Copenhagen Layover Guide: What to Do in 5 to 8 Hours

If you’re flying to Europe on SAS, there’s a good chance you’ll route through Copenhagen with a long layover on at least one leg. That’s a good thing. Copenhagen Airport is close to the city and the train quick and easy. The center of Copenhagen is walkable, and you can see something meaningful without stressing about your next flight. We’ve done this layover more than once on our way through, and we usually build in extra time on purpose. Here’s how to spend a Copenhagen layover based on how much time you have, including how to get around, what to see, and where to eat in Denmark’s capital.

How Much Time Do You Need for a Copenhagen Layover?

The right minimum depends on where you’re flying next. If your onward flight stays inside the Schengen zone, 5 hours is plenty to get into the city, see a thing or two, and get back without rushing. If you’re heading back through customs and immigration, give yourself at least 6 hours, since re-clearing takes a bit more time (but is still very efficient).

With less than 5 hours, we’d stay at the airport. There’s a food hall in the terminal, and if you have Priority Pass or SAS lounge access, they are pretty good options. Anything over 5 hours, we’re taking the train into town.

Pro Tip: Copenhagen Kastrup Airport is efficient, but give yourself a buffer. Aim to be back at least 90 minutes before your next departure, more if your flight is international.

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Getting From Copenhagen Airport to the City Center

The train is the best way to get from Copenhagen Kastrup Airport to the city center, and the station is right at the airport. Follow the signs from arrivals and you’ll be on a platform in a few minutes. The train from Copenhagen Airport to Central Station takes about 15 minutes. Download the DOT Tickets app before you land and buy your ticket online, so you can walk straight to the platform instead of fumbling at a machine.

Copenhagen is flat and walkable once you’re in the center, so you won’t need another metro ride or Uber for most of what you can see on a layover. We cover the city in more detail in our guide to seeing Copenhagen in a day, which you should read if your layover is overnight.

Your options from Copenhagen Airport to the city:

• Train: About 15 minutes to Central Station, the fastest and easiest option. This is what we use.
• Metro: The M2 line runs from the airport to the city center in about 15 minutes too, which is useful depending on where you’re headed.
• Bus: Slower and rarely worth it over the train or metro for a layover.
• Taxi: Available outside arrivals, but expect to pay a lot more than the train for a similar time in normal traffic.

Heading to Sweden instead? The train from Copenhagen Kastrup Airport to Malmö takes about 35 minutes across the Øresund Bridge, which makes even a Malmö day trip doable on a long layover.

Luggage Storage and Lockers at Copenhagen Airport

Don’t drag your bags into the city. Copenhagen Kastrup Airport has luggage lockers in the parking garage, not far from the train, so you can drop everything before you head in. Store your bags, grab your train ticket, and travel light for a few hours.

Pro Tip: Note your locker number and location before you walk away. The parking garage is large, and you don’t want to be hunting for your bags with a flight to catch. We like to take pictures to make sure we don’t lose key information. 

5-Hour Layover: TorvehallerneKBH Food Market

With 5 hours, keep it simple. Head straight to Torvehallerne, a food market a direct 15-minute ride from the airport. You’ll find two glass halls packed with stalls, and it’s the fastest way to eat something authentic in Copenhagen without worrying about time. On a shorter layover, we sampled the smørrebrød, fresh pastries, and strong Nordic coffee, then hopped back on the train to . If you’re short on time or nervous about straying too far from the airport, this is the best option.

With less than 5 hours, we’d stay at the airport. There are plenty of restaurants at Copenhagen Airport and a food hall in the terminal, and if you have Priority Pass or SAS lounge access, the Copenhagen Airport lounges are pretty good options for waiting in comfort.

Minimum layover needed to leave Copenhagen Kastrup Airport: 5 hours for a Schengen onward flight, 6 if you’re re-clearing customs

6 Hours: Add Nyhavn or Tivoli

With 6 hours, pair Torvehallerne with one of the city’s best highlights. We recommend choosing between Nyhavn or Tivoli Gardens. Both are central and easy to reach on foot or a short hop on the metro, so either one fits neatly into this layover window without rushing.

Nyhavn: This is the colorful canal lined with old townhouses and boats that you’ve seen in every Copenhagen photo, and it lives up to the hype. There’s an outdoor food hall across the bridge from the canal (Broens Gadekøkken) and the original Gasoline Grill is in the other direction, for a very impressive burger (they also have a location in the market). You can read more about these stops here: Copenhagen food tour guide.

Tivoli Gardens: This is the historic amusement park and garden, which is an easy stop on the way back toward the airport train. Even a walk through the grounds is worth it if rides aren’t your thing. Tivoli also has a fantastic food hall, and the enormous square, Radhuspladsen, is an excellent landmark to check out nearby. If you have time, grab a drink from the market and people-watch in the square, or head up to the citizenM Copenhagen Radhuspladsen lobby bar for a fancy cocktail with a view from above.

Minimum layover needed: 6 hours

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8 Hours: See Both, Plus the King’s Garden

With 8 hours, you can do both Nyhavn and Tivoli and still have room to breathe. Start at TorvehallerneKBH, walk through the King’s Garden then to Nyhavn for the canal, and loop toward Radhuspladsen, and finally Tivoli, before heading back to the train. Note that this walking route takes about an hour total, but you can catch the metro if you want to speed things up. We personally love walking around Copenhagen, so long as the weather is nice. 

The King’s Garden is the oldest royal garden in Copenhagen at Rosenborg Castle, and it’s a short walk from TorvehallerneKBH. Locals relax on the lawns on a warm day, and it gives you a quieter, greener side of the city. Even a quick walk through on your way between stops is worth it.

Minimum layover needed: 8 hours

Pro Tip: If food is your priority, our Copenhagen food tour guide maps out the best bites and doubles as a walking tour through the city center.

What to Skip on a Copenhagen Layover

Skip the Little Mermaid. This may be an unpopular opinion, but we don’t recommend spending precious layover time hunting her down. It’s further from the center than it looks, it’s small, and it underwhelms nearly everyone who makes the trek. There’s too much good food and too many better sights closer to the city center.

What to Eat in Copenhagen

Even if you skip a full food tour, these are worth seeking out on a layover:

• Smørrebrød: the classic Danish open-faced sandwich on dense rye, piled with toppings like pickled herring, roast beef, or salmon. You’ll find great versions at TorvehallerneKBH.
• Danish pastry: known locally as wienerbrød. THis is flaky, layered, and filled with custard or fruit, and a world away from what passes for a Danish back home. I don’t even like pastries but I loved these. 
• Nordic coffee: Copenhagen takes coffee seriously, and so do we. A light-roast pour-over from a market stall is the perfect cure for jet lagged on a layover.
• A layover burger: the original Gasoline Grill near Nyhavn is a very good option if you’re near the canal. Lines are long but move fast. They also have several other locations. Including one at the airport, but there’s nothing quite like the original. 

Where to Stay on a Copenhagen Layover

If your layover is overnight, you have two easy options: sleep at the airport for an early flight, or sleep in town and see more of the city. Since the airport is so close to the center, either option works and allows you to travel back and forth. Here’s where we’d book for either option:

• Clarion Hotel Copenhagen Airport: Book this one if you have an early flight and want zero stress. It’s a short covered walk from Terminal 3, so there’s no shuttle and no transfer. You can roll your bag to the hotel, sleep, and walk back to the gate in the morning. If you have time, you can easily hop the train into the city for an adventure, and still get back to sleep at the airport and walk to your flight in the morning. 

• citizenM Copenhagen Radhuspladsen: For a night in town, this is our favorite spot for the views and the location. It’s on City Hall Square, a few minutes’ walk from Tivoli Gardens and its wonderful food hall, so you can see the city in the evening and the morning without a long trek back to the train.

• Hotel Bethel Sømandshjem: If you’d rather wake up on the colorful, famous canal, this spot puts you right at Nyhavn. Rooms are simple and a bit pricey for what you get, but you step out the door onto the picture-perfect canal, with restaurants, Gasoline Grill, King’s Garden, and Broens Gadekøkken all a short walk away.

Important Copenhagen Layover Tips

• Don’t cut it close. Leave at least 90 minutes (two hours is safer) to get back, clear security, and reach your gate. Give yourself more if you’re clearing customs and immigration.
• Buy your train ticket in advance. The DOT Tickets app lets you pay online and skip the machine line.
• Stash your bags. Use the lockers in the parking garage near the train instead of hauling luggage around the city.
• Know your lounge options. The SAS lounge and Priority Pass lounges are located on different sides of immigration at CPH, so check which you can reach with your connection and which you have access to.
• Skip the Little Mermaid. It’s a long detour for a small statue. Spend the time on food and the canals instead.

Copenhagen Layover FAQ

How Long of a Layover Do You Need to Leave Copenhagen Airport?

Give yourself at least 5 hours if your onward flight is inside the Schengen zone, and at least 6 hours if you’re clearing customs and immigration. The train into the city takes about 15 minutes each way, so a 5-hour window leaves real time to see something meaningful. Plan to be back at least 90 minutes to 2 hours before your next departure.

How Do You Get From Copenhagen Airport to the City Center?

Take the train. It’s a direct ride of about 15 minutes from the airport station, which is right at the terminal, into central Copenhagen. Download the DOT Tickets app before you land and buy your ticket online so you can walk straight to the platform.

What Can You Do on a Short Copenhagen Layover?

Head to TorvehallerneKBH, a food market a direct 15-minute ride from the airport. You get a real taste of Copenhagen food in one stop, then can head back to the train direct to the airport. With 6 hours or more, add Nyhavn or Tivoli Gardens, both central and walkable.

Can You Store Luggage at Copenhagen Airport?

Yes. There are lockers in the airport parking garage, not far from the train, so you can drop your bags before heading into the city. That makes a layover far easier than dragging a carry-on around Copenhagen for a few hours.

Staying Overnight in Copenhagen? Start Planning Here!

Have you had a layover in Copenhagen? Let us know in the comments what you fit into your time.