Our stop in Copenhagen was less than a day, but we thought it deserved its own little update because it was such a standalone experience! We had a 12-hour layover on the way from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Paris, arriving at 7am, and we had a perfect day exploring this little piece of Denmark.
We flew in on a red-eye from Bangkok with Thai Air which ended up being a super comfortable flight, and we both were able to sleep quite well. So we dropped down into Copenhagen, Denmark bright-eyed and ready to get the most out of our layover.
We went through immigration, and the friendly agent stamped us in but warned us to come back with plenty of time to spare, as she has seen 3-hour security lines the last few days. We noted her advice and then headed out for our Danish day.
Luckily, access from the airport to downtown Copenhagen is extremely easy and close, only a quick 15-minute metro ride away. We hopped on the nearest one, and before we knew it we were getting off at Kongens Nytorv, right in the heart of the city.
As we popped out onto the street from the underground metro we couldn’t contain ourselves. Our eyes were flooded with the most stereotypically European sights ever, and we had to laugh!
We’ve been such Asia girlies for over 3 years, and suddenly we were surrounded by giant pale people on bicycles, riding down the cobblestone streets, lined with tall colorful buildings that stand out remarkably against the bright blue of the day. The chilly, crisp air was also unexpected for our bodies. It was quite a culture shock to our systems!
We were gross little gremlins after our travel day from Kuala Lumpur —> Bangkok —> Copenhagen so our first order of business was finding a bathroom where we could change our clothes and splash some water on our faces.
There was a cafe nearby where we were able to freshen up, but when we went to check the menu we immediately had another culture shock: the prices. A coffee was 6 euros! No no nope! We scurried back out onto the streets coffee-less, but with freshly brushed teeth.
We took off on foot to explore this bright vibrant city. We stumbled upon some cute streets and impressive buildings, such as Frederik’s Church also called The Marble Church, which took almost 150 years to complete.
We were delighted by the shocking number of people on bicycles and just how completely DANISH everything looked.
We arrived at one of the iconic spots of Copenhagen: Nyhavn. The picturesque canal street offered a delightful and vibrant taste of the city.
Boats of all shapes and sizes dock along the bright canal, adding to the scene.
We arrived at Nyhavn around 9am, so many of the shops and restaurants were not yet open, and the cafes that were had only a few people sitting out front. We could imagine it later in the day, bustling with people basking in the sun at the outdoor tables.
Again, we peeked at the prices of the restaurants that were opening up and realized if we wanted to be living our best budget backpacker life, we had to figure something else out.
We walked around the block to see what else was in the area. We stumbled upon something we had heard of but had never seen in person: an unattended baby in a stroller outside!
In Denmark (and some other Nordic countries) there is a cultural phenomenon where parents leave their babies and young children outside unattended for short periods. Danish parents embrace the idea of giving their children fresh air and allowing them to experience a level of independence from an early age. It is seen as a way to foster resilience, self-reliance, and an appreciation for nature. This practice also indicates their deep-rooted sense of trust in the community.
The baby we saw was totally covered, and bundled up against the chilly day. If it wasn’t for hearing about this phenomenon beforehand we would have thought it was simply an empty stroller. It was such an interesting introduction to the unique cultural and societal norms in Denmark for us.
From there we walked to Kongens Nytorv, a nearby public square dedicated to King Christian V who reigned over Denmark and Norway in the 1600s.
At this point, we were getting hungry but realized if we wanted to eat on a budget in Copenhagen, we couldn’t eat at a real restaurant. We wanted to help ourselves to a classic Copenhagen hotdog but the stands weren’t yet open.
I posted up on a bench to save our spot, and Wini found a nearby grocery store. She came back with a feast! A baguette & deli meat to make sandwiches, rosemary & sea salt chips, and chocolate. We enjoyed our meal in the sunny park, feeling very proud of ourselves for our savings.
After our meal, we walked towards Tivoli Gardens, which is an amusement park in the heart of Copenhagen. It’s an iconic and highly recommended spot from the Danish people we’ve met, but it was a bit expensive and we only had a few hours left so we opted not to go. However, if we ever go back to Copenhagen, we would probably buy a Copenhagen Card which grants access not just to Tivoli but to many other sights and includes the metro and buses in the city.
From Tivoli, we walked over to City Hall as we heard it had a free tower view of the city, but when we got there we learned that the tours up the tower only take place at specific hours. Oops! We were still able to check out city hall a little, but no impressive view of the city.
We walked down more cute little lanes, lined with bicycles and shops. This city is so charming, and such a fun introduction to Europe from Asia for us.
It was only 2pm, but the immigration officer made us nervous about the airport security lines, so we figured to be on the safe side we should head back towards the airport. We went down the same metro station we exited from, and boarded the train to the airport.
However, we had a shocking discovery! On the way there, we had been able to snag seats, but the way back was much more packed and we had to stand… and we realized just how tall these people are! The handrails were a mile high. I tried to reach the one in front of me, and only could on my tiptoes, fully stretched! We looked around and noticed that the other people in the car had no trouble reaching these ridiculously elevated bars.
We left Copenhagen the way we started: laughing our heads off at how insanely Danish it all was.
The line through security was nowhere near 3 hours long, so we had a lot of time to kill before our flight to Paris. Still, even six hours in Copenhagen was phenomenal. We loved walking the streets and getting a feel for this vibrant, active city. It gave us enough, but left us wanting more.
We boarded our evening flight to Paris, for our next adventure!