In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Under-18s are free at Rosenborg, Christiansborg, the Amalienborg Museum, the National Museum, SMK, the Glyptotek and the Design Museum. Tivoli charges half price for ages 3 to 7 and the adult price from 8. Copenhagen Zoo is DKK 160 for ages 3 to 14, Den Blå Planet DKK 116 online for ages 3 to 11, and Experimentarium is open every day, with 10% off online. Every child over two needs a Copenhagen Card, so a family card rarely pays. Pushchairs stay outside the palaces. Prices are in Danish kroner. Or book a tour: the Tivoli entrance and Ride Pass ticketad is from DKK 389 (GetYourGuide).
Prices by age
Prices are from each operator. The free ages are the operators’ own.
| Sight | Child price | Free for | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tivoli | Half price, ages 3 to 7 | By the date; not refundable | |
| Copenhagen Zoo | DKK 160, ages 3 to 14 | The shop; the ticket lasts a year | |
| Den Blå Planet | DKK 116 online, ages 3 to 11 | Ages 0 to 2 | A time slot, often sold out at weekends |
| Experimentarium | 10% off online | Open every day | |
| Home of Carlsberg | DKK 155, ages 6 to 17 | Ages 0 to 5 | A timed slot |
| Copenhagen Contemporary | DKK 25, ages 3 to 17 | Ages 0 to 2 | At the desk |
| Palaces and state museums | Free | Under 18 | At the desk or online |
| Round Tower | Free | Ages 0 to 17 | At the door |
| Our Saviour’s tower | DKK 20 | A booked slot | |
| Marble Church dome | Free | Ages 0 to 12 | No advance tickets; cancelled during roof repairs |
| Netto-Bådene canal boat | DKK 40, ages 3 to 14 | No booking | |
| Public transport | Half price, ages 12 to 15 | Two under 12 with an adult | The Rejsebillet app |
Tivoli
Half price for ages 3 to 7 · open in seasons · Vesterbrogade 3
Tivoli charges half price on entrance and the package for ages 3 to 7, and for ages 1 to 7 on the Ride Pass. From age 8 children pay the adult price, which is DKK 200 to 230 for entrance in the Halloween and Christmas seasons. Each season adds rides for small children: the Little Ghost Train and the Witch’s Carousel at Halloween, the Elf Train and the Forest Carousel at Christmas. At Halloween the Rasmus Klump shows are included in the entrance, and a giant pumpkin carving event runs 22 to 25 October. You may bring your own food and non-alcoholic drinks. Tivoli is shut from 2 to 12 November and on 24 December.
Copenhagen Zoo
DKK 260 adults · DKK 160 ages 3 to 14 · the ticket lasts a year · Roskildevej 32
Copenhagen Zoo sells its tickets in its shop, and the ticket is valid for one year from the date you buy it, so a split visit costs nothing extra. A Zoo Card is unlimited entry and the shop says it saves money after two visits. The GetYourGuide listing for the zoo entry ticketad is from DKK 230 on its cheapest date, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Giraffes at Copenhagen Zoo. Photo: Daderot, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
Den Blå Planet
DKK 219 adults online · DKK 116 ages 3 to 11 online · a time slot · Jacob Fortlingsvej 1, Kastrup
Den Blå Planet is the national aquarium. Entry is a one-hour time slot, and you can stay as long as you like. Adults pay DKK 219 online and DKK 249 at the door. Children aged 3 to 11 pay DKK 116 online and DKK 131 at the door, and children aged 0 to 2 are free. At weekends and in peak seasons the prices are DKK 229 and DKK 259 for adults and DKK 123 and DKK 136 for children. The peak seasons include 10 October to 1 November and 21 December to 3 January. It is open 365 days a year: Monday 10:00 to 21:00, Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 17:00, and every day 10:00 to 21:00 in peak seasons. Take the M2 metro to Kastrup station and walk 600 metres. The aquarium says tickets are often sold out at weekends and in holidays, and are not refundable.
Den Blå Planet’s spiralling silver exterior, beside the Øresund. Photo: Doyle of London, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Experimentarium
Open every day 9:30 to 17:00 · online 10% off · Tuborg Havnevej 7, Hellerup
Experimentarium is a science centre with three indoor floors and a rooftop, in Hellerup, 6 km north of the centre. It is open every day, 9:30 to 17:00, including Christmas and New Year’s Day, and 9:30 to 14:00 on 24 and 31 December. Buying online takes 10% off, and tickets are valid only on the date on them. The Interactive Film Theatre is closed for renovation. The centre says you need no Danish or English, because you simply jump right in.
Experimentarium’s building in Hellerup. Photo: Johan Wessman / News Oresund, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
Other places children get in cheaply
- The Round Tower is free for ages 0 to 17 and is a ramp, not stairs. It is not suited to pushchairs.
- Home of Carlsberg: ages 6 to 17 pay DKK 155 and ages 0 to 5 are free. The stables with the horses and the vintage cars need no ticket.
- Copenhagen Contemporary: ages 3 to 17 pay DKK 25 and children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
- The canal boat: the Netto-Bådene boats are DKK 40 for ages 3 to 14. The boats are heated in winter. See Nyhavn.
- Superkilen: a free park in Nørrebro with a black octopus slide from Japan. See free things to do in Copenhagen.
- The palaces and museums: free under 18. Rosenborg has no lift and many stairs.
Does the Copenhagen Card pay for a family?
Every child over two needs a child card, with no free child. For two adults and two children aged 8 and 10, 24 hours cost 2 × DKK 589 plus 2 × DKK 100, which is DKK 1,378. The palaces, the National Museum, SMK, the Glyptotek and the Design Museum are free under 18, and Tivoli’s child entrance is half price. The card makes sense for a family only for the transport or the sights that charge children. Copenhagen Card: is it worth it? runs the sums. Two children under 12 travel free on public transport with a paying adult, and ages 12 to 15 pay half.
Pushchairs and bags
| Sight | Pushchairs | Bags |
|---|---|---|
| Rosenborg | Left at the entrance; carry cots and sleep carriers not allowed, so use a sling | No backpacks. Handbags up to 15 x 23 x 15 cm, worn in front |
| Christiansborg | Left in the Queen’s Gate, at your own risk | Only small bags and umbrellas |
| Amalienborg Museum | Left in the cloakroom | No backpacks |
| Home of Carlsberg | Left in the courtyard | Lockers by the ticket office |
| Round Tower | Not well suited | |
| Tivoli | Allowed in the gardens | Lockers DKK 50 and DKK 70 |
Practical information
- Rain: Experimentarium, Den Blå Planet, Home of Carlsberg and the museums are indoors. See Copenhagen’s museums.
- Mondays: Experimentarium, Den Blå Planet and Home of Carlsberg are open, and Tivoli is open in season. The state art museums are shut.
- The one thing that ruins a day: Den Blå Planet on a weekend without a slot, or Tivoli in the gap from 2 to 12 November.
What to book in Copenhagen has the closed days for every sight, and 3 days in Copenhagen builds a plan round them. Copenhagen public transport has the fares for children, and cycling in Copenhagen has the bike rules. For a family bed, see where to stay in Copenhagen and hotels near Copenhagen Central Station.
To set Copenhagen against other cities for a trip with young children, see best city breaks with kids.
Common questions
What is free for children in Copenhagen?
Under-18s are free at Rosenborg, Christiansborg, the Amalienborg Museum, the National Museum, SMK, the Glyptotek and the Design Museum, and at the Round Tower. Children aged 0 to 12 are free at the Marble Church dome, and under-3s at Den Blå Planet and Copenhagen Contemporary. Two children under 12 travel free on public transport with a paying adult.
How much is Tivoli for children?
Children aged 3 to 7 pay half price on entrance and on the entrance and Ride Pass package, and ages 1 to 7 pay half on the Ride Pass. From age 8 they pay the adult price. Entrance is DKK 200 to 230 in the Halloween and Christmas seasons.
How much is Copenhagen Zoo?
An adult ticket is DKK 260 and a child aged 3 to 14 is DKK 160 at the zoo's shop. The ticket is valid for one year from the date of purchase.
How much is Den Blå Planet for children?
Children aged 3 to 11 pay DKK 116 online and DKK 131 at the door, or DKK 123 online and DKK 136 at weekends and in peak seasons. Children aged 0 to 2 are free. Entry is by time slot, and tickets are often sold out at weekends and in holidays.
Do children need a Copenhagen Card?
Yes. Every child over two needs a child card, and there is no free child. Ages 3 to 11 pay DKK 100 for 24 hours, DKK 140 for 48 and DKK 180 for 72, and a child card is sold only with an adult card. Ages 12 to 15 pay DKK 399 for 24 hours.
Can I take a pushchair into Copenhagen's sights?
Not into Rosenborg, Christiansborg or the Home of Carlsberg exhibition, where pushchairs are left at the entrance, in the Queen's Gate or in the courtyard. The Round Tower is not suited to pushchairs. Rosenborg also bans carry cots, so use a sling.
