Copenhagen is compact, and after a few days most families are ready to spread out. The good news: some of the region’s best days out — a real Hamlet castle, Viking ships, a royal deer forest, even a hop into Sweden — sit 25 to 50 minutes away by train, with under-12s riding free. These are the Copenhagen family day trips worth the effort, ranked by who they suit, with honest notes on cost, timing and which to skip depending on your kids’ ages.
One rule above all: don’t try to cram two day trips into one day. Pick one, do it properly, and keep the evening for the city. For the full family plan, our family guide to Copenhagen sets the scene, and our day trips from Copenhagen guide covers the grown-up versions too.
Family Day Trips at a Glance
| Day trip | Travel time | Family cost | Best ages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helsingør + Kronborg Castle | 45 min train | 300–400 DKK | 8–99 (history) |
| Roskilde Vikings | 50 min train | 300–400 DKK | 6–99 |
| Bakken + Dyrehaven | 25 min train | Free + rides | All, 2–99 |
| Frederiksborg Castle (Hillerød) | 35 min train | 350–450 DKK | 7–99 |
| Malmö, Sweden | 35 min train | 300–500 DKK | All, 5–99 |
| Legoland Billund | 1 hr drive / 3 hr train | 1,800–2,500 DKK | 3–12 |
| Lego House Billund | 1 hr drive | 800–1,200 DKK | 3–12 |
| Klampenborg + Bellevue beach | 25 min train | Free + food | All ages |
| Karen Blixen Museum + Louisiana | 35 min train | 500–700 DKK | 10–99 |
The Best Family Day Trips
1. Helsingør and Kronborg Castle (Hamlet’s castle)
The crowd-pleaser, and the one we’d send first-timers to. Kronborg is UNESCO-listed and the “Elsinore” of Hamlet, 45 minutes up the coast on the S-train (family ticket around 290 DKK). Kids love the ramparts, the royal apartments and especially the dark casemates below, where the statue of Holger the Dane sleeps. The old town of Helsingør is lovely, and the BIG-designed Maritime Museum sits right next door. Budget a full day.
2. Roskilde’s Viking Ship Museum
Viking-mad kids will be in heaven. The museum houses five original ships from around 1000 AD, raised from the bottom of Roskilde Fjord, plus a working boatyard and hands-on kids’ activities. In summer you can even sail a replica longship on the fjord. It’s 50 minutes by train (family ticket around 290 DKK), and the UNESCO cathedral with its royal tombs is right in town. A full day.
3. Bakken and the Dyrehaven deer forest
The best-value family day out, hands down. Bakken is the world’s oldest amusement park (1583), free to enter, set inside the UNESCO-listed Dyrehaven forest where 2,000-plus wild deer roam. Rides run 30–80 DKK each, and it’s just 25 minutes by S-train to Klampenborg. Combine deer-spotting with a few rides for a day that costs next to nothing. Full details in our Bakken guide.
4. Frederiksborg Castle (Hillerød)
The most storybook of the castles: a Renaissance palace on islands in a lake, now the National History Museum, with baroque terraced gardens that are perfect for letting kids loose. It’s 35 minutes on the S-train to Hillerød (around 145 DKK for adults, less for children). The interiors are grander than they are interactive, so it suits ages 7 and up; younger kids will prefer the gardens. Budget six hours.
5. Malmö, Sweden (a second country)
The easy novelty trip. The Øresundståg train crosses the Øresund Bridge to Malmö in about 35 minutes (roughly 105 DKK one-way), and kids get a genuine second country out of it. There’s the medieval Stortorget square, Calatrava’s twisting Turning Torso, the Ribersborg sand beach in summer and cosy cafés on Lilla Torg. Bring a passport or national ID — it’s a border. Our Copenhagen to Malmö guide has the logistics.
6. Legoland Billund
Honesty first: this is a stretch as a day trip. The original Legoland is over in Billund — about an hour’s drive, or three hours by train plus a shuttle — so it really wants a full day and, ideally, an overnight. But for Lego-obsessed 3–9-year-olds it’s a bucket-list pilgrimage, with vast sculptures, rides and build zones (tickets around 540 DKK each). Reckon on 1,800–2,500 DKK for a family of four, before transport.
7. The Lego House (a gentler alternative)
Also in Billund, the Lego House is the quieter, more creative alternative to the theme park — an indoor world of build zones and experiences (tickets around 245 DKK each). It’s less overwhelming than Legoland and, for many families, more rewarding: kids build rather than queue. Same long journey, though, so treat it the same way.
8. Klampenborg and Bellevue beach
The best three-in-one. A single 25-minute S-train ride to Klampenborg puts you within reach of Bellevue’s free sandy beach (with a playground), Bakken, and the Dyrehaven deer forest. On a warm day you can string all three together into an effortless, low-cost family outing — beach in the morning, deer and rides in the afternoon.
9. The Karen Blixen Museum and Louisiana
One for families with older kids. Combine the Karen Blixen Museum (home of the Out of Africa author) with the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, both on the coast near Humlebæk (35 minutes by S-train). Louisiana has a dedicated children’s wing and a sculpture garden sloping to the sea, so even art-resistant kids find a way in. Best for ages 10 and up.
Getting There by Train
The train network makes all of this easy:
- S-train C-line — Helsingør (45 min), Klampenborg/Bakken (25 min)
- S-train A-line — Hillerød for Frederiksborg (35 min)
- Regional train — Roskilde (about 50 min)
- Øresundståg — Malmö (35 min); passport or ID required
- Intercity to Billund — Legoland, around 3 hours plus a shuttle (or a 1-hour drive)
- Under-12s travel free with a paying adult
- 12–15s pay half the adult fare
Our Copenhagen train travel guide explains tickets and zones in full.
Which Trip Suits Which Age
| Age | Best day trips |
|---|---|
| 2–5 (toddlers) | Bakken + Dyrehaven, Klampenborg beach |
| 6–9 | Bakken, Roskilde Vikings, the Lego House |
| 10–13 | Kronborg, Frederiksborg, Legoland, the Vikings |
| 14–17 (teens) | Malmö, Louisiana, Kronborg |
With very little ones, keep it gentle and outdoors — our Copenhagen with toddlers guide has more on that. Long castle interiors test small patience; Bakken and the beach don’t.
Insider Tips
- Under-12s ride free with a paying adult on most transport.
- Look at a Family Saver day ticket — good value for two adults and two kids.
- Pack snacks and water — station shops are pricey.
- Bring layers and a rain jacket — the coast is breezy and changeable.
- Plan around naps for toddlers — the train ride itself often does the job.
- Book ahead in summer — especially for Legoland.
- Carry ID for Malmö — it’s a border crossing.
- Most attractions are stroller-friendly — the forests less so.
- Leave a buffer — 30 minutes for delays and getting lost.
- Check Monday closures — many museums shut that day.
- Combine where you can — Klampenborg gives you three things in one.
- One trip a day, max — two is a recipe for meltdowns.
How to Choose, and Where to Eat
If you’ve only got room for one, decide by what your kids are into rather than what’s “best.” History-mad? Kronborg or the Vikings. Little ones who just want to run and see animals? Bakken and the deer, every time. Want an easy win that feels like an adventure? Malmo, for the border and the bridge. And if there’s a serious Lego devotee in the family, they’ll forgive the long trek to Billund – but plan an overnight rather than a punishing there-and-back.
On food: most of these towns have decent, casual options near the station, but the reliable move with kids is to pack a picnic. Kronborg’s ramparts, Roskilde’s fjord, Dyrehaven’s meadows and the Louisiana sculpture garden are all lovely places to spread a blanket, and it sidesteps both the queues and the tourist-town prices. Grab supplies at a Netto near Copenhagen Central before you leave – it’s far cheaper than buying at the destination.
Day Trips by Season
- Summer (Jun–Aug) — everything’s open; Bellevue beach and Bakken at their best
- Spring (Mar–May) — castles and indoor museums shine; outdoor stops are hit or miss
- Autumn (Sep–Nov) — castles, museums and Tivoli’s Halloween; pack for rain
- Winter (Dec–Feb) — indoor only; Bakken is closed, but the castles and Legoland run
- December — Helsingør and Roskilde both do lovely Christmas markets
Family Day Trips: FAQs
What’s the best family day trip?
Kronborg for first-timers (castle plus history), Bakken and Dyrehaven for budget-conscious families (free and outdoors), Roskilde for Viking fans, Malmö for a second country, and Legoland for the Lego-obsessed.
Do children travel free on the trains?
Under-12s travel free with a paying adult on most public transport, and 12–15s pay half. A Family Saver day ticket is often the cheapest way to cover two adults and two children.
Do we need passports?
Only for Malmö, since that crosses into Sweden — EU citizens can use national ID, non-EU travellers need a full passport. Every other trip here (Helsingør, Roskilde, Hillerød, Klampenborg, Billund) stays inside Denmark.
How much do they cost?
Most run 300–700 DKK all in for a family (transport, entry and lunch). Bakken and Dyrehaven are the cheapest thanks to free entry; Legoland is the outlier at 1,800–2,500 DKK for the day.
What’s best for toddlers?
Bakken and Dyrehaven (free entry, deer to spot, gentle rides) or the Klampenborg beach-and-playground combo. Skip the long castle interiors and favour outdoor stops with somewhere to shelter.
Does the Copenhagen Card cover day trips?
Not most of them — it’s built for city attractions and transport within the zones, so you’ll usually need separate train tickets for day trips. Our Copenhagen Card review has the details.
Can we do two day trips in a day?
Only naturally paired ones — Klampenborg rolls Bakken, Dyrehaven and Bellevue beach into one, and Helsingør pairs with the Louisiana coast. Otherwise, one trip plus a Copenhagen evening is plenty.
Best trip for teenagers?
Malmö for the border-hop novelty, Louisiana for art-minded teens, and Kronborg for history. Legoland tends to fall flat with this age group. Our full three-day plan shows how to slot a day trip into a longer stay.
Related reading
Final Thoughts
A day trip is what turns a Copenhagen city break into a proper Denmark trip — and the choice is genuinely good. Kronborg for the history, Bakken and Dyrehaven for a free day among the deer, Roskilde for Vikings, Malmö for a second passport stamp. With under-12s riding free and nothing much over 50 minutes away, the region is easy to reach without wearing everyone out. Just pick one, take your time, and keep the evening for the city. Plan around it with our full guide to Copenhagen with children and the wider guide to what’s within day-trip range.
Last updated: July 2026. Photo credits: Copenhagen Tourism image library.
