The Best Activities in Copenhagen
Copenhagen makes it unusually fun to burn calories. Where else can you ski down a power plant, swim in a harbor clean enough to drink from (please don’t), or score a free kayak rental by collecting someone else’s trash? The city treats sustainability like an open invitation to play, turning infrastructure into adventure. These six activities are pure Copenhagen—novel, memorable, and a little bit absurd in the best way.
Scenic ride with GoBoat. Courtesy of GoBoat.
GoBoat
Best for: Taking control of your own boat ride—without a captain or license required
Location: Islands Brygge (multiple harbor launch points)
Price: $$
North Stars:
You don’t need a license to sail these Danish-designed electric boats—GoBoat teaches you how on the spot. Each solar-charged vessel fits up to eight people around a picnic table and moves at a leisurely 3–4 knots, perfect for slow sightseeing and good conversation. Pack a picnic or pick up supplies from their café, then chart your own course past bridges, historic architecture, and the city’s modern skyline. Built partly from recycled materials and powered by clean energy, the boats glide almost silently through the harbor. It’s less water taxi, more floating living room.
Scenic sunset view with GoBoat. Courtesy of GoBoat.
CopenHot
Best for: Eco-friendly soaking in hot tubs and saunas
Location: Refshaleøen
Price: $$$
North Stars:
CopenHot transforms a former shipyard—long nicknamed ‘Little Siberia’ for being the coldest spot in town—into a harborfront spa. The name stuck, fitting for a place devoted to hot-and-cold therapy. Wood-fired tubs heat to 40 °C with sustainably sourced wood, while panoramic saunas frame views of the city. The tubs fill with filtered harbor water that flows back into the canals after use. Guests can book a private soak, join a group “Hot Day,” or climb aboard a sailing hot tub. It’s the rare spot where shivering and sweating count as recreation.
Steam rising from CopenHot’s tubs. Courtesy of CopenHot.
GreenKayak
Best for: Getting on the water for free while helping out
Location: Multiple harbor launch points
Price: Free
North Stars:
GreenKayak lends out kayaks at no cost, with one catch: paddlers agree to collect trash while on the water. Buckets, grabbers, and life vests are provided, and participants often end up removing several kilos of plastic and debris in a single outing. The program started in Copenhagen and has spread internationally, but it remains one of the city’s most photogenic and rewarding experiences, blending citizen science, community action, and a fresh view of the skyline.
Exploring Copenhagen by GreenKayak. Courtesy of Lauren Mowery, GreenKayak.
CopenHill
Best for: Adventurers curious about Copenhagen’s greenest hill
Location: Amager
Price: $$
North Stars:
Skiing in Copenhagen? Why not. CopenHill is a ski slope and hiking trail built on top of a functioning waste-to-energy plant designed by Bjarke Ingels Group. Visitors can ski or snowboard down synthetic turf, hike landscaped trails, or climb the world’s tallest outdoor climbing wall. Inside, the facility converts waste into heat and electricity for the city. The combination of recreation and infrastructure makes it one of the most unusual examples of urban sustainability anywhere.
Aerial shot of CopenHot. Courtesy of CopenHot.
Swim in the Harbor
Best for: Urban swimmers seeking a dip with no guilt
Location: Islands Brygge, Nordhavn, Kalvebod Brygge
Price: Free
North Stars:
Copenhagen’s harbor is so clean that locals swim in it year-round, a rarity for a European capital. Public harbor baths at Islands Brygge, Nordhavn, and Kalvebod Brygge are free, monitored for safety, and designed like floating pools. The transformation is the result of decades of water treatment investment, turning what was once industrial backwater into a shared civic space. Jumping in is both refreshing and symbolic of the city’s environmental progress.
Copenhagen’s harbor baths. Courtesy of Astrid Maria Rasmussen, Visit Copenhagen.
Cisternerne
Best for: Art lovers who like their galleries underground
Location: Frederiksberg (Søndermarken Park)
Price: $$
North Stars:
A former underground reservoir converted into a contemporary art venue, the Cisternerne occupies cavernous, damp chambers beneath Søndermarken Park. The effect: a moody backdrop for sound, light, and installation art. Minimal renovation has preserved the raw, industrial feel of the space, making it as much an atmospheric encounter as an exhibition. Few cities would think to repurpose an old water system like this, which is exactly what makes it a must-see.
Art in the depths of Copenhagen at Cisternerne. Courtesy of Cisternerne.
Street Voices Tours
Best for: Visitors seeking deeper city stories
Location: City center
Price: $$
North Stars:
Street Voices offers alternative walking tours led by guides with lived experience of homelessness, addiction, or migration. The routes go beyond royal palaces and cobblestone squares to reveal the Copenhagen that tourists rarely encounter. Each guide brings their own perspective, turning the city into a set of personal stories. It’s eye-opening, honest, and one of the most meaningful ways to understand the social fabric of Denmark’s capital.
