Copenhagen on a Budget.
If you’re new here, I set myself a challenge in 2024. This was to try to do a short city break each month for under £250. In case you’re wondering, this is £250 for everything. That’s flights, accommodation, transport, activities and food and drinks, and is the total price per person. So, some of these trips are solo, and some are with other people. July 2024 saw me choose another challenging, expensive destination (alongside Geneva in May and Paris in August). This time, I visited one of the most well known places in Denmark for a city break, Copenhagen. I had an exchange rate of £1 = 8.67dkk and went as a solo traveller. So, can you visit Copenhagen on a budget?
Some important things to note here are that I don’t include transportation to and from the airport in the UK. The reason being, it is so different for everyone. So, I can’t give a reasonable figure that is suitable for all travellers. Equally, everything I do include can be replicated by the vast majority of people.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Cheap Flights to Copenhagen
The flights for this trip were by no means the cheapest I have found this year. But, they were still very good value considering July is when flight prices start to increase. So, I paid £64.24 for return flights from Bristol to Copenhagen. The outward flight was on Friday 12th July at 11.20am and the return was Sunday 14th at 10.15pm. So, this Copenhagen city break was also the shortest trip I have done so far this year as it was around 2.5 days. Also, these flights were hand luggage only with no seat selection. If you are looking to visit, Copenhagen always seems the cheapest place in Denmark to fly to.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand that some people want the comfort of extra luggage and having a chosen seat. Equally, I’m here to show you that the more efficiently you can be with your money, the more opportunity you have for additional trips because you’re not spending unnecessarily.
Flights for this price are a lot easier to find and more common than a lot of people think. If you struggle to find these prices, and want to guarantee best prices on flights, check out my expert guide. Click here and use the code BLOG for another 25% off the marked price.
Accommodation in Copenhagen on a Budget
As mentioned before, I travelled solo for this trip, so the price was the price per person. The accommodation totaled £55.
This time, for the first time, I stayed in a hostel. This was in Nyhavn, one of the most popular places in Denmark. I know this is not for everyone, and you can find hotels/ Airbnbs starting from around £100 for 2 nights. Equally, this was not a standard hostel, it was was a capsule hotel. So, there is more privacy than a standard hostel, as you have your own little compartment to sleep in. It did, however, mean that I still had to use shared washing facilities and their were multiple capsules per room (4 in mine).
This capsule had a double bed, electrical outlets, a light and some ventilation although this was not particularly useful. Also, it was in a mixed gender room (there is always the option for gender specific rooms). Also, I didn’t book this until I was on my way to the airport which saw the price drop much cheaper than a couple of days before when it was £75. Another thing to consider is that, because I travelled solo, this price per person can be halved if a couple were to do the same trip! If you want to book this capsule hotel, it was called Nyhavn63. Denmark is known to be expensive, so if you want to visit Copenhagen on a budget, these are good options.
Some great places to check for accommodation are TripAdvisor. Or, if you’re happy to use hostels for even more savings, try Hostelworld.
Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen
Activities for Copenhagen City Break
Honestly, I found it a little bit boring. This may have been because I was on a tight budget in Copenhagen. But, i just didn’t fully connect with this city break, despite it being one of the most popular places in Denmark. Anyway, this is what I did over the three days.
Day 1 – Nyhavn
On day 1 I arrived into Nyhavn around 3pm. So, I explored the area to get my bearings and I took some photos/ videos. I then Spent 60dkkk (£6.92) for a 60 minute boat tour of Nyhavn and some of the other areas along the waterways. This took up most of the day, so I explored more of the area before getting dinner. Nyhavn is one of the most touristy places in Denmark so expect busy streets and higher prices.
Day 2 –
Day 2 was busier. Although I woke up late so didn’t do much until 11am when I did a ‘free’ walking tour. Despite this being a ‘free’ tour, it is actually tip based. So, I gave a 100dkk (£11.53) tip to the tour guide. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone taking a city break in Copenhagen. But only if you love politically incorrect comedy. You can find the website here, but be warned, it is not for the easily offended! Anyway, the tour I did was 2 hours whilst it was absolutely hammering with rain. So, afterwards I had some lunch and waited for the rain to die down. It didn’t die down.
So, I went to a botanical garden called the palm house with a butterfly house to stay out the rain. This cost 70dkk (£8.07) and I can imagine on a nice day that the park is beautiful. Honestly, the butterfly house was slightly disappointing as it was very small. Equally, the greenhouses are quite extensive if you like botany!
Finally, in the evening I went to Tivoli gardens which cost 120dkk (£13.84) for entry. Now, I’m not too much of a theme park fanatic so didn’t go on any rides (which costs extra). However, the theme park is very unique. It feels like you step into a fairy tale or Disney movie. If you think along the lines of Hansel and Gretel, this should give you a good idea. Tivoli gardens is one of the most famous attractions/ places in Denmark so you will have a great time!
Day 3 –
For my final day on my Copenhagen city break, I started by spending some time exploring the city. This started by walking to the little mermaid statue for a dose of disappointment. Honestly, if you want to go to see it or you really like the little mermaid then go ahead. For me, though, it was a lot of chaos, queuing and climbing through people for something very underwhelming. Anyway, I then continued on to the Amalienborg Palace. Coincidentally my visit coincided with the changing of the guards, so I watched that. I also went inside to the museum/ exhibition that was inside which costs 125dkk (£14.42). This is a really interesting exhibition if you enjoy history, national heritage or royal lineage.
After this, I walked to the havnepromenade to eat lunch, on my way to Christiania. Finally, I had a tour of Christiania which was 60dkk (£6.92). If you don’t know about Christiania, it is an old hippy commune. For a time, Christiania was separate from Denmark, as a self proclaimed sovereign state. However, this has changed a lot recently, you can read more about it here.
By the time the tour ended, I needed to get my bag from the hostel and head to the airport.
So, the total cost of activities for this trip to Copenhagen was £61.70.
Reffen Street Food Market
Food and Drinks in Copenhagen on a Budget.
Usually, I try to find accommodation with kitchen facilities to help bring costs down. However, I was in a hostel for this Copenhagen city break. I soon realised was a mistake, due to the cost of eating out at places in Denmark.
Day 1
Anyway, I ate a big breakfast at home due to the 11.20 flight. I then didn’t eat until the evening which was just a burger and chips for 149dkk (£17.19) and an extortionately priced bottle of water for 45dkk (£5.19), it is Denmark after all. Other than this I bought a 1.5l bottle of water from the supermarket for 5.95dkk (£0.68). If this isn’t for you, try Reffen street food market. This will be one of the best options if you’re visiting Copenhagen on a budget.
Day 2
If you don’t already know, I often buy lunches at the supermarket so that it brings the overall cost down. This time, I bought food for day 2 and day 3. This consisted of the following – 1 lettuce, 6 bread rolls, 6 bananas, 2 packs of ham and 1 pack of sliced cheese. This totaled £11.81, so £5.91 per day (I found some reduced items too which kept the cost down). For dinner on day two I ate out and had a calzone for 100dkk (£11.53) which was the cheapest thing on the menu. To be honest, I was very surprised I found something for this low price. For drinks through the day, I just filled my water bottle from yesterday.
Day 3
For my final day I had lunch from the stuff I’d bought from the supermarket yesterday (£5.91 – it’s rare that I eat breakfast for those who don’t know, but my sandwiches are not small which makes up for it). I then ate in the airport lounge (free with my amex card). If you don’t have one already then see if you’re eligible for the gold card. This card is free for the first year and comes with 4 complimentary lounge visits.
So, the total cost of food and drink across this trip was £46.40.
Nyhavn, Copenhagen
Transportation in Copenhagen
The transportation for this trip was a small amount of the costs. Firstly, I landed around 2pm and took the metro from the airport. This cost 30dkk (£3.46). This was the only transport I used for day 1, as my accommodation was in Nyhavn which was also an area I wanted to explore.
For the second day however, I bought a 24 hour transport pass which cost £10.15. I only did 4 metro rides but this would have cost £11.08 as separate journeys, so it worked out slightly better. Also, the pass gives unlimited travel on multiple forms of transport so it’s well worth it if you are wanting to explore a lot or go further afield.
For my final day, I did a lot of walking which meant I only needed transport back to the aiport which was 30dkk (£3.46). This brought the total spends on transport to £17.07.
Ksamil, Albania
Copenhagen on a Budget – Conclusion
So, the total for this trip was £244.41. Which, is within the £250 budget however, I would not recommend Copenhagen as a budget destination. Firstly, this was my shortest trip at just 2.5 days and it still took my whole budget. Secondly, it’s just too easy to overspend in an expensive destination. Therefore, I would avoid visiting on a strict budget and come back when you have more flexibility with what you can spend.
Flights – £64.24
Accommodation – £55
Activities – £61.70
Food & Drinks – £46.40
Transportation – £17.07
Total for 3 cheap days in Copenhagen – £244.41
Let me know in the comments if you like this post. Or, if you have any suggestions of things the community can do on their Copenhagen holiday. Thanks for reading! Check out the other trips I have done for this £250 series – Bucharest, Sofia, Lake Como, Marrakech, Geneva/ Annecy, Albania and Paris.
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