Copenhagen + Denmark in 2 Days on a Budget
Two days: one night in Copenhagen, one day in Roskilde
Two days is enough for exactly one Denmark day trip on top of a Copenhagen city stay, and Roskilde is the pick: 25-27 minutes from Copenhagen Central, cheaper than Kronborg or Malmo, and light enough for an evening flight home. Longer versions of this same plan add a stop each: 3 days , 4 days , 5 days and 7 days .
Book these before you go
- Check Copenhagen hotel rates on Booking.com near Central Station, since both days start from the same platform.
- Book a Viking Ship Museum ticket online if your two days land on a July weekend, when the walk-up line runs longest.
- Compare a guided Roskilde Viking day tour if you’d rather have a guide handle the logistics than do the 25-minute train yourself.
| Day | Focus | Time from Copenhagen Central | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive, settle into Copenhagen | 13-15 min Metro from CPH airport | ~36-40 DKK metro fare |
| Day 2 | Roskilde: Viking ships and cathedral | 25-27 min regional train | 84 DKK train, up to 240 DKK for both sights |
Day 1: land and settle in, spend nothing extra
Fly into Copenhagen Airport (CPH) and take the M2 Metro or a DSB regional train from the shared platform under Terminal 3 straight to Copenhagen Central Station, 13-15 minutes, roughly 36-40 DKK. Pick a hotel within walking distance of the station rather than deep in a residential district; you’re leaving from the same platform again tomorrow morning. Spend the evening on the free stuff in the city itself, Nyhavn’s canal houses cost nothing to walk past, and save your budget for tomorrow’s train and museum tickets rather than a first-night splurge dinner.
Day 2: Roskilde, then your flight
Buy a regional train ticket at the station or in the DOT/Rejsebillet app and ride 25-27 minutes to Roskilde. The Viking Ship Museum (160 DKK adult) holds five excavated Viking-age ships and sits about 1.5km from Roskilde Cathedral, Denmark’s UNESCO-listed royal burial church, now 80 DKK adult after a price rise from 70 DKK took effect 1 July 2026. Walk between the two or catch bus 203. If your flight leaves in the evening, this whole trip fits into a single afternoon: back on the train by mid-afternoon gets you to the airport with room to spare.
Can you actually do Roskilde in half a day?
Yes. The museum and cathedral sit 1.5km apart, each takes roughly 60-90 minutes to see properly, and the train itself is under half an hour each way. A 9am departure from Copenhagen Central gets you back by early afternoon with both sights covered and time left for an evening flight.
Do you need to book the Viking Ship Museum in advance?
No, not for a walk-up visit outside peak July weekends. The only Roskilde item worth booking ahead is the seasonal 50-minute sailing add-on (May through September, weather permitting, 120 DKK extra), since boat slots are limited in a way the museum’s regular entry isn’t.
Buy your train ticket the morning you leave, not the night before. Roskilde departures run frequently enough, over 100 trains a day, that a same-day ticket costs the same as booking ahead, and you’ll know the weather before you commit to the trip.