Copenhagen Christmas Market Day Trip: Tivoli, Nyhavn and £54 Flights

Copenhagen does Christmas properly, and the centre of it is Tivoli. The old pleasure gardens right by the main station switch to their Christmas season in November, and the rest of the city follows with lights, stalls and a lot of hot drinks.

It's not the cheapest city in Europe. But the flights from Stansted are some of the cheapest we've found all season, and that buys you room for a proper dinner.

When is Christmas in Tivoli in 2026?

Tivoli lists its Christmas season as 13 November to 3 January. Daily opening hours and ticket prices for the season weren't on Tivoli's site when we checked on 11 October, so check tivoli.dk for your date before you book. Tivoli charges entry, it isn't a free market.

How do you travel to Copenhagen, Denmark for the day?

Ryanair from Stansted on Monday 23 November leaves at 06:45 and lands at 09:30. The flight home leaves at 20:40 and lands at Stansted at 21:35. £25 out and £29 back, £54 return on Google Flights, checked on 11 October 2026.

The metro from the airport takes about 15 minutes. A City Pass Small for 24 hours is DKK 100, about £11, and covers the airport and all your trips in town.

Copenhagen from Stansted on Mon 23 Nov: times and today's price

The day, hour by hour

• 06:45: leave Stansted
• 09:30: land, metro into town
• About 10:15: in the city. Walk Strøget, the long shopping street, while it's quiet
• 11:00: Nyhavn, the coloured houses on the canal. Free, and the photo everyone takes
• 12:00: the changing of the guard at Amalienborg Palace square, also free
• 13:00: lunch, then the Round Tower for the view, DKK 60 (about £7)
• 14:30: Rosenborg Castle and the King's Garden. The castle is DKK 150 (about £17)
• 15:54: sunset. This is when Copenhagen looks its best
• 16:00: Tivoli for the lights, then dinner
• 17:55: head back to the airport

That's about 7.7 hours in Copenhagen. It gets dark early this far north, which sounds bad but works in your favour: you get the city by day and Tivoli lit up before your flight.

Is Tivoli worth it at Christmas?

We think so. It's the thing Copenhagen is known for at this time of year, and it's right next to the main station, so it fits a day trip easily. If the ticket price on your date puts you off, walking Nyhavn and Strøget after dark still gives you plenty of Christmas for free.

Free things to do in Copenhagen in winter

• Nyhavn harbourfront
• The changing of the Royal Life Guard at Amalienborg Palace square
• The Little Mermaid on the Langelinie waterfront
• The King's Garden
• Freetown Christiania

What does the day cost?

About £132 a person. That's the £54 flight and about £78 on the ground: £11 for transport, £19 for lunch, £48 for dinner and £8 for a coffee or a beer. Dinner is the big one. Copenhagen isn't cheap, so if you want to save, eat a bigger lunch and grab something quick before the airport.

Is a Monday a good day for it?

For the flights, yes. Mondays and Tuesdays were the cheapest days we found. For Tivoli, check the opening days first, because the season's daily hours weren't out when we looked.

Where are the Christmas markets in Copenhagen?

Tivoli Gardens is the big one, on Vesterbrogade right by Copenhagen Central Station. At Christmas time it fills with stalls, lights and decorations, and it's the reason most people visit Copenhagen in December. Nyhavn usually has Christmas stalls along the harbour too, but we couldn't find official 2026 dates for them, so treat that as a bonus rather than the plan.

The rest of the festive feel is the city itself. Strøget, the long pedestrian shopping street through the historic centre, is strung with lights, and the old squares off it are where you'll find the Danish Christmas shopping crowds at the weekend.

Traditional Danish Christmas food to try

• Æbleskiver: round pancake balls, usually with jam and icing sugar
• Gløgg: Danish mulled wine, often with raisins and almonds in the cup
• Risalamande: rice pudding with almonds and cherry sauce, the classic Christmas dessert in Denmark
• Brunkager: thin spiced Christmas biscuits

You'll find most of these in Tivoli and in cafés across the centre during Christmas. We'd skip a sit-down lunch and graze instead. It's cheaper and it's more fun.

Tips for a Copenhagen Christmas day trip

• Buy the City Pass Small at the airport. It covers the metro into town and back, so you don't think about tickets again
• Book Tivoli for the afternoon. You want it when the lights come on, not in grey daylight
• Dress warm. It's further north than London and the wind off the harbour bites
• Copenhagen is a card city. You'll rarely need cash
• Weekends are busier and the flights cost more. A Monday or Tuesday visit is calmer and cheaper

More Christmas market day trips under £100

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Photo credits. Top: Johan Wessman / News Øresund, CC BY 2.0. Nyhavn photos: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0.