Walk & Canal Tour: Copenhagen Highlights + Changing of Guard

About This Experience

This Go Like a Local tour combines a guided walk with a ride on the public electric harbour ferry and ends at Amalienborg Palace for the Changing of the Guard. It lasts 3 hours and covers about 5 km on foot, starting under the clock in Copenhagen Central Station. On the dates we checked in October 2026 the English group tour cost $75 per person.

The walk passes Tivoli Gardens, the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Christiansborg Palace and the Royal Library. From the ferry you see Christianshavn, Børsen, the Playhouse, Paper Island and the Opera House. The second walk passes the Royal Pavilions, the Gefion Fountain, the Little Mermaid, Kastellet, Churchillparken and the Marble Church before the finale at Amalienborg.

It suits first-time visitors who want an orientation by land and water in one morning or afternoon, and walkers who like a local host's commentary. Guides speak English or German, and a private option is also sold. On the date we checked, group tours started at 09:00 and 13:00.

The boat part is short, and it is a public ferry with no reserved seats. If it is full or out of service, mostly on busy weekends and sunny afternoons, the group walks the same route instead, adding about 2 km. You need intermediate fitness, and the tour is not suitable for wheelchair users.

Highlights

• Christiansborg Palace and the Royal Library
• Christianshavn, Børsen and the Opera House from the harbour ferry
• The Gefion Fountain and the Little Mermaid
• Kastellet, the 17th-century star fortress
• The Marble Church (Frederik's Church)
• The Changing of the Guard at Amalienborg Palace

What's Included

• ✓ Guided walk with a local host
• ✓ Ride on the public electric harbour ferry
• ✓ Guide in English or German
• ✓ About 5 km of walking over 3 hours
• ✓ Finish at Amalienborg for the Changing of the Guard

Not Included

• Meals and drinks
• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Entry to Tivoli and other sights passed on the way
• Gratuities (optional in Denmark)

What to Bring

• Comfortable walking shoes
• Weather-appropriate clothing
• Water to drink
• A camera

Good to Know & Caveats

• Arrive 10 minutes early at the clock in the Central Station main hall.
• You walk about 5 km in 3 hours; intermediate fitness is needed.
• If the harbour ferry is full or out of service, the group walks the same route instead, adding about 2 km.
• The tour ends at Amalienborg Palace, not back at the station.
• You pass Børsen, which is under scaffolding after the 2024 fire.

Meeting Point

Under the clock in the main hall of Copenhagen Central Station, between the 7-Eleven and the red ticket machines.