Christiansborg Palace
Location
Essentials
- Experience 800 years of history
- Explore Royal state rooms
- Learn more with a guided tour
Practical info
Includes
Access to Royal Reception Rooms, Royal Kitchen, Royal Stables, and the Ruins
Optional guided tours (depending on availability)
Children
Free entry for 0-17 year olds without a ticket, when accompanied by a paying adult
Opening hours
Royal Reception Rooms, Royal Kitchens & the Ruins:
Monday – Sunday: 10.00 - 17.00
Royal Stables:
Monday - Sunday: 13.30 - 16.00
Ticket information
Ticket directly available on smartphone
Tickets can be rescheduled or cancelled up to 48 hours in advance
Rooms at Christiansborg Palace might without notice be closed in connection with the Royal Family’s use of the palace
More information
If there are wheelchair and walker users among the visitors, please inform the Palace Administration before the visit
For questions about the product, please contact [email protected]
Accessibility
Getting there
Public Transport
The nearest stop is Gammel Strand (metro M3 & M4 and bus 2A, 23, 26, 31 & 37).
About
A centre of power open to the public
Christiansborg Palace is both a royal palace and a government building. It is the only building in the world to house all three of a country’s branches of government, the executive, legislative and judicial (Supreme Court). And several parts of the building are still in use by the Danish monarch.
As it centralises the different powers within Denmark, the building is often used as a metonym for the Danish political system. However, parts of the building in use by the government are not open to the public. You can however visit the Royal Reception Rooms with The Great Hall and the Queen's tapestries, The Royal Kitchen, The Ruins under the palace and Christiansborg Palace Chapel.
Royalty and ruins
During your visit to Christiansborg Palace you can explore the royal rooms and ruins on your own or choose to take a guided tour. The Royal Reception Rooms are used by the King of Denmark to receive foreign kings, queens and presidents. The Great Hall is where the King hosts magnificent gala dinners, it’s walls are decorated 17 colourful tapestries which represent 1100 years of Danish history.
The Royal Kitchen have been restored to how they looked during the reign of king Christian X. Here you can follow the preparations for a gala dinner to mark the king’s Silver Jubilee on the 15 May 1937, which catered to 275 guests. The Palace Chapel is usually only open on Sunday except in July when it is open all week.
The current palace is the third building on this site and under it you can visit the ruins of both Bishop Absalon’s Castle (1167) and Copenhagen Castle (14th-century). The largest ruin is the curtain wall from Bishop Absalon’s Castle, which protected the castle from Wendish pirates.
Buy tickets to visit Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace is the city centre of Copenhagen, and has been so for over 800 years. This is the place to visit to truly feel Danish history. If you prefer to explore the different parts of the palace on your own instead of waiting for a guided tour to start, you can use the Useeum app.
It has free audio guides about the tapestries, the Royal Reception Rooms, the Ruins under the palace and a tour outside the building. For those who enjoy a good puzzle, the app also has a free scavenger hunt “The Museum Mystery”, where you can help prevent the theft of one of Christiansborg Palace’s invaluable treasures. The app is available in English, Danish, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian and Chinese.
Reviews
171 reviews
Good experience
Visited here on our first full day in the city. A beautiful attraction to visit where you can spend hours, and included in the Copenhagen Card. It had good attendance but not too busy. Overall, definitely worth a visit when you're in the city.
A Truly Royal Experience
Multiple locations in the slot to check out including the undercellars, tower, kitchens, and stables. Lines for the tower start early and get long. The underground exhibits were the most interesting for us.
Unique inspirational symbolism
Christiansborg Palace is impressive on its own, but the real revelation lies beneath it. The medieval ruins section is one of the most compelling historical experiences in Copenhagen—not because of what it shows, but how it shows it. What makes it exceptional is the “living preservation” concept. You’re not looking at ruins isolated behind glass or reconstructed into something artificial. Instead, the past is embedded directly beneath the present, almost structurally supporting it. Walking through the remains of earlier castles, you get a rare, almost physical sense of continuity—layer upon layer of Danish history, each era quite literally built on top of the previous one. There’s something intellectually and emotionally striking about standing in those dim, stone corridors and realizing that modern Denmark—the functioning state above you—has risen from these very foundations. It’s not just preservation; it’s integration. The ruins aren’t treated as relics of a dead past, but as an active part of a long, uninterrupted national narrative. Above ground, Christiansborg Palace tells a different but equally powerful story. There are certainly more spectacular, opulent palaces across Europe—places that overwhelm with grandeur and excess. Christiansborg is not that. Its significance lies in something far more distinctive: the seamless coexistence of monarchy, parliament, and the seat of government within a single structure. That institutional convergence is rare, and deeply symbolic. It reflects a model of governance where tradition and democracy are not in tension but in dialogue. The Crown, the legislature, and the executive are not just abstract concepts—they are physically housed together, under one roof. In that sense, Christiansborg is not merely a palace; it is a built expression of Danish democracy itself—measured, integrated, and quietly confident.
Don't Let Poor Signage Put You Off
After a frustrating start asking numerous workers at the Palace where the sites were, we finally found the entrance. The royal residences and reception rooms were fabulous reflecting an age of wealth and power. Each room was filled with ornate ceilings, chandeliers, enormous portraits, parquetry floors and magnificent furniture, all very much part of a working Palace. The kitchen was well presented and interesting, especially the recorded interview with the former head chef. The Ruins were well preserved and the scale surprising. Unfortunately the stables weren't open at the time but the magnificent royal horses were training instead. It is a must see for Copenhagen.
Magnificent palace with sumptuous rooms
This was my favorite attraction in Copenhagen. It's jaw-droppingly beautiful, and what made it particularly interesting for me is that it's still in use. You're not just looking at something from the past, but a palace currently used to host events. I joined a free guide in English and appreciated getting additional background on all I was seeing. If you do one thing in Copenhagen, see this!
Cool
Christiansborg Slot was among the best building in the inner circle of the downtown. It looked very gorgeous and also very well preserved! A must to see!
Unmissable. A brilliant experience.
A fantastic experience. I was able to wonder through the royal and state apartments and experience the rooms that are still used to this day as well as rooms used by kings and queens from Danish royal history. The video at the very start is well-worth watching. It shows the palace itself on the day that the current King was proclaimed on the very balcony that you will stand next to after the video. This really brings it to life. This really is unmissable. One thing that might make the visitor experience better would be a few pop-up signs that show the visitor where to go when outside the venue.. At the moment there is very little wayfinding and signage and I walked around for a while before having to ask someone. That said, this did not ruin what was a brilliant visit. Thank you.
The Castle of the Danish Kings.
Last year I went with my family to Christianborg Palace in Copenhagen, the residence of Danish rulers since the 18th century. This palace, which also houses the Danish parliament, is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful in Europe. The mixture of Baroque, Neoclassical and Neobaroque styles makes it unique, its interior rich in gilding and unique painting, making this Palace a true European architectural and historical marvel. The visit to the palace is wonderful, rich in discovery. Being able to visit the castle underground adds something atypical to the experience of the visit. I loved being able to observe the entire city of Copenhagen from the top of the palace tower, which is 106 meters high, making it the highest in Copenhagen. I sincerely recommend visiting the palace for all history lovers and for anyone who would like to experience Copenhagen from a unique angle.
Recommended
We visited Christiansborg Palace with the Copenhagen Card. Entry was very straightforward – you just follow the signs to the Royal Reception Rooms, where your card is scanned right away and your visit begins. You are given blue shoe covers to protect the floors and carpets, and the reception rooms themselves are stunning – definitely a highlight and highly recommended. On the same site, you can also visit the ruins (less my thing), the royal stables (with many carriages on display), and the royal kitchens (really fun to see). It’s best to check the official website for opening hours, as these can differ for each section. At every entrance, you simply scan your Copenhagen Card again and your visit continues smoothly.
Impressive
Two adults visited Christiansborg Slot while on free time during a 2 week bus tour of Scandinavia in late August and thoroughly enjoyed our time there. We took the 40 minute tour in English at 3pm that covered the royal reception rooms. Wow, just wow, is our best description of the Palace. The guide was great and the rooms were extraordinary. We also visited the Ruins Under Christiansborg archeological exhibit tracing the history of the site. Very well done with the downloadable audio guide and local free Wi-Fi.
STUNNING INTERIOR
The palace is massive and absolutely stunning on the interior. Every room is filled with beautiful furnishings, paintings and tapestries. One building contains the remnants of the original fortress which is quite interesting and well displayed. As an aficionado of old clocks, I was thrilled with the many vintage clocks throughout the palace. We went toward the end of the day and there were minimal visitors at that time which was great.
Don’t miss to visit
An amazing palace to visit when be in Copenhagen. The showrooms in palace are amazing. You can read detailed history of events related with royal family of Denmark. In the combined ticket are also included royal stables, palace’s kitchen and ruins under the castle. In section of ruins under the castle you can learn about medieval history of castle and Denmark. Combine ticket price is DKK215 pp, approximately £25.00 pp. Definitely a good value for money. Approximately visit of time is from one to two hours.
Beautiful Architecture
We did not go into the building but enjoyed the majestic castles facade and the beautiful architecture surrounding the castle. Take a nice stroll down by the nearby river.
Interesting place to visit
Highly recommend a visit to this palace that was once the home of the Royal Family and now houses the parliament and supreme court. There is a lot to see and the Royal Reception Rooms are beautiful - they are still used for meetings with foreign ambassadors and the throne room which leads on to the balcony is where the kings and queens of Denmark are proclaimed. We particularly enjoyed visiting the Great Hall where the Queen's tapestries are hung around the walls and cover the past 1,000 years of Danish history. We also visited the ruins under the palace and the palace kitchens.
Amazing complex to visit
This is a must see attraction when visiting Copenhagen for 2-3 hours. You can see inside the palace where the Danish royal family used to reside and is still used for some functions. Furthermore, you can see the original foundations of the old castle from a thousand years ago while also visiting the stables and kitchen.
Different tours and entrances
This is a huge palace. We got the city pass to enter all the castles. Just check online, get entry times, and if any events are scheduled. You normally have to check in to locker backpacks. It's a simple process. The guard checks for tickets. You walk through different parts of the castle kitchen. Stables. Ruins, reception rooms. There are gift shops as well. There are audio guides in some parts of the castle. Old memoirs and photos.
Would recommend
We enjoyed the tour of the ruins underneath the current castle. It was very interesting to see the origins of the current castle. We did not spend a long time in the ruins. The castle is lovely. We had a tour guide show us around. You got to go through many rooms. The tapestries that were made for Queen Margrethe were incredible. After touring the castle we went up into the tower to see the views. We did not have to wait terribly long, but it was 5 p.m. on Sunday. We were unable to go to the gift shop at the Castle because they closed by 4:45 p.m. even though they had said they closed at 5 p.m.
2 quite different exhibitions worth visiting
We visited both the underground ruins of the previous castles on the sure and the royal state rooms upstairs. Both interesting but I'm quite different ways. We particularly liked the vibrant tapestries in the state rooms. We were also slightly surprised you can see the throne room as part of general access. Note you have to wear overshoes when going around the state room, these are provided. We felt both exhibitions are big enough to be interesting and worthwhile visiting but not so big that it takes too long out that people might lose interest.
Central place
This palace is one of the main royals in the city. the area around it is a nice place to walk around It performs administrative functions as well as being open to the public. It is near the routs and and easily connected
A gorgous royal residence
The palace is the traditional home of the royals in Denmark and is incredible. The rooms are huge and so sumptiously decorated. There are interesting objects and decorations in every room and a story in them all. Lots of information about the royal family was really interesting. A lovely place.
Nice to see
Beautiful architecture. Great location. It’s worth visiting. Picturesque. It’s huge to walk around it. Older but well maintained.
Climb the Borgen tower for free and get great city views!
Climb the tower atop the Borgen building as seen in famous TV series. Amazingly, it's free and gives great views over whole of Copenhagen. One can even see the famous bridge, name given to another famous Danish murder series.
Excellent Palace to visit - Don't miss the Royal Dinner Preparation video in the Kitchen
I bought the 2:30 pm entrance tickets for all the entry areas but things like the Royal stables closed at 4 pm (not 5 pm like other parts), so it was not enough time. We got there at 4:03 pm and were escorted out. The main first area is the ruins under the castle with lots of broken walls. You can spend a lot of time here with the stories to read and narration about the poor women who were accused of witchcraft and tortured and imprisoned. We did have trouble finding our way out and had to backtrack the way we came. If you are claustrophobic or don't like dark underground areas, you may want to skip this part. Also, there is no seating if you have trouble walking and standing. We did spend too much time there when there was so much else to see and could have saw the stables if we had not been reading most of the signs/listening to the audio. Make sure you go to the bathroom by the ticket area, since there are not bathrooms in the ruin areas and they are quite extensive with other associated exhibit areas. You will need to walk to the different buildings to see everything. At the castle, we enjoyed seeing the guided tour of the Royal Reception rooms and dining areas. My favorite was seeing the kitchen area and watching the video about how the food is planned and prepared at the kitchen of another castle then brought here and re-heated and assembled and served. There is another area with Orders given to the royalty by royalty of other countries, medals, ceremonial robes. Excellent palace to visit and see all the areas. The changing of the guard was especially good since they march to different guarded entrances to relieve the guard which gives you several opportunities to get a good view without a bunch of people and phones blocking your shot. Through the window of the palace, I saw a man with lots of medals on his suit and a well dressed lady watching the changing of the guard and tourists. I was excited at seeing some of the Royal Family or other dignitary, but I was also grateful that I am a commoner and could look out the windows of my house in my pajamas without having hundreds of tourists taking pictures and videos of me.
Borgen comes to life!
If you’ve watched Borgen this is a must! Visited the royal apartments which are very well organised and maintained (to the point they give you shoe covers before entry!). To be able to stand behind the balcony inside the royal apartments is great. The only throne room left in Danish history is also here. Highly recommended. Takes around an hour, but there are other parts of Christiansborg to visit other than just the Royal Apartments - you can climb the tower for example.
The City's Palace and Castle
A very impressive castle and it's in the middle of town, so very easy to get to. It is very large and is set on a big open square, so many people are set up taking their photos here, and for a good reason.
Lots to see
There are so many areas to see that we had to pass on the stables and chapel but did see the horses pulling a carriage or two. The royal apartments and kitchens are interesting but the underground ruins are not quite as interesting unless you are into witches and magic!
Must visit attraction
We visited the stables, ruins and reception rooms which were all worth visiting using the Discovery Copenhagen card. The reception rooms were very impressive and a delight to walk around
Royalty & Government.
Showcasing around 900 hundred years of Copenhagen's important Governmental and Royal History this is easily worth the purchase of the CPH alone. First there is the tower and it's amazing views of the City from all sides - this is free and worth the lift / climb to the top. Next is the extensive foundations of the various previous buildings. Informative narratives and atmospheric lighting and audio adds to the experience. This took at least 45 mins to an hour and is vast. Finally the palace and its state rooms is a must for anyone who enjoys heritage tours of stately homes and the like. Notably the modern tapestries in the main hall, spot the scenes and faces across the vast room and its contents. A self -guided tour was our choice as we made our way around.
Lots to see with the stables, rooms, ruins and kitchen all offering something different.
Every aspect of our visit was perfect! We visited the Royal Reception Rooms, the ruins under the castle, the Royal Stables and the Royal Kitchen - once we worked out how to get in to the building! We accessed all the buildings using our Copenhagen Card making it good value. There was so much history and it was all presented so well without being overwhelming. Every aspect was different and we couldn’t fault any aspect. We spent around three hours here and being right next to a Metro station helped too.
Absolutely worth a visit
We spent a good 2.5hrs here, and it's really well put together. The ruins of the 1500's castle are particularly interesting and not only does it explain Danish history but draws in history of other countries. For us especially the UK history of the witch trails. Definitely get an audio guide, we don't normally but it gave a much deeper insight. The royal reception rooms are also a must. A particular portrait really brought to live the Danish royal family and connections to so many other royal families such as the Tsar of Russia, the UK royal family and others. The route you take is very well thought out do you don't miss anything There are plenty of toilets and lockers for belongings. Each area has its own entrance fee but it's included in the Copenhagen card. Definitely worth a visit
"Beautiful rooms" above & "structural remnants" below :)
Among the "royal reception rooms" almost all of "spacious sizes" and also with sizeable "paintings & tapestries" (although not a palace with various-sized royal apartments & such as was seen in some other palaces visited elsewhere in Europe but yes not a unique one either having visited apart from this palace those in similar settings with just large rooms), quite nicely seen were: the library room with a fairly-impressive number of books in display cases; the dining room with a great-length table long enough I would say for like a royal banquet & such; the room with quite a number of "sizeable & colorful" tapestries (which yes is my favorite room in this palace for quite an outstanding feature among those tapestries which is their "brightness of colors"!); the room quite appropriately named as "velvet room" with these huge-sized velvet fabrics in frames displayed on the walls; and the throne room with chairs for the King & the Queen, the balcony on one side for like "royal viewing" on important occasions, and actually also seen in the room right beside a "TV presentation" of the King & the Prime Minister addressing a large crowd below (from the balcony as just mentioned). And with 3 other areas on my all-inclusive ticket apart from the "reception rooms", it was some nice learning of the palace history at the "underground ruins" with still-somewhat-extensive remnants (like stretches of walls & such) of the 2 castles once existed on the same site (& also many info displays, miniature models & a documentary show), and just for a quick walk-around was at the "royal kitchen" which is mainly just one big room with many "big pots & big spoons" on display but where I also saw a "small food-elevator" (to send up food to the upper floors of the Palace), and yes pretty much just for a skip was the "royal stable" after deciding not to wait for its opening in the afternoon (but actually having seen some small open-coach drawn by a number of horses going around in like a circle on the open ground right in front of the stable in the early morning while waiting for the Palace to open). And yes, as for the 2 "free areas" within the premises of the Palace, it was a brief stop at the "royal chapel" (with a moderate size & just quite a "plain interior"), but seeing a long queue of people was at the bottom of the "viewing platform" which I decided not to go up (in any case at the end of visit on my way out). About a half-hour walk from the area of the Copenhagen Central Station where I stayed and with also like a canal which "goes around" this palace (with a few bridges to cross to get to here & from here after departing), I headed afterward for about another 10 minutes to Nyhavn (a "beautiful stretch" along a canal with colorful heritage buildings on both sides and just quite a lively scene both in the canal with many boats & on land with many establishments lined up along the stretch).
Christiansborg Castle
The historical artifacts, the royal history of Denmark and walking through a castle that is hundreds of years old was quite enjoyable. We visited with the Copenhagen Card which allowed us entry into all of the different areas. The ruins under the castle were a unique thing to see.
A one hour visit
A very beautiful place to visit. My friend took me here and shared quite a bit of Danish history about this place and the royal family. I went on a Saturday afternoon around 3pm in January and I was surprised that the place wasn't very busy. I was able to walk around at a leisurely pace without having to navigate around large crowds. Total time of visit was probably just a bit over an hour.
Early Start
Got there at opening time (a bit earlier) and got some photos without a lot of people around. Getting there at opening also gets you to the front of the ticket line - worth thinking about.
Ease of viewing
Not lavishly furnished the attraction here is mostly the rooms themselves, large, high ceilings, a grand Palace. With large rooms and not at all busy you could have a pleasant stroll around at your own pace. The ruins under the castle, the foundations of previous structures were quite well done with the witchcraft and magic theme. 122835.
Great Experience!
Really enjoyed going through the different parts of the Palace, old kitchen was fascinating to see, would have been something to see in its day with a feast being served. Also, royal stables excellent along with all the horse and carriages throughout the years. For me this was one of the top 3 attractions that I visited in Copenhagen. Ps, make sure you get the map of the complex.
The best palace
My favourite visit of the trip. The security staff were lovely and the Palace was beautiful inside and out. You can also visit the ruins underneath and the old kitchen. Buy a Copenhagen card before you go to get free entry to all museums, attractions and the boat rides.
Great
This was a lovely collection of a few different things to see like the kitchens and stables. All need a separate ticket so you don't need to do all in the same day or entry time. It was really nice to see the horses up close in the stables as well as the reception rooms etc
Lots to do
Had a great visit here. Used the Copenhagen Card, to get entry into the reception rooms, ruins, kitchen and stables. All four were really informative. The ruins had a great witchcraft exhibition, the kitchens were decorated for Christmas, the Palace has a great guide and the stable had a wonderful collection of carriages. Would definitely recommend as a must visit in Copenhagen.
The underground palace is worth a visit.
Came here but didn't have a lot of time so we did the underground part of the palace which was informative and something different to do. Was worth the money and recommend.
Christiansborg Palace: A Royal Tapestry of Color and Elegance
Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen offers a feast for the eyes, especially in its use of color and tapestries. The tapestries are not only works of art but vibrant displays of Denmark’s history, with rich hues that contrast beautifully against the palace’s regal walls. Each room has its own unique palette, with deep reds, golds, and blues creating a luxurious and inviting atmosphere. The careful coordination of colors with furniture and decor enhances the sense of elegance throughout, making the palace both visually striking and historically captivating.
Great On A Rainy Day.
The rooms that we could tour a Christian org palace were good , but we really liked the kitchen and the stables. The stables had the royal horses and a large collection of royal carriages from over the years. And it was interesting just to see the kitchens, the size of them, and hear some of the stories from them.
Great views from the outside with the winter snow
Christianborg Palace comes out of no where in the city centre of Copenhagen. Access to the inner court and the tower was free but the more special areas do have a fee for entry. I preferred to walk around but each to their own!
A beautiful place in a beautiful city
A beautiful place in a beautiful city. We stopped by and saw horses hanging out outside. Hoped to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister, but no such luck!
Don't miss this castle
Visited here on our 16 day tour of Denmark with family and friends. I have been here numerous times but I still enjoy it. The horses were outside that day so that was an interesting change. Our group enjoyed the ruins the best and were amazed at the fascinating history of the castle. The kitchen also is a lot of fun.
Reccomended!
Me and some friends visited Christiansborg Slot a few years ago during the cultural night in Copenhagen. The que was miles long, but it was so worth it when we finally entered. It was nice to see the cultural events and to meet the politicians and civil servants that work there.
Not to be missed
A palace full of splendour and history which continues to be added to daily as it is used by the Prime Minister for various purposes. A great deal to see and admire but not always as much information provided as I would have liked. Fortunately, I had a guided group passing through whilst I was there and learnt a vast amount of interesting facts that brought the Palace to life for me.
My Visit
This is an great looking palace. The statue and the the building are both beautiful. We did not visit interior but the exterior looks great.
The Largest Castle, Found in the Center
This is the huge royal castle in the center of town, a must-see site. It covers a lot of land, and the royal family does spend time here. Big stone plaza in front, come use some trees or shade.
Beautiful
We thought the Palace was well worth visiting, we visited with the Copenhagen card so entry was quick and easy. We spent a good few hours there. The reception rooms were beautiful, the information cards are in Danish and English and it was easy to follow from room to room, was not crowded at all. We also visited the Stables (note the horses are away for their summer break), Kitchen and ruins.
Having doubts? You can cancel or reschedule this booking up to 48 hours in advance for free.
