Copenhagen’s Harbour Baths: A 4-Day Wild Swimming City Break (with pastries)
- Swim Girl
- May 2
- 10 min read
If you like your trips built around swims (with sightseeing squeezed in between), Copenhagen is a brilliant city break. The water is clear, the swim spots are very well set up and it’s genuinely easy to slot in a dip before breakfast, between plans or as an end-of-day reset.
Day 1: Travel day, first harbour dip (and the tone is set)
We had booked early flights out of Stansted so opted to stay over the night before at a hotel close to the airport. On our way down to the hotel we of course stopped off for a dip at the picturesque village of Grantchester. There’s a lovely stretch of river there and numerous pubs serving lunch.
Suitably fed and watered (no pun intended), we were soon on our way to our pre-flight hotel just a 30 minute drive down the road.
4.15am the following morning: a 10 minute drive to Stansted, through security, passport control, and sat eating breakfast like it was completely normal behaviour.
A short flight later (1 hour 30 mins to be exact) and we were in Copenhagen. In the airport we all purchased City Passes, which allow free travel on the metro, buses and the harbour ferry. Travel passes bought, we were soon on our way — let the adventure begin.
We had a short metro ride to Nyhavn and a short walk to the nearest luggage drop to our apartment (check-in wasn’t until 4pm and we didn’t fancy lugging bags around). Lucky for us, the luggage drop doubled as cycle hire too. There was a lovely, extremely helpful guy there called Luke who gave us a great rate for bag storage and cycle hire later in the week.
One of the standout features for swimmers in Copenhagen is how structured and welcoming the swim spots are. Harbour baths are clearly marked, with safe entry points and designated swimming zones. There’s none of the uncertainty you sometimes get with urban swimming — here it’s obvious where you can swim and people are actively using the water (which is oddly reassuring when you’re about to fling yourself into a city harbour).
We’d planned a rough itinerary and decided a tour of the harbour and canals would be a great way to get our bearings. Rather than jump on a tourist boat we opted for a self-drive boat (very easy to operate). You can take your own drinks and snacks or buy a picnic basket of goodies on site. Blankets are provided too if required. It was a tad windy so blankets it was.
The mapped route took us around the harbour and down a couple of canals — a lovely way to see the many beautiful buildings and bridges. Word of caution: watch behind you as the tour boats do tend to speed up on you.
Luggage collected and milk purchased (priorities), it was off to the apartment. Wow — it was huge: 5 double bedrooms, two bathrooms and a lounge with sofa bed… and within 100 paces we were at the waterside.
Some unpacked whilst others went to Netto (about a 20 minute walk) to buy supplies for our stay.
Our first evening out was a pizza restaurant close by with gluten free options — yhay! Some of the toppings were a tad strange. I went for potato, rosemary and goats cheese. Yes, potato! Bloody lovely it was too!
Tired now (we’d been up since 3.30am UK time), we headed back to the apartment where some decided an end-of-day dip was in order — we are on a swimmy adventure after all. Less than five minutes away was a small harbour bath so in we went. Then it was back for a hot shower, a well-deserved glass of wine and, as it turned out, a rather competitive game of Uno.
Day 2: Pastries, palaces and a beach ladder plop
The early risers and runners amongst us headed off to find Hugg, a recommended gluten free bakery (Luke’s tip). He said it usually opened at 7am and was about a half hour walk away — no problem for us joggers. I don’t think you can beat seeing a place wake up: the sun rising, shops opening, restaurants setting up, children off to school.
We arrived at 7.10 only to find the bakery didn’t actually open till 7.30 🙄. After another jog round the block we grabbed a quick cuppa nearby and waited. The wait was well worth it for me (the only coeliac in the group): cakes, pastries, freshly baked bread and rolls. Lots and lots of pastries later we headed back — now 20 minutes behind schedule. We must have looked rather amusing jogging along with a cake box balanced in one hand. But there’s no better way to start your day than with a cuppa and a fresh Danish… or, in our case, a selection of fresh Danishes.
Back on our very rough schedule, we popped across the road for a morning dip before returning for a quick shower and a full English.
Today’s agenda: changing of the guard, the Little Mermaid, Svanemølle beach and the evening light show at Tivoli Gardens.
We wandered through the streets, heading for Amalienborg palace for the changing of the guard. Unlike at Buckingham Palace, there are no large gates or heavy cordons. You can stand quite close to the guards as they perform their manoeuvres.
Still on foot we carried on in search of the famous Little Mermaid, stopping at Kastellet (a star-shaped fort with a moat) on route. We found a beautiful little church here where we were welcomed in.
The Little Mermaid was just a short walk away — you could see the crowd gathered in the distance, people taking turns to have their photo taken - as did we of course. A little further on from here there’s another little mermaid tucked away with a more modern art feel. Strangely, we were the only ones looking at her. There were a few more questionable modern statues in the area too (Copenhagen keeps you on your toes).
Oh — and between the two mermaids is a laid-back waterfront bar run by an old hippy rocker and his son. It's a great place to kick back and unwind which of course we did.
Next: Svanemølle beach. Half sandy beach, half wooden pier with ladders down into the water (the ladders were the locals’ choice). Don’t be surprised by the odd naked sunbather/swimmer here. Café and toilets on site too.
We all scurried down the ladder and plopped into the water — we needed a cool down. We’d been walking for a while and been blessed with blue skies all the way. The water was cool and welcoming. We swam around the pier again getting many quizzical looks from the locals - what were these crazy ladies doing swimming in the water!?
On the bus journey back we somehow missed our stop, but it’s a circular route so no problem… except we had to sit with the driver whilst he enjoyed his break - oops! I would just like to add the Danes don't really like small talk but if you ask them a question they are extremely helpful.
Wanting to try as many modes of transport as possible, we hopped off the bus at the closest taxi stop and jumped on a water taxi for another harbour ride back to base.
Evening was Tivoli Gardens: we opted for a gentle balloon ride (basically a small big wheel), browsed the rides and shops and some were drawn to the chocolate liquorice shop (very popular here). A short stop in the empty children’s play area — who can resist a slide? Then home for bed.
Day 3: The Snail, Christiania and hot tubs (plus a cold pod reality check)
Today’s agenda: the Snail, Christiania and the Church of Our Saviour tower. Best way to do this? Cycle hire.
We planned an easy traffic-free route over to the Snail first (well Karen, head of logistics, did). We saw so many beautiful sights along the way and it was very easy going traffic-wise.
The Snail was lovely — a real sun trap with wooden structures and jumping/diving platforms everywhere. It seems to be the norm to swim naked but not mandatory. We, being Brits, obviously opted for the boyleg swimsuit- lol!
The Danish tend to dip in and get straight out. The locals were again amazed how long we stayed in and that we actually swam. Lots of jumping in, sunbathing and refreshments later, we jumped back on the bikes and headed to Christiania.
Christiania is a hippy town all of its own — celebrating pre-loved treasures, sustainable fashion, art and crafts. There’s a strong sense of community here and a very calm relaxed vibe. We stopped in The Woodstock (a must-visit) one of the many pubs dotted around for a quick light refreshment. If we’d stayed longer (whilst tempting), we might have floated out of there. Cannabis seems to be freely available on site?
It was here we encountered our first wooden troll — there are loads scattered around Copenhagen (a troll trail) to encourage people to go out and find them. Their exact locations are unknown, with only vague areas given.
Then the group split: some went back to Woodstock whilst others climbed the OUTSIDE of the Church of Our Saviour’s tower — 400 steps. Boy it was breezy up there and yes, my legs did quiver a tad.
Back on terra firma: a quick stop for ice cream, collect the others, then back on the bikes via the underwater ‘Agnete and the Mermen’ statue — a haunting bronze sculpture beneath the water.
The journey back was a little more intense as we hit rush hour. As biking is the norm, the cycle lanes were crowded in places, but we managed to make it through unscathed.
Bikes returned and a quick turnaround, then we headed to CopenHot for an evening hot tub, sauna and cold dip. You can take your own drinks including alcohol. The saunas are wood fired and around 40 degrees; the cold dipping pods were a slightly cooler 8. Again, people looked on in amazement as we sat in the cold pods chatting away — the Danes (and the Americans we chatted to) just don’t seem to do cold water like we do.
The bus back was a bit of a bun fight — about 200 people trying to catch the same bus. Queuing is NOT a thing; people just push their way on. The nearby street food market stopped serving at 8, so I guess everyone hit the bus stop at once. Thank goodness all our group managed to squeeze on.
Bags dropped off and we were out for a waterside evening meal. After a false start we found a lovely spot where some opted for smørrebrød (traditional open sandwiches, usually 3 or 4 flavours). Prices are higher than the UK and tipping isn’t expected — service charges and taxes are included, and workers earn living wages.
Back at base: the usual end-of-day Uno (Linda somehow won that one) and a bit of light packing.
Day 4: One last pastry, one last plunge, and a van tyre saga
We started our final day with a pre-breakfast pastry. There are so many wonderful bakeries dotted around it seemed rude not to.
Earlier in the week we’d spotted a larger harbour bath we wanted to try, so wandered off for a morning dip — and for the more daring, a jump off the high wooden platform.
Finally ticking off our list, we headed towards the main part of the city in search of breakfast.
Down one of the main streets we came across a curious statue involving 4 pigs, 4 heads and a giant middle finger — yes, it was a ‘f*ck you’ statue erected in protest to an underground car park. Copenhagen: polite, clean, and occasionally flipping the bird in bronze.
We found a lovely little restaurant offering a very reasonably priced breakfast: scrambled egg, bacon, cheese, fruit, a roll and a cuppa. Service was a little slow, so afterwards we had to hot-foot it back to the apartment to finish packing, tumble dry our now-wet swimsuits and get ready for check out. Phew! All sorted and checked out at by 11.03am.
With time to kill before the airport, we meandered back through Nyhavn to the main square. Some sat with the luggage and enjoyed the sunshine; others went shopping. Souvenirs and gifts bought, we headed to the airport. The flight back was seamless — no delays at check-in or passport control.
Back at the van we assumed it would be a straightforward journey home… after we actually found the van that is. Note: when you park in a large car park, take a photo of the car park number, not just the van.
On our way, feeling peckish, we went in search of food. We were heading to the services when a biker in front started weaving across the carriageway — what the hell? We pulled into a back-of-beyond services for food only to find the Burger King there had burnt down some years ago. Typical.
We decided to park up anyway and just give the van a once over...slow puncture. (Not sure why the biker didn’t just point at the tyre, but never mind.) We pooled our knowledge of tyre changing — pretty good on a car, less so on a van — and made a start. Before you could say ‘man and a jack’, three men and their jacks appeared. First guy: super helpful. Second guy: raised the stakes with mole grips and a drill. Third guy: arrived with a hydraulic jack and basically won the whole situation. Tyre changed in record time. One more stop for food and finally we were homeward bound.
Summary - Copenhagen is one of the easiest cities in the world to build a swim-focused trip around. The water is clean, access is simple, and the infrastructure makes it feel completely normal to swim multiple times a day.
Whether it’s a quick morning dip, a lunchtime reset, or an evening plunge, the water is always there — and always inviting.
Tips
Buy a City Pass — use it on Metro, Water Taxi and Bus. Always carry it with you (fine is 1000kr).
Even if there’s no traffic coming, DO NOT cross until the green light — crossing early is frowned upon.
Watch out for cycle lanes, especially when getting off the bus — cycles seem to have priority.
Do hire a bike to get around. Work out quieter routes and if in doubt, dismount and push. Bikes come with a lock and helmet.
Only swim in designated harbour swim spots (roped off).
It’s quite normal to swim naked in any swim spot.
Food and drink isn’t cheap.
People don’t do small talk, but if you ask a question they’re super helpful.
Knowledge of gluten free is good, but there aren’t loads of different options everywhere.
Very clean and felt safe.
Crystal clear water everywhere.
The KDHAVN app is perfect for swim spots, water quality and temperature.
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