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Guide · Copenhagen

Copenhagen with kids

Copenhagen is built around the assumption that families cycle, and once you accept that, the city opens up. Cargo bikes with a box on the front are ordinary here, they can be hired, and a child who would refuse to walk another step will happily sit in one for an hour. Distances that look awkward on foot become trivial.

Water is the second theme and the one to think about. The city is threaded with canals and harbour edges, most of them unfenced, and the harbour baths swim directly in the water. It is safe and well supervised in the designated spots, but the general absence of railings takes some adjusting to with a toddler.

The third thing is cost. Copenhagen is expensive, and eating out with a family adds up quickly. The playgrounds, parks and harbour swimming are free, which is where most of a good day here actually happens.

Open Copenhagen on the map

Family places in Copenhagen

🎠Activities 3

  • Christiansborg PalaceThe seat of the Danish parliament on the islet of Slotsholmen, with royal reception rooms and a tower you can ride up for free for one of the best views in the city. The underground ruins beneath the palace are interesting for older children. Free under 18.
    Indoor
    Official website
  • NyhavnThe well-known canal lined with brightly painted townhouses and old wooden ships, where Hans Christian Andersen once lived. Good for an ice cream, watching the boats and starting a canal tour. Free to wander and stroller-friendly.
    FreeOutdoor space
  • The Little MermaidThe small bronze statue of Hans Christian Andersen's mermaid on a rock by the harbour, and one of Copenhagen's best-known landmarks. A quick photo stop (smaller than many expect) on a waterfront walk near Amalienborg. Free.
    FreeOutdoor space
    Official website

🏛️Museums 5

  • ExperimentariumA hands-on science centre across several floors in Hellerup, just north of the centre, with a bubble area, a bed of nails, a woodland play zone and a rooftop with city and coast views. Children can easily spend half a day.
    Games
    Official website
  • Museum of IllusionsA hands-on, photo-friendly museum of optical illusions and trick rooms on the main pedestrian street. Suitable across ages and a handy central stop in bad weather.
    Games
    Official website
  • National Museum (Children's Museum)Denmark's main history museum, with a dedicated Children's Museum where children dress up, board a Viking ship and explore role-play spaces, plus the hands-on 'Ka-Ching' money game. Free under 18.
    FreeGames
    Official website
  • The Round Tower (Rundetårn)A 17th-century tower climbed by a wide spiralling ramp rather than stairs, which children enjoy running up. The top gives a view over the old rooftops, with an observatory and a gallery on the way. Free under 17. Pushchairs cannot reach the viewing platform but can be left below.
    Indoor
    Official website
  • Tycho Brahe PlanetariumA dome cinema and space exhibition by the lakes, with immersive films about the universe (in English and Danish) and interactive displays. Best for school-age children; check the film times on arrival.
    Indoor
    Official website

🏰Castles 2

  • Amalienborg PalaceHome of the Danish royal family, four palaces set around a square. The daily changing of the guard takes place around noon. Part of it is a museum (free under 18), and the square itself is free.
    Outdoor
    Official website
  • Rosenborg CastleA Renaissance castle in the King's Garden, holding the Danish crown jewels in its basement treasury and royal rooms above. Combine it with a run around the garden and its dragon playground. Free under 18.
    Play area
    Official website

🎡Theme Parks 2

  • BakkenOne of the world's oldest amusement parks, in the deer-park woods north of the city, with a wooden roller coaster, fairground rides, games and food. Free to enter and wander, with pay-per-ride or a wristband. Pairs well with a walk among the free-roaming deer of Dyrehaven.
    FreeGames
    Official website
  • Tivoli GardensA 19th-century amusement park in the centre of the city, with rides ranging from gentle carousels to coasters, plus gardens, live music and food. It looks especially good once the lights come on at night. A child wristband covers the rides.
    Play areaGames
    Official website

🦁Zoo & Animals 1

  • Copenhagen ZooOne of Denmark's most visited attractions, with over 4,000 animals, an elephant house designed by Norman Foster, and a children's zoo where animals can be met. Large and green, and easily a half to full day. Near Frederiksberg Gardens.
    Play area
    Official website

🐠Aquarium 1

  • Den Blå Planet (National Aquarium)Northern Europe's largest aquarium, in a whirlpool-shaped building near the airport, with sharks, a tropical butterfly zone, sea otters and touch pools. A good rainy-day option, reachable by metro.
    Indoor
    Official website

🛝Playgrounds 7

  • Children's Traffic PlaygroundA miniature city in Fælledparken with real roads, traffic lights and roundabouts, where children borrow bikes and helmets for free (up to 130cm) and pedal around. Check the opening hours.
    Free
    Official website
  • King's Garden Playground (Kongens Have)A dragon-themed playground in the city's oldest royal garden, with carved wooden dragons, bridges over a sand moat and a hatching egg. Best for younger ones, with toilets and changing facilities nearby.
    FreeUp to age 4
  • Konditaget Lüders (Rooftop Playground)A red playground and outdoor gym on the roof of a car park in Nordhavn, with trampolines over ventilation shafts, monkey bars, swinging benches and harbour views. Reached by lift or stairs, and better for older children. Open 7:00-2:00.
    FreeAges 6+
    Official website
  • Nature Playground, ValbyparkenA large 20,000-square-metre nature playground in Valbyparken on the city's edge, with outdoor challenges and obstacles set among gardens and space to picnic. Free parking and plenty of room to roam.
    Free
    Official website
  • SkydebanehavenA playground tucked behind an old shooting-range wall in Vesterbro, with a large parrot slide, boats, teepees, free scooters and bikes, an indoor games room and a summer toddler splash pool. Toilets and a snack shop on site.
    Free
    Official website
  • Superkilen ParkA colourful public space in Nørrebro, known for its wavy black-and-white square, a bike hill, swings, a skate area and objects gathered from around the world. Open and free, and a design-led stop.
    FreeAges 3+
    Official website
  • Tower Playground, FælledparkenA playground in Fælledparken with climbable replicas of Copenhagen's towers and spires, plus a steep slide. Shaded by trees, with toilets and small football pitches. Indoor craft and activities in summer.
    FreeUp to age 10
    Official website

⭐Local Tips 1

  • LEGO Store (Strøget)Denmark's flagship LEGO shop on the main pedestrian street, with large LEGO sculptures, building stations and limited-edition sets. Free to walk in and play.
    Indoor

🍔Kids Restaurants 3

  • Bageriet BenjiBakery with cardamom buns and Danish pastries. Seating inside. Busy at weekends.
    Indoor
    Official website
  • POPL BurgerA casual burger restaurant from the team behind Noma, with small kids' burger platters and a relaxed, family-friendly feel. In winter there is an open-air ice rink next door.
    Terrace
    Official website
  • Torvehallerne MarketA glass-roofed food market with over 60 stalls, from smørrebrød and pastries to tacos and empanadas, with seating around the hall. Lively without being too loud, and useful when everyone wants something different.
    Terrace
    Official website

See everything we have mapped in Copenhagen

Practical tips

  • Hire a cargo bikeIt is the local solution to exactly your problem. Lanes are separated from traffic and the city is flat.
  • Mind the unfenced edgesCanal and harbour sides are often open right to the water. Worth a rule agreed before you set off rather than in the moment.
  • Spend on one thingPrices are high, so pick a single paid attraction for the trip and lean on the free playgrounds and parks for the rest.

The city playgrounds are worth seeking out in their own right. Several are designed by architects and are closer to public sculpture than to standard equipment.