I posted the below on a different topic and someone reached out to me and suggested I save it in Trip Reports for future reference. I should have done it sooner as this forum helped me tailor my Scandinavian trip.
This was a solo trip in September 2024 and I arrived in Copenhagen during their historical heatwave. I only had 4 days and I usually cram a lot of things during my trips since they are short. I move fast and walk a lot, but Copenhagen Discovery Card covered all my trains, metro and most museums/castles. I know it looks hectic but I have to say I didn't feel rushed in any way. I planned my day to make most sense by location/area of town, and even added a few unplanned stops. My hotel was really close to main train station so it was easy for me to go explore other towns and stop by hotel briefly in afternoon before heading out again. I'm in my late 40s and very active.
Day 1 - arrived in the morning. Took train from airport to Main Train Station (about 20 minutes). My hotel was really close to train station and Tivoli. I dropped bag and went out to explore and fight the jetlag. Walked all the way to Nyhavn grabbing a bite on the way. When I arrived near Christianborg Palace, there was an agglomeration of people and several army/military personnel. I went to check it out and found out it was Flag/Veteran's day. I even saw the King himself salute the troops! I then took one of the canal tours included in the Discover card. I had early dinner near Nyhavn, then took metro back to train station around 6:30pm. I stopped by Tivoli briefly and watched one of the outdoor live Theater shows.
Day 2 - Morning was a bike tour with Bike with Mike which I highly recommend. I really got a feel for the city and saw several other main sights (honestly, I could have skipped the mermaid). Then lunch (smørrebrød) at Det Lille Apotek which I had made a reservation. Interesting building, they call themselves the oldest restaurant in Denmark and it used to be a Pharmacy. On way out, walked by the old Copenhagen University Library (this beautiful red brick building made me want to go inside, and so glad I did!). I also visited Round Tower which is nearby. On way back to hotel, I stopped again at Tivoli for a quick stroll. It became my nightly routine since it was covered with Discovery card. I went on Ferris wheel ride since it was a beautiful sunset. Just used my credit card to tap and pay for a ride.
Day 3 - I had pre-booked a 9am slot to climb the Church of our Savior Spire. From there, I took metro and train to Hillerød to visit Frederiksborg Castle, and had lunch in the old town. Train back to Central Station in the afternoon, quick stop at the hotel to refresh myself, then I headed out to visit Frederik's Church (Marble Church - stunning!), then went to Kastellet before sunset hour. Enjoyed dinner by the water at the nearby Seaside Toldboden (fun food market place with affordable options). A bit of a walk from there to metro station and went back to hotel.
Day 4 - Took morning train to Helsingør and explored the old town and Kronborg. I was surprised how slow/quiet Old Town was. I forgot it was Sunday. I ended up spending more time at the castle than I thought I would! I had lunch in Old Town, walked back to station and took train back to Copenhagen. Arrived mid-afternoon and went straight to Christianborg castle tour. I wish I had timed it better as I lost my chance to see the stables/king’s horses which had closed before the ruins I was visiting. Christianborg was better than I expected. I had dinner at Maple Casual Dining which was wonderful (near main train station).
Day 5 - departed in the morning to Norway.