Hoo-guh!

Pronounced hoo-guh and spelled “hygge,” this funny-sounding phrase will definitely come up on your tours in Denmark. It means to convey the ultimate Danish concept of “cozy, warm, and comfortable togetherness.” Among cute sayings and even cuter buildings, you’ll definitely find yourself amazed by the waterfront harbor, biking culture, and unique overlap of modernism and monarchy.

May through September is the liveliest and nicest time to visit weather-wise. It’s the ideal time to swim the canals, enjoy parks, and dine in their outdoor seating. We spent 3 days in Copenhagen, the capital and most populous region of Denmark, and I’m here to share my top recommendations for your Danish holiday.

Where to Stay

Firstly, 2-3 full days really is enough to see Copenhagen, because it is rather small. But that just means you can cover more ground with less hotel cost! The best areas to stay are Vesterbrogade (Meat Packing District) for the nightlife, Indre By (City Center) for tourist attractions, and Nyhavn for a romantic vibe. We spent about $800 each (room for 2 ppl) for 3 nights in Vesterbrogade. Side note: prices are high here, but so is the quality at least.

We stayed in the meatpacking district at Hotel Mayfair, which was a very clean and stylish hotel. I really loved everything about it. The breakfast (not included) was an abundant buffet, the courtyard was great for hanging out and killing time, they have a small gym, and the staff was all hip and cool locals. Five stars from me.

Day One: Meatpacking…and Unpacking

We got to Copenhagen from Paris later in the day. There was a convenient train line that took us right from the airport into the meatpacking district. I remember what caught me off guard about Copenhagen was how eerily perfect and quiet it was compared to Paris. Having just come from the busy and bustling Paris, this was a stark contrast. That’s not to say Copenhagen didn’t have it’s own charms - it’s just different!

After checking in to our hotel and messily unpacking our things, it was time for dinner. Since we didn’t have a plan, we took a gamble on a place in our neighborhood. The food scene is good, but it’s largely not Danish food that tops the google recommendations. Thankfully, we did a good job picking a review-worthy meal at Olise.

Olise is a romantic, elegant dinner spot with dim lighting and artful dishes. I loved it’s modern bistro vibe, whimsy courtyard, and yummy amaretto sours. We actually loved it so much we went twice during our short stay. We enjoyed the raw hamachi with peas, a gem salad, beef tomatoes, and grilled fish.

Our waiter kindly suggested a bar called 1965 for a night cap after our meal. It was just a few blocks down and is known for it’s creative cocktails. There was a backroom and front room, and people chatted amongst themselves while the bartenders spun up photogenic drinks. I’d definitely make this a regular spot if I was a local.

After chatting, we were beat and ready to recharge for our first full day in Copenhagen.

Fast forward to the AM: we kicked off day one with brunch at Mad & Kaffe. It’s just one of many restaurants with this unique style of ordering 5-7 small plates and having it arrive on a charcuterie board of sorts. So you can have you yogurt, eggs, toast, chia pudding and most other breakfast items all in one meal. You’ll want to make a reservation since Mad & Kaffe is quite popular.

After brunch we went to the Design Museum located in Indre By. The Design Museum boasts a variety of art forms as well as global artists. We saw a vast array of chairs - you wouldn’t actually believe how many designs these designers spun up. There was also an exhibit on impressive tapestries and graphic posters. One of my favorite parts of the museum was the central garden where wavy metal chrome chairs dotted the grass and welcomed visitors to lounge. They probably aren’t that comfy, though.

This museum is worth visiting if you like art and especially want a change of pace from typical Western European biblical scenes. Make sure to get your tickets ahead of time; they grant entry to all exhibits!

Following the museum, we were off to Apotek 57, a bakery just a few blocks down from the museum. Our rule: for every day spent in Copenhagen, a pastry must be acquired.

Apotek 57 was the dreamiest of the bakeries we went to. It’s decor was minimalistic, yet stunning and memorable. It’s also attached to Froma, a cute furniture store where you can browse and shop while sipping your coffee. We split a cinnamon roll and readied for a nice break at the hotel. The last things on our itinerary today was wine at Apollo and a traditional Danish dinner at 1733.

Apollo Wine Bar topped my list as the best wine bar and place for vibes. We only had one appy since dinner was elsewhere, but wow was the ambience immaculate. This bar sits in a courtyard surrounded by brick buildings with arched glass windows and vines growing up the sides. People were sprawled out at outdoor tables enjoying the summer evening with their friends and dogs.

We sipped on wine and munched on sardine smørrebrød. I’d advise you to at least try Denmark’s cod and herring since it’s their local delicacy.

Around 7 pm, we walked along the canals to 1733. The sun sets after 10 pm in the summer, so it was still lively and bright out. 1733 was tucked below ground level in a cute tavern style restaurant by the canals. We were pleased to find their food was indeed authentic. This isn’t a trendy restaurant for pics and girly drinks - here you order beer and meatballs, marinated herring and pork belly.

It was time to dine like vikings.

*Cloudy with a chance of Danish meatballs*

Day Two: Never a bad day in Nyhavyn

We woke up with pastries on our mind - again. On the morning of our second day, we were on a mission to try the cardamom buns from Juno the Bakery. This bakery is considered THE best in the city so it was no surprise that the line was out the door (and around the corner). While we waited, I ran to Hart Cafe, a popular chain here, to get us lattes. From Juno, we of course got the cardamom bun as well as a sugar-coated pastry with house made cream and strawberries on top.

Carbs don’t count on vacation, right?

We did some shopping in Copenhagen, too! I suppose the Paris shopping haul wasn’t heavy enough. We walked along Strøget, Copenhagen's main shopping street and one of Europe's longest pedestrian streets lined with endless shops. We purchased some cute sunglasses from A.KJÆRBEDE and cute workout clothes and bikinis from Exercere. These are both Scandinavian brands you should check out!

Afterward, we went to Nyhavn, the 17th-century waterfront and entertainment district that you see on all the postcards. You’ve probably seen the canals lined with colorfully painted townhouses when you googled “Copenhagen.” While it’s historically known as a commercial port for global trade, these days it’s the place to go for restaurants, shopping, swimming, and boating on the waters.

There was a food hall nearby called Torvehallerne, where Rena wanted to try GRØD, a Danish chain known for redefining porridge. We ordered the pea rissotto congee and acai bowl. It’s a good health food spot and great for friend groups who vary in sweet versus savory.

*Every sweet girl needs her savory bestie*

While in Copenhagen, you might notice there’s a surplus of knitting stores. I actually found that their sweater fanatics are due to a mix of minimalist fashion, deep-rooted Scandinavian crafting traditions, and their lifestyle centered on hygge (the coziness we mentioned before!). Many knitting influencers are usually from Scandinavian countries.

Rena bought new yarn from a store called Olive, and with the sun still high, we plopped down at a random park under a tree where she knitted and I napped. Like a scene out of a movie. It was no surprise that this city had a huge park culture; the nature was stunning.

After an hour or so, it was time for our boat tour. If you want to partake in a boating experience on the canals, I highly recommend Hey Captain, which was totally worth the 400 DKK (approx $61 USD). We loved our tour guide, who was quirky and passionate about Danish history, culture, and especially politics.

On our ride, we passed incredible architecture like that of the Det Kongelige Teater (opera house), the independent self-governing community called “Freetown Christiana,” and a countless number of locals going for a dip in the canals! There’s a lot of political lore behind Freetown Christiana that I won’t get into, but you can walk through it while you’re there!

*Freetown Christiana just on the otherside*

The guide proudly mentioned that the water is incredibly clean thanks to new environmental measures taken by the current leadership. Technically swimming is “not permitted,” but the policing is next to none allegedly. Even the Danes will encourage you to go for a swim during the summer.

For dinner, it was back to good old Olise. We enjoyed it so much that we had no issue repeating restaurants. Rena was convinced the amaretto sours were the best she ever had so we were sure to get more of those. Afterward, we also picked up a hotdog from John’s Hotdog Deli, which is a hot dog truck parked just across the Tivoli Garden's entrance. I will also take a quick second to mention: Tivoli Gardens is NOT a garden. It’s an amusement park primarily for kids.

John’s hotdogs are so well-liked because he makes them with durum bread made with butter, quality juicy sausages and homemade dips that surpass typical ketchup and mustard.

Day Three: Bikes & the Banchina

The recipe for a perfect day: a pleasant surprise, some spontaneity and a little challenge. Day three was by far my favorite with my highlights being: biking the city, tanning at La Banchina, and eating delicious food at Reffen Food Hall.

We walked a longgg time from the Ofelia Plads all the way to Reffen. On this long trek, we passed Noma Project Shop, a whimsy greenhouse shop and cafe where we had a coffee break. It was so charming and surrounded by lush green fields.

As our feet dragged, we noticed many bikers speeding past us, so we decided to scope out some rental bikes. There were bright orange communal bikes called Donkey Republic (basically the Danish equivalent to a Lime Bike) lying around halfway through the journey. We registered two through the app, and cycled all the way to Refshaleøen, where Reffen waited for us.

We hadn’t actually planned to go to La Banchina, but it appeared on the way to the food hall. When I say it’s magical I really mean it. La Banchina was what I imagined hangout spots for cool mermaids to be like.

The small food shack sits on ground level while it’s stairs lead down to an enclosed dock area that the restaurant looks out over. The docks were crowded with people tanning, chatting and reading. The water was truly sparkling and just picturesque. We ended up squeezing between some many bodies and sitting for awhile. I read my book Hail Mary in peace as the foreign conversations around me drowned out in a uninterpretable noise.

Reffen was also another hot spot that I wasn’t expecting to love so much! Most food halls are indoor buildings with back-to back stalls, but Reffen was largely outdoors and made up of shipping containers which now contained food stalls! Reffen was also three times the size of your typical food hall. It was a delicious-smelling maze of restaurants, bars and craft shops.

The food options were diverse with Asian, Middle Eastern, and Hawaiian cuisines mainly catching my eye. As we sat outdoors to eat poke bowls, I couldn’t help but feel like I was at a beach resort in Mexico.

Day three was certainly full of “hidden gems” which made it extra memorable. We had another pleasant bike ride back to Hotel Mayfair to refresh before dinner. It had been such a packed day that we were content to end our trip with a very relaxing girl dinner.

We ate our last meal at Delphine, a trendy Mediterranean restaurant just across from Olise. It was gorgeous inside and served some of my all time favorites: greek salad, roasted chicken, and pita bread with hummus! The spread:

Another One for the Postcard

By the last day of our joint Paris-Copenhagen girls trip, I was full, both in my stomach and heart. It had been such a refreshing break from work and home as well as a lovely catch up with my college bestie. I was really feeling the “hygge” as we ate and reflected on the best parts of our trip.

Perhaps it really is the hygge mindset that makes Denmark the second place for happiest countries in the world - well that and free public healthcare, tuition-free education, and high social trust among each other…

I’ll admit Copenhagen wasn’t in my top 5 European countries to visit, but I’m still very grateful I got to experience the Scandinavian charm and culture! I think personally, I’ve always just been more a fan of bustling and ancient cities or tropical island vibes. But that’s just personal preference. Many of my friends absolutely adore Copenhagen for it’s more modern European ambience.

If you love charming vibrant towns, cute bakeries and cafes, and slower city vibes, be sure to drop by Copenhagen. And make sure to get a famous cardamom bun - a pastry a day keeps the stress away.

What if we quiched under the Eiffel Tower?

Kaja Girl