The Delights of Denmark
This ultimate 5-day Denmark travel itinerary will zip you through all the country’s highlights, going from buzzing ultra-cool Copenhagen to the windy beaches along the North Sea Jutland coast. It’s the perfect fast intro to the Nordic nation, blending history, culture, and nightlife.
We aimed to boil down all of Denmark’s top sights and attractions into one quick five-day trip. It wasn’t easy because there’s so much to see – Viking ships, flower-filled summer towns, meadows, fjords, wild beaches, edgy design museums – it has it all!
We start in the sprawling capital Copenhagen. That’s a good place since it has flight connections across Europe. However, you can also reverse the trip if driving up from Germany. Your own wheels are a great idea, although buses and public transport can work too.
Denmark Travel Itinerary:
Day 1. Copenhagen
Cobbles, Swimming and Bars
We think it’s best to start in Denmark’s capital – Copenhagen. Not only is it the biggest and most bustling city, but also the most accessible part of the country. It’s home to Copenhagen Airport, served by many European low-cost and long-haul flights. A convenient 20-minute metro from the terminal takes you downtown, but rental cars are better for this 5-day Denmark itinerary.
Once downtown, walk the old inner city’s cobbled alleys and fairy-tale homes. See top sights like the royal Amalienborg palace, grand Radhuset city hall, and old Vor Frue Kirke church with a towering steeple.
Charming cafes and design shops are mixed in too, including great museums like the Danish Design Centre and Glyptoteket if the weather’s bad.
Then head south over the harbour to explore now-bohemian Christianshavn. Once workaday, it now has great bars and curious Freetown of Christiania artist colony (great for jazz and books) and busy Holmen waterfront walks. When warm, swim at outdoor Islands Brygge harbor baths.
At night, go north to happening Nørrebro for dining and drinking as multicultural eateries serving everything from falafel to Neapolitan pizza pop up along Tagensvej. Award-winning industrial-chic brewery BRUS is nearby for a tipple too.
Denmark Travel Itinerary:
Day 2. Roskilde
Voyage to Viking Town
Our 5-day Denmark itinerary next goes west to Roskilde, so hopefully you didn’t drink too much in Norrebro, an early start will help. It’s just a 40-minute drive on Highway 21. Though small, Roskilde is said to be one of Denmark’s most ancient Viking history hubs.
Roskilde lies deep inside its own sheltered fjord. Right by the lapping water is the top attraction: The Viking Ship Museum, with five incredible 1,000-year-old vessels telling the story of Viking seafaring and Scandinavian expansion, plus the warring Nordic raiders’ lives.
But Roskilde has more than Vikings. The legendary UNESCO Roskilde Cathedral is also worth seeing. Site of Danish royal coronations for over 1,000 years, it has tall twin spires and is hugely built.
When hungry, hit Byparken Gardens for a picnic and stroll. Occupying Roskilde’s heart, it connects the shoreline to downtown. Popular with everyone, it often becomes an ad-hoc music venue on warm days.
For hotels, lovely little Svenskebakken Bed & Breakfast lies west of town, perfect to continue our itinerary tomorrow. Its countryside location also provides a taste of Denmark’s beauty. If time allows, stop amid the flowing meadows of Skjoldungernes Land National Park en route.
Denmark Travel Itinerary:
Day 3. Funen
Funen Island – Denmark’s Rad Garden
Welcome to Funen (also Fyn), considered Denmark’s garden. With blooming wildflower meadows in spring and summer, scented pine woods, rolling forests, and glittering lakes for swimming, it’s the perfect escape from Copenhagen’s city living. Hopefully weather is good when you arrive because much of this part of the trip means getting outdoors.
First make for mid-size city Odense, globally known as the birthplace of prolific fairy tale author Hans Christian Andersen, a must for book lovers. Be sure to see the Hans Christian Andersen Museum, housed where the writer was born, plus Hans Christian Andersen’s Garden with its statue of the man.
Now get to the countryside! Go south on Highway 9 to fantastical Egeskov Castle with soaring turrets and crenulated walls that look straight out of Hogwarts. The fortress is said to be the best example of a Renaissance water castle, so notice its reflection in the ponds.
After that, scoot over to the charming coastal villages in wonderful settings, like handsome harbored Faaborg or narrow-laned little Svendborg on the south coast. There’s also a Viking burial ground at Ladby and an untamed beech forest at Afgrunden.
Denmark Travel Itinerary:
Day 4. Aarhus
Aarhus Beckons
Another 1.5 hour drive first west then north brings you to hip, happening Aarhus. En route, rainy weather makes Industrimuseet in Horsens a good stop for info on local industry and farming. Or hit the pebbly beaches and fjord at Tirsbaek Strand midway to swim and walk the blustery coast.
Now Aarhus itself. This student-filled city some prefer over Copenhagen has history thanks to the open-air museum Den Gamle By, preserving old Danish architecture amid wonderful gardens. It has creative energy thanks to the modernist, Brutalist Aarhus City Hall and contemporary-focused ARoS Kunstmuseum art museum.
It’s impossible to ignore Aarhus’s reputation as a Scandinavian culinary capital. This is a top place to sample experimental New Nordic cuisine using heavily foraged, seasonal goods. Head to Restaurant Hærværk for beer-smoked salads and halibut in herring roe.
Nordisk Spisehus is a fine alternative with sommelier-matched food cards. (One thing: New Nordic cooking isn’t cheap, so budget accordingly!).
Denmark Travel Itinerary:
Day 5. Skagen
Denmark’s Coastal Jewel
The grand finale of our 5-day Denmark itinerary is the sea-breezed Skagen resort. A northern European getaway for decades, Skagen sits at the end of Jutland Peninsula, gazing at where the North Sea collides with icy Baltic waters.
The star attraction is the coastline, long inspiring writers and painters. Most famous is a huge scythe of yellow-white sand and pebbles called Skagen Nordstrand, backed by oat-clad hills and North Sea rollers, prime for birdwatching and beachcombing. Untouched nature reserves with whitewashed lighthouses, a photographer’s dream, also abound.
Skagen Sonderstrand is better for summer lazing since its waters are more protected from swells. At Grenen, walk the sand spit to Denmark’s northernmost point to watch North and Baltic sea currents mingle.
Off the beaches, Skagen enchants with its sun-kissed town center as Danish seafood kitchens churn out smoked herring and beer bars spill from green gardens overlooking yachts in the marina. Stay central, like the clean, comfy Skagen Hotel, near restaurants and sands, to feel the buzz.
Conclusion
Capping this fast yet fulfilling road trip, we packed in the best of Denmark over five days and more. Going from royal Copenhagen to history-filled Roskilde and busy, art-loving Aarhus, then to tale-filled Funen island and windy Skagen, our fast trip showed Denmark’s past and present in a compact form.
Along the scenic way, fairy-tale towns, breathtaking beaches, unreal castles plus captivating culture stirred soul and senses alike through the modern urban edge, medieval lanes, thousand-year-old Viking heritage, and beyond.
For a first-time yet unforgettable glimpse at captivating Scandinavia, this highlights-heavy journey sure hits the high notes.
Now channeling our inner Viking more than ever, we leave eager to dig even deeper into Denmark next time!
Scandinavia Posts:
Denmark Travel Itinerary Planner
Travel Insurance for Your Trip to Denmark
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Renting a Car in Denmark
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Finding the Perfect Accommodation in Denmark
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Booking Flights to Denmark
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