Copenhagen Sightseeing with Public Transport

There are plenty of sightseeing tours to choose from in Copenhagen, from buses to canal boats: But the intrepid tourist is one who ditches the guide in favor of public transportation.

City Circle

Copenhagen is a wonderfully compact city with a very efficient, fully integrated public transport system of buses, trains, Metro and even a water bus. While all modes of transport will take you from A to B, the city circle minibus 11A takes you around all the major attractions in the downtown area Indre By—at brisk, seven-minute intervals during the daytime.

The winding, cobbled streets of Copenhagen’s medieval Indre By are too narrow for large vehicles, but in 2009, smaller buses were introduced that have been tailor-made for the old city.

Stops include Royal must-sees Rosenborg Palace, Amalienborg and Christiansborg Slot as well as cultural essentials like the Nationalmuseet and Glyptoteket. Tourist number ones Tivoli and Nyhavn are also included, in a route that incorporates the brand-new Tivoli Hotel and Congress Center.

Being electrically-driven, the yellow bus is also environmentally conscious—and much quieter than Copenhagen’s other buses.

The public harbor tour

Another option is to take the water bus ‘havnebus’ across the channel and enjoy the amazing architectural sights of Copenhagen’s revitalized waterfront, from Fisketorvet shopping mall and the many new hotels in the area to the formidable ‘black diamond’ facades of the Royal Library and the national opera house Operaen.

Both the water bus and the city circle are part of Copenhagen’s zone-based ticket system, allowing multiple transfers over a one-hour period from the time stamped on the ticket. Tourist pass Copenhagen Card also gives free rides on the city’s public transport.

For more on Copenhagen’s buses and trains, see Getting Around Copenhagen – Public Transport

Image courtesy of Kasper Thye/ Copenhagen Media Center.