Overview
A seven day, self-guided cycling tour through North Zealand, following both inland and coastal trails along the Øresund Strait, including a day trip to Sweden to visit Helsingborg and its surrounding trails. Starting and ending in the elegant Danish capital, you have plenty of time to explore its colourful harbourside architecture, fine food and enjoy its waterfront vibe. Cycling continues northward along the Øresund coastal route to Helsingør, a town packed with ancient maritime history, where you spend a night. After your Swedish sojourn, you continue back south again but inland this time, to explore inland lakes and historic castles, wetlands and woodlands. Accommodation is in three and four-star hotels, with luggage transfers.
- Copenhagen
- Helsingør
- Helsingborg
- Hillerød
- Roskilde
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Copenhagen
Arrive in Copenhagen. Explore the medieval city centre, with landmarks including the Round Tower, a 17th-century observatory, or Christiansborg Palace, seat of the Danish Parliament. Tivoli Gardens, opened in 1843, is among the world’s oldest operating amusement parks. Other points of interest include the National Museum of Denmark and Strøget, one of Europe’s longest pedestrian streets.
- Accommodation: Comwell Copenhagen Portside or similar in Copenhagen
Day 2: Copenhagen – Helsingør | 45km
Cycle north from Copenhagen along the Øresund coastal route with views across the strait towards Sweden. Pass Klampenborg and Bellevue Beach, then continue through coastal towns with small harbours and marinas. Arrive at Helsingør, where Kronborg Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, stands at the entrance to Øresund and the nearby Maritime Museum of Denmark has exhibitions on Danish seafaring history.
- Cycling for the day: 45km, ↑272m ↓280m
- Accommodation: Comwell Borupgaard or similar in Helsingør
Day 3: Helsingør – Helsingborg (Sweden) – Helsingør | 50km
Take a ferry from Helsingør across the Øresund Strait to Sweden, arriving in Helsingborg. Follow coastal cycle paths through fishing villages then continue inland through forest, meadows and farmland to come back to Helsingborg again. Highlights here include the 14th-century Helsingborg Castle at Kärnan Tower, built to guard the Øresund Strait, with views of this seascape from the top. Other architectural highlights are the 12th-century Mariakyrkan (St. Mary’s Church) and Neo Gothic Town Hall famous for its stained glass window. Later in the day, take the return ferry from Sweden back to Helsingør.
- Cycling for the day: 50km, ↑267m ↓267m
- Accommodation: Comwell Borupgaard or similar in Helsingør
Day 4: Helsingør – Hillerød | 55km
Starting from Helsingør’s harbour area, cycle along the coast through Hornbæk and Gilleleje, passing fishing harbours and beaches. Continue inland across woodland, past small lakes and protected nature reserves before arriving in Hillerød, home to Frederiksborg Castle on Castle Lake.
- Cycling for the day: 55km, ↑440m ↓418m
- Accommodation: Best Western Hotel Hillerød or similar in Hillerød
Day 5: Hillerød – Roskilde | 50km
Cycle south from Hillerød towards Roskilde Bay. Pass Frederikssund’s reconstructed Viking settlement, which recreates aspects of life in the Viking Age. Continue through rural areas and on short coastal sections before arriving in Roskilde. Roskilde Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has served as the burial place of Danish monarchs since the fifteenth century. The Viking Ship Museum displays vessels recovered from Roskilde Fjord.
- Cycling for the day: 50km, ↑386m ↓368m
- Accommodation: Comwell Roskilde or similar in Roskilde
Day 6: Roskilde – Copenhagen | 50km
Cycle east from Roskilde towards Copenhagen. Near Ishøj, ARKEN Museum of Contemporary Art presents Danish and international contemporary works in a waterfront setting. Continue through Amager Fælled, a car-free nature area of wetlands and meadows before returning to Copenhagen.
- Cycling for the day: 50km, ↑185m ↓213m
- Accommodation: Comwell Copenhagen Portside or similar in Copenhagen
Day 7: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of 3-star and 4-star hotels. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria, including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food, or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms.
Click to view standard hotels
- Comwell Copenhagen Portside (Copenhagen)
- Comwell Borupgaard (Helsingør)
- Best Western Hotel Hillerød (Hillerød)
- Comwell Roskilde (Roskilde)
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
A buffet breakfast is provided each morning. When no restaurant options are available along the route, lunches and snacks can be bought in local shops or ordered as packed lunches from the accommodation, where available. Dinners can be taken at the hotels or in nearby restaurants.
Difficulty and terrain
This trip is graded moderate and is suitable for regular cyclists with an active lifestyle. (read more about difficulty grades). Daily cycling distances range from 45–55km. The route mainly follows flat to gently undulating terrain, using a combination of dedicated cycle paths, quiet country roads and short urban sections when entering or leaving towns. We are always happy to provide more recommendations for easier or more challenging routes when you are in site. E-bikes are available for rental on this tour.
When to go
2026 departures are available every Friday, Saturday and Sunday between May and September. During this period, Denmark and southern Sweden experience mild to warm weather, with average daytime temperatures from around 15C in May to 22–23C in July and August.
For more information on travelling in Denmark and Sweden, visit our blogs Best time to go to Denmark and Best time to go to Sweden.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended arrival and departure airport for this tour is Copenhagen Airport (CPH).
Arrival and departure
- If able to travel to Denmark without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail, with a railway station in Copenhagen providing international connections. For further information, see the national rail operator DSB or use the Omio planner above.
- Internal connections are also possible, such as Odense (1h 15mins from Copenhagen) or Esbjerg (2h 50mins from Copenhagen). For further information, see the national rail operator DSB or use the Omio planner above.
- Copenhagen Airport has frequent metro and regional train connections to central Copenhagen, with a travel time of around 20mins.
Inclusions
Included
- 6 nights in private en-suite rooms
- 6 breakfast
- Luggage transfers when changing hotels (max 20kg per piece)
- Ferry ticket Helsingør – Helsingborg – Helsingør (bikes included)
- Rental bike insurance (if booking a bike through us)
- Digital pre-departure holiday information pack, including cycling app with GPS tracks
- 24/7 phone assistance
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Bike rental
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses such as phone calls, extra transfers, tips, etc.
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any item not specifically mentioned as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers
- Rental of standard, premium, gravel and e-bikes
- Helmet rental
- Half board upgrade
Bike rental
Standard bikes (21–24 gears), premium bikes, gravel bikes and electric bikes are available to rent on this tour. All rental bikes are equipped with a pannier and include rental bike insurance.
Sample pictures are attached below. Please note that the exact models may vary depending on availability, but the quality and standard will remain consistent.
