Christmas in Copenhagen: 15 Things to Do in December
Are you thinking about going to Copenhagen for Christmas, but you are not sure whether it is worth the cold and the darkness?
If you enjoy Christmas decorations and unique local Christmas traditions, then Copenhagen is the perfect December getaway destination.
However, if you don’t care for the Christmas decorations and dislike cold, rainy weather and no daylight after 4 pm, then you should probably rethink why you’re considering visiting Copenhagen in December, and check back in the spring.
I am Danish, and I grew up with Christmas in Copenhagen as the only version of Christmas I knew. It took me moving abroad to realize how many strange and unique Christmas traditions we have in Denmark.
After years of living abroad, including in Argentina, where Christmas is celebrated in +30-degree heat with an asado (Argentine barbecue) on the terrace, coming home to a dark, freezing, candle-lit Danish December changed how I see it.
In this guide, I will take you through the best things to do in Copenhagen in December, and some of the traditional Danish Christmas sweets and food you need to try.
Let’s get under the skin of Copenhagen at Christmas!
A Local’s Guide to the Best Things to Do in Copenhagen at Christmas
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The Short Version: Is Christmas in Copenhagen Worth It?
Copenhagen at Christmas is definitely worthwhile, with the ideal time to visit being the first three weeks of December, prior to the city observing its official holiday closure.
Christmas in Copenhagen offers Tivoli Gardens illuminated by countless lights and ornaments, free Christmas markets located downtown, outdoor ice skating at Kongens Nytorv, and gløgg and æbleskiver available in most cafés.
The city center of Copenhagen is quite compact and easy to walk through. All the Christmas markets, except for Tivoli, have no entrance fee, and the Danish Christmas food differs from the German and Austrian markets that are often written about.
You should know that Copenhagen largely closes from December 24 to 26, which includes the popular Tivoli Gardens Christmas Market.
Therefore, if you are visiting Copenhagen in December for the festive atmosphere, you will want to arrive before the 23rd!
What is Christmas in Copenhagen Actually Like?
Copenhagen does not do Christmas loudly; it does it elegantly.
Instead of inflatable snowmen, you get candles in windows, woven paper hearts in shop displays, and the warm indoor coziness we call hygge.
Hygge sells scented candles abroad, but in December it is really just the practical Danish answer to six hours of usable daylight. You go inside, you light something, and you eat something yummy!
Copenhagen at Christmas Map
Check out all the best things to do in Copenhagen at Christmas on this map. In the top right-hand corner, you can click on the full-screen icon and have the map open directly in your Google Maps app.
The 15 Best Things to Do in Copenhagen in December
Now let’s break it down and look at the best things to do in Copenhagen in December, starting with the one everybody comes for!
Feel the Christmas Spirit in Tivoli Gardens
Each year Copenhagen’s famous amusement park, Tivoli Gardens, puts up the best Christmas decorations in the city with fake snow on the roofs, thousands of lit Christmas trees, Santa Claus in his own little house, and stands selling traditional Danish Christmas food.
Tivoli says the gardens hold more than 70,000 Christmas ornaments, and CNN has put Christmas in Tivoli on its list of the world’s best Christmas markets.
Visiting Christmas Tivoli is hands down one of my fondest childhood memories! Every single year my grandparents would take me at least once to see the Christmas decorations, and I still cannot walk in there without feeling about six years old.
In the heart of the park, you will find the lake with the illuminated stalls around it, which is the bit everybody photographs.
The one real downside is the price tag, because Tivoli is the only Christmas market in Copenhagen that charges admission.
In my opinion, book online in advance and go on a weekday evening. Tivoli uses dynamic pricing and caps daily entry in high season, so a Tuesday is both cheaper and much calmer than a Saturday!
Admission: Tickets to Christmas in Tivoli range from 190 to 210 DDK (30 to 33 USD) for adults, and 95 to 105 DKK (15 to 17 USD) for children aged 3 to 7. Children under 3 years old are free.
A Christmas Ride Pass starts at 99 DKK (USD)
Opening hours:
- Sunday to Thursday: 11 am to 10 pm
- Friday and Saturday: 11 am to 12 am (midnight)
- Closed on December 24th and 25th
Nearest metro or train: København H (Copenhagen Central Station)
Location: Tivoli main entrance, Vesterbrogade 3, 1620 København V
Check current Tivoli ticket prices here
Taste Gløgg and Æbleskiver
Gløgg and æbleskiver are probably the most beloved Christmas tradition among Danes, and I strongly recommend you try them at least once on your Christmas trip to Copenhagen!
Gløgg is the Danish version of mulled wine, similar to German Glühwein. It is red wine warmed with spices, sugar, raisins, and chopped almonds, served with a spoon so you can eat the bits at the bottom.
Æbleskiver, also called Danish pancake balls or puffs, are small, round balls of dough cooked in a cast-iron pan with round holes and eaten with powdered sugar and strawberry jam.
Æbleskiver are a little bit like if a pancake and a donut had a baby, without being flat and without the hole in the middle!
Honestly, I’m not the biggest fan of the gløgg. It is a bit too sweet for me, but it goes with the whole Danish Christmas experience, so I drink it anyway.
Æbleskiver, on the other hand, are seriously so good that you genuinely need to try them!
Every time I have come back to Copenhagen in December over the past ten years of living abroad, gløgg and æbleskiver have been the non-negotiable things to eat and drink for Christmas. You will see cafés advertising both all over the city.
Last time I was in Copenhagen in December, my friend and I ended up having ours at Mojoe Kitchen & Bar, a few minutes’ walk from Kongens Nytorv.
Taste traditional Danish Christmas treats on this Copenhagen food tour
Go Ice Skating
Ice skating is a very popular thing to do in Copenhagen in December, for locals just as much as for tourists.
The most popular rink is the one at the King’s Square (Kongens Nytorv), where you can ice skate with the Christmas-decorated façade of Hotel d’Angleterre on one side and the Magasin du Nord department store on the other!
I will admit that I am not a graceful ice skater, but this rink is hands down one of the prettiest places to experience the Christmas spirit in Copenhagen.
The rink at Kongens Nytorv only just came back recently after many years of absence, and it now runs as part of the Copenhagen Winter Wonderland Christmas market at the square.
The ice rink at Kongens Nytorv is ticketed, and you can book your tickets ahead of time on the Copenhagen Winter Wonderland website (when the season starts).
The other classic ice rink is located at Frederiksberg Runddel, right by the entrance to Frederiksberg Gardens. The ice rink is free to get on if you bring your own skates. However, there are also skate rentals available for around 60 DKK (9 USD).
Growing up in Denmark, the school would organize ice skating trips every December, so for a lot of Danes this is pure childhood nostalgia rather than a tourist activity!
Admission:
- Kongens Nytorv was around 60 to 70 DKK (9 to 11 USD) last season, including skates.
- Frederiksberg Runddel is free, with skate rental starting around 60 DKK (9 USD).
Opening hours:
- Kongens Nytorv ice rink typically runs from mid-November to around 30 December, roughly 10 am to 9 pm.
- Frederiksberg Runddel ice rink opens in late November or early December and runs into February.
Nearest metro:
- Kongens Nytorv, lines M1 to M4.
- Frederiksberg Runddel: Frederiksberg Allé
Location:
- Kongens Nytorv, 1050 København K
- Frederiksberg Runddel, 1820 Frederiksberg C
Visit a Christmas Market in Copenhagen
When you Google Christmas in Copenhagen, you can’t get around people recommending the Christmas markets.
I have been to the different Christmas markets in Copenhagen several times, and while most of them are not like the large Christmas markets in other European cities, they are still worth a stop and can be combined with the other popular things to do in Copenhagen at Christmas.
The important thing to know is that every Christmas market in Copenhagen is free to enter except Tivoli. So, you can walk into all of them, spend nothing, and still get the full atmosphere!
Here are some of the most popular Christmas markets in Copenhagen:
The Christmas Markets are a bit of a mandatory stop for a Christmas trip to Copenhagen, and maybe you might even find a cute Danish Christmas decoration to bring home with you!
Admission: Free, except for Christmas in Tivoli.
Opening hours:
- Christmas Markets in the city center run from early/mid-November to around December 21st.
- The Christiana Christmas Market runs from early December to mid-December.
Book a Guided Tour of Copenhagen’s Christmas Markets
Taste Risalamande and Play the Almond Game
Risalamande is, by far, my favorite Danish Christmas dessert!
Risalamande is a cold rice pudding folded together with whipped cream, vanilla, and finely chopped almonds, served with a cherry sauce on top. For me, risalamande is simply the taste of Christmas in Copenhagen!
But risalamande is not really about the dessert. For us Danes, this popular Christmas dessert is actually also a game!
In Denmark, it is tradition to hide one whole peeled almond in the bowl of risalamande before serving it, and whoever ends up with it wins the mandelgave, which translates as the almond present.
Traditionally, the mandelgave is a marcipangris, which translates as marzipan pig, and is basically a big piece of marzipan shaped like a pig.
The trick is that whoever finds the almond hides it and keeps quiet, so everybody else has to keep eating!
My grandfather, may he rest in peace, was an expert at getting the almond and hiding it from the rest of us, just to watch us struggle through a third serving of risalamande.
Most people visiting Copenhagen in December have never heard about this popular Danish Christmas tradition.
Many restaurants and cafés in Copenhagen serve risalamande through December, so you can try it even if nobody invites you to a Danish Christmas dinner.
Try Danish Christmas Sweets
One thing that I love about Christmas in Copenhagen is the Danish Christmas sweets! We have so many sweets made particularly for Christmas, and many of them are yummy baked goods.
Here are some of my favorite Danish Christmas sweets that I strongly recommend you try if you visit Copenhagen in December:
The Danish Christmas sweets tend to appear in supermarkets and bakeries from early November.
The supermarkets tend to sell the more standard industrial versions, whereas in the bakeries you can find the better quality ones.
Where: Any Danish supermarket such as Netto or Føtex, and any local bakery.
Taste more Danish Christmas sweets on a Christmas food tour
See the Christmas Tree at the Town Hall Square
Each December the City of Copenhagen puts up a massive Christmas tree on Rådhuspladsen, the Town Hall Square.
The Christmas tree is not a whole afternoon of entertainment, but Rådhuspladsen is a two-minute walk from Tivoli’s main entrance and the beginning of the popular Strøget shopping street. So, there is really no reason not to swing by and check out the impressive tree!
In 2026, the Christmas market from Højbro Plads is said to move to the Town Hall Square, so there is even more reason to stop by to experience the Christmas spirit at the square.
Admission: Free.
Opening hours: All day
Nearest metro: Rådhuspladsen (M3 and M4).
Location: Rådhuspladsen, 1550 København V
Discover the Best of Copenhagen’s Christmas Decorations
One of my favorite things to do in Copenhagen in December is simply to wander around and look at all the Christmas decorations that the shops and hotels put up!
Copenhageners really do enjoy a good Christmas decoration, and beyond the commercial displays, you will see private homes with candles, hearts, or stars in the windows, which is a very Danish habit.
One of the most famous Christmas decorations in Copenhagen is probably Hotel d’Angleterre on Kongens Nytorv.
Each year the traditional luxury hotel dresses its entire façade up with Christmas decorations and Christmas lights, and it draws a crowd every evening.
Right next door, the Magasin du Nord department store also goes big on its display.
Go after dark, which in December means any time after about 4 pm, and the whole thing looks twice as good!
Admission: Free; Christmas decorations lit every evening through December.
Location:
- Hotel d’Angleterre, Kongens Nytorv 34, 1050 København K.
- Magasin du Nord, Kongens Nytorv 13, 1095 København K.
Go Christmas Shopping on Strøget
Every year the central pedestrian shopping street, Strøget, is strung with Christmas decorations, and it is the obvious place to look for a gift to bring home.
But let me be honest: Strøget isn’t the best place to find local Danish products. Strøget is mostly big international chains like H&M and Uniqlo, the same ones you probably already have at home.
What I would do instead is walk down the side streets around Strøget. This is where the small independent Danish shops are, and where you find something worth carrying back in your hand luggage!
Opening hours: Most shops open roughly 10 am to 7 pm, sometimes with longer hours during December.
Location: Strøget runs from Rådhuspladsen to Kongens Nytorv.
Drink Danish Christmas Beer
One thing I definitely recommend you try in Copenhagen in December is the traditional Danish Christmas beer, called julebryg.
The famous julebryg is a dark pilsner at around 5.6%, spiced with herbs and licorice, most Danes’ favorite sweet.
The Danish brewery Tuborg brews the most well-known Christmas beer, but other local breweries have also started to follow suit and create their own version of the Christmas beer.
The Tuborg Christmas beer is released on the first Friday of November, and it has become a national event called J-dag, short for julebryg-dag.
At 20:59 on the first Friday in November, the bars are finally allowed to pour it, Tuborg trucks roll through the city handing out free samples and blue Santa hats, and if it is not cold enough, they pump out fake snow!
Julebryg is then sold for roughly ten weeks, so all the way through December.
You can find julebryg at almost all bars in Copenhagen, and many of them will have the blue and white Christmas beer posters hanging up too.
So if you’re visiting Copenhagen for Christmas, I strongly recommend you try a glass of Tuborg’s Christmas beer.
When: J-dag is Friday 6 November 2026 at 20:59.
Learn a Few Danish Christmas Songs
In Denmark we have a lot of local Christmas carols, and when you’re visiting Copenhagen in December, you will most likely hear some of them in shops or in your hotel lobby.
There are many different Danish Christmas songs and carols, but here are some of the most popular ones for you to prepare for your trip:
You will also hear many of the international (mostly American) Christmas classics such as Mariah Carey, Wham! and many more.
Watch a Santa Lucia Procession on December 13th
Growing up in Denmark, one of my favorite Christmas traditions was the Santa Lucia procession, also called Lucia Day.
Santa Lucia is celebrated every year on December 13th, when young Danish girls dress up in white dresses, carry a candle, and sing the Santa Lucia song. At the front of the procession, a Lucia queen carries a crown of real candles.
The Santa Lucia procession normally takes place at local Danish schools, where the girls dress up and perform.
However, each year Tivoli Gardens offers a sneak peek into this unique Christmas tradition with a Santa Lucia parade. The parade starts at 5:30 pm by the Swing Carousel inside the amusement park. Read more about the Santa Lucia parade in Tivoli.
The Santa Lucia tradition isn’t particularly Danish. It is actually a Christmas tradition celebrated throughout the Nordic countries.
Santa Lucia Parade in Tivoli:
- When: 13 December, parade at 5:30 pm
- Admission: Included in Tivoli admission ticket
- Where: By the Swing Carousel in Tivoli Gardens
Get your admission to Christmas in Tivoli here
Enjoy the Santa Lucia Kayak Parade on December 13th
A newer Danish Christmas tradition connected to the traditional Santa Lucia procession is the Santa Lucia kayak parade, which takes place in the canals around Copenhagen.
Each year on December 13th, kayakers decorate their kayaks with lights and paddle through Copenhagen’s canals singing Christmas carols, as a floating version of the traditional Santa Lucia procession.
The Santa Lucia kayak procession starts around 5 pm from Kayak Bar, close to the Christiansborg Palace in the center of Copenhagen. The parade concludes around 7 pm at the same place. You can find the full program for the Santa Lucia kayak procession at Visit Copenhagen.
I have actually never seen the Santa Lucia kayak parade myself, so I cannot tell you what it is like from the water’s edge. However, each year social media overflows with beautiful videos from this unique Christmas event in Copenhagen.
So if your Copenhagen Christmas trip lands on December 13th, I would definitely consider adding the Santa Lucia kayak parade to your list of things to do in Copenhagen!
Mind that it can be difficult to catch both Tivoli’s Santa Lucia Parade as well as the kayak parade, as they start more or less at the same time.
Admission: Free.
When: 5 pm on December 13th from Kayak Bar (link to Google Maps)
Location: Copenhagen’s canals, passing by Nyhavn, BLOX, and Gammel Strand.
Take the Train to Dyrehaven and See the Deer
Dyrehaven, also known as the Deer Park in English, is an old royal hunting forest just north of the city center, and one of the lesser-known places near Copenhagen.
A Christmas day trip to the Deer Park is especially good if you’re lucky enough to visit Copenhagen when it has snowed, which doesn’t happen often!
Dyrehaven was laid out as a royal hunting ground in 1669, and the large forest area has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2015.
Inside the old forest you’ll find Eremitageslottet, translated as the Hermitage Palace, a beautiful white royal hunting lodge.
The Hermitage Palace is located on a small hill overlooking a big open plain, called Eremitagesletten. From up here, on clear days you can see across Øresund, the strait between Denmark and Sweden.
Inside the Deer Park, around 2,000 deer live completely freely, mostly dådyr (fallow deer) and krondyr (red deer), plus a small herd of sika.
Personally, I have spent many Christmases going for walks in the Deer Park with my family. While you might not think an outdoor activity like visiting an old hunting forest is the best thing to do in Copenhagen during the winter, it is actually one of the best things to do in Copenhagen for Christmas.
Throughout the winter months, the Danish Nature Agency, Naturstyrelsen, feeds the deer in the Deer Park, which means you’ll be able to see the different deer up close throughout the forest.
The herds gather in predictable places instead of being scattered across eleven square kilometers of forest.
In addition, the trees are bare, and the undergrowth is gone, so you can see much further in than you can in summer.
You should keep in mind that it is strictly prohibited to feed the deer yourself, and if you’re travelling with your dog, you must keep your fur baby on a short leash inside the Deer Park!
The deer in Copenhagen’s Deer Park are wild animals, and their feeding is strictly controlled by authorized caretakers.
If you are really lucky, you get Dyrehaven under snow! I am not going to promise you that, because Copenhagen snow is a lottery, but a frozen morning with the herds out on Eremitagesletten is hands down one of the most beautiful things in Denmark!
Admission: Free.
Opening hours: Open 24 hours a day, but go in daylight in December, roughly 9 am to 3:30 pm.
Nearest train station: Klampenborg station, on the S-train line C.
Location: Dyrehaven, 2930 Klampenborg.
Book a guided tour of the Deer Park
Visit the Christmas Market at Bakken Amusement Park
Bakken is the historical amusement park located inside the Deer Park, north of Copenhagen.
Each year in December, Bakken opens for its own Christmas market, called Jul på Bakken, which translates as “Christmas at Bakken”.
The Bakken Christmas market has free admission and offers Christmas stalls, an ice rink, a Christmas parade, and plenty of opportunities to taste traditional Danish Christmas food and sweets.
The Bakken amusement park sits right at the Klampenborg entrance to Dyrehaven, and it is a less visited Christmas market compared to the markets in the city center.
I recommend doing a Christmas day trip from Copenhagen to go and see the deer in the Deer Park in the morning, and ending at the Bakken Christmas market afterwards, all on just one train ticket!
During the winter, Bakken is only open for its Christmas event from 21 November to 20 December, at weekends (Friday to Sunday).
Remember to put on a big winter jacket and proper footwear, as you’ll be outside all day and doing a lot of walking!
Admission: Free.
Opening hours: November 21 to December 20, 2026:
- Fridays: 2 pm to 9 pm
- Saturdays: 12 pm to 9 pm
- Sundays: 12 pm to 7 pm
Check Bakken’s calendar (only in Danish) for specific Christmas events in December.
Nearest train station: Klampenborg station, S-train line C.
Location: Bakken Amusement Park, inside Dyrehaven, 2930 Klampenborg.
Get the Most Out of Your December Trip to Copenhagen
Now we have explored some of my favorite things to do in Copenhagen in December, and I hope you found it useful.
In this section, I want to share some last tips on how to get the most out of your travels to Copenhagen at Christmas.
What is the Weather Like in Copenhagen in December?
December in Copenhagen sits around 0 to 5°C (32 to 41°F), and the wind off the water makes it feel considerably colder.
It is possible to get snow, but it is not guaranteed that you’ll have snow for your Copenhagen Christmas trip. So don’t expect a white Christmas in Copenhagen!
During December, the sun sets around 4 pm, so plan the outdoor things for the middle of the day and save the markets and the lights for the evening, when they look their best.
When is the Best Time to Visit Copenhagen in December?
The first three weeks of December are the best time to visit Copenhagen for Christmas.
In early December, the Christmas markets are running, all the Christmas decorations and lights are up, and the city is still fully open for business!
After December 21st, most of the free markets start to close down, and from December 24th to December 26th everything in Copenhagen essentially closes for Christmas, including the Christmas market in Tivoli and almost all shops.
If you want New Year’s Eve instead, Tivoli reopens for it and puts on fireworks.
How Many Days Do You Need?
Personally, I think that three full days is the sweet spot for visiting Copenhagen at Christmas.
With three days in Copenhagen, you can spend two days in the city center wandering the Christmas markets and seeing the Christmas decorations around the city, and visiting Tivoli one afternoon for their Christmas markets.
The third day you can use to visit the Deer Park and Christmas at Bakken, or add a museum or two to your Copenhagen itinerary if you’ve had enough of being outside in the cold Danish December weather.
How to Get Around Copenhagen in December?
Copenhagen’s city center is small and flat, and walking is the best way to get around in December here. Most of this guide sits within a thirty-minute walk.
For everything else, Copenhagen has a metro that runs 24 hours a day. Get the Rejsekort app to use public transportation in Copenhagen.
Cycling is the standard Copenhagen answer, but I would think twice about biking in Copenhagen in December. If it freezes overnight, the bike lanes get icy and dark.
So, unless you are a confident cyclist, December in Copenhagen is not the month to learn to bike!
Frequently Asked Questions
Christmas in Copenhagen FAQ
Find answers to commonly asked questions about Christmas in Copenhagen.
Final Thoughts: Would I Recommend Visiting Copenhagen at Christmas?
Yes, a thousand times yes! I would definitely recommend visiting Copenhagen at Christmas!
During the last weeks of November, Copenhagen gets beautifully decorated with Christmas decorations and lights. During the first three weeks of December, there are plenty of Christmas (and non-Christmas) things to do around the Danish capital – despite it mostly being freezing outside!
The Danish Christmas food traditions are different enough from the rest of Europe to be interesting rather than something that just looks like another mulled wine stall!
Growing up in Copenhagen, I never really realized how pretty Copenhagen is at Christmas, because for me this was simply what Christmas looked like.
Personally, it took me several years of living abroad in both Spain and Argentina to finally start to appreciate Christmas in Copenhagen.
I hope that with this post I have been able to share some of the local insights on how to spend time in Copenhagen at Christmas.
Have you spent Christmas in Copenhagen, or are you planning to? Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below!
