In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Roskilde is about 25 minutes by train from Copenhagen Central Station. The cathedral is DKK 80, with hours set day by day: it is closed to visitors during services, and Sunday is afternoon only. The Viking Ship Museum is DKK 130 on winter hours (19 October to 30 April, 10:00 to 16:00), open every day. A day costs about DKK 410 with a City Pass Large at DKK 200. Winter closes the boat trips, the Climb Aboard experience and the boatyard at weekends. Both sights are free with the Copenhagen Card Discover. Or book a tour: the three-castle minibus tour with Roskildead is DKK 1,380 for 8.5 hours (GetYourGuide).
Tickets and prices
| Sight | Adult | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Roskilde Cathedral | DKK 80 | Seniors 67+ and students DKK 60. Bought in the cathedral |
| Viking Ship Museum, winter | DKK 130 | Online saves DKK 10. Family DKK 240, students DKK 80, under 18 free |
| Viking Ship Museum, from 1 May | DKK 165 | Family DKK 310, students DKK 105 |
| City Pass Large, 24 hours | DKK 200 | Zones 1 to 99, for the train |
| A day, both sights, on your own | DKK 410 | 80 + 130 + 200; DKK 400 buying the museum online |
The Copenhagen Card Discover includes the cathedral, the Viking Ship Museum, Roskilde Museum and the train. A day with only these costs DKK 410 without it, against DKK 589 for the card.
Tours worth paying for
DKK 1,380 · 8.5 hours · 4.9 stars from 2,255 reviews
Roskilde on its own is a train day. The Kronborg, Frederiksborg Castle and Roskilde tourad puts Roskilde in a guided minibus day with two castles, at about twice the cost of the same sights on your own. It cancels free. Day trips from Copenhagen has the sum.
What to see
Roskilde Cathedral
DKK 80 · hours set day by day · a working church
A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995, an early Scandinavian Gothic cathedral built in brick, where 40 kings and queens are buried. The ticket covers the royal tombs and chapels, the museum and the gallery. It is a church first, so it closes to visitors for services, and the calendar shows the hours day by day: in the October 2026 calendar, weekdays are 10:00 to 16:00, Saturday 24 October 10:00 to 11:30 and Sunday 25 October 13:00 to 16:00. Easter and Christmas have special hours. Go on a weekday if you can.
Roskilde Cathedral and the town from above. Photo: CucombreLibre, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
The Viking Ship Museum
DKK 130 in winter · Viking Ship Hall 10:00 to 16:00
The Viking Ship Hall holds the five Viking ships and the exhibitions around them. In winter the DocuLab, where the maritime archaeologists work, is open 10:00 to 15:30, and the boatyard on Museum Island is open on weekdays only, 10:00 to 16:00. Sailing trips run from 1 May to 30 September, and the Climb Aboard a Viking Ship experience at the harbour is closed in winter. Café Knarr is on Museum Island. The museum is building a new accessible building; today parts of it have stairs and no lift, and wheelchair users enter the Viking Ship Hall by the rear entrance and reach three of the five ships.
A reconstructed Viking ship in front of the Viking Ship Museum. Photo: Boatbuilder, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The order to go round
Go to the cathedral first, because its hours are the tightest: a Sunday opens only at 13:00 and a Saturday may close at 11:30. Then walk or take bus 203 to the Viking Ship Museum, which is open every day until 16:00 in winter. If you have a Copenhagen Card, add Roskilde Museum, the Rock Museum (Ragnarock) or the Museum of Contemporary Art, all in the town; the card includes the first two.
Getting there
- Train: about 25 minutes from Copenhagen Central Station. Almost all trains heading west stop at Roskilde. Find yours on publictransport.dk or the Rejsebillet app, which shows the fare when you search. A City Pass Large is DKK 200 for 24 hours, and the Copenhagen Card Discover includes the train. DSB changes its timetable on 13 December 2026; the times here are for the timetable to 12 December.
- To the Viking Ship Museum: 20 to 25 minutes on foot from the station, or bus 203.
- Car: the museum is about 40 minutes from Copenhagen by route 21, or 45 minutes by the E20. General parking in central Roskilde is free for the first 2 hours.
Hours
| Place | Hours |
|---|---|
| Roskilde Cathedral | Set day by day; closed for services. Weekdays 10:00 to 16:00 in the October 2026 calendar |
| Viking Ship Museum, 19 October to 30 April | Daily 10:00 to 16:00; DocuLab 10:00 to 15:30; boatyard weekdays 10:00 to 16:00 |
| Viking Ship Museum, 1 May to 18 October | Daily 10:00 to 17:00 |
The thing that ruins a visit is a Sunday or a Saturday at the cathedral, and the 16:00 closing in winter. A morning train gives you both sights before they shut. Kronborg and Louisiana are on the other line, and Copenhagen public transport explains the passes. Copenhagen Card: is it worth it? has the sums, and what to book before you go to Copenhagen lists the closed days in the city. Roskilde also hosts a music festival, from 26 June to 3 July 2027: see Roskilde Festival 2027.
Common questions
How long does it take to get from Copenhagen to Roskilde?
About 25 minutes by train from Copenhagen Central Station, according to the cathedral. Almost all trains heading west stop at Roskilde. The Viking Ship Museum is a 20 to 25 minute walk from the station, or bus 203.
How much is Roskilde Cathedral?
Adults (18 and over) pay DKK 80, seniors (67 and over) and students DKK 60, and groups of 10 or more DKK 60 each. Tickets are bought in the cathedral. The ticket covers the royal tombs, the royal chapels, the museum and the gallery. It is free with a Copenhagen Card.
When is Roskilde Cathedral open?
Its hours are set day by day, and on days with no hours the cathedral is closed for church services. In the October 2026 calendar, weekdays are 10:00 to 16:00, Saturday 24 October is 10:00 to 11:30 and Sunday 25 October is 13:00 to 16:00. Check the calendar for the day you go.
How much is the Viking Ship Museum?
In the winter season, 19 October to 30 April, an adult ticket is DKK 130, a family ticket DKK 240 and a student ticket DKK 80, and children aged 0 to 17 are free. Buying online saves DKK 10 on an adult ticket and DKK 20 on a family ticket. From 1 May the adult price is DKK 165.
Can you sail on a Viking ship in winter?
No. Sailing trips run daily from 1 May to 30 September, and the Climb Aboard a Viking Ship experience at the harbour is closed in winter, from 19 October to 30 April. The Viking Ship Hall with the five ships is open every day.
Is Roskilde worth it with a Copenhagen Card?
The card includes the cathedral, the Viking Ship Museum, Roskilde Museum and the trains to Roskilde. But a day of the cathedral (DKK 80), the museum (DKK 130) and a City Pass Large (DKK 200) is DKK 410, against DKK 589 for the card, so the card pays only if the same 24 hours hold more paid sights.
