Top 5 Day Trips from Copenhagen

There is tons to see and do in Copenhagen, but there are even more cool places to go for a day trip from Copenhagen. The top 5 day trips from Copenhagen include architectural marvels, historical artifacts, outdoor activities, Legos, and Sweden. You can get to Malmö, Lund, Roskilde, and Odense by train. You will need a car to go to Billund, Møns Klint, or the Forest Tower. All destinations are between a 40-minute to three-hour drive from Copenhagen making them ideal destinations for a day trip outside of the city.

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1. Malmö and Lund, Sweden

Driving across the Øresund Bridge that connects Sweden and Denmark.

Visiting Malmö and Lund are the perfect excuse to see the Øresund Bridge up close. The bridge starts in Sweden and becomes a tunnel into Denmark. The Öresund Tunnel is the world’s largest when measured by volume. The tunnel accommodates four lanes of cars and two train tracks! The bridge and tunnel are 16 km long!

Malmö

Malmö is the third largest city in Sweden. Adding a day trip from Copenhagen to Malmö gets you the chance to visit Sweden on your trip.

Malmöhus Castle is a 15 minute walk from the Malmö Central Station. The Malmöhus Castle is the oldest preserved Renaissance castle in the Nordic. Admission is between 0 to 100 SEK depending on your status (adult/student/child).

Malmö can be explored on your own, though you may want to try a bike tour, a walking tour, or a canal sightseeing boat.

Be sure to visit Lilla Torg, a historical market square, for lunch or dinner.

Lund

Lund Cathedral dates to 1123 CE. The highlight of a visit to Lund Cathederal is the astronomical clock, dating from 1425. The clock springs into action at noon and 3 pm. I suggest visiting to see the clock. The cathedral also includes a crypt, which visitors can tour. Admission is free.

Kulturen in Lund has indoor and open air exhibits about how Swedish people have lived over time. There are several buildings that you can enter to see the different kinds of homes people have lived in historically in the region.

How to Visit Malmö or Lund

You can take the train from Copenhagen Central Station to Malmö Central Station. The train takes about 40 minutes and costs about $31 USD one-way.

You can also take a train from Copenhagen Central Station to Lund. This train takes about 54 minutes and costs about $34 USD one-way.

Malmö is a 40-minute drive from Copenhagen and Lund is about another 20 minutes. If you drive, the toll to use the Øresund Bridge is 505 DKK (one-way).

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How to Visit Both Malmö or Lund in One Day

You have two main options for visiting both Malmö and Lund in one day. If you have access to a car, then driving makes it possible to see both cities very easily. If driving, drive to Lund first to visit Kulture in Lund, see the clock at the cathedral, and have lunch. Then drive to Malmö to see the Malmöhus Castle, have a tour of the city, and eat dinner before returning to Copenhagen.

Another option is to take a tour from Copenhagen, such as the positively reviewed Malmö & Lund Tour, Crossing the Øresund Bridge to Sweden.

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2. Roskilde, Denmark

The remains of a viking boat in Roskilde, Denmark. — The remains of a viking boat at the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Denmark.

You could spend a full-day or a half-day in Roskilde. We made it a stop on our drive from Copenhagen to Billund and spent less than a half-day. The Viking Ship Museum is worth visiting.

How much time you spend here depends on your interest and the members of your group. There are some interactive exhibits that younger visitors may want to spend more time doing. If you want to do a one-hour sailing trip on the Roskilde Fjord, you should plan to arrive early because those tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis.

The Roskilde Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Cathedral is the burial grounds for many kings and queens of Denmark.

How to Visit Roskilde

Roskilde is about a 40-minute drive from Copenhagen or a 20-minute train ride to Roskilde Station costing about $8.50 USD one-way. Other options include taking a tour, such as Roskilde Cathedral, Vikings Ship & Frederiksborg.

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3. Odense, Denmark

Odense is the hometown of Hans Christian Andersen and the third largest city in Denmark.

You can visit the Hans Christian Andersen House, which focuses on the stories he told and his childhood home.

If time permits, you could also take an Odense River cruise or do a two-hour walking tour of Odense.

How to Visit Odense

Odense is a two-hour drive from Copenhagen or about an hour-and-a-half by train (about $52 USD each way).

🚅Book your train tickets to Odense at Rail Europe by clicking here!

4. Billund, Denmark

A giant red, blue, and yellow Lego brick in front of the Lego House — The author’s daughter at standing on the iconic Red, Blue, and Yellow Lego bricks in front of the Lego House in Billund, Denmark.

Billund is home to Lego and several amusement parks. For a longer day trip from Copenhagen, I recommend visiting the Lego House. There is also a Legoland park, but these exist in ten other locations around the world.

The Lego House is a must-see if you are a Lego fan. They sell exclusive products here (though they rotate, so you will not be able to buy all of the exclusive product on your visit).

Every visitor gets a unique Lego souvenir, which is a set of six red bricks and pattern for you to build that is one-of-a-kind. With advance planning, you can bnok a table with Mini Chef, where you use Lego bricks to order your food.

You can spend all day building Legos at various spots at the Lego House. Some are interactive, in that you build a design and it shows up as an animated figure.

There is also a museum, which is very interesting to see the original toys designed by Lego and the many different Lego sets through the years. Throughout the Lego House, you will see massive Lego sculptures.

The Lego House is for people of all ages, though you will see a lot of children here.

How to Visit Billund

Billund is a three-hour drive from Copenhagen, putting it at the limit for a day trip. There is no train to Billund from Copenhagen. You could take a train part of the way and then transfer to a bus. This seems a bit much for a day trip. If you are going to Billund for the day, rent a car.

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5. The Forest Tower and Møns Klint, Denmark

The Forest Tower

The Forest Tower is at Camp Adventure in Rønnede. The tower is 45 meters high with panoramic views of the area. The tower uses ramps making it an easier climb (no steps!) and more accessible. On a clear day, you can see Copenhagen and Malmö.

Møns Klint

Møns Klint includes chalk-white cliffs towering over the sea. It is UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. If you are here at night, you can see the Milky Way because it is also a Dark Sky Park. There are numerous outdoor activities, including hiking, tree climbing, and mountain biking available here. The GeoCenter provides interactive experiences about Denmark’s natural history.

How to Visit Møns Klint and the Forest Tower

The Forest Tower is about an hour south of Copenhagen. Møns Klint is about a two-hour drive south of Copenhagen. You can stop at the Forest Tower on your way to or from Møns Klint. There is no train that will get you all the way to Møns Klint or the Forest Tower from Copenhagen. However, you can purchase a bus ticket from Copenhagen that includes a visit to Møns Klint and The Forest tower .

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