In April 2024 I decided to do some solo traveling to Copenhagen and Stockholm! It had been years since I had traveled on my own, so I did some research for some of the safest countries to visit as a solo female traveler, and these two Nordic cities seemed to be a great option. Both cities turned out to be a delight.
Below is my 8-day itinerary. Aside from seeing the sites, my personal goal was to eat as much fancy Nordic food as possible, and I was definitely not disappointed! I have included as many links as possible for those who would like to use it as inspiration, and I do not receive any compensation for use of the links provided.
Day 1: Discovering Copenhagen
Upon arriving at the Copenhagen airport, I took a quick taxi ride to my hotel, where I dropped off my bags and eagerly set out to explore. My first activity was a scenic canal tour, which offered a great overview of Copenhagen’s architecture and historic landmarks. The tour took about an hour and a half, and as soon as we returned I jumped onto a City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off bus for a relaxing ride around the major attractions of Copenhagen. Both tours were a great way to see the city while resting from the long flight over.
After the bus tour, I head back to my hotel to check in. The hotel was called 25hours Indre By, and I absolutely loved how quirky my room was! It was so clean and just the right size for me as a solo traveler. The minibar was loaded with free goodies, and the decorations were so unique. The hotel was also in the absolute perfect location – very central to everything I visited. It also included a café, a delicious restaurant, and a cocktail bar in the basement. Most importantly, I felt very safe at this location, which is always a priority as a solo female traveler. I highly recommend a stay at 25hours Hotel.
Once recharged, I headed out to see the Round Tower (pictures on left), a 17th-century marvel that was just next door to the hotel and offered sweeping views of the cityscape. I then made my way to Torvehallerne, a bustling food market that offered a variety of options of high quality quick meals and snacks.
Links:
Bus Tour: https://city-sightseeing.com/en-us/16/copenhagen/25/hop-on-hop-off-copenhagen
Hotel: https://25hours-hotels.com/copenhagen/indre-by/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAjp-7BhBZEiwAmh9rBY0OrwOTDGZE0wWRzTACyLWXKGYEj8Z0aLVmjHaNMuGuhjQavLLDqxoCIAYQAvD_BwE (Highly recommend!)
Day 2: Immersing in Copenhagen’s Culture
Day two kicked off with an informative Airbnb Experience tour focused on Copenhagen’s city designs. Led by a knowledgeable local guide, we wandered the streets downtown and discussed architectural details and the history behind the structures we passed.
For lunch, I treated myself to a meal at Marchal, a Michelin-starred restaurant renowned for its Nordic cuisine. It was a simple but pleasant experience.
I then set out to the Botanical Gardens, which was located in a greenhouse in a nice little park. The indoor gardens had a lot of plants that are native to warmer climates such as where I am from in California, so these gardens were not too exciting to me, although I can understand the allure to the locals in Copenhagen. I then popped in for a quick visit to the National History Museum to enjoy the wildlife photographer exhibit, and then went to the National Gallery of Denmark which showcased an impressive collection of European art spanning centuries.
I concluded my day with a stroll through the Rosenborg Castle Gardens, which I was told is the most visited park in Copenhagen. I can understand why! The cherry blossoms were gorgeous, the park was clean and had plenty of room for friends to socialize.
I ended my day of exploration with a sweet treat from Cakery Copenhagen, which sells delicious little eclairs.
Link:
“Design Details” tour: https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/412092
Day 3: Venturing out of Copenhagen
Woke up this morning excited to try the second Michelin-starred restaurant of the trip, Søllerød Kro. On the way to the bus station, I stopped by Espresso Bar, a chain café in Copenhagen. Expect to pay $7-9 for each latte in the city!
Søllerød Kro was a bit out of town, so I had to figure out the public transportation system for the day. I ended up purchasing a ticket in a 7-Eleven near the station. Apparently, these tickets are sold by the number of “zones” that you will be crossing. For example, my destination was five zones away, so I ended up paying 44 Danish Krones (approximately $6) each way. Each ticket lasted two hours, and can be used across modes of transportation (metro, bus, etc). The tickets can also be purchased directly on the bus if one has small change, although the bus drivers seemed to appreciate when tickets were already in-hand. People also say it is possible to purchase from an app like DSB, Rejseplanen, or DOT Tickets, but my credit cards didn’t seem to work on these apps. Still, these apps were still very helpful in determining the timetable for transportation, as well as the number of zones that I’d be in.
The buses were very clean and reliable, and it was an enjoyable ride through the countryside to Søllerød. I arrived quite early so took a long stroll through a cemetery across the street from the restaurant. My tour guide yesterday had mentioned that the cemeteries in Denmark were often more like parks than cemeteries – I found this to be very much the case (picture above). There were flowers and cherry trees everywhere, wide stone paths and walkways, and it had a stunning view overlooking the lake.
Søllerød Kro itself was a great experience. I was there for approximately 2.5 hours as they walked me through seven courses (plus a few additional treats) that were each so unique, beautifully plated, and delicious. I’d recommend a visit!
After returning to my hotel and relaxing for a while, I set out once again to explore. I first walked around Nyhavn, the picturesque and arguably the most recognized part of Copenhagen with the colorful houses by the canal. It was quite busy and had a very “touristy” vibe. On the way back to hotel I stopped by Frederik’s Church, a beautiful church right in the heart of the city.
Day 4: Hidden Gems and Unique Experiences
Today I decided to venture out a bit further out to explore a bit of Frederiksholm and Christiansavn, across the canal. On the way I stopped by Andersen and Maillard for a delicious pastry, grabbed a latte at Taarnet and enjoyed my breakfast in Kongens Nytorv (a public plaza near Nyhavn). I then caught the hop-on hop-off bus for the ride across the city to Copenhagen Contemporary Art Gallery. It was very unique, and does require specific taste for full appreciation of the exhibits. If time is limited in the city, I’d personally recommend skipping this museum. I then walked around Reffen, an outdoor street food market with many small shops where you can order food you like and find seating overlooking the canal or at the many tables scattered within the market area. I loved how many options were available, and it reminded me very much of the Portland food truck scene.
I then stopped by Lille Bakery for another delicious little treat and hopped on a bus to see the Church of Our Savior. The church tower was unfortunately closed that day due to heavy winds, but it was the 328th birthday of the church so I was fortunate to catch a celebration performance that was soon starting. Surprisingly, the lady at the door was discouraging tourists and locals from entering, as the performance was going to be “very odd” and she did not recommend it. She stated that the concert included “barking dogs” and “stomping,” which intrigued me enough to want to enter. The first 40min of the performance within the gorgeous church was simply a beautiful organist playing classic melodies. However, for the following 30min, the lady’s warnings became a bit more understandable, as an opera singer was found running back and forth along the hallways behind the giant organ, using sirens, recordings of barking dogs as embellishments. Very avant-garde.
I headed back to my hotel to recharge after this very unique concert, and then head out one more time for dinner at Marv and Ben, a Bib-Gourmand restaurant that turned out to be a delightful last dinner in Copenhagen.
Day 5: Copenhagen to Stockholm
For my last morning in Copenhagen I decided to check out Sct Peter’s Bagery, a very popular bakery not far from my hotel. It was quite busy instide, and I soon understood why! The pastries were delicious. On the way back to the hotel I walked through Orsted Park, which had some beautiful flowers in bloom, along with a very nice central lake.
When I got back to my hotel I packed up and took a quick taxi ride to Copenhagen Central Station. I allowed myself two full hours to ensure that I didn’t miss my train to Stockholm… it turns out this was not at all necessary, as the train platform wasn’t even on the board for over an hour and a half! Arriving about 15 minutes early would have more than sufficed. I waited at a cafe in the station and then jumped on my train to Stockholm.
It was about a six hour journey to Stockholm, but I was very thankful that I did not have to transfer. I then found a taxi to take me to Lady Hamilton Hotel, located in the middle of Gamla Stan. This turned out to be my only negative experience of my whole trip – the taxi driver did not appear to be honest and drove half the speed limit, “accidentally” took many wrong turns, and then almost drove away with my luggage. He ended up charging me over $50 for a 10min ride to my hotel. After a quick google search, it seems as though some taxi drivers are not regulated, so I would recommend ensuring this regulation prior to jumping in a taxi cab in Stockholm.
My hotel room was quite small and the Wi-Fi unfortunately didn’t work during my entire stay, but it was clean and central, and had a nice included breakfast. I would recommend staying elsewhere.
Day 6: Discovering Stockholm
I woke up and enjoyed a nice breakfast before heading to a free walking tour. I booked through GuruWalk Tour and really enjoyed the three-hour experience! Our tour guide was incredibly hospitable and knowledgable about the city and culture.
I then had the most delicious lunch at Slingerbulten, a restaurant that offers a limited menu of classic Swedish dishes. I chose the Swedish meatballs with lingonberries and mashed potatoes. Highly recommend!
I then walked over to the photography museum and enjoyed the exhibits. They also had a little café upstairs where I enjoyed a latte and the beautiful view of the water and city before heading back to freshen up at my hotel. Soon after, I walked over to meet the host of my “Golden Hour Photo Walk” Airbnb experience. My host led me all around Stockholm and stopped at locations with particularly good views, and gave me tips for taking artistic photos. I very much recommend this tour!
Links:
Walking Tour: https://www.guruwalk.com/walks/42590-free-walking-tour-gamla-stan-stockholm
Classic Swedish Restaurant: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g189852-d1580290-Reviews-Slingerbulten-Stockholm.html (Highly recommend!)
Golden Hour Photo Walk: https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/4006747 (Highly recommend!)
Day 7: Day of Highlights
After enjoying my hotel breakfast I took a bus to the popular Vasa Museum. As a side note, public transportation was so much easier in Stockholm than it was in Copenhagen: instead of buying “zones” in Copenhagen, you simply buy “time” in Stockholm! After downloading the “SL” app, you can just purchase a 75 minute pass that can be used on any form of public transportation within that time frame (longer passes also available). This can be bus, subway, ferry… a QR code is provided to be scanned each time of use.
When I arrived at the Vasa museum, I was in absolute awe. Right in the center of the museum was the actual ship from the 1600s that was recovered in the mid-20th century. I took the free English tour about the history of the ship and then watched a short clip about the recovery of the vessel, and was fascinated by the story. I spent over two hours at the museum and it ended up being one of the highlights of Stockholm.
I then took a ferry back to Gamla Stan and enjoyed a coffee and some treats at Cafe Kladdkakan before visiting the Nobel Prize Museum. The tour guide from the free walking tour the day before had mentioned that it wasn’t the most exciting museum, and he was right.
I then had the most spectacular dinner at Ekstedt for my last evening in Europe. I cannot speak highly enough about this Michelin-starred restaurant. It was a three-hour multi-sensory experience with the best flavors, the most beautiful designs, and the most gracious staff. I enjoyed a small course in the lounge before they took a few of us to kitchen for a few more courses with the chef, who demonstrated some of the traditional cooking techniques utilized by the restaurant. I was then seated at the counter where I had a front-row view of the course preparation. It was such a beautiful experience watching the staff so intricately decorating and piping and placing the delicate flowers to be served. I could tell that they all took so much pride in what they were presenting. The vibe was very upscale but not stuffy, as the waiters would often come around to chat about their personal lives and travels. This dinner was such a memorable experience, and an absolutely the highlight of my overseas adventure.
Links:
Vasa Museum: https://www.vasamuseet.se/en
Ekstedt: ekstedt.nu (Highly recommend!)
Day 8: Traveling Home
After a taxi ride to the airport I hopped on the plane to fly home. My first solo trip in many years was even more wonderful than I had hoped. Overall, I would absolutely recommend a visit to Copenhagen and Stockholm!
Tips: No cash needed. Use public transit. Avoid unregulated taxis. Try Ekstedt – you won’t regret it!
Until next time, happy travels! ✈️
