Copenhagen on a budget – 24 hours in the Danish capital

Hostelworld Blog | Posted on August 12, 2015 |

Scandinavia gets a bad rap (money-wise). We’ve all heard time and time again from traveller friends about how expensive it is there. I don’t know about you, but I like to make sure I’m not going to go bankrupt just trying to experience a new city. I recently spent 24 hours in Copenhagen, and saw and did a ton without spending much money. Here’s how…

First of all let’s just pause and acknowledge the beauty of Copenhagen. The city is very bike-friendly, and the public transport is reasonably priced, clean and efficient. Great start I’d say!

I stayed at the awesome Generator Hostel close to Kongens Nytorv metro station, where you’re sure to find a cheap and great party. The hostel is packed full of adventurous people, information about the city and sights, as well as having great facilities and friendly staff. The hostel has a spacious and chilled out outdoor terrace, abundant Wi-Fi, games and even a comfy hammock!

The food was exquisite, and while of course if you’re not careful you will run out of money fast, but with a bit of careful planning you can find really excellent food that doesn’t make your wallet cry. The highlight of my Danish culinary experience was a small café called The Bookshop, which is literally a café in a classic bookshop/library space. The food was great and the vibe even better. If you want to maximise your time, grab a cheap but yummy traditional Danish hotdog on the go.

Like any capital city, the streets are brimming with art and culture. Street performers entertaining eager on lookers, pubs hosting live music and of course the priceless museum collections are always popular choices. A more subtle discovery was art commissioned by the city to transform the drab construction fences into canvases of Danish expression. Everywhere you look art installations are always changing around the city, and are paid for by funds raised by selling ad space on other construction sites. Genius!

I wanted to see as much as possible in the short time I was there and so I went on a walking tour which turned out to be fabulous! Not only did I get to see all the main historical and cultural sites such as Tivoli, the world’s second oldest amusement park, the Royal Palace and the Marble Church, but I got to learn about some lesser known but heroic Danes who helped make the country great.

Our tour guide also pointed us in the direction of the world famous Little Mermaid statue, commemorating the works of legendary fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen. Oh and best of all the tour was FREE! The tour operators are also full of top tips for cheap drinking spots and pub crawls.

If all of that wasn’t enough, you simply must take a little time to soak in the beautiful scenery the city has to offer. The parks are lush, and the canals and harbours make for a picturesque way to watch a Danish sunset. The world famous painted houses at Nyhavn are home to popular bars and restaurants. You don’t have to be a millionaire to sit by the water and enjoy the lively the harbour.