In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The guard changes at Amalienborg every day at noon, and it is free. The full march leaves the barracks on Gothersgade at 11:27, passes the Round Tower and Kongens Nytorv, and enters the palace square just before 12:00. That march is the King’s Guard, set when the King is at Amalienborg. When he is at another palace, a smaller Palace Guard changes, and the Royal House gives no way to check in advance. Stand in the green areas of the square, 1.5 metres from the palace buildings. The Amalienborg Museum is DKK 125 online and closed on Mondays from 1 November to 23 December. Or book a tour: the walk and canal tour that ends at the guardad is from DKK 500, and the walking tour with a canal ride and the guard marchad is from DKK 289 (GetYourGuide).
The ceremony
The Royal House describes the guard at Amalienborg as changing daily, in three forms. The Royal Life Guard was established by Frederik III on 30 June 1658, and its barracks is beside Rosenborg Castle.
| Guard | When it is set | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| King’s Guard | When the King resides at Amalienborg | The daily parade from the barracks at 11:27, a ceremony on the square and a band concert |
| Lieutenant’s Guard | When the Crown Prince as regent, or another royal standing in as head of state, resides at Amalienborg | A smaller guard |
| Palace Guard | When the King is at another palace or on the Royal Yacht Dannebrog | At least this guard is always set at Amalienborg |
The King’s Guard runs like this:
- 11:27: the parade leaves the Life Guard’s barracks on Gothersgade and marches towards Amalienborg, passing the Round Tower and Kongens Nytorv.
- Just before 12:00: it marches onto the palace square, where the watch being relieved stands at attention. The incoming guard marches to the left of the equestrian statue and performs a front march towards the residence palace.
- The handover: the flag is collected from the flag room and carried in a flag march, and the two guards do a changeover march. A patrol then changes the guards at the sentry boxes, while the officers report to the King.
- The band: the Band of the Royal Life Guard plays a short concert on the square.
- The march home: the retiring watch repeats the ceremony and marches back to the barracks, with the band, past Frederik’s Church (the Marble Church) and Store Kongensgade.
Sentries are relieved every two hours during the guard’s duty day. The time is the same in every season.
Guardsmen lined up at a sentry box on Amalienborg’s square. Photo: Christoph Strässler, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Where to stand
VisitCopenhagen lists the event daily between 11:45 and 12:15 and sets the rules on the square: stand in the green areas of its map, keep at least 1.5 metres from the palace buildings, do not sit on the stairs and do not block the marching guards.
Tours worth paying for
The guard is free to watch, and a tour sells the route and the history. Prices are the lowest “from” prices, per person.
Walk and canal tour ending at the guard
From DKK 500 · 3 hours · 4.7 stars from 184 reviews
Walk & Canal Tour: Copenhagen Highlights + Changing of Guardad is a walking tour with a 25-minute public ferry ride on the main canal, in English, that ends at the palace for the guard. The tour is timed to the ceremony, and the guard costs nothing without it. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Walking tour with a canal ride and the guard march
From DKK 289 · 2.5 hours · 4.7 stars from 93 reviews
Copenhagen: Walking Tour with Canal Ride & Royal Guard Marchad is a guided walk in English that takes in the Marble Church, a ride on the harbour ferry and the guard march. The price is the cheaper of the two. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
What to see
Amalienborg is four palaces round a square, built from 1750 as the centrepiece of the Frederiksstaden district. Jacques Saly’s equestrian statue of Frederik V was unveiled in the square on 1 August 1771, and the royal family moved in in 1794 after the first Christiansborg burned. The palaces are still the royal family’s private residence.
Amalienborg’s palaces and square from above the harbour, with the Marble Church’s dome behind. Photo: European Commission / Joshua Andrew Gross, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
- The square. Free and open. It is where the guard stands, and the Marble Church, completed in 1894, finished the district. The Amalie Garden, a public park between the palaces and the harbour, opened in 1983.
- The Amalienborg Museum. It occupies Christian VIII’s Palace, one of the four palaces where the royal family stays when it is in Copenhagen. The entrance is through the gate nearest Frederiksgade. The museum shows the royal family’s historic offices, the Gala Hall, which the family still uses on special occasions, and the Fabergé Chamber. The chamber holds the champagne cooler that Dagmar and Emperor Alexander III gave Christian IX and Queen Louise for their golden wedding in 1892, a diamond brooch made for Nicholas II’s coronation in 1896 and a golden egg that comes apart in five pieces.
- The Marble Church. The retiring guard marches past Frederik’s Church. The church is free to enter, and the dome is normally open to visitors on Saturdays and Sundays at 13:30, but its visits are cancelled during roof repairs. See the best views in Copenhagen.
The order that works: be on the square by 11:45, watch the guard, and go into the museum afterwards. What to skip: the museum if you only want the ceremony. The guard is free and the museum is not part of it.
The Amalienborg Museum
Christian VIII’s Palace, which houses the Amalienborg Museum. Photo: Jakub Hałun, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
DKK 125 online · DKK 135 at the door · closed Mondays 1 November to 23 December
Prices are the adult rate from the Royal Danish Collection. The GetYourGuide listing for the museum entry ticketad is from DKK 135, which is the door price, and cancels free up to 24 hours ahead.
| Ticket | Online | At the door |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | DKK 125 | DKK 135 |
| Student | DKK 80 | DKK 90 |
| Under 18 | Free | Free |
| Royal Palace Pass, 3 days | DKK 245 | DKK 255 |
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| To 1 November 2026 | Daily 10:00 to 16:00 |
| 1 November to 23 December | Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 16:00; closed Monday |
| 24 and 25 December | Closed |
| 26 to 30 December | 10:00 to 16:00 |
| 31 December | 10:00 to 14:00 |
| 1 January 2027 | 11:00 to 19:00 |
- Bags: no backpacks, and bags larger than 15 x 23 x 15 cm go in the cloakroom. Prams stay in the cloakroom too, and nothing to eat or drink goes inside.
- The pass covers the museum with Rosenborg and Christiansborg, and Rosenborg Castle and Christiansborg Palace have the sums.
- Getting there: the nearest metro station is Marmorkirken.
- The one thing that ruins a visit: expecting the full march on a day the King is elsewhere. The guard still changes, with a smaller Palace Guard, and the Royal House does not say in advance which one it will be.
What to book in Copenhagen has the closed days for every sight, and Nyhavn and the Little Mermaid are the other free sights on the harbour. Free things to do in Copenhagen lists the guard with the rest. Copenhagen’s canal tours and walking tours compare the guided options. 3 days in Copenhagen puts the guard at noon on a palace day. For a bed nearby, see where to stay in Copenhagen, and Copenhagen public transport has the fares. The Nyhavn to Little Mermaid walk puts the noon guard on a route from Kongens Nytorv to Østerport, and the old town walk passes the barracks beside Rosenborg that the parade leaves.
Common questions
What time is the changing of the guard at Amalienborg?
Noon. When the King's Guard is set, the Royal Life Guard leaves its barracks on Gothersgade at 11:27, marches past the Round Tower and Kongens Nytorv, and enters Amalienborg Palace Square just before 12:00. VisitCopenhagen lists the event daily between 11:45 and 12:15. It is free, with no ticket.
Does the guard change every day?
Yes, there is a changing of the guard at Amalienborg daily. Its size depends on who is in residence. The full King's Guard, with the march from the barracks and the band, is set when the King resides at Amalienborg. When he is at another palace or on the Royal Yacht Dannebrog, a Palace Guard is set instead. The Royal House does not publish a way to check in advance.
Where do I stand to watch the changing of the guard?
In the green areas on VisitCopenhagen's map of the square. Keep at least 1.5 metres from the palace buildings, do not sit on the stairs, and do not block the marching guards.
How much is the Amalienborg Museum?
An adult ticket is DKK 125 online and DKK 135 at the door. Students pay DKK 80 online and DKK 90 at the door, and under-18s are free. The Royal Palace Pass at DKK 245 online also covers Rosenborg and Christiansborg.
When is the Amalienborg Museum open?
Daily 10:00 to 16:00 until 1 November 2026. From 1 November to 23 December it is open Tuesday to Sunday and closed on Mondays. It is closed on 24 and 25 December, open 10:00 to 16:00 from 26 to 30 December and 10:00 to 14:00 on 31 December, and opens at 11:00 on 1 January 2027.
What is in the Amalienborg Museum?
It is in Christian VIII's Palace, one of the four palaces where the royal family lives when it is in Copenhagen. It shows the historic offices of the royal family, the Gala Hall, which is still used on special occasions, and the Fabergé Chamber.
