🎡 Christmas weekend in Copenhagen: 2–3 days between markets and Tivoli

Copenhagen in December really looks like a Christmas card: markets, garlands above narrow streets, decorated shop windows and the smell of gløgg with roasted almonds in the centre. The centrepiece of this picture is Tivoli, which at Christmas turns into a separate universe of lights, carousels and food pavilions. At the same time, 24–26 December is a sacred time for family dinners: shops close, opening hours are reduced, and the centre becomes quiet during the day. This article will give you an honest breakdown of what will be open, what not to expect, and how to plan a Christmas weekend in 2–3 days so that it is beautiful, cosy, and without the feeling of being ‘locked in the city’.

🧭 The reality of 24–26 December: what is open and what is not

🎅 24 December: Christmas Eve is the main family day

For Danes, Christmas is primarily the evening of the 24th, not the 25th.

What this means for tourists:

• Shops and supermarkets are usually open only until lunchtime/midday, then they close.
• Most museums and attractions are either closed altogether or close early.
• Many restaurants are either closed in the evening or only serve a pre-ordered Christmas menu.
• Tivoli is usually closed on the evening of the 24th, even during the Christmas season.

This is the day when the logic is as follows:

• until 2–3 p.m. — short walks, markets (if open), shopping for something for the evening;
• after that, your hotel, a pre-booked dinner or a ‘home’ hygge format in your room. 🕯

🎁 25 December: a very quiet Christmas

The 25th is an official holiday.

• Most shops are closed; some may be open for a couple of hours, but you can't count on this as a ‘strategy’.
• Some museums and attractions remain closed, while others operate on a reduced schedule.
• Public transport runs on a holiday/Sunday schedule — less frequently, but still fully operational.
• The good news is that Tivoli is usually open during the Christmas season, and it is one of the main attractions of the day.

During the day, the city seems almost empty, but in the evening, when the lights come on and people flock to Tivoli and the markets, the Christmas picture comes together.

🌟 26 December: the city gradually wakes up

The 26th is the second Christmas holiday, but it is less ‘closed’:

• Some shops and shopping centres start working (often with reduced hours).
• Some museums and attractions open according to their usual winter schedule.
• Cafes and restaurants come back to life, although the choice is still smaller than on normal days.
• Tivoli and the fairs continue to operate, and the evening can once again be ‘closed’ with lights.

📊 Briefly by category

Approximate picture (may vary from year to year, but the logic remains the same):

✨ Christmas markets and lights: what you must see in 2–3 days

🎠 Tivoli Gardens — the heart of Christmas in Copenhagen

At Christmas, Tivoli is a combination of a park, a fair, restaurants and decorations.

Inside:

• fairground stalls with gløgg, sweets and souvenirs;
• carousels, Ferris wheels, roller coasters;
• restaurants and cafes with festive menus;
• illuminations that are easier to see than to describe.

It makes sense to plan one of your key days (usually the 25th or 26th) around Tivoli:

• during the day — attractions and walks,
• in the evening — lights and dinner.

🎄 Christmas markets in the centre

In 2–3 days, you will have time to visit the main markets and ‘hot spots’ in the centre:

• Kongens Nytorv Square with a fair and views of illuminated facades.
• Nyhavn — canals + Christmas houses and garlands.
• Højbro Plads and neighbouring streets with fairs, Christmas trees and street vendors.
• Additionally, there may be themed fairs in the spirit of Hans Christian Andersen and other small venues.

The best time to visit is at dusk and in the evening:

• during the day, they are just pretty tents,
• but after 4–5 p.m., the lights come on, the smell of gløgg and roasted nuts fills the air, and the city really ‘switches’ into Christmas mode.

📅 Ready-made itineraries for 2 and 3 days

🎄 Option for 2 days: express Christmas

Let's say you are in the city from 24 to 26 December and you have two full days.

🕰️ Day 1 — when most places are open

Ideally, this should not be the evening of the 24th, but the 23rd or 26th.

During the day (10:00–15:30):

• Walk around the city centre: town hall, pedestrian streets, canals.
• One indoor attraction: a tower, museum or gallery — depending on your schedule.

In the evening:

• Route through the fairs: Kongens Nytorv → Nyhavn → Højbro Plads.
• Gløgg, almonds, photos with lights, dinner at a pre-booked place.

🎠 Day 2 — Tivoli and ‘maximum lights’

If it's the 25th or 26th:

• During the day — Tivoli: rides, walks in the park, hot drinks, snacks.
• In the evening — stay inside: lights, shows (if any), dinner at one of the restaurants.
• On the way out — a short walk through the centre to the hotel: Copenhagen in Christmas lights — a good place to end the day.

If part of the day falls on the ‘most closed’ 24th:

• Everything important (market, food shopping, coffee) — before lunch.
• In the evening — hotel, quiet dinner (or pre-ordered menu) and home hygge.

🎁 3-day option: full Christmas weekend

⏳ Day 1 — city centre, a few museums and the first markets

During the day:

• Tour of the city centre and one museum/gallery according to the schedule.
• Coffee and pastries at a patisserie (November–December is the time when sitting in a café is officially considered a plan, not a backup option).

Evening:

• Christmas markets, lights, walk to Nyhavn.
• Dinner at a restaurant (book in advance, especially if it's the 23rd or 26th).

🎡 Day 2 — a whole day at Tivoli

• Late breakfast, then a visit to Tivoli around noon.
• Rides, benches, hot chocolate, photos, buying ‘extra’ souvenirs 🎁.
• Dinner inside the park and a leisurely stroll through the lights until closing time.

☕ Day 3 — relaxed, ‘truly hygge’

Depending on what is open:

• Walk around one of the neighbourhoods (Vesterbro, Nørrebro, Frederiksberg).
• Café hopping: 2–3 places per day where you can warm up and watch the street.
• If museums/castles are open, add a light cultural block.
• In the evening, another round of markets or just the illuminated city centre.

📌 Important: when planning, keep a simple scheme in mind:

• 10:00–15:30 — anything that requires daylight (walks, photos, architecture).
• After 16:00 — lights, Tivoli, markets, cafés, bars.

🍽️ Practicalities: food, reservations and ‘lifelines’ for 24–26 December

🍴 Restaurants and cafés

• On the evening of the 24th, many places are closed, and those that are open often only offer a fixed Christmas menu that must be pre-ordered.
• On the 25th and 26th, some restaurants and cafés are open, but the choice is limited, and popular places require advance reservations.

Working strategy:

• 1–2 weeks before your trip, book at least one dinner inside Tivoli and one or two dinners in the city;
• don't count on the ‘let's walk around and find something’ approach — it may not work on 24–25 December.

🥐 Supermarkets and ‘plan B’ for food

• On the 24th, it's a good idea to buy water, snacks, fruit and something simple for the evening in advance, in case your restaurant plans fall through.
• On the 25th and part of the 26th, supermarkets may operate on a very shortened schedule; small bakeries and bakeries sometimes open for a couple of hours in the morning.

Good ‘lifelines’:

• hotel restaurants (often open on holidays, but reservations are required);
• eating places inside Tivoli, if you plan to spend most of the day there;
• international chain cafés, which are more likely than others to remain open on holidays.

🚋 Transport

• Operates on a holiday/Sunday schedule: intervals are longer, but the entire basic network — metro, trains, buses — remains accessible.
• Plan your trips with plenty of time to spare, especially in the evening, so you don't freeze while waiting.

✅ Who will enjoy a Christmas weekend in Copenhagen (and who won't)

A Christmas weekend in Copenhagen is a good choice if you:

• dream of lights, fairs, Tivoli and cosy evenings rather than a marathon of museums;
• are fine with the fact that part of the city will be ‘on pause’ during the day, and key activities will be concentrated around a few points;
• are ready to plan: book a hotel, tables and a visit to Tivoli in advance;
• love the format ‘walk among the lights → sit in a café → back to the lights’.

If your ideal scenario is:

• intense shopping,
• five museums in one day,
• a city that is as lively as possible with dozens of small establishments open,

then the Christmas weekend of 24–26 December may seem too quiet and limited.

If you are ready for this format, 2–3 days for Christmas in Copenhagen can be that very ‘fiery hygge’ weekend that will make you want to return to Denmark again — at a different time of year and with a different goal.