Lead-in price per person, based on two sharing. Tap any month and we’ll confirm live availability and the best price for your dates.
From prices are per person, based on two people sharing. What you pay depends on your travel dates, how many nights you want, your departure airport and anything you add — tell us what you need and a UK specialist will confirm your price. ATOL 10713 protected.
A holiday to Copenhagen costs from £449 per person, based on two people sharing. That covers 3 nights and return flights from London. November 2026 is the cheapest departure currently on sale. Every holiday we sell is ATOL 10713 protected.
Three nights from £449 per person, covering return flights from London, the Scandic Spectrum or similar 4★, cabin baggage and full ATOL protection under licence 10713. Rooms are room only — breakfast, meals, Tivoli entry and market spending are not included, and neither is travel insurance. Regional UK departures are available at a supplement. Copenhagen is the Nordic entry on our Christmas list, and it is a different proposition from the German and Alsace markets: fewer wooden chalets, more design, and Tivoli Gardens turned into something close to a small city of lights.
This is the choice worth thinking about before you book, because Copenhagen is not a traditional market town and people occasionally arrive expecting one.
| Factor | Copenhagen | German and Alsace markets |
|---|---|---|
| The main draw | Tivoli Gardens, lit and decorated | Rows of market chalets in old squares |
| Scale of market | Smaller; the setting does the work | Larger, sometimes hundreds of stalls |
| Style | Nordic design, lights, hygge | Timbered houses, traditional crafts |
| Food and drink | Gløgg and æbleskiver | Glühwein or vin chaud, bratwurst, bredele |
| Currency | Danish krone — not the euro | Euro |
| Cost on the ground | High; Copenhagen is an expensive city | Lower, meaningfully |
Choose Copenhagen for the atmosphere, the design and Tivoli after dark. Choose Alsace or Germany if you want the classic market experience with rows of chalets and the smell of mulled wine down every street. Both are good trips; they are not the same trip.
Tivoli Gardens is the centrepiece and the reason most people come. The pleasure gardens are decorated and lit for the season — around half a million lights — with a Christmas market inside, rides running, and the whole thing arranged as a single designed experience rather than a collection of stalls. Entry is not included in the package; it is a separate ticket and worth budgeting for.
Nyhavn is the harbour everyone photographs: painted eighteenth-century houses along a canal lined with wooden boats. Lit for Christmas with a market along the quay, it is the image of Copenhagen in winter and it is a short walk from the centre.
Beyond those two, smaller markets appear across the city, and the city itself is the draw — Copenhagen in December does hygge without irony, and an afternoon spent moving between cafés is a legitimate way to spend the trip.
The food and drink are Nordic: gløgg, the Danish mulled wine, usually served with raisins and almonds in the bottom of the glass, and æbleskiver, spherical pancake balls dusted with sugar and eaten with jam.
Yes. Copenhagen is compact and walkable, and three nights gives you Tivoli properly on one evening, Nyhavn and the harbour on another, and a day for the city itself — the design museums, the cafés, the streets.
Two nights would work but Tivoli deserves a full evening on its own rather than being fitted around arrival. Four nights starts to be more city than Christmas, though Copenhagen rewards that if you want it.
One practical note: December daylight in Copenhagen is short even by northern European standards, running from roughly half past eight in the morning to half past three in the afternoon. That sounds bleak and is in fact the point — the lights are doing their work for most of your waking day.
Danish Christmas markets and the Tivoli season generally run from mid-November to just before or just after Christmas, which is a slightly longer window than the German and Alsace markets. Tivoli publishes its official dates closer to the season, so we confirm the exact dates for your departure at enquiry.
Midweek is quieter than the weekend, though Copenhagen handles crowds better than a small market town does — the city is simply bigger than the event. Weekends are busier at Tivoli itself rather than across the city.
All quoted at enquiry against your dates.
Flights are from London, with Heathrow and Gatwick at no supplement and regional departures available at a cost confirmed at enquiry. Copenhagen is around two hours from London.
The airport is unusually well connected — the metro runs from the terminal into the city centre in about fifteen minutes, which is faster and cheaper than a taxi and runs through the night. Once in the city, Copenhagen is walkable and flat, and the metro covers anything further.
Checked against GOV.UK foreign travel advice on 17 September 2026.
Denmark is in the Schengen area, so British passport holders need no visa for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Your passport must have been issued within the last 10 years of your arrival date and be valid at least three months after you leave. A passport renewed early before October 2018 may carry months that no longer count.
The EU’s biometric Entry/Exit System is rolling out, replacing passport stamping with fingerprints and a photograph on your first crossing. It is free, the record lasts three years, and the practical effect is extra time at the border the first time. ETIAS is not currently required.
Denmark does not use the euro. The currency is the Danish krone, and this catches out a surprising number of people who arrive with euros from a previous trip. In practice you barely need cash at all — Copenhagen is close to cashless and cards work everywhere, including market stalls.
It is an expensive city, and that is worth planning for rather than discovering. Eating and drinking out costs noticeably more than in the German or central European market cities, so the total cost of the trip is further above the package price here than it would be in Budapest or Prague.
December is cold, often windy off the water, and dark by mid-afternoon. Layers and a windproof coat matter more than heavy insulation.
This trip is covered by our ATOL licence 10713, and we hold IATA accreditation 91285611. One UK consultant handles your booking from enquiry to return.
Copenhagen sells more steadily than the small Alsace towns, but December weekends still go first and the week before Christmas tightens quickly.
Arrive from London and check in to Scandic Spectrum or similar. The afternoon and evening are free — head straight to Tivoli Gardens and Nyhavn while the market is at its liveliest.
A full day to explore. Wander the Tivoli Gardens Christmas market, see the painted harbour houses of Nyhavn lit for Christmas, and warm up with gløgg and æbleskiver pancake balls between the stalls.
On a two-night break you transfer to the airport today; add a third or fourth night and this is a free day for last-minute shopping and a slower morning.
Not included / optional
From £449 per person for three nights, including return flights from London, a 4★ hotel, cabin baggage and ATOL protection. November and December are held at the same lead-in price on the package. Your exact figure depends on your dates and departure airport and is confirmed when you enquire.
No. Tivoli is a separate ticket and is not part of the package. It is the main reason most people come to Copenhagen in December, so it is worth budgeting for from the start rather than treating as an extra. We can tell you the current ticket position when you enquire.
The pleasure gardens are decorated and lit with around half a million lights, with a Christmas market inside, rides running through the season and the whole thing arranged as one designed experience rather than a collection of stalls. It is closer to a winter theme park than to a traditional market.
It is a good Christmas destination, which is not quite the same thing. The markets themselves are smaller than the German or Alsace ones — the draw is Tivoli, Nyhavn lit along the water, and the city itself in December. If you specifically want rows of wooden chalets, Strasbourg or Nuremberg deliver more.
Different rather than better or worse. Copenhagen gives you Nordic design, lights and hygge with a smaller market; Germany and Alsace give you hundreds of chalets, traditional crafts and a lower cost of living. Copenhagen is also meaningfully more expensive once you are there.
Yes. Copenhagen is compact and walkable, and three nights gives you Tivoli properly on one evening, Nyhavn and the harbour on another, and a full day for the city. Two nights means fitting Tivoli around your arrival, which does not do it justice.
No — Denmark uses the Danish krone. This catches out a good number of visitors who arrive with euros left over from a previous trip. In practice it barely matters, because Copenhagen is close to cashless and cards are accepted everywhere, including at market stalls.
Yes, noticeably. Eating and drinking out costs considerably more than in the German or central European market cities, so the gap between the package price and what you actually spend is wider here than almost anywhere else on our Christmas list. Budget for it rather than discover it.
About seven hours — roughly half past eight in the morning until half past three in the afternoon. That sounds bleak and is in fact the point: the lights are doing their work for most of your waking day, which is exactly what you came for.
Gløgg, the Danish mulled wine, usually served with raisins and almonds in the bottom of the glass, and æbleskiver — spherical pancake balls dusted with sugar and eaten with jam. Both are sold across the markets and both are better than they sound written down.
It is the photograph you have seen of Copenhagen: painted eighteenth-century houses along a canal lined with old wooden boats, lit for the season with a market running along the quay. It is a short walk from the centre and is at its best after dark, which in December is most of the day.
No, the package is room only. Breakfast can be added at the hotel and we will quote it. Given how expensive eating out is in Copenhagen, adding hotel breakfast is worth pricing rather than dismissing — it is one of the few places where the hotel option can be the cheaper one.
The Scandic Spectrum or similar 4★. Copenhagen is compact and well served by the metro, so a central location keeps Tivoli, Nyhavn and the main shopping streets within walking distance or a very short ride. Alternative and design-led hotels can be quoted on request.
The metro runs directly from the terminal into the centre in about fifteen minutes, which is faster and cheaper than a taxi and runs through the night. It is one of the better airport connections in Europe and means a late arrival is no particular problem.
The price is from London, with Heathrow and Gatwick carrying no supplement. Copenhagen is around two hours from London. Regional UK departures are available at a supplement that varies by airport, airline and date, confirmed for your dates at enquiry.
Danish markets and the Tivoli season generally run from mid-November until just before or just after Christmas, a slightly longer window than the German and Alsace markets. Tivoli publishes its official dates closer to the season, so we confirm the exact dates for your departure at enquiry.
No. Denmark is in the Schengen area and British passport holders can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period without one. Your passport must have been issued within the last 10 years of your arrival date and be valid at least three months after you leave. Checked against GOV.UK on 17 September 2026.
A biometric record — fingerprints and a photograph — that replaces passport stamping when you first cross an external Schengen border. It is free and lasts three years, so later trips are faster. The only practical effect here is allowing extra time at the border the first time you travel under it.
Tivoli makes it one of the better options, because the rides run through the season and the whole park is designed for families. The city is safe, compact and easy to move around. The limits are the cold, the short days and the cost of eating out with a family.
Sometimes, but it is not reliable. Copenhagen sits at sea level and December is more often cold, grey and windy off the water than white. If snow is the point of the trip, the Alpine markets at Salzburg and Innsbruck are the far safer choice.
Yes, under licence 10713, and we hold IATA accreditation 91285611. One UK consultant handles your booking from enquiry through to your return, so there is someone who knows your trip rather than a call centre and a reference number.
Copenhagen sells more steadily than the small Alsace towns, so there is a little more room. Even so, December weekends go first and the week before Christmas tightens quickly. Midweek dates in late November and early December are the easiest to find.
City & Beach
ATOL Protected
Thailand
Bed & Breakfast
“Bangkok’s Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun”
Rail Pass Included
ATOL Protected
Japan
Bed & Breakfast
“Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, joined by bullet train on an included Japan Rail Pass”
Multi-Centre
ATOL Protected
Dubai & Bali
Bed & Breakfast
“The Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and Palm Jumeirah over three Dubai nights”
Tell us where you would like to go, how you want to travel, and what matters most to you. Our UK travel designers will build the itinerary around you.
Share the shape of the trip and a UK travel designer will come back to you within one working day with a costed proposal.
