Tips for the perfect summer in Copenhagen

Copenhagen may not be your typical summer travel destination. Despite that, the Danish capital has a lot to offer during the warmer months and delights visitors with lush greenery, beautiful beaches and glittering waterbodies.

The vibrant city life truly blooms once summer start, making Copenhagen the perfect city to spend a relaxed vacation surrounded by lush nature and exciting activities on warm summer nights. Stay active by exploring the city by bike, cherish the local food culture and attend the best festivals and cultural events of the year.

The beaches in and around Copenhagen are not the only opportunity to take a dip into the water to cool off. Did you know that the water in Copenhagen’s centre is actually so clean you can swim in it? Join the Copenhageners at the Havnebadet Islands Brygge in the heart of the city.

The venue consists of four different outdoor swimming pools, allowing you to take a refreshing break in the cool water while enjoying a scenic view of the city at the same time. The outdoor pools are accessible for free and make a unique experience to your Copenhagen itinerary.  

Copenhagen is famous for its vibrant and lively restaurant scene and what could be a better way to treat yourself to delicious food from all over the world after a long day of sightseeing? Discover the unique food culture of the city by strolling around the harbour and making your way to Reffen. This market is home to over 30 different food vendors, neatly located right at the harbourside.

The food stalls here offer delicious snacks and meals from all over the world. Here you can find homemade ice cream, African dishes with regional ingredients such as Baobab juice, fresh burgers as well as kebabs from the Middle East. Whether you want to try out something new or are craving your favourite snack, you’ll likely find it here. This is the perfect place to refuel and enjoy a refreshing drink on a warm summer day.

Hop-on hop-off buses and cycling are both great ways to explore the city but why not change it up and discover Copenhagen from a different perspective? Take a fun kayak tour through around the capital’s harbour! The area consists of many different providers to rent a kayak from.

GreenKayak offers kayaks for rent while doing good at the same time. You can jump into one the bright green kayaks for free in exchange for collecting trash around the harbour and sharing the companies mission on social media. This way the company has already been able to collect more than 42,000 kg of ocean waste!  

If you rather want to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, just take a short trip north to Jægersborg Dyrehave. This resort was previously utilized as a hunting area for Danish royalty and is nowadays protected as a UNESCO world heritage site.

Today you can find more than 2000 free range deer here as well as lush green forest, beautiful small lakes and wide landscapes. Hence, it is the ideal destination to take a break from your city trip and a long walk through nature.

Even if Copenhagen doesn’t strike you like the typical beach holiday location, the Danish capital is surrounded by plenty of beautiful places just outside the centre.

Amager Strand is easily reachable with public transport and is Copenhagen’s biggest beach. The scenic lagoon is surrounded by a dune landscape and an urban park. The beach is not only ideal for water sports or a picnic but is also the location of many cultural and other fun events during warm summer evenings.

The Svanemølle beach in Østerbro is popular among tourists and locals alike. While the sand area is relatively small you have a beautiful view over the water and the city from here, making it even the second most popular beach to spend a sunny day in the Danish capital. Nearby you can find the best pizza and ice cream to enjoy a relaxed day in the sun.  

Copenhagen’s calendar is filled with many fun festivals and cultural events during the summer months. The Vanguard Music Festival in Søndermarken is a happening right in the heart of Copenhagen. During two days the festival unites international and Danish artists under one roof with lots of love and amazing music. The festival’s setting is almost picnic-like and it features many different artists from a variety of genres, including R&B, Soul, Reggae as well as hip hop.

The Copenhagen Summer Festival on the other hand delights with classical chambers music from new, young talents and high-profile artists. The festival is an important stage for young, musical talents, the stars of tomorrow. Popular artists performing here include Herbie Hancock and Melody Gardot.

Ever since the 1950s Copenhagen has continuously built its reputation as a jazz city. The Danish capital’s distinctive connection with jazz resulted into the annual 10-day long Copenhagen Jazz Festival, one of Europe’s largest jazz festivals. It features more than 600 concerts taking place at 150 venues. You can enjoy this lavish musical celebration on the streets of Copenhagen and all over its clubs, cafes and concert halls.

In Copenhagen you can find several luscious green gardens and parks around the city. They are the ideal spots for a picnic in the grass, taking a stroll or relaxing on a sunny day. 

One of the most popular parks is King’s Garden. It lies directly next to Rosenborg Castle and was constructed under Christian IV in the 17th century. The Renaissance style garden is the oldest royal garden of the country and is especially beautiful in summer due to large beds full of colourful flowers.