Hi! Or hej!

Welcome to the very first edition of Travel Diaries, where one of our editors shares the whats and hows of their latest travels. I’m Ann Douglas Lott, an Associate Editor here at Lonely Planet, and I’m writing to you from my kitchen table in Brooklyn.

Mentally, however, I’m still in colorful Copenhagen – museum-hopping, vintage shopping, sunning in the parks, eating some seriously tasty meals – like I was exactly two weeks ago, joined by Lonely Planet writer Chamidae Ford.

Let me tell you why Copenhagen is the long weekend destination in Scandinavia, or even Europe.

I know what you’re thinking: isn’t Copenhagen super expensive? Yes. Did I, a twenty-something on an editor’s salary, make it work? Also yes. Have I sold you yet? Here’s how to plan the ultimate long weekend trip to Copenhagen.

When to arrive: We touched down at CPH Friday afternoon along with our hopes and dreams. It was perfect timing to check into our hotel and have a quick rest before dinner.

How to get from the airport: Please, please, don’t take a taxi into the city, or even around the city once you’re there. Get the Copenhagen Card, which is your magic ticket to all public transportation as well as top attractions like the Louisiana Museum, canal tours and Rosenborg Castle. It cost me US$108 for two full days, which may seem pricey but was actually more than worth the ticket fees (and the headache of booking everything without it).

Where to stay: We stayed in the 25Hours in Indre By (the inner city). A lot of first-time visitors like ourselves stay in the Indre By neighborhood since it’s closest to many of Copenhagen’s most iconic attractions and best shops. The cool thing about a 25Hours Hotel is how unique it is to the city it’s in. The Copenhagen property’s swanky design is very Danish, themed around art and knowledge. I hear the Florence hotel’s design is inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy. How genius is that?

What to pack: It’s intimidating how stylish everyone is here – the stone streets are truly the locals’ runway. If you want to blend in without packing your whole closet, wear your Scandinavian best: baggy pants, a simple t-shirt or classic button-down, a long coat or oversized blazer, and comfortable sneakers. Even under the mid-April sunshine, a quilted jacket was much needed with cooler temps in the 50°Fs (10–15°C) and unpredictable winds.

And finally, what to actually do! Here’s our full itinerary for my spreadsheet planners (I see you and I appreciate you).

Aperitivo: We didn’t make an advance dinner reservation for the first night in case of a flight delay, so we ended up getting a later reservation and enjoyed drinks by the canal at Little Green Door’s outdoor patio while we waited. People-watching at any of the bars along this stretch is prime entertainment.

Dinner: My first meal in a destination needs to be comforting, so we made a last-minute reservation at Lilo, where we scarfed down burrata topped with jalapenos and hazelnuts, pork and veal meatballs, and risotto with asparagus and peas. It was conveniently a two-minute walk from our hotel, so we went to bed early to recover from our long travel day.

Morning: We were hankering for a big breakfast to fuel ourselves and our credit cards, so we went for a full spread at Coffee Room: a cappuccino with a side of scrambled eggs, avocado, freshly baked bread with butter and chives.

How to spend the day: Our shopping dreams came true on that fine Saturday morning. Let me give you the highlights:

The day wasn’t over yet. It was time to put our Copenhagen Cards to use on a classic canal tour. It lasts almost an hour and is truly the best way to see the big sights and local life. Then we hit the Designmuseum Denmark for a taste of what Danish design is all about. My favorite exhibit examined the evolution of the graphic design for the local supermarket chain Irma and its iconic logo of the girl in the blue dress.

Dinner: One of Copenhagen's favorite cuisines is Italian. Mirabelle’s six-course tasting menu was a much-needed feast after walking 17k+ steps. Must try: the pork ragu arancini, the cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper pasta) and the lamb ravioli.

After dark: We ditched the bus for a stroll across the river back to our hotel. This city is so peaceful at night, and we never felt unsafe walking around late. If we were cooler, we would have stayed up and headed to a club.

Morning: Pastry time! Enter the cinnamon roll from Lagkagehuset, which happened to be on the way to Nørreport station for the day’s excursion.

How to spend the day: We hopped on the train to the Louisiana Museum. This is the art museum of all art museums and has to be the most popular day trip from CPH. The contemporary exhibitions are spectacular, and the architectural masterpiece of a building is truly special – glass hallways, wooden beams, extraordinary ocean views and sprawling grassy lawns to enjoy them from.

We returned to the city center famished and in pursuit of a CPH staple: a cheeseburger from Gasoline Grill. This has a cult following, and I get it. I get why we waited almost an hour for our lunch only to devour it in less than five minutes. 

Then we had rest time back at the hotel. Very important.

Dinner: Our finale dinner was at Delphine, a trendy Mediterranean restaurant with all the coastal ambiance. Sip the refreshing basil smash and sample a few plates between your table, like the watermelon feta salad, grilled lamb and prawns, and tzatziki with flatbread. 

Morning: Say it with me: One. More. Pastry! I couldn’t leave Denmark without a cardamom bun. The one from Holm’s bakery was everything I dreamed it would be.

And then it was time to take the Metro back to the airport. We seriously packed it in this weekend, thanks to spot-on recs from our fellow staff at Lonely Planet and our own Copenhagen guidebook. I arrived with my suitcase a little roomy and left with striped shirts spilling out of my extra tote bag because I am a shopaholic at heart. Thank you, Copenhagen, for indulging me!

– Ann Douglas Lott

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