Overview
Explore Denmark’s vibrant capital, fairytale castles, and wonderful beaches on a cycling adventure of a lifetime. The start and finish points are in Copenhagen, bike capital of the world, where you can see the Royal Palace housing the Danish Queen, visit the city’s iconic museums, the amusement park Tivoli, and stroll on Strøget, one of the longest pedestrian streets in the world. Going north, you will find castles, picturesque nature and one of the most exclusive residential areas in Denmark. Cycling the fairytale castles of Denmark, you will bike along wonderful coastlines with sandy beaches, and charming marinas. A short detour to Sweden is also possible and highly recommendable. This tour is easy with short daily stages, relaxed and safe biking and a lot to see, very suitable for families and beginner cyclists.
- Copenhagen: the best bike city in the world
- Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
- Helsingør and Kronborg (the castle from Shakespeare’s Hamlet)
- Danish Maritime Museum in Helsingør
- A short detour to Sweden
- Hillerød with Frederiksborg Castle
- Fredensborg Castle
- Esrum Abbey
Click to view map
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Copenhagen
After arriving at your hotel, you have free time to explore the Danish capital. Visit Nyhavn, the Royal Castle or the amusement park Tivoli. You can also take a walk on the shopping street Strøget, visit the Round Tower, feel the Freetown Christiania atmosphere, or take a boat ride on the small canals.
- Accommodation: Scandic Copenhagen or similar
Day 2: Copenhagen to Hørsholm | 36km
Today your bike adventure begins, and cycling through Copenhagen is a fantastic start of your tour. On your way to Hørsholm, you’ll bike along the beautiful coastline of Northern Zealand, passing through famous sights such as Den Lille Havfrue (The Little Mermaid) and the popular beach Bellevue. You will also pass through Dyrehaven (”the deer park”), formerly used as hunting grounds by the Danish royalty, where you’ll be surrounded by century-old trees and curious deer. You can make a refreshment stop at Bakken, which is the oldest amusement park globally, before reaching your hotel in Hørsholm on the coast of Øresund.
- Cycling for the day: 36km
- Accommodation: Rungstedgaard or similar
Day 3: Hørsholm to Helsingør | 20km
Today you will be cycling along the coastline all day, passing two of the finest museums in Denmark. In Rungsted, you can visit Rungstedlund, the home of the Danish author Karen Blixen (world-famous for Out of Africa), and in Humlebæk, you can visit the Museum of Modern Art Louisiana, famous not only for its exhibitions but as well for its beautiful architecture and location. You will end up in Helsingør, and after an easy day on the bike, you might wish to spend the afternoon visiting the old borough with the impressive Kronborg Castle (the castle from Shakespeare’s Hamlet).
- Cycling for the day: 20km
- Accommodation: Konventum or similar
Day 4: Circular Ride Sweden and Helsingør | 40km
Today you have the chance to visit some of the incredible attractions of Helsingør and the beautiful nature of Sweden. Cycle to Helsingør Harbour and take the ferry to Helsingborg (not included). From here, you can take a round trip of approx. 35km along the Swedish coast to beaches and small fishing villages and back through the Swedish forests and fields. If you have more time, visit the royal chambers and massive walls of the 16th-century castle, Kronborg (if you missed it yesterday). You can also see the Danish Maritime Museum, with its exhibitions covering Danish trade and shipping from the 15th century to the present day.
- Cycling for the day: 40km
- Accommodation: Konventum or similar
Day 5: Helsingør to Hillerød | 54km
Today you can visit two of the most beautiful Danish castles: Fredensborg Palace and Frederiksborg Castle. You start the day along the coast to Hornbæk, a small fishing village with tempting places for short breaks and a sea dip. Next, you go to the small village of Esrum with the historical abbey, which is definitely worth a visit. From there, you bike next to one of the deepest lakes in Denmark towards Hillerød. You can visit Fredensborg Palace, the Queen’s spring and autumn residence if you extend the tour by approx 10km. Upon your arrival in Hillerød, you should go to Frederiksborg Castle and enjoy its perfect lakeside location.
- Cycling for the day: 54km
- Accommodation: Best Western Hotel Hillerød or similar
Day 6: Hillerød to Copenhagen | 38km
Heading south towards Copenhagen, you pass idyllic sceneries, lovely forests and wetlands with rich birdlife. You will be impressed by the rich nature in a densely populated area close to the capital. You will also be amazed at how easy it is to cycle from green northern Zealand to the capital. While the first 18km towards Farum are on winding paths and smaller roads, the last 20km are along the new supercykelsti (Cycle Super-highway), which brings all the commuting cyclists to Copenhagen. When you come to Nørrebro, which is one of the most colourful neighbourhoods in Copenhagen, you have to slow down and mind all the different cyclists heading towards the city.
- Cycling for the day: 38km
- Accommodation: Scandic Copenhagen or similar
Day 7: Departure
Check out or use the possibility to extend your stay with a few additional days in Copenhagen.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation is in comfortable en-suite rooms in good 3* hotels. We have carefully hand-picked all places and regularly monitor their quality. We have tried to choose accommodations that offer friendly service, clean and comfortable rooms and local flavour. Hotel upgrade is possible (upon request).
Click to view default hotels
- Scandic Copenhagen (Copenhagen)
- Rungstedgaard (Hørsholm)
- Konventum (Helsingør)
- Best Western Hotel Hillerød (Hillerød)
*Hotels are subject to availability. In case a hotel is fully booked for your desired dates, we will replace it with a property of equal standard. We will provide full accommodation details upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included. When no restaurant location is available on route lunches and snacks can either be bought from local shops or ordered at your accommodation the day before. Dinner is available either from the restaurant in your accommodation or restaurants in the village near your hotel.
Difficulty and terrain
We rate the tour’s difficulty as easy to moderate (read more about difficulty grades), with daily cycling distances ranging between 20km and 55km, mostly on flat terrain with occasional small hills. The tour is suitable for families and beginner cyclists in good physical condition. The rides go along paved and unpaved bike paths and countryside roads. In Copenhagen, you have plenty of bike lanes, and the drivers are used to paying a lot of attention to cyclists. We will provide a road book with day descriptions and routes to download to your GPS device or smartphone.
When to go
The trip can start each Sunday, between 21 May and 10 September. Departures on other dates are possible upon request for a min. of 8 people (rates depending on the group size). Biking in Denmark is perfect from May until September. You will enjoy comfortable weather and daylight during the summer from very early morning until late evening.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airport for this tour is Copenhagen
By train or bus
Inclusions
Included
- 6 overnights as detailed in the itinerary
- 6 breakfasts
- Luggage transfer when changing hotels (up to 2 pieces of luggage per person, max 20kg for both items; each item – no more than 15kg)
- Detailed route notes (1 x per room) and GPS tracks
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Bike rental
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not specifically mentioned as included in the programme
Options, extras and supplements
- A supplement applies to members of a group who require a single room
- This holiday is available for solo travellers; a supplement will be charged as accommodation and luggage transfer costs are not shared (we never mix and match – solo travellers will be accommodated in single rooms)
- Extra nights in Copenhagen before and after the trip
- Bike or e-bike rental
- Bike insurance
- Upgraded accommodation – on request and with a supplement
Bike rental
You can rent a touring bike (unisex model) with adjustable saddle height and Schwalbe Marathon Plus anti-puncture tyres. It is also possible to rent an e-bike with 7 internal gears, 8Fun hub motor in the front wheel and a battery in the luggage carrier. The bike has 5 levels of power assist and a maximum speed of 25km/h. All bikes come with a waterproof saddlebag, bell, bottle holder and lock. Always remember to lock your bike! It is also possible to rent a children’s bike, children’s seat, children’s tag-along, children’s Burley and helmets.
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