How to Visit Copenhagen and Sweden in One Weekend

For those of you as geographically confused as I am, yes Sweden is only 20 minutes from Copenhagen, Denmark. No, I did not know this until my friend who had gone told me so.

If you are only in Copenhagen for the weekend, your time can easily be split up between the two countries. Copenhagen is surprisingly walkable, and can certainly be done in one day, along with a day trip to Malmo, Sweden.

A weekend goes by quick, so here is what I recommend to maximize your time as much as possible.

Day One/Two: Copenhagen, Denmark

Fuel Up

You will be doing lots of walking today my friends. We stopped at this local restaurant that our Airbnb host recommended to us, named Overfor.

I’ve never felt so fancy eating boiled eggs in my life, and neither will you. Also the pricing was not bad at all for what you get. We loved this place so much we came back twice in our stay.

Explore the Tivoli Gardens

Tivoli Gardens is the world’s second-oldest operating amusement park. The park opened in 1843 and it is the second-most visited amusement park in Europe.

Admission is 15 euros and at the time we were prioritizing what we wanted to spend our money on, so we didn’t actually go inside. If you have kids or the extra money I would definitely go. We got a sneak peek of the gardens inside and they looked BEAUTIFUL.

Granted the picture above was sneakily taken through a fence, but only you guys have to know that.

Climb the “Church of Our Savior” Spire

This spire is located in the Christianshavn district and is only a five-euro entrance fee. Climb 400 steps and you get some of the best views of the city.

Experience Freetown Christiania

I’m not sure how to begin to explain this place, and could probably write a whole blog post on it.

Christiania, a former site for military barracks, is now a self-proclaimed autonomous neighborhood of 850 residents.

Christiania flies its own flag, makes their own rules, and is the only place in Denmark where it is “legal” to sell and distribute weed.

I honestly have no idea how this place works, but basically it is a hippie haven and an absolute must-see. You really will never experience anything else like it.

Walking around, you will see all types of people. I thought it was hilarious because families were there with their kids, and I saw more parents than I probably should have make their kids take pictures with this sign:

Now, there are three rules in Christiania that you should pay attention to:

1) Have Fun

2) Don’t Run

3) No Photos

If I were you, I would direct your attention to rule number 3. You absolutely CANNOT take pictures of or on “Pusher Street”. This is the street they creatively named in which they distribute and sell weed. You can take pictures everywhere else, but this street is a big no-no. There are clear signs, so you will know once this street is coming up.

Even though I was well aware of this rule, I, of course, tried to take a picture.

As I was putting my phone away, I saw a man wearing all black, sunglasses, and a black baseball cap emerge out of the corner of my eye. This ninja-man asked me about the pictures I had just taken, and then proceeded to watch me delete the pictures in front of him. Oops.

Christiana was definitely one for the books, and you cannot leave Copenhagen without coming here.

Trampoline Park

Basically, someone in Copenhagen decided that they should build several trampolines into the sidewalk and called it a day. I’d like to call this Denmark efficiency. Not much to say about this other than the inner child in you will be beaming. You can find these trampolines on Havnegade street, across from “Cafe Malmo”.

“The Most Beautiful Harbor in the World”: Nyhavn

If you look at pictures of Copenhagen on Instagram or Pinterest, I am sure that this is what you most likely have seen.

Nyhavn is a harbor from the 1600s, and these colorful houses used to be mansions for the wealthy.

My friend and I sat on the side of the harbor for hours, people watching and experiencing Copenhagen’s most recognizable landmark. There is no better place to wind down and end your day.

Day Trip: Malmo, Sweden

I am an avid fan of day trips. When I heard that Sweden was only 20 minutes away, of course I hopped on the opportunity, as you should too. Who doesn’t want to cross one more country off the list!?

To get here, you have to go to the Copenhagen Airport and take the train to Malmo. Trains run about every 20 minutes, so I wouldn’t worry too much about being there at a certain time. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR PASSPORT. There will be guards checking before you board the train, and guards check again before you get off the train.

Yes, that picture does say “Slutstation”.

Also, make sure your ticket is stamped because we were rudely scolded by a guard that we were going to be fined 400 euro since our ticket wasn’t stamped. Luckily we were not the only ones on the train that didn’t know we were supposed to do this, or I am sure we would have been fined.

Now, Malmo does not have many sights to see. Honestly, we just went here to say we went to Sweden.