Copenhagen with Kids Guide
We spent eight nights in Copenhagen in mid-June and had an absolute blast.
Why Copenhagen?
I’ve been once before, alone in January nearly 10 years ago. Despite it being very dark and cold, I embraced hygge (coziness) and enjoyed the good food, solid coffee, and design-forward aesthetic. I’ve always wanted to return in the summer, with long sunny days and ample time to enjoy outdoors. It’s an easy place to travel, as the city is very safe, clean, walkable, and welcoming to English speakers. I noted there were lots of strollers and kids around, and mentally bookmarked it as a place we’d likely enjoy even with small kids.
After a lot of domestic travel last year, we decided the strategy for 2025 was one longer international trip. With both kids in their prime playground and public transportation phases, Copenhagen was the obvious pick. Huge plus that you can fly direct from SFO to CPH. I have a high tolerance for muscling through trying travel (parents who fly with toddlers, you know what I mean), but heavy preference to get on one plane and land at our destination.
Reflections and Recommendations
Pace of this trip felt just right. 8 nights was enough to have some buffer for jet lag, do all the things we wanted to do, and have a bit of time to repeat favorites. You can have a great trip with even just a few nights, but I recommend longer if you’re able, especially with young kids.
We stayed at an Airbnb that was right next to Fælledparken, which was perfect for us. Multiple playgrounds (including the traffic playground) that our kids started or ended their days at, easy running in the park for us, walking distance from the best bakery in town, and a short walk to metro.
We brought the double stroller. Our kids are nearly out of it, but it still proved useful to really cover ground and allow for mid-day naps. Copenhagen’s infrastructure handled it well with relatively wide and smooth sidewalks and elevators at most metro/train stations (very grateful, compared to carrying stroller up and down stairs a lot in Paris a couple of summers ago).
We never used our car seats! The airport is a short train to the city (I packed light so we only had one large luggage + backpack as bigger pieces).
No need to exchange any money, card or mobile pay was taken everywhere.
If you use public transportation at least one round trip a day, likely worth it to buy a day/multi-day pass (small size). It also just makes things easier to not have to stop and buy tickets every time.
VAT refund: there’s a minimum purchase amount, but nice to get a little bit back if the shop offers VAT refund. Bring your passport when out shopping, and give yourself an extra 20 minutes at the airport before your return to process the refund.
Half-Day Adventures
Nyhavn. My favorite half day: start at the Little Mermaid, walk to Nyhavn, get lunch at Told & Snaps (traditional smørrebrød, make a reservation), boat canal tour (Stromma Canal Tours, just buy tickets there), enjoy a glass of wine or grape juice at Ved Stranden 10 (wine bar that feels like a comfortable Danish living room). If you can keep going, head to the Round Tower and climb up the spiral staircase for views of the city. Finish with a DØP hot dog.
Fælledparken, particularly the Traffic Playground. I’m still in awe of the Traffic Playground: a playground with traffic lights, road signs, and bike lanes so that kids can safely learn how to bike. They lend bikes (balance and pedal) and helmets for kids under 130cm for free! There are also multiple other excellent playgrounds at Fælledparken, especially if your kids love climbing (our kids' favorite, another good one).
Jægersborggade. Cute street with boutique shops and eateries. Coffee Collective and Grød (porridge) here. Flanked by Nørrebroparken playground on one end and peaceful Assistens cemetery on the other (Søren Kierkegaard and Hans Christian Andersen are buried here).
Torvehallerne Food Hall. Fun enough to walk around, but food halls are everywhere these days. Solid options like Hija de Sanchez, Coffee Collective, and Grød. Ørstedsparken nearby has a fun playground and we had a nice stroll while the kids were napping.
Reffen Street Food Market. Recommended by someone on the train - this was fun! We took the commuter yellow boat out there on a sunny day and lots of international food options.
Full-Day Adventures
Tivoli. Old-school amusement park. Of all the adventures, the kids picked coming back here on our last day. Way more chill than Disneyland (also, this park inspired Disneyland) and lots of rides for all ages. I was actually surprised at how scary some of them look! You can do entry fee + pay per ride, or get a ride pass wristband (worth it if you go on 4+ rides). We did ride pass for kids + one adult each time. Under 3yo entrance is free (just pay for the ride pass).
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. 40 minute train out of the city. Beautiful space and amazing sculpture park. Our kids loved making paper flowers in the Children’s Wing while we switched off wandering the main museum. Cafe food was great (kids meal was 2 huge chicken meatballs, crudités, and an apple - love seeing a nutritious kid offering!).
Malmö, Sweden. 50 minute train. We never had our passports checked, but probably bring in case? Ruths (cafe / restaurant) was excellent (we did both fika and lunch there), and the Technology & Maritime Museum had vintage cars, trains, firetruck, and a U3 submarine you can walk through. After lunch, we wandered around the park and garden near the castle, and ended up at yet another fun playground (Sagolekplatsen) and the city library (amazing kids wing here too!).
Food & Coffee
Reservation restaurants (I didn’t make any of these extremely far in advance, days to 2 weeks out)
Marv & Ben. This Michelin Bib Gourmand will hold a special place in my heart because Fuchsia did her first tasting menu with juice pairing here!
Vækst (modern Nordic cuisine, greenhouse vibe)
Kødbyens Fiskebar (amazingly fresh seafood)
Told & Snaps (classic Danish smørrebrød, lunch only)
More casual food
Slurp Ramen (ramen joint from Noma alum)
Hija de Sanchez (Mexican food from another Noma alum)
hot dogs (DØP near the Round Tower, John’s Hotdog Deli outside Tivoli)
Gasoline Grill (burgers - multiple locations, including one in Tivoli)
Coffee
Prolog Coffee
Coffee Collective (convenient locations at Torvehallerne and Jægersborggade)
Bakery: Juno the Bakery really was excellent (croissants and particularly the cardamom bun). If you can’t make it to Juno, Prolog Coffee sells their pastries.
Copenhagen turned out to be everything we hoped for. It’s one of those rare cities that works equally well for grown-up interests (food, art + design, walkability) and kid priorities (playgrounds, trains, boats, amusement park).
One thing I was especially proud of on this trip: we stayed flexible. After trying a fancy dinner out as a family and realizing it wasn’t actually that enjoyable, we pivoted. We canceled a second reservation and instead Daniel stayed back with Remy while Fuchsia and I went out for a special mother-daughter meal. That small adjustment made a big difference and reminded me that a “successful” trip isn’t about sticking to the original plan, but rather about being present enough to adapt it.
Traveling with young kids can be intense, but the right destination makes all the difference. We left feeling satisfied, not drained. To me, that’s the highest compliment a family trip can earn.
I hope we’ll return one day, and that there’s a Copenhagen trip in your future, too!
