Copenhagen for 2 nights and 1 day

Our "must do" for Copenhagen is the Resistance Museum. It is incredibly moving. You could start in the morning with the spiral church climb. After that, we like to walk the Stroget, stopping at the food court of one of the big department stores for tea and a Danish pastry (which they call "Weinerbrod" not Danish); maybe walk up the Round Tower, and then on to the Resistance Museum. Be sure and see the statue of statue of Gefion and the snorting bull in this area, and the old fortress if you like. Then walk back and stroll down the Nyhavn, maybe stopping for a beer or glass of wine if it is late enough. Back to the hotel to freshen up and then we go to Tivoli. It is best at night, all lit up. There are several good restaurants you can choose from if you would like dinner there. We have found jazz clubes just by wandering up Stroget again late at night and lsitening for the music. But there are probably better ways.

I had just about that much time there as well. After the train ride to the city center and checking into the hotel we found just spending the next day wandering around and hanging out in cafes on our own was perfect. There was such a 'cool city vibe' and there were always people out everywhere, so it was a great place to have no agenda. I do remember we went to a Viking Museum (grandson was 12) but its a fun place to people watch. Did not bother with Tivoli, but we were nearing the end of the trip and a little tired.

Your plan sounds very do-able. I will go out on a limb and say "YES" to Tivoli. I love it there. It's utterly charming, and completely unlike the typical loud, gaudy, exhausting American amusement park. If you are history buffs, the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde is about a half hour away by train, and is mind-blowing if you're into that sort of thing. If not, don't detour, just stay in the city - there is plenty to see and do, and your plan will be lots of fun and not too much craziness. No idea about jazz clubs, sorry.

The National Museum is okay, but I think even better is the Botanisk Have (botanical gardens) across the street. Christiania is certainly unique, but sort of in a sad way. Having grown up in the hippie era, I had high (no pun intended) hopes that the movement would lead to something better. I DID like the arched sign over one entrance/exit that read, as you were leaving Christiania, "You are now entering the EU". Classic. You might or might not like Tivoli. We didn't, but it's certainly a spectacle. Denmark is known for its design sense, and if you're into that sort of thing opportunities abound. The Dansk Design Centre has great exhibitions, and across the street is Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. Over by Christiania is the Dansk Arkitektur Center which has great exhibits plus a simple but amazing cafe. I had one of the best soups I've ever tasted at that cafe. With any place, if you have only one full day, just walking around and discovering things is not a bad way to go. Have fun!

If you start early, you could get to Roskilde (Viking Ship Museum and Cathedral) and back by late lunch time. I liked the National Museum and the art museum nearby (can't recall the name). Tivoli was just okay, it was free with our Copenhagen card so worth a walk around. We also liked a restaurant there (name translates to "ditch") but wouldn't have paid admission to park to pay for dinner too. We like people watching. Walking the Stroget (pedestrian mall) between City Hall and Kongens Nytorv, then relaxing by the Nyhaven canal with a glass of wine was nice for us. We didn't go to Christiania, it wasn't high (no pun intended) on our priority list.

I really enjoyed following the Rick Steve;s Walking tour route around central Copenhagen, a great mix of historic sites and buildings, places to eat, and modern stores. I also liked the Nyhaven canal area, just strolling and finding lunch or dinner options, and taking in the sites.
I much preferred Christiania over Tivoli, but that depends on your interest.

Thanks for all the replies, everyone! Much appreciated. I have Rick Steves' Scandinavia guidebook, but it shows a lot more time in Copenhagen than we have, hence the indecision. I agree the Danish Resistance Museum looks pretty interesting, so I'm thinking of trying that instead of the National Museum as it would leave more time for strolling around what everyone seems to agree is essential to do. We're not much for castles and we'll be coming from Stockholm, where we plan to visit the Vasa Museum and get out on the water, so I was thinking to stay in the city for such a short visit. We like museums, art, and shopping, but I was thinking of skipping shopping or we'd never get off of the Stroget. It sounds like a day of wandering, a stop in Christiania and the museum is a good plan. We'll more than likely wander over to Tivoli on our first evening and see if it looks appealing, and just decide then. As to Christiania I am taking my mom instead of my husband on this trip, so I guess I should have asked if anyone knows exactly how much drug culture is exposed to outsiders? She's 67 and definitely on the hip side, but I don't want to freak her out or make her feel unsafe (or feel that way myself). Does anyone have any comments about the safety/drug aspects of Christiania? I've read conflicting things about "Pusher Street," so I was just wondering if anyone had any ideas about it. I should mention we lived in Berkeley, CA when I was a teenager, so we are certainly not strangers to a lot of this lifestyle (except I'm guessing there are way more mentally unstable people in Berkeley than in Denmark). Thanks again!

I thought both the National Museum and Resistance Museum were excellent, so I would try to do both. I enjoyed strolling around the Nyhavn area as well. The Stroget was very disappointing to me hardly any of the stores interested me, but I am not much into shopping. Christinaia did not appeal to me in the least. As for Tivoli, it is really charming, but when we were there (June) it was so crowded it took all the charm away. You could hardly walk through the place. If it's not terribly crowded, I would give it a try. I liked Roskilde a lot, but would not do it with so little time.

Drugs in Chrstiana: They were formally "evicted" or banned way back in the 80s, at least. (Someone please correct me if I have the dates wrong.) I've seen people smoking pot and have been approached by dealers, but have never seen other drugs. Pot is sold on "Pusher Street" - I don't think other drugs are. Maybe hash. That being said, people probably DO coke and heroin, but coke and heroin aren't things you do right out on the street - you do them in the comfort of your own home. Your mother was only 23 during the "Summer of Love," so I will bet she is even hipper than you think she is... ;-) I think Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley (I lived in Oakland and worked in Berkeley for a number of years) is way more icky and full of drugged-up and down-and-out types than Christiana. (Ditto the Mission and Tenderloin in San Francisco.) If you can handle Telegraph, you can handle Christiana.

I don't know what time of year you are going, but that is about the same amount of time I had in Copenhagen a couple of months ago. To give you an idea of my perspective, I like architecture, history, design, and anything unique about a place. I don't spend time shopping and little time sitting in cafes. I will walk for miles. I purchased a 24-hour CPH card that covered metro into city, bus (didn't use) and lots of admissions. Only worth it if you plan to go inside museums and such--I got one so I could pop in and decide if I wanted to spend time or just pop back out without concern about cost. I liked-- Christiansborg Palace for setting of current events. National museum for great explanation of history. Marble church walking along the canals and lakes I did not think worth my time in short visit or saw better in other places-- Resistance Museum Design Museum Ny Carlsburg Museum
canal tour (except to rest feet) Trivoli was magical for me that night to see the lights and the Pantomime Theatre show (no rides or expensive dinner).