Copenhagen Sightseeing, Ticket by Ticket
Copenhagen’s royal core is small enough to cover on foot in a day, so the question is not distance, it’s which of the paid stops are actually worth the ticket next to the free ones sitting right beside them.
Rundetårn, freshly reopened
Købmagergade 52A. Christian IV built the tower in 1637-1642 with a 209-meter spiral ramp instead of stairs, wide enough for horses hauling books to the library and observatory above. The astronomical observatory dome and its historic Fraunhofer telescope finished restoration and reopened to the public on 12 August 2026 after a formal reinauguration by King Frederik. Tickets are 60 DKK adult, 20 DKK child, open daily 10:00-20:00 in summer. Details at rundetaarn.dk . Rundetårn and Old Town walking tickets are bookable on GetYourGuide .
Amalienborg’s noon ceremony
Four identical rococo palaces around an octagonal courtyard, the Royal Family’s winter residence. The Royal Life Guards march from Rosenborg Barracks at 11:30 and reach the square for the changing of the guard at noon, free to watch. The Amalienborg Museum inside Christian VIII’s Palace runs 125 DKK online.
Rosenborg Castle
Øster Voldgade 4A, Christian IV’s 1606-1624 summer retreat, now home to the Danish Crown Jewels in an underground Treasury, alongside the silver coronation lions and a narwhal-tusk throne in the Long Hall. Tickets are 150 DKK online at kongernessamling.dk/rosenborg , and timed slots are worth booking in May-September. Rosenborg Castle tickets are also on Viator .
Christiansborg Tower: the one view that’s free
The seat of the Danish Parliament sits on Slotsholmen; the Combined Palace Ticket, 175 DKK, covers the Reception Rooms and the ruins of Bishop Absalon’s 1167 castle underneath. But the Tower itself, at 106 meters the tallest in the city, is entirely free, just booked in advance through a timed online slot, and the view over the inner harbor beats every paid alternative.
Nyhavn and the Little Mermaid, without the crowds
Nyhavn’s canal was dug by Swedish prisoners between 1671 and 1673; walk it for the colored townhouses and eat elsewhere, since the restaurants on the sunny side are priced for tour groups. The Little Mermaid, a 1.25m bronze statue at Langelinie Promenade, draws tour buses from 10:00 to 17:00; go at 7:30-8:30 in the morning instead, on foot from Kastellet, for a quiet photo of a statue that photographs larger than it is.
The verdict
Spend on Rundetårn and Rosenborg, skip a paid tower entirely and use the free one at Christiansborg instead. For a walking route that strings these together on foot, see the Copenhagen walking tours guide , or set the pace with the 2-day Copenhagen itinerary .