Your cruise itinerary will say “Copenhagen” and nothing more, but the city has three places where cruise ships tie up, and the day you get depends heavily on which one is yours. Two of them, Langelinie and Nordre Toldbod, sit on the old harbour within walking distance of the Little Mermaid, Amalienborg and Nyhavn. The third, Oceankaj, is a purpose-built terminal out in the docks of Nordhavn where you will need a bus and the metro to get anywhere. Knowing which Copenhagen cruise port you are using before you arrive is the single most useful bit of planning you can do.
This guide covers how to find out which quay your ship is on, how to get from each one into the centre and to the airport, what you can walk to, what a sensible port day looks like from each, and what tickets to buy. Fares and figures were checked in October 2026 against Copenhagen Malmö Port, the city’s transport operators and VisitCopenhagen; treat them as the right order of magnitude for the 2027 season and check the current fare before you travel.
The Three Cruise Quays at a Glance
| Oceankaj (Ocean Quay) | Langelinie | Nordre Toldbod | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | Outer Nordhavn, north of the old harbour | The old harbour, by the Little Mermaid | The old harbour, by Amalienborg |
| Into town | Bus 25 or 164 to Orientkaj, then the M4 metro | Walk, or bus 27 from Indiakaj to Østerport | Walk, or 14 minutes on foot to Marmorkirken metro |
| To Kongens Nytorv | About 20 minutes | About 15 minutes | Walk 14 minutes to Marmorkirken, then the metro |
| To the airport | About 40 minutes by bus and metro | About 35 minutes | About 35 minutes |
| Walk to the sights? | No | Yes | Yes |
Journey times are VisitCopenhagen’s estimates for public transport. Your cruise documents may simply say “the cruise terminal”, so check which quay is meant.
How to Find Out Which Quay Your Ship Uses
Your cruise line’s port information or app should name the berth, but the most reliable source is the port operator itself. Copenhagen Malmö Port (CMP), which runs the cruise quays, publishes a live Ships in port list at cmport.com with arrivals and departures. You can filter it to cruise ships in Copenhagen, subscribe to a daily email or export it as a spreadsheet.
It is worth checking for a second reason that few guides mention: the same list shows how many other ships are in on your day. CMP handled 316 cruise calls in Copenhagen in 2025 and expected 312 in 2026, so on a busy summer day you may share the city with other ships. If three are due in at once, expect queues at the Little Mermaid by mid-morning and full buses from Oceankaj, and plan the busiest sights for the afternoon instead.
Oceankaj: the Big Terminal in Nordhavn
Oceankaj, or Ocean Quay, is Copenhagen’s modern cruise terminal, opened on 2 May 2014 in Outer Nordhavn. It is a single quay of about 1,100 metres with three identical terminal buildings, each of 3,300 square metres, and it is set up for turnaround calls, where one cruise ends and the next begins. If your cruise starts or finishes in Copenhagen, there is a good chance it will be here.
What it is not is central. The terminals sit among working docks and new-build harbour districts well north of the old town, and the walk in is long, featureless and not worth attempting. There is one small consolation while you wait: a 12-metre observation tower at the south end of the quay, open to the public.
Getting from Oceankaj into the centre
The cheap and easy way is bus plus metro. Bus 25 runs from the Oceankaj stop at Terminal 1 to Orientkaj metro station when ships are in, every 10 to 20 minutes from the first arrival until an hour before the last departure; bus 164 runs to Orientkaj all year. From Orientkaj, the M4 metro takes you to Kongens Nytorv, by Nyhavn, in about 20 minutes in total, or to Central Station in about 30. It is a two-zone journey: 24 DKK for a single ticket in 2026.
Cruise lines usually sell their own shuttle as well. Whether that is good value depends on the price your line charges and whether you mind waiting for a bus to fill; ask on board. The public route needs no booking, costs the ordinary 24 DKK fare and gets you to the same place. Check the current timetable in the Rejseplanen journey planner, which the port itself recommends, before you set off.
A taxi is the obvious choice with luggage. CMP’s own guidance is roughly DKK 200–250 from Oceankaj to Tivoli. For booking, the port lists the main Copenhagen taxi firms; our guide to taxis and ride-hailing in Copenhagen explains the meters and the apps.
Langelinie: Step Off and Start Walking
Langelinie is the classic Copenhagen arrival: a deep-water pier on the old harbour, a few minutes’ walk from the Little Mermaid. If your ship is here, you can leave the transport question until the afternoon.
The Little Mermaid is Edvard Eriksen’s 1.25-metre bronze, unveiled on 23 August 1913, sitting on a rock just off the Langelinie promenade. She is smaller than people expect and usually surrounded by other passengers from the same ship, so go early or late. Immediately behind the promenade is Kastellet, the star-shaped citadel, whose ramparts make a free and very green walk; its gates open at 06:00 and close at 20:00 in the winter half-year and 22:00 in the summer half-year.
For transport, VisitCopenhagen gives two options: a five-minute walk to the Indiakaj stop for bus 27 to Østerport, or a 15-minute walk to Østerport station itself, where the M3 and M4 metro lines run into the centre. Kongens Nytorv is about 15 minutes away, Central Station about 20.
The better plan, if the weather is kind, is to walk. Head south along the waterfront past the Little Mermaid and Kastellet, through the park and down to the palace square at Amalienborg, then on to Nyhavn. It is a flat, pleasant walk with the harbour on one side and plenty of postcard views along the way.
Nordre Toldbod: the Quay Closest to the Palace
Nordre Toldbod, the old northern customs house quay, is the third cruise site, close to the palace. It sits on the harbour just north of Amalienborg, so the walk to the palace square is short and Nyhavn is a little further on.
VisitCopenhagen puts Marmorkirken metro station, on the M3 and M4 lines, about 14 minutes away on foot, with Nørreport and Central Station both about 25 minutes by public transport. Nordre Toldbod is also a stop on the harbour buses, routes 991 and 992, which run along the waterfront to Nyhavn, the Opera and beyond on an ordinary two-zone ticket. On a dry day it is a cheap and scenic way to see the harbour without paying for a tour.
Directly inland is the Marble Church, whose green dome you will see from the ship, and the Amalienborg palace square between it and the water.
A Port Day That Works From Each Quay
Build the day around two fixed points: the changing of the guard at Amalienborg, which happens every day around noon (when the King is in residence, the guard parade leaves its barracks on Gothersgade at 11:27, marches past the Round Tower and Kongens Nytorv, and enters the palace square just before 12:00), and the time you need to be back on board, less the margin your cruise line asks for.
From Langelinie or Nordre Toldbod
- Morning: the Little Mermaid before the crowds, then the ramparts of Kastellet.
- Late morning: walk south to Amalienborg for the daily changing of the guard around noon, with the Marble Church across the square.
- Lunch: Nyhavn, or the streets just behind it, which are cheaper.
- Afternoon: a canal tour from Nyhavn, then Strøget or the Round Tower before walking back along the harbour.
From Oceankaj
- Morning: bus and M4 metro to Kongens Nytorv, and start with Nyhavn and a canal tour while you are fresh.
- Late morning: walk up to Amalienborg for noon (when the King is in residence).
- Afternoon: the old town, Strøget and the Round Tower, or Rosenborg Castle and the King’s Garden.
- Back by: leave the centre at least an hour before your all-aboard time. On days when bus 25 is busy with several ships, an hour is the minimum.
The canal tour is a paid activity worth fitting into almost any port day. Stromma’s one-hour Classic Canal Tour leaves from Nyhavn and Ved Stranden; the standard adult fare was DKK 209 in 2026, or DKK 135 if you book online at least three days ahead. For more structured options, our one-day Copenhagen itinerary is built for exactly this length of visit.
Starting or Ending Your Cruise in Copenhagen
For a turnaround, the airport is easy from all three quays. CMP counted 111 turnaround calls in 2025 and expected 122 in 2026, so you will not be the only passenger hauling a suitcase onto the metro.
By public transport. The M2 metro runs from the airport into the centre. For Oceankaj, change at Kongens Nytorv to the M4 for Orientkaj and take the bus from there; VisitCopenhagen puts the whole trip at about 40 minutes. For Langelinie and Nordre Toldbod, allow about 35 minutes via Østerport or Marmorkirken. The airport is three zones from the centre: 30 DKK for a single in 2026. Our guide to getting from Copenhagen Airport to the city centre covers the metro and trains in detail.
By taxi. With more than one suitcase, this is the sensible choice. Fares vary with the time of day. VisitCopenhagen’s approximate figures to the airport are about DKK 425 on a weekday and DKK 520 in the evening or at weekends from Oceankaj; about DKK 270 to 333 from Langelinie; and about DKK 232 to 286 from Nordre Toldbod. CMP’s own guidance for Oceankaj to the airport is DKK 450–550. Treat all of these as estimates.
If you have a night in the city before or after the cruise, our guide to where to stay in Copenhagen sets out the areas, and arriving in Copenhagen covers every other route in.
Which Ticket to Buy
For most port days, single tickets are the answer. A two-zone single cost 24 DKK in 2026, and that covers Oceankaj to the centre by bus and metro, the harbour buses and almost everything else a cruise passenger needs. Buy it in the DOT Tickets app or from the machines at metro stations.
The City Pass Small is worth it only if you will make five or more journeys. It covers zones 1 to 4, including the airport, and cost 100 DKK for one day in 2026. A turnaround passenger coming in from the airport, then using the metro and harbour bus through the day, might just get there; a port-of-call visitor walking from Langelinie will not. Our public transport tickets guide has the full fare table, and if you are thinking about the all-in-one attraction pass, read whether the Copenhagen Card is worth it first. On a single port day, it rarely is.
Shore Power and the Busy Season
Copenhagen’s cruise shore power facility opened in summer 2025, which lets ships switch off their engines and plug into the grid while they are in port. CMP reported 88 calls connected in 2025 and expected 183 in 2026, with the system due to reach full capacity in 2028.
Traffic is heaviest in summer, but CMP has noted more calls outside the summer months, and about 866,500 cruise passengers passed through Copenhagen in 2025, with 880,000 expected in 2026. On a quiet day in May or September, Langelinie can feel almost empty. On a three-ship day in July, it will not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do cruise ships dock in Copenhagen?
At one of three places: Oceankaj (Ocean Quay) in Outer Nordhavn, Langelinie by the Little Mermaid, or Nordre Toldbod by Amalienborg. Check Copenhagen Malmö Port’s Ships in port list or your cruise line’s documents for your berth.
Can you walk from the cruise port to the city centre in Copenhagen?
From Langelinie and Nordre Toldbod, yes: both are on the old harbour within walking distance of the Little Mermaid, Amalienborg and Nyhavn. From Oceankaj, no. Take bus 25 or 164 to Orientkaj and the M4 metro, about 20 minutes to Kongens Nytorv.
How do I get from Oceankaj to the airport?
By public transport, take the bus to Orientkaj, the M4 metro to Kongens Nytorv and the M2 to the airport, about 40 minutes for a three-zone ticket (30 DKK in 2026). A taxi costs roughly DKK 425–550 depending on the time of day.
How much is a taxi from the Copenhagen cruise port?
As a rough guide, about DKK 200–250 from Oceankaj to Tivoli, and to the airport about DKK 425–550 from Oceankaj, DKK 270–333 from Langelinie and DKK 232–286 from Nordre Toldbod. Fares rise in the evening and at weekends.
Is the Little Mermaid near the cruise terminal?
Yes, if your ship is at Langelinie: the statue is a short walk along the promenade. From Nordre Toldbod it is a walk north past Kastellet. From Oceankaj it is a bus and metro ride away.
Do I need a Copenhagen Card for a port day?
Usually not. Most cruise passengers walk or use a few single tickets at 24 DKK each, and see a handful of sights. The card pays off over a longer stay with several paid museums a day.
Related Reading
- A Copenhagen layover for making the most of a few hours either side of a flight.
- The Copenhagen metro guide for the M2, M3 and M4 lines you will use from the quays.
- Copenhagen walking tours if you would rather have a guide for your port day.
- Free things to do in Copenhagen for a port day that costs nothing but a metro ticket.
Photo Credits
- A large cruise ship moored at Oceankaj in Nordhavn: photo by Leif Jørgensen, Rotterdam at Oceankaj.jpg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- The low terminal buildings with zigzag roofs on the Oceankaj quay: photo by Leif Jørgensen, Oceankaj 02.jpg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shuttle buses parked under the trees on Langelinie: photo by Leif Jørgensen, Shuttle buses on Langelinie 05.jpg, CC BY-SA 4.0
Final Thoughts
If your ship ties up at Langelinie or Nordre Toldbod, you have a very convenient cruise arrival: palace, citadel, mermaid and harbour all within a morning’s walk, and no ticket needed until you want one. If it is Oceankaj, you have a modern terminal, a bus to catch and a twenty-minute run into town, which is no hardship once you know where the stop is.
Either way, the planning comes down to three checks: which quay, how many other ships, and what time you have to be back.
Fares, journey times and port figures checked October 2026 against Copenhagen Malmö Port, VisitCopenhagen, the DOT fare table, Forsvaret (Kastellet) and Kongehuset. Bus routes to the cruise quays can change between seasons, so confirm them in Rejseplanen before you travel.
