’s section
• The Little Mermaid, quick to see but the kids love hunting her down
• Harbor swimming. If the weather is nice, head to where the locals hang out along the harbor and the river, find a ladder, and jump in. Jake did and it was the highlight of his week. Just stay near a ladder so you can climb back out.

Billund

• LEGO House, the home of the brick and worth every single minute
• Legoland Billund, the original, where it all began

Hidden Gems the Kids Loved (You Have to Know About These)

• Trelleborg Viking Fortress, a real Viking ring fortress you can walk right into. Hardly any tourists make it here, and my kids did not want to leave.
• Panzermuseum East, a tank museum that completely captivated the kids, history and machines up close. One of those places you only find if you know to look. panzermuseumeast.dk

If You Have More Time

• Odense, the storybook hometown of Hans Christian Andersen, plus the Funen Village open air museum
• Aarhus, with Den Gamle By living history town and the rainbow walkway atop the ARoS art museum

Planning your own Denmark trip with kids? That is what I do. Here is how working with me actually works, or come plan your trip with me. 💙