10 Things to Do in Copenhagen in January

If you want to visit Copenhagen at a time of the year with fewer tourists and better prices, in addition to finding a lot of festivals and plenty of snow, you can choose to plan your itinerary for January, which is one of the coldest months of the Scandinavian winter, but also one of the quietest for touring the Danish capital.

Among the best things to see and do in Copenhagen during your January visit are taking part in the Viking Age Festival at the National Museum, attending Winter Fashion Week, making the most of seasonal discounts on the popular Strøget Street and experiencing the traditional winter festival Skt. Hans Aften.

The Viking Age Festival is an annual event held in January at the National Museum of Denmark. During this festival, visitors have the opportunity to immerse themselves in Viking culture and learn more about Viking life during the winter season.

There is a wide variety of activities including Viking craft demonstrations, board games, traditional music and dancing, as well as activities for the little ones, such as clay workshops and shield painting, making it an ideal alternative if you plan to visit Copenhagen with children. The highlight of the festival is the burning of a Viking ship, a tradition that dates back to the Viking era and is believed to have had ceremonial significance.

This festival is a great way to experience Viking culture and history in an interactive and fun environment, as well as visit one of Copenhagen's best museums.

And beyond the National Museum

Keep in mind that an ideal plan for January in Copenhagen if you want to escape the winter cold is to visit one of the main museums of the Danish capital. You have several options:

• Danish Resistance Museum in Copenhagen, which will show you the history of the Danish resistance during the German occupation of 1940-1945.
• And finally, my favorite, the Danish Architecture Center in Copenhagen, which will allow you to interact with leading Danish architects and studios. Note that Copenhagen has been chosen as the capital of architecture in 2023.
• Danish War Museum in Copenhagen, where you will delve into 500 years of war history of the Danish country.

Strøget Street is one of the city's main tourist attractions and is known for being one of the largest shopping areas in Europe. In January, visitors can enjoy the incredible discounts offered in the stores along this famous artery.

In January, coinciding with the beginning of winter in Copenhagen, many stores offer discounts that can reach up to 50% and even up to 70% in some cases, making it a unique opportunity to purchase high quality products at attractive prices. In addition, Strøget Street has a wide variety of stores for all tastes and budgets, from luxury brands to more affordable fashion stores.

On this street you can also enjoy the beautiful architecture of the city, as there are some of the best buildings in Copenhagen. In addition, there are many cafes and restaurants that are often included in the gastronomic tours of the city.

The winter festival Skt. Hans Aften is a traditional Danish celebration that takes place in Copenhagen on January 13 each year. The festival is a tribute to St. John the Baptist, patron saint of Denmark, and is celebrated on the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.

During Skt. Hans Aften, people gather around bonfires in the streets, parks and beaches to sing songs, dance and enjoy food and drink. The bonfire tradition dates back to the ancient belief that lighting fires on the longest night of the year drives away evil spirits and attracts good luck and prosperity.

In Copenhagen, the celebration of Skt. Hans Aften is especially lively in the Christianshavn neighborhood, where a large bonfire is held on the beach that attracts thousands of people and features live music, food and a festive atmosphere, especially in Christiania. An opportunity to experience Danish culture.

If you are a film lover and want to experience an event that brings together the best exponents of the discipline, you can participate in the International Documentary Film Festival, which every year in January brings together in Copenhagen a wide variety of filmmakers and documentary filmmakers from around the world to share their stories and points of view through the cinema of this genre.

This festival offers a unique experience for film lovers and those interested in social and cultural issues. Documentaries ranging from politics and human rights to the environment and pop culture are screened. In addition to screenings, it offers a wide variety of activities and events: conversations and debates with filmmakers, workshops and seminars, and special presentations.

This festival is also an opportunity to discover new talent and to connect with filmmakers and documentary experts from around the world. In addition, this celebration promotes dialogue and the exchange of ideas, and encourages engagement with today's most pressing social and cultural issues. During this event public transportation remains open and you can also choose to book your tickets for the Copenhagen sightseeing bus.

Copenhagen is known for its vibrant and varied culinary scene. Beyond booking a food tour in Copenhagen, in January the winter food festivals offer a unique opportunity to sample traditional dishes from Denmark and beyond, and experience innovative flavors.

• One of the most prominent festivals is the Copenhagen Cooking & Food Festival, which takes place in different locations in the city throughout the month of January. The festival features some of the Scandinavian region's most renowned chefs.
• Another notable winter food festival is Winter Dining Week, which is held in January at many restaurants in Copenhagen. For one week, restaurants offer special menus at affordable prices, allowing you to sample a variety of dishes and flavors in a cozy and intimate atmosphere.
• The Kbh Mad & Kultur festival is also an outstanding culinary event held in January at different locations in Copenhagen. This event offers a unique culinary experience, featuring local and international chefs, and a variety of activities including tastings, workshops and cooking competitions.

The Copenhagen Festival of Lights transforms the city into a stunning stage of light and art that offers a unique visual experience to visitors, held every year in January.

This event features a wide variety of light installations designed by national and international artists that are distributed throughout the capital, including historic buildings, parks, public squares and Copenhagen's finest palaces. Take the opportunity to book tickets to Christiansborg Palace, the current Danish parliament, one of the most beautiful places to see the festival.

The festival also includes a series of events and activities, such as art workshops, activities for children, concerts and live performances, as well as guided night tours, making it one of the best alternatives to get to know Copenhagen during the night. It will also allow you to discover the beauty of Copenhagen in a different and original way, and enjoy the city in a completely different way.

The Jazz Festival is an annual event held in Copenhagen that brings together some of the best artists of the genre from Denmark and around the world. During the event, you can attend shows at different venues in the city, including concert halls, jazz clubs, bars and theaters. The program includes a wide variety of jazz styles, from traditional jazz to contemporary and experimental jazz.

In addition to concerts, the festival also features workshops and master classes for musicians and music students. These workshops are an opportunity to learn from some of the best jazz performers in the world and to hone musical skills and techniques. You can also take a tour of Copenhagen and get to know all its nooks and crannies.

This festival is a very popular event in the Danish capital, both for jazz lovers and for those looking for a unique cultural experience. It is an opportunity to discover new talents in the world of jazz, to enjoy live music and to immerse yourself in Copenhagen's rich cultural scene.

Copenhagen Fashion Week is an event held twice a year in the Danish capital. The winter version takes place in January, while the summer version is held in August. During the event, designers from around the world present their collections on catwalks and at events throughout the city.

Fashion Week has become one of the most important fashion events in Europe and is a showcase for sustainable and avant-garde fashion. The event focuses on sustainable fashion and environmental responsibility. In fact, Copenhagen has become a center for sustainable fashion and is recognized as one of the leading cities in promoting green fashion.

Fashion Week is an opportunity for designers to present their new collections and demonstrate their commitment to sustainability. In addition to the fashion shows, this event features a number of parallel programs, such as design presentations, art exhibitions and fashion pop-ups. The event attracts an international audience of journalists, buyers and fashion lovers.

The Tønder Festival is a folk music festival held annually in the town of Tønder, in the southern region of Denmark. Although it takes place in a town located 2 hours away from Copenhagen, it is one of the largest and most popular in the whole country, so it is worth a visit.

The Tønder Festival has been held since 1975 and attracts a large number of musicians and artists from all over the world, who perform on the festival's various stages. The festival takes place over four days in January and features more than 100 live concerts, including traditional music, Celtic music and bluegrass music.

In addition, there are a variety of activities and events related to music and culture. There are music and dance workshops, a craft fair and a children's play area. You can also visit Tønder, one of the best places to explore on a full-day excursion from Copenhagen. Undoubtedly, it is an important event for the city that attracts thousands of visitors every year. An opportunity to enjoy live music and experience Danish culture.

The Danish National Symphony Orchestra is one of the most important musical ensembles in the Scandinavian region, renowned for its excellence and versatility in performing different musical genres. During the month of January, the ensemble performs at the Royal Danish Theatre, offering a repertoire that includes classical and contemporary music.

The Royal Danish Theatre is an emblematic place in Copenhagen, known for its architectural beauty and its history in the culture and arts of Denmark. There, the orchestra presents concerts that attract music lovers from all over the world and challenge the popularity of the Copenhagen Opera's performances.

The repertoire is varied and includes pieces by composers such as Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms, as well as contemporary works by Danish composers and composers from other parts of the world. The acoustics of the theater are also very striking, which makes the music sound even more spectacular and exciting. In addition, the atmosphere is cozy and elegant, creating an unforgettable experience for the audience.

In January Copenhagen is in the middle of winter, which means that temperatures are quite cold. On average, daytime temperatures range from 0 °C to 4 °C, while nighttime temperatures can drop below 0 °C. It is common for the city to experience snowfall and cloudy days, which makes the wind chill even lower.

Still, Copenhagen has numerous activities you can see and do. Therefore, it is important that you are prepared for the cold temperatures in January, so I recommend dressing in layers of warm clothing and bringing a thick coat, scarf, gloves and hat. I also advise you to wear footwear suitable for snow and ice on the streets.

The city experiences a decrease in tourist influx compared to the high season months, which is summer in Copenhagen. Due to the cooler temperatures and shorter days, many people choose to travel to warmer, sunnier destinations during this time of year.

Although the number of tourists decreases, this does not mean that Copenhagen is empty in January. In fact, many visitors choose this time of year to explore the city because of its wintry charm and the many events and festivals that take place during this month. During this time of year, you'll find less queuing and waiting at the city's main attractions.

Copenhagen is a city known for its high cost, however, in January you can find more affordable prices on accommodations and excursions. During this month, many hotels and hostels offer discounts and special promotions to attract visitors looking for a more economical trip.

In addition, prices in restaurants and cafes can also be lower. Many establishments offer special winter menus with comforting dishes at lower prices than at other times. You can also find seasonal dishes at low prices at culinary festivals.

January is one of the coldest months of the year in Copenhagen, so I recommend that you include the following in your suitcase:

• Wool sweater.
• Thermal socks.
• Waterproof shoes.
• Waterproof coat.
• Wool scarf.
• Woolen hat.
• Raincoat.
• Thermal T-shirt.
• Umbrella.
• Tactile gloves.
• Warm pants.