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, nightlife, and tourist attractions in Denmark.

Discovering Denmark’s Top Attractions

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!

Starting Your Danish Journey

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.

Copenhagen Tourist Attractions

1. Must-See Places in Copenhagen

We think it’s best to start exploring tourist attractions in Denmark right in 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.

Historic City Center Highlights

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.

Copenhagen’s Cultural Quarter

Charming cafes and design shops are mixed in too, including great museums like the Danish Design Centre and Glyptoteket if the weather’s bad.

Christianshavn and Waterfront Exploration

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.

Evening in Nørrebro

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.

2. Historic Sites in Denmark: Roskilde

Journey to Denmark’s Viking Heritage

Our 5-day Denmark itinerary exploring tourist attractions in Denmark 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.

Danish Viking Museums

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.

Famous Danish Landmarks

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.

Denmark’s Cultural Attractions

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.

Accommodation Near Top Tourist Sites

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.

3. Denmark Tourist Attractions: Funen Island

Discover Denmark’s Garden Isle

Welcome to Funen (also Fyn), one of the most beautiful tourist attractions in Denmark. 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.

Hans Christian Andersen House

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.

Danish Castle Tourism

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.

Best Places to Visit Denmark: Coastal Villages

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.

4. Tourist Attractions in Denmark: Aarhus

Journey to Denmark’s Second City

Another 1.5 hour drive first west then north brings you to one of the most dynamic tourist attractions in Denmark – hip, happening Aarhus. En route, rainy day attractions include Industrimuseet in Horsens 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.

Denmark’s Cultural Hub

As a matter of fact, Aarhus itself stands out. Among the best places to visit in Denmark, 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. Furthermore, tourist attractions in Denmark gain creative energy here thanks to the modernist, Brutalist Aarhus City Hall and contemporary-focused ARoS Kunstmuseum art museum.

Denmark’s Top Food Scene

It’s impossible to ignore Aarhus’s reputation as a Scandinavian culinary capital. Additionally, this is a top place to sample experimental New Nordic cuisine using heavily foraged, seasonal goods. For instance, head to Restaurant Hærværk for beer-smoked salads and halibut in herring roe.

Fine Dining Tips

Nordisk Spisehus is a fine alternative with sommelier-matched food cards. (One thing: New Nordic cooking isn’t cheap, so budget accordingly!).

5. Tourist Attractions in Denmark: Skagen

Discover Denmark’s Northern Pearl

Without a doubt, the grand finale of our 5-day Denmark itinerary exploring tourist attractions in Denmark 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.

Must-See Places in Denmark’s Coastal Region

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.

Denmark’s Best Beaches

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.

Denmark’s Cultural Heritage

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.

Best Places to Visit Denmark: Trip Summary

Five Days of Danish Highlights

Capping this fast yet fulfilling road trip through tourist attractions in Denmark, we packed in the best of Denmark over five days and more. Going from royal Copenhagen tourist attractions 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.

Denmark’s Top Tourist Sites

Along the scenic way, Denmark’s famous landmarks include fairy-tale towns, breathtaking beaches, and unreal castles. Together with Danish cultural attractions, these stirred soul and senses alike through the modern urban edge, medieval lanes, thousand-year-old Viking heritage, and beyond.

Planning Your Danish Adventure

For a first-time yet unforgettable glimpse at captivating Scandinavia, this highlights-heavy journey through tourist attractions in Denmark sure hits the high notes.

Your Next Danish Journey

Now channeling our inner Viking more than ever, we leave eager to dig even deeper into Denmark’s must-see places next time!

Scandinavia Posts:

Denmark Travel Itinerary Planner

Travel Insurance for Your Trip to Denmark

Buying insurance is always valuable when travelling abroad. Therefore, enjoy your holiday in Finland stress-free with one of my favourite providers, Visitors Coverage Insurance.

Renting a Car in Denmark

Indeed, renting a car in Finland is easy and is a great way to explore Finland’s best beaches. Consequently, I recommend booking yours with Rentalcars.com – they offer a variety of operators for all budgets.

Finding the Perfect Accommodation in Denmark

The best way to book your accommodation in Finland is with Booking.com. In fact, it’s my go to site to compare and reserve places to stay each night, from affordable guesthouses to luxury hotels.

Booking Flights to Denmark

Lastly, for air travel, I recommend booking your flight with Omio. Moreover, it has been my favourite platform for years, as it allows me to book the cheapest flights to visit the best of Finland.