Travel bucket list idea:

Boat tours of Copenhagen’s canals

Copenhagen, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark

Canal boat filled with tourists travelling along Copenhagen's canals

Credit Shutterstock.com/Arndale

Last updated: 28 April, 2024

The historic centre of Copenhagen, including both the mainland side and the island of Amager, is diced and diced with some rather picturesque canals. The canals link many of the major city sights, including Nyhavn, The Little Mermaid, Amalienborg Castle, Holmen, The Opera, The Royal Library (The Black Diamond), Christiansborg, The Stock Exchange, Langelinie, and Christianshavn Canal.

That makes a kanalrundfart (canal tour) a must in Copenhagen – it’s an enjoyable, lazy way to tick off the key sights, get orientated, and gain an understanding of the city’s rich history – there are fascinating facts and insightful commentary along the way. It’s the perfect way to start a first-time visit.

Logistics

Price from: £10

Minimum age: 0

Age suitable: 4+

When: All year around

Duration: 1+ hours

Getting there & doing it

Tours leave from Nyhavn and Gammel Strand (doesn’t matter which), departing at least every half hour. There are multiple variations, routes and languages, so check before you board.

Various tour options exist, but the most common is a one-hour guided tour that completes a basic loop. A more flexible option is hop-on hop-off electric harbour buses, which stop at nine designated stops on both sides of the water from Sluseholmen to Refshaleoen. Visit The Royal Library, Islands Brygge and Nyhavn for the price of a bus ticket.

When to do it

Tours run all year round, seven days a week.

Who to go with: organised tours

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Social Sailing - Copenhagen Canal Tour - Captain's Favorite

Copenhagen

Viator

At Hey Captain we do Social Sailing, where you meet new people and explore Copenhagen harbor. We started as friends on a boat and this is the atmosphere we want to deliver to our guests. It's a talk and a dialogue more than your standard classical tour. The Captain’s Favorite is for you who wants to explore all of Copenhagen in its full glory. We explore the development of the harbor by journeying through areas that has been built by creating artificial islands over the last many decades. We do a brief stop at the fortress on Trekroner Island where history mix with the future, when we explore the historic fortress and see the first land reclamation of Lynetteholmen - the future island of Copenhagen. We then continue to Nordhavn where you experience firsthand the modern part of Copenhagen and how urbanization is transforming the industrial harbor into the recreational oasis that has made Copenhagen so famous. In the end we finish off with the picturesque canals of the old city centre.

Price DKK 650

Min age 0

Rating 4.83 / 5 [1359 ratings]

Tour supplied by: