Guidebook Updates for Denmark

When we learn of critical changes to the information in our guidebooks on Denmark, we post them here. (Of course, it's still smart to reconfirm critical transportation and sightseeing details locally.) Armed with a Rick Steves guidebook and these late-breaking updates, you're set for a great trip!

Ærø

  • To ride the Ærø–Svendborg ferry, both vehicles and foot passengers must purchase tickets before boarding. Drivers should reserve online a month in advance, especially for trips on weekends and in summer. Foot/bike passengers can buy tickets at machines at the Svendborg and Ærøskøbing docks, but especially in July and August, it's smart to book a spot up to an hour ahead.
  • Ærø's night watchman walk is now only on Sunday nights from late June through mid-August (advance reservations required — either call, text, or message on WhatsApp to +45 40 46 66 75; pay via cash or mobile payment).
  • Blommenslyst B&B in Odense has closed.
  • Børnekulturhuset Fyrtøjet (the Tinderbox Cultural Center for Children) in Odense has closed.

Copenhagen & nearby

  • The Carlsberg Brewery has reopened as the Home of Carlsberg, with triple the exhibit space — which now includes a visit with the brewer horses, bottle collection, restaurant, and of course, beer. Guided tours of the old cellars (about 40 minutes) and beer tastings (about 30 minutes, includes taste of three beers) are both always in English and cost extra.
  • As the Copenhagen Metro has completed its expansion project, it's once again the best way to get around town (it's generally better than the bus). Public transportation tickets and passes are now best purchased through the Copenhagen DOT app or at ticket machines in train and Metro stations.
  • Københavens Cyklebørs has closed, and Copenhagen Bicycles no longer rents bikes to individuals (just hotels). Meanwhile, the Bycyklen public bike-rental program has folded. (Fortunately, the recommended Cykelbasen is still in business.)
  • Stromma no longer does a hop-on, hop-off boat, but they now have a combo-ticket with the hop-on, hop-off bus (or Tivoli).
  • Netto-Bådene boats no longer stop at the Langebro bridge near Danhostel or from near Christiansborg Palace. Stromma boats also no longer stop near the Lanegbro bridge, nor in Christianshavn.
  • The Copenhagen Card now includes all Netto-Bådene cruises as well as Stromma tours that depart from Ved Stranden (near Gammel Strand).
  • Red Badge Guides' walking tour is now offered only on Fridays and Saturdays in the season (May–Sept), and only cash is accepted as payment.
  • Hans Christian Andersen tours led by Richard Karpen are also cash-only.
  • Copenhagen History tours now run only in July and August.
  • Tours of Christiania led by residents now leave from near the main entrance (look for the Rundviser sign) and are cash only.
  • We now recommend booking reservations for visiting Rosenborg Castle, where lines are often long. Even those with a Copenhagen Card need to book a timed-entry ticket. The castle is now open daily 10:00–17:00 in season, and Tue–Sun 10:00–16:00 in Nov–April (closed Mon in the off-season).
  • Except for mid-week (Tue–Thu) visits outside the summer season, advance tickets are now required for the tower climb at Our Savior's Church.
  • The National Museum no longer stays open until 20:00 on Thu. They now offer free one-hour tours in English on weekends from mid-Aug through Oct (reservations required).
  • English tours of the National Museum's Victorian Apartment are now offered on weekends between late June and early Aug at 12:30.
  • The Museum of Copenhagen and Thorvaldsen's Museum now offer a combo-ticket (good once per museum for 48 hours).
  • Thorvaldsen's Museum is no longer open until 21:00 on Thursdays.
  • Hotel Jørgensen has closed.
  • Several recommended restaurants in Copenhagen have closed: RizRaz Vegetatian (Kompagnistræde location), Café Norden, Royal Smushi Café, Spicy Kitchen, BioMio, and Bøf & Ost.
  • Roskilde's tourist information office has closed, but a "tourist inspiration center" at the Sankt Laurentius tower, near the cathedral, fills in as one.
  • Roskilde Cathedral is now open daily year-round; its organ concerts are no longer free (now 50 DKK) and held on the third Wednesday of every month at 17:00.
  • The tourism office in Helsingør (home of Kronborg Castle) has moved to The Culture Yard, at Allegade 2.

For books printed before July 2021, the following may also apply:

  • Copenhagen Jazz House is now called Alice.
  • Shuttle buses from the Oslo ferry terminal to the city are now marked Banegård or Nørreport. The Banegård bus drops you at Banegårdspladsen — in front of the main train station, near Tivoli, recommended hotels, and the start of Rick's "Copenhagen City Walk."
  • The overnight boat to Oslo now leaves at 14:00, usually arriving in Oslo at 9:00 (same schedule for return trip).
  • Because of changes to the bus system, buses #14, #1A and #6A are no longer useful.

Jutland

  • Tickets for Aarhus' buses and trams are no longer available onboard — buy them from the Midttrafik app or site.
  • The Occupation Museum in Aarhus has reopened after a renovation, with different opening hours and digital installations that immerse visitors in 1940s Aarhus with sights, sounds, and music, including an intimidating German interrogator. And each visitor receives the ID card of one of 20 individuals who lived through the war, so as to follow an their personal wartime experience and better imagine the moral dilemmas and issues with which people were forced to grapple.
  • As Aarhus' Moesgård Museum can have long lines, it's smart to buy tickets in advance. It's now closed Mondays but stays open until 21:00 on Saturdays as well as Wednesdays.
  • The AarhusCard is no longer available.
  • The ARoS Art Museum in Aarhus remains open as it's undergoing a major expansion (set to wrap up in 2025) with the building of a new underground gallery, purpose-built for "The Dome, a Skyspace" by American artist James Turrell. The museum is now closed Mondays in the off-season (Sept–May).
  • Hotel Guldsmeden in Aarhus is now under new ownership and has been rechristened SOFS Boutique Hotel ([email protected]).
  • The City Sleep-In hostel in Aarhus has closed.
  • Legoland is no longer free during the last 30 minutes before rides close. You can now pay extra to book times for the most popular rides (via the Legoland app or website). It's most crowded Tue–Wed during summer school holidays (July–mid-Aug), and is least crowded on weekends during this time.