8-9 days in Denmark in April

You will be spoiled for choice!!

I suggest taking a look at the Copenhagen Card. It will give you entrance to a number of places and the Discover level has free public transport. You can use that to travel on easy day trips - Roskilde, Frederiksborg Castle, etc.

The many options are indicated on the Copenhagen Card website - good starting point for ideas.
https://copenhagencard.com

I took a first-timer relative in June 2023 for about your same length of time. Our "itinerary" was a simple list of places to see and the days they were open. So much of central Copenhagen is walkable that we were easily able to group attractions in a given area - and move outside that area as we desired. The day trips were taken according to weather and opening days.

Easy planning!

There are many "must-sees" in my opinion - everyone is so different, I won't mention many. However, the National Museum of Denmark is wonderful for history, the various castles in town are all different and worthwhile, Danish Resistance Museum incredibly moving, outside of town, my favorite spot was Helsingør with the Hamlet inspiration castle, Maritime Museum, historic city center, ferry to Sweden. I'm sure I've forgotten some favorites.

adding - I've also spent a week in Copenhagen in April, a few years before Covid. It was a good time with fewer tourists than in the summer.

Sounds like a nice plan. There is a lot of art, architecture and history to see in Copenhagen. But other nearby towns in Denmark worth a day trip are Roskilde, Helsingør, Hillerød. And in Sweden you can also consider a visit to Lund, Helsingborg, Ystad or Simrishamn.

Tourist info provides 11 day trips from Copenhagen with very good ideas.

Tivoli summer season opens April 21 (opening times).

Do not miss to join the Sakura Cherry Blossom Festival for nice photos.

We regularly visit Copenhagen, where our daughter lives. Since there will be fewer tourists in April, I wouldn't worry too much about structuring an itinerary but make your plans dependent on the weather forecast.

These are a few suggestions in addition to the places already named:

• We always enjoy the art exhibits at Cisternerne, an underground art installation space.
• The interior of Københavns Rådhus (City Hall) is very interesting and they do a good tour in English. We have also booked an architectural walk around the outside of the building through Airbnb Experience.
• The Louisiana Museum of Art is another great day trip.
• The canal boat tours might seem cheesy but they are quite fun and a good way to get a feel for the old city.

Also, depending on when you are there in April, many services (like restaurants, grocery stores, and museums) will be closed or have limited hours on Thursday through Monday around Easter. You can easily work around it and plan ahead, but it is surprising how many places are closed compared to the U.S.

thanks to everyone for the ideas!
We will get there after Easter so won't have to deal with those closures. I will take a look at the suggestions and it is good to know that we can be flexible, making plans that are weather dependent.
I had toyed with the idea of flying to Oslo instead, spending 1-2 days there and then taking the daytime train to Copenhagen because I read that the trip is very scenic and different from the Denmark landscape. However I am thinking that there will be so much to see that we should instead just focus on Copenhagen and surrounding area, rather than spreading ourselves to thinly.

Hej Susan,
Your visit to Copenhagen may coincide with a special weekend of cultural significance - Danish confirmation day - I think it's ~ April 26 or 27 this year. It is a joyful rite of passage for many Danish youngsters aged 13-15, celebrated in church and at parties afterwards. I attended a friend's granddaughter's ceremony several years ago followed by a lovely, long lunch with many toasts and speeches. From my American perspective, it was like a wedding. Just in case you see families, flowers, and balloons everywhere, you'll know why :).

opens April 21

Not this year (2025). This year it opens April 4 (opening hours)

thanks for all the ideas! Very helpful.

We have decided to spend 3 nights in Aarhus, upon arrival in CPH, followed by 6 days in Copenhagen. Looking forward to it!

Perhaps people might be able to comment on the frequency of trains from Copenhagen to Aarhus. We will likely fly into CPH arriving around 6 pm and then find the train to Aarhus. I assume we have to go into the city to catch the train.

Perhaps people might be able to comment on the frequency of trains from Copenhagen to Aarhus. We will likely fly into CPH arriving around 6 pm and then find the train to Aarhus. I assume we have to go into the city to catch the train.

There are InterCityLyn trains (the fast InterCity services) once an hour. They are direct trains from Copenhagen Airport to Aarhus (they go via Copenhagen Central Station, but you don't have to transfer to a new train).

Timetables and tickets can be purchased on dsb.dk/en

And a small tip: I highly recommend getting a seat reservation. It is well worth the modest surcharge it to be guaranteed a seat for the entire journey, and not risiking having to move around/stand (even if evening time is not peak, it provides comfort and peace of mind).

I am very happy to learn that the train is available right from the airport.
We are supposed to land at 6 pm from Edinburgh but not sure if we can book a train ahead, since we don't know if the flight (Norwegian) will be on time or how long it will take to get through customs/immigration. it will be a Friday night so I wonder if that makes the train busier than usual.
Given these constraints, should we just wait until arrival to get tickets? I did look at the website, but didn't completely understand the terminology.
Thanks!

Yes, I think it's nice and convenient.

The trains will have more passengers on a Friday evening compared to a random Wednesday evening (just to give an example). As long as you get a seat reservation, then it should all be fine. Book in the quiet zone if you want guaranteed peace and quiet, just know that the quiet zone is not a "speak softly" nor "whisper only" zone, most consider it an actual quiet zone.

And yes, you can wait to buy the ticket until your arrival. There is no train ticket counter at Copenhagen Airport, but there are DSB ticket machines and DSB staff on site until 8:30 PM on Fridays. You can also use DSB's app, if that's more your style (the app will let you snatch an Orange/Orange Fri ticket if any are left, which can happen every now and then).

A Standard ticket, which is 460 DKK per adult (not including seat reservation)(25% discount available if you are under 25 or above 67 years). This is the guaranteed maximum price. Orange/Orange Fri are cheaper, but tied to a specific departure and most often sell out a fair bit in advance, and not available from ticket machines.

I hope this helps clear up the situation :) One final thing to note: Don't expect any catering on the train. If you need food or drinks, you should bring it onboard yourself.

that is very helpful!
This has been a bit of a stress point. I am glad to hear there are staff around to help sort it out.
It is so nice how helpful people are in these RS forums!