What to do in Copenhagen with kids?

Citytripping with kids, that quickly seems like a contradiction in terms, but it defnitely doesn’t have to be that way! The key is preparation! Of course our kids prefer to spend the whole day in a hotel by and in the pool, until their fingers are so wrinkled that they seem to have reached their old age. And yet -despite their preference- we take every opportunity to go out for a cityvisit. Because a day in the city can be just as much fun as a day at the pool, and a bit spicier, too. And so we strolled through Copenhagen!

Rock that boat in Copenhagen

We had little time to explore the city. So we went straight for 'the overview'. You probably know the phenomenon of the 'hop on hop off' bus that transports you through the city and covers all the tourist attractions. This also exists in Copenhagen, with the small addition of the 'hop on hop off boat'. Copenhagen is called the Venice of the North because of the presence of so many inland waterways. You'd better make use of that! You can hop on at different places, we boarded in Nyhavn, perhaps the most recognizable place of Copenhagen with its colored houses and numerous restaurants and bars nearby. The boats that organize tours are waiting for you exactly there and sail out every half hour. For people who like to take matters into their own hands: you can also rent boats to drive yourself. On sunny days it's best to be there on time (we unfortunately just missed out).

Visit Tivoli

World heritage is the right word. Tivoli is worthy of the name because not only is it one of the oldest amusement parks in the world (1843), it is also known far beyond Denmark and Walt Disney himself visited it in the 1950s to get inspiration for his own Disney parks (and we all know how great that turned out!).Although the amusement park has obviously evolved - and thus has some super cool roller coasters on offer - the charm of its history has been carefully kept in mind. The more than 100,000 atmospheric lights that are lit at night obviously help to create that unique atmosphere. On a city trip with children? Piece of cake with a stop as in Tivoli!

Kopenhagen streetfood paradise

Delicious, sustainable and organic street food is quickly gaining huge ground in Copenhagen. Street food is not only hip, it's also super easy and let an easy lunch be exactly what you're looking for when you're on the road with kids! We chose -because we were lucky with a blissful sunshine- Reffen. It is located in a suburb and the atmosphere is industrial and quirky, at first sight not exactly the place where you go with children. But... Bas and Elodie loved it there. Bas was triggered by the cool vibes and the skate influences, Elodie was mainly focused on the food. Delicious it was! We got spring rolls at one stall and sushi at another. We ate sweet potato fries and homemade mayonnaise to finish with shaved ice. Some other great spots for delicious street food can be found here:

Værftets Madmarked

Boltens Food Court

The Bridge Street Kitchen

Tivoli Food Hall

Best places to run, skate and climb!

Although Copenhagen is located fairly north and so you can assume that the weather doesn't immediately encourage outdoor living, we were very pleasantly surprised at the outdoor culture that prevails there anyway. From the moment the sun warms the area with its rays, the whole city apparently moves outdoors. The atmosphere that is then created is vintage holidays. We often walked past squares and usually there was something to do. We found a skate park, Superkilen, where Bas could see his skate heroes at work while Elodie enjoyed herself on the playground equipment on the other side of the road. A little further on we also found one of Copenhagen's most famous Instagram hotspots where lines snaked across the ground and children slalomed between them on scooters. There was also playground equipment for the little ones, so that they could climb, clamber and slide to their heart's content.

More playground fun can be found in the following places:

Konditaget Lüders

Nørrebroparken

Skydebanehaven

Changing of the Guard in Amaliënborg

Amaliaborg is the winter residence of the royal family. The palace is built around a large square with the statue of King Frederick V in the middle. That in itself is not really interesting for children (they often see statues and large buildings), but what could fascinate them is the changing of the guard. Every day at noon the guards of the royal palace are relieved and there is an impressive ceremony. It can best be compared with the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace in London, only here there are slightly fewer people watching.