Copenhagen Christmas Markets & Tivoli at Christmas by Private Car

Copenhagen’s Christmas markets open from mid-November. The big four are Tivoli Gardens, Nyhavn, Højbro Plads and Kongens Nytorv, and all of them sit within a 2 km loop of the old town. You can walk between most of them. A private chauffeur earns its keep when it is dark by 16:00, the pavements are icy, you are carrying shopping, or you want to add Christiania, Frederiksberg Christmas Market or dinner outside the centre in the same evening.

Danes take jul seriously. From November the city strings lights across Strøget, gløgg (mulled wine with raisins and almonds) is sold on every square, and æbleskiver (round pancake puffs dusted with icing sugar) replace hot dogs as the street snack of choice. This guide covers the markets worth your time in 2026, when to go, what to buy, and how to string them together without spending the evening looking for a taxi in the cold.

Copenhagen Christmas markets at a glance

Opening dates move slightly each year. Tivoli’s Christmas season usually runs from mid-November into early January (closed on Christmas Eve), so check the exact 2026 dates and ticket prices on the official Tivoli website before you plan. VisitCopenhagen publishes the city-wide market list each autumn.

Tivoli at Christmas: what to expect

Tivoli is the centrepiece. The 19th-century amusement park is covered in more lights than seems reasonable, the lake glows with light installations, and the “Christmas village” sells candles, knitwear and brændte mandler (sugar-roasted almonds). Go on a weekday afternoon to see it in daylight and dusk within the same visit. Weekend evenings in December are the busiest time of the year. A few practical points:

• Buy entry online. Evening entry is timed at peak dates and queues at the gate can reach 30 minutes.
• Dinner inside Tivoli books out. Tables at the Nimb restaurants and at Grøften (a Danish classic) are gone weeks ahead for December weekends.
• Leaving is the hard part. At closing, thousands of people pour onto Vesterbrogade at once, and the taxi rank outside Central Station empties within minutes. A pre-booked car waiting on Bernstorffsgade avoids that crush.

A one-evening Christmas route with a chauffeur

This is the route we drive most for couples and families in December. It covers five markets and dinner in about four hours, with no walking longer than five minutes on icy cobbles.

1. 16:00 – Hotel pickup. Your chauffeur collects you with blankets and a warm car.
2. 16:15 – Frederiksberg. Walk the Frederiksberg market, then drive past the illuminated Frederiksberg Palace.
3. 17:00 – Højbro Plads and Strøget. Drop at Christiansborg; walk Højbro Plads, then along Strøget’s Christmas lights to Kongens Nytorv, where the car meets you.
4. 18:00 – Nyhavn. Gløgg on the quay. It is the most photographed Christmas scene in Denmark.
5. 19:00 – Dinner. We drive you to your restaurant, whether that’s a julefrokost-style Danish lunch menu or one of the city’s Michelin kitchens (see our Copenhagen Michelin dining guide).
6. 21:00 – Tivoli after dark. The park is at its most spectacular late in the evening. We wait at Nimb and take you home when you are done.

Booked by the hour, this evening runs to four or five hours of hourly chauffeur hire. Families of up to seven fit in one Mercedes V-Class, with room for shopping bags and a pushchair.

What to eat and buy

• Gløgg: hot spiced wine, served with raisins and chopped almonds in the cup. There are alcohol-free versions for children and drivers.
• Æbleskiver: round, fluffy pancake balls with jam and icing sugar, traditionally eaten with gløgg.
• Brændte mandler: warm, caramelised almonds sold in paper cones.
• Risalamande: the Christmas Eve dessert of rice pudding with whipped cream, chopped almonds and cherry sauce. It is on many December menus.
• Gifts: woven heart ornaments (julehjerter), paper stars, Kähler ceramics, wool from Faroese and Icelandic stalls, and Danish design pieces at Illum and Magasin.

Practical tips for Christmas in Copenhagen

Daylight is short. In mid-December the sun sets around 15:40, so do your daylight sightseeing (Rosenborg, the Little Mermaid, Amalienborg) in the morning and save the markets for after dark. Dress for wind, not just cold. Temperatures hover around 0–4 °C, but the wind off the harbour makes Nyhavn feel much colder. Christmas Eve is different. Danes celebrate on 24 December, and many restaurants and shops close early that day; Tivoli is closed. Book cars early for weekend evenings. Company Christmas parties (julefrokost) fill every minibus and taxi in the city on Friday and Saturday nights. Groups planning one should read our guide to Christmas party transport in Copenhagen.

Arriving in Copenhagen for Christmas

December flights into CPH often arrive after dark and sometimes late because of winter weather. A private airport transfer means your chauffeur tracks your flight and is waiting in arrivals whenever you land, with the car already warm. If you are staying for New Year too, see our guide to getting around Copenhagen on New Year’s Eve, when taxis all but disappear after midnight.

Related reading: Copenhagen weather by month

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