
Copenhagen with kids
Copenhagen with kids is easy on the legs and hard on the wallet. The city is flat, the metro runs all day and night, and two children under 12 ride free with each paying adult. Tivoli is across the road from the central station and the zoo has a bus stop at its gate. What catches families out is the small print: canal boats and both castles refuse strollers, and the big parks only open on set dates.
More about the city
The weather decides more than the map does. Keep one indoor option for every day, and there are good ones: the aquarium by the airport, the science centre in Hellerup and the Round Tower in the old centre. Under-18s get into the National Museum, Rosenborg, Kronborg and the Round Tower for free, which takes some of the sting out of the prices.
Know before you go
Things to do in Copenhagen with kids
12 activities
Amusement parkTivoli Gardens
child from kr 75Rides, gardens and a big playground across from the central station. Entry and rides are paid separately.
ZooCopenhagen Zoo
child from kr 160A full zoo with a Kids' Zoo, cart rental at the gate and a bus stop right outside the entrance.
AquariumDen Blå Planet (National Aquarium Denmark)
child from kr 131Big aquarium on the airport metro line. Stroller-friendly, open late on Mondays, cheaper online.
Science centreExperimentarium
free under 2Hands-on science centre in Hellerup, open every day from 9:30. Re-entry and packed lunches allowed.
History museumNational Museum of Denmark
free under 18Free for under-18s and the museum lends strollers. The Children's Museum is closed until summer 2027.
Boat tourCanal tour from Nyhavn
One hour on the water past the big sights. No strollers on board and no toilet on the boat.
CastleRosenborg Castle
free under 18The royal Treasury in a 400-year-old castle with stairs and no lift. Free under 18, no strollers inside.
StatueThe Little Mermaid
No ticket neededThe statue everyone asks about. Free, small, and a 15-minute walk from the nearest station.
Tower and viewpointRundetaarn (The Round Tower)
free under 18A 200-metre spiral ramp where other towers have stairs. Free under 18, and the queue is rarely long.
Park and playgroundKongens Have (The King's Garden)
No ticket neededThe central park with a fairytale playground and a puppet theatre, in front of Rosenborg Castle.
Amusement parkBakken (Dyrehavsbakken)
No ticket neededFree-entry amusement park in the woods north of the city. Open on set dates only, so check first.
Castle day tripKronborg Castle (Helsingør)
free under 18Hamlet's castle, 46 minutes by train. Free under 18, casemates to explore, no strollers inside.
Nothing matches these filters.
Prices at a glance
| Activity | Adult | Child | Free under | 0-2 | 3-5 | 6-10 | 11+ | Book ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tivoli Gardens | kr 150 | kr 75 (3-7) | 3 | Fine | Great | Great | Great | Recommended |
| Copenhagen Zoo | kr 260 | kr 160 (3-14) | 3 | Great | Great | Great | Fine | No |
| Den Blå Planet (National Aquarium Denmark) | kr 249 | kr 131 (3-11) | 3 | Great | Great | Great | Fine | Recommended |
| Experimentarium | · | · | 2 | Skip | Great | Great | Great | Recommended |
| National Museum of Denmark | kr 150 | · | 18 | Fine | Fine | Fine | Fine | No |
| Canal tour from Nyhavn | kr 199 | · | · | Fine | Fine | Great | Great | Recommended |
| Rosenborg Castle | kr 150 | · | 18 | Skip | Skip | Fine | Great | Recommended |
| The Little Mermaid | Free | Fine | Skip | Fine | Fine | No | ||
| Rundetaarn (The Round Tower) | kr 60 | · | 18 | Fine | Great | Great | Fine | No |
| Kongens Have (The King's Garden) | Free | Great | Great | Fine | Fine | No | ||
| Bakken (Dyrehavsbakken) | Free | Fine | Great | Great | Great | No | ||
| Kronborg Castle (Helsingør) | kr 150 | · | 18 | Skip | Tiring | Great | Great | No |
GreatFineTiringSkip
Ticket budget for your family
Tick what you plan to do. Child prices and free-under ages are applied for you.
Tips by age
- The zoo has a nursing room by the restrooms nearest the entrance and keeps emergency diapers at the gate.
- Tivoli's baby room by Rasmus Klump's World has changing tables, microwaves and nursing chairs.
- Bring a carrier: strollers stay on the quay for canal tours and at the door of Rosenborg and Kronborg.
- Trafiklegepladsen in Fælledparken lends small bikes and trikes to children under 130 cm during staffed hours.
- Rent a cart at the zoo entrance for 80 DKK plus a 20 DKK deposit. It saves the walk back to the gate.
- Ages 3 to 7 pay the child price at Tivoli, from 75 DKK for entrance. Under-3s are free.
- Experimentarium tickets allow same-day re-entry, so eat a packed lunch in the picnic area and go back in.
- Kronborg runs a free 15-minute introduction tour several times a day. Do the casemates straight after.
- Bakken's wristband gives up to ten turns on each ride for 349 DKK online. Check it is open on your date.
- From age 8 Tivoli charges the adult price: 150 to 230 DKK for entrance, 449 to 559 DKK with a Ride Pass.
- Children aged 12 to 15 need their own transport ticket, at about half the adult fare.
- Rosenborg bans backpacks and sells ten-minute time slots. Book ahead and use the free lockers.
Playgrounds worth the detour
For the hour when nobody wants another sight.
- Tårnlegepladsen, FælledparkenØsterbro · ToiletsClimbing towers and slides modelled on the city's famous spires, with a sand building area and a scooter track next door, for toddlers up to about 12; toilet and changing place open even outside staffed hours.Map
- Trafiklegepladsen, FælledparkenØsterbro · Fenced · ToiletsA fenced child-size traffic town with working lights and road signs where under-130 cm children borrow bikes in staffed hours, plus a small fenced trike track, swings and a big sandpit.Map
- Skydebanehaven (the Parrot Playground)Vesterbro · ToiletsA giant parrot slide, zip line, climbing net, sandpit with playhouses and a summer paddling pool in a walled Vesterbro garden, good from toddlers to about 10.Map
- Nørrebroparken playgroundNørrebro · ToiletsOne of the city's largest playgrounds, with a plane, ships and a whale to climb, baby swings, sandpits and a bike track, staffed on weekdays all year.Map
- Ørstedsparken playgroundIndre By · Fenced · ToiletsA fenced playground aimed at smaller children near Nørreport, with sandpit, play tower, swings and slide; the toilet and changing place open only when staff are there, Monday to Friday.Map
Where to change a baby
Places in the centre with a documented changing or nursing room.
- Tivoli Gardens baby roomCity centre · Changing and nursingBy the Rasmus Klump's World playground, with changing tables, microwaves and nursing chairs; you need a Tivoli entrance ticket to reach it.Map
- Elefantens Bastion playground, ChristianshavnChristianshavn · Changing tableThe staffed playground on Christianshavns Vold has toilets and a changing place, open only while staff are on site (weekdays, plus Saturdays in summer).Map
- National Museum of DenmarkIndre By · Changing and nursingThe museum lists changing and nursing facilities in its Children's Museum, which closes on 18 October 2026 until summer 2027, so ask at the desk after that date.Map
3 days in Copenhagen with kids
Getting around
- Under-12 fare
- 2 children free per ticketed adult
- Ages 12 to 15
- Own child ticket, about half price
- Airport metro
- Around 15 min to Nørreport on M2
- Metro hours
- 24 hours a day, every 2-3 min by day
- City Pass Small
- Zones 1-4, airport included, 24-120 h
Copenhagen with kids: common questions
Is Copenhagen stroller-friendly?
Mostly. The city is flat, the aquarium and the zoo are easy, and Tivoli and Bakken rent strollers. The exceptions are fixed: no strollers on Stromma's canal boats, inside Rosenborg or Kronborg, or on the last stairs of the Round Tower.
Do children pay on public transport in Copenhagen?
Two children under 12 travel free with each adult who has a valid ticket or City Pass. Children aged 12 to 15 need a child ticket at about half price, and from 16 they pay the adult fare.
Is the Little Mermaid worth it with kids?
Only as part of something else. It is a small bronze statue with a crowd in front, a 15-minute walk from Østerport Station. The one-hour canal tour passes her, which is the easier way to tick it off.
Is Tivoli open all year?
No. It opens in seasons. In 2026 Halloween runs from 2 October to 1 November and Christmas from 13 November to 3 January. The 2027 summer season is announced for 30 March to 26 September, after an Easter opening from 19 March.