Hop on Hop off Bus Tours in Copenhagen

Visiting the capital of Denmark is something you can't miss on your tour around Europe and getting on a tourist bus will always be a great option, because you will be able to see the great beauties of the city from above. In Copenhagen there are too many things to see and do and if you have just enough time and want the best itineraries, then a sightseeing bus is for you.

Copenhagen is a city with a lot to see. One of the main things to do in this beautiful city is simply to feast your eyes on the beautiful facades of the best buildings in Copenhagen. That's why I will always recommend you to book a tour in a tourist bus so you can get a general picture of what the city is like.

There are several companies that provide double-decker tourist bus services, but I recommend Stromma, because it has three different routes in one package that you can use for at least two days:

• Copenhagen Classic.
• Copenhagen Colorful.
• Urban Green.

You will be the one who organizes the itinerary, according to the interests of the different tourist sites you go to, and you can also optimize time touring the most important attractions such as Tivoli Gardens, Amalienborg Palace and The Little Mermaid.

Copenhagen has many attractions to see and that is why the tour bus companies offer different routes. However, there is a main route, the Classic Copenhagen, which will allow you to get close to the most prominent sites and others that allow you to see other parts of the city.

You also have the possibility of hiring a package that includes one or both of the other two routes. In this case, these routes are not available every day of the year as in the Classic, but you can check that before buying your tickets for the Copenhagen sightseeing bus. The themes of both routes are diverse, as one is focused on the parks and the other on the canals.

Copenhagen Classic Route

Undoubtedly the Copenhagen Classic route is the most popular among tourists because it has the essential things to see in the capital of Denmark. When you get on this bus, you will make a tour that passes through:

• Ved Stranden
• New King's Square (Kongens Nytorv)
• Marble Church
• Gefion Fountain
• The Little Mermaid (The Little Mermaid)
• Rosenborg Castle
• Gammel Tov
• Town Hall
• Tivoli Royal Hotel
• Fisketorvet / Tivoli Hotel
• Kalvebod Waves / Marriott Hotel
• Royal Danish Library (Black Diamond)
• Amalienborg Palace

Copenhagen Green Route

Mainly the Green Copenhagen route runs through the Frederiksberg district and here you will have more contact with nature, royal parks and scientific sites. When you are on this bus, you will be able to pass by:

• Planetarium
• Old Royal Street (Gammel Kongevej)
• Frederiksberg Shopping Center
• Frederiksberg City Hall
• Royal Copenhagen Outlet
• Copenhagen Zoo/Cisternene
• De Små Haver/Carlsberg/Bakkehuset
• Frederiksberg Gardens
• Meatpacking/Kødbyen/Scandic District

Colorful Copenhagen Route

In contrast, the Copenhagen Colorful Copenhagen route usually runs along the waterfront of Copenhagen's canals. This route can be an introduction to the best things to do in Christiania, a beautiful district of Copenhagen. Its stops are:

• Ved Stranden
• Christianshavn
• Christiania Freetown
• Copenhagen Opera House
• Street Food/Reffen
• Islands Brygge/Casino Copenhagen

What I like most about this Copenhagen sightseeing bus tour is that it includes three different routes with very different itineraries and themes that you will love. Undoubtedly, the most essential route is the Classic, because it is where you can see all the major attractions of the oldest city and to that itinerary I recommend you to dedicate at least half a day and book your place on the Copenhagen tourist bus in advance.

But unless you are only for one or two days in Copenhagen, my biggest recommendation is to do the other two routes of the tourist bus. It doesn't matter if you are looking for things to do in the city in winter or if you are going in a warm month: the Green Copenhagen tour will allow you to see a much more peaceful city and the Colorful Copenhagen tour, a vibrant, coastal world.

The best thing also that these routes have is that you can get off and get back on the bus as many times as you want during the days you have the package. This means that you can visit several interesting attractions in the same day with very little time difference. It is the best option to optimize time, particularly if you visit Copenhagen for two days.

The most touristic part of Copenhagen is quite compact and if you buy a seat on the Copenhagen sightseeing bus everything will be much more dynamic. The complete tour of the Classic route does not last more than 1 hour and a half, so you can get on and off with a fairly agile frequency. This can be your means of transportation for a whole day of sightseeing, if you take one of the best Copenhagen tours.

The other routes are considerably shorter. In the case of the green Copenhagen route, the non-stop ride takes about 45 minutes, while on the colorful Copenhagen route it can go up to 55 minutes. Please note that these routes vary in frequency depending on the season and that the only permanent route is the one through classic Copenhagen.

You can see all the best of Copenhagen on board one of the city' s three main sightseeing bus routes. These tours allow you to pan the most beautiful sights of the city. Among these main attractions, you should not miss any of the ones I am going to tell you about:

Marble Church

Also known as Frederick's Church, the Marble Church is one of the first stops you will have if you get on the classic tourist bus route. This church will not leave you indifferent, as it is a magnificent example of baroque architecture and has some similarity with the ecclesiastical complex of the Vatican City.

In truth, the style of this church is quite eclectic, as its construction spanned a century and a half, which finally gave it the baroque imprint. The most striking feature is its imposing green dome, which you can climb for an entrance fee of about 5 €, approximately.

The church is open every day between 10:00 and 17:00 h, except Friday and Sunday, when it is open from 12 to 17 h. Please note that to climb the dome it is necessary to be there before 1 pm, so you must coordinate your itinerary with the bus.

Amalienborg Palace

Not so early: don't get back on the tour bus yet, because very close to the Marble Church is the Amalienborg Palace. This is actually a set of at least four palaces with an inner square and are so important because they are the residence of the Danish royal family during the winter months.

In this space, you can see all the protocols of the monarchies, such as the royal changing of the guard, flag raising and martial bands. You can also enter one of the four palaces, the Palace of Christian VIII, where the Amalienborg Museum is located, one of the main attractions for tourists.

The museum is open between 10:00 and 15:00 hours and the entrance costs about 14 €, but the changing of the guard usually starts at 11:30 am. That's why my recommendation is to see the changing of the guard, go to the museum, take the best pictures in the square with the statue of Frederick V and then continue with the tour.

The Little Mermaid

Although it may look like it's from Disney, The Little Mermaid has a much earlier origin. As you continue your tour along the Classic Copenhagen route, you will come across The Little Mermaid, the city's most famous landmark. As you approach, you'll see that it's a black statue at the edge of the sea on a rock by the city's harbor.

This statue of a beautiful woman with a mermaid's tail dates from the early 20th century and is inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, written more than a century before Disney adapted it and made the story a global success. When you are nearby, you can take pictures and leave immortalized in your memories the most famous monument in all of Copenhagen.

Rosenborg Castle

It's hard to believe that a castle of this size is in the middle of Copenhagen, but you'll be amazed when you see it. The Rosenborg Castle dates back to the early 17th century and is very surprising for its height and its Renaissance style with bricks and multiple modifications. Although you can spend a long time taking pictures of its facade, the best is inside.

When you enter the castle, you can admire the Danish crown jewels. This space has become a museum of the most precious pieces of all the monarchy of Denmark, so it is always full of tourists delighted to see them.

Making a museum in a tall castle and not wide represented a challenge and when you're inside you can certify it. This castle is a must when you take a tour of the best castles in Copenhagen. Are you up for a tour?

Royal Danish Library

Another of the great symbols of Copenhagen is the Royal Danish Library, known as Black Diamond. It is the largest library in Northern Europe and although it has several centuries of history, this modern building was inaugurated in 1999 and since then has become one of the symbols of the city.

Its glass facade allows the sea to be reflected, but also to appreciate the canals once you are inside one of the eight floors of this great building. If you are worried about entering and not being able to read anything because everything is in Danish, keep in mind that there are rooms with books in other languages. In any case, you don't need to read to enter, as the architecture alone is worth it.

You can visit this library from Monday to Friday between 8:00 and 21:00 h and Saturdays between 9:00 and 19:00 h, so I recommend you to leave it for the end of the afternoon so you can have the opportunity to see the sunset light from there.

Tivoli

Although it sounds like an Italian name, Tivoli is one of the most important areas of Copenhagen because its gardens have stolen the hearts of locals and tourists. Despite its name, Tivoli Gardens is said to be the oldest amusement park in the world that is still active.

The beautiful arch at the entrance shows the history of this park, which was created by royal order as a place for leisure and today has an entrance fee of around 20 €. When you are inside, you can eat in exclusive restaurants, enjoy celebrations and cultural events and, no doubt, get on many of the attractions that are present there.

Gammel Kongevej

At the beginning of the green Copenhagen route of the tourist bus is a stop at the Gammel Kongevej, which could be translated as the Old Royal Street. This is the main shopping street in the Frederiksberg district, where most of this tour circulates. Even if you do not buy anything, walking a few blocks along this street will be worth it.

The Gammel Kongevej is a street whose origins are in the seventeenth century, but its current composition is from the nineteenth century and has had a beautiful architectural transformation. You can just walk, relax and wait for the next tourist bus. Being here in the evenings is also very interesting, making it one of the best things to do in the evenings in Copenhagen.

Frederiksberg Gardens

Also to wait, rest and breathe are the Frederiksberg Gardens. These gardens look like something out of a postcard, as they are the ideal place to walk peacefully and enjoy a bucolic and romantic landscape. The tourist bus can drop you off at these gardens to take a break from the urban bustle.

It is really worth spending half an hour in these gardens, full of ponds where different birds perch. You can also spend some time looking for a tree that is full of baby pacifiers, commemorating a tradition of Danish parents who hang up pacifiers once their children have stopped using them. Isn't it curious?

Copenhagen Opera House

On the colorful Copenhagen route, the most striking site to visit is the Copenhagen Opera House. It's another phenomenal piece of architecture, on an island just off the coast that you won't be able to miss. This is a truly modern theater and was inaugurated in 2004, after three years of construction. Its quality of construction is matched by the composition of its halls and spaces.

There are constantly opera seasons, especially in the evenings, so if you want and have time to go, I recommend buying tickets for an opera performance in Copenhagen. There are also guided tours for around 14 €, but in English.

Despite being a member of the European Union, Denmark's currency is Danish kroner and that complicates a bit the understanding of prices and fares in Copenhagen. The costs of the tourist buses will vary according to the time to be used and the route selected. The most basic plan is the 24-hour classic route, which can cost around 25 €.

However, there are better packages if you are staying more days and want to see the other areas. The classic route for 48 hours can cost about 30 €, the same as if you hire a package for the same time in the green or colorful routes. But if you want to have access to the tourist bus for 48 hours on all three routes, it can cost about 48 €. By having access to all three routes, you will be able to tour the best palaces of Copenhagen just moving with this bus.

The most important thing about tour buses is continuity. Tourists need to be able to get off and on fairly frequently and that is true of this Copenhagen bus. On the classic route, departure starts at 9:10 am, while the last bus leaves from the first stop at 5:30 pm. In other words: the service runs for more than eight uninterrupted hours.

In the case of the green route and the colorful route, the frequency is lower and, especially, varies depending on the time of year. Both are active in high season and particularly in summer, when there are more things to do, but they do not operate every day of the year like the classic route. Although they have a lower frequency, the schedule is usually quite similar.

Just like a normal bus. The process to use these buses is to simply wait for the contracted tourist bus at the bus stop, where once it arrives, they will verify your tickets and you will be able to get on and off as many times as you wish during the paid period, whether it is 24 or 48 hours. This tour bus will travel along the route, but there are several of them, so you will not have to wait long to get on the next one.

Dogs are allowed on the bus, but they must be small dogs that fit in a bag. There is stroller access, so you can include it in the things to do in Copenhagen with children, but there is no wheelchair accessible entrance. You should also note that there is no restroom, although there are stops such as The Little Mermaid that have one. Also, in case of rain, the top of the bus will be covered with a roof.