Copenhagen 3-Hour Guided City Highlights Walking Tour

Nyhavn, the colourful canal of Copenhagen

Nyhavn, the New Harbour, was dug in the 1670s to bring ships from the sea right into the centre of the city, close to the main square. The narrow canal is lined with tall townhouses painted in red, yellow, blue and ochre, many dating from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and wooden sailing ships still lie moored along the quay. For centuries it was a lively sailors' district; today its terraces are filled with cafés and restaurants.

Your guide explains how Nyhavn changed from a working harbour into the most photographed street in Denmark, and points out details that most visitors miss, such as the oldest house on the canal and the memorial anchor at its head. If you are wondering whether Nyhavn is worth visiting, walking it with a local and hearing its story is the best introduction, and it is the perfect place for photos.

Amagertorv and the pedestrian heart of the city

Amagertorv is one of the oldest squares in Copenhagen, a medieval market place where farmers from the island of Amager once sold their produce. Today it sits on the long pedestrian shopping street of the old city, surrounded by elegant gabled buildings, and its Stork Fountain from 1894 is a favourite meeting place for locals. The square is the natural crossroads of the old town.

From here your guide shows you how the medieval street plan still shapes the city, and how great fires in the eighteenth century gave Copenhagen many of the buildings you see today. You also learn where to find the best local shops and bakeries for later. It is a lively stop with the church spires and copper roofs of the old city all around you, and a good place to understand how the city fits together.

Christiansborg Palace on Slotsholmen

Christiansborg Palace stands on the small island of Slotsholmen, where the bishop who founded Copenhagen built the first castle in 1167. Several castles and palaces have stood on the site since; the present building, finished in the early twentieth century, is the only one in the world that houses all three branches of a country's government: the Danish parliament, the prime minister's office and the Supreme Court, as well as royal reception rooms still used for state occasions.

On this Copenhagen city highlights tour you see the palace from its courtyards and bridges while your guide explains Danish democracy and the role of the royal family today. The tall palace tower offers one of the best views in the city, and the Christiansborg Palace tickets for the reception rooms and ruins can be bought separately if you want to come back and visit inside after the tour.

Hidden gems and lesser-known corners of the old city

What makes this Copenhagen walking tour different is that it does not stop at the postcard sights. Between the famous squares your guide leads you into quieter streets of the old city, past historic courtyards, small churches, old merchant houses and local neighbourhoods that most visitors walk straight past without noticing.

Along the way you hear about the Danish idea of a cosy, relaxed life, the city's love of cycling and design, and how Copenhagen balances its royal past with a very modern present. The group is limited to ten people, so you can ask questions and get personal tips on where to eat, what to see next and how to use the public transport. Many travellers take this tour on their first day and use it to plan the rest of their stay in Copenhagen.