Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, is a city brimming with places to visit. To make your stay easier and save money, it’s clearly preferable to buy one of Copenhagen’s city passes. There are 2 versions of the Copenhagen Card, the Danish capital’s official tourist card.
We’ll compare the differences and advantages of the two city passes to help you choose the one that best suits your needs. We’ll see that the Copenhagen DISCOVER Card(available here) is the more attractive version.
Copenhagen pass comparison
So here’s a quick comparison of the key differences between the 2 official tourist cards: the HOP Card and the Copenhagen Card Discover. This summary table should enable you to quickly compare them and identify the differences between the 2 options.
Copenhagen Card HOP
free access to over 40 attractions and museums in central Copenhagen from 1 to 3 days
unlimited access to Stromma’s Hop-On Hop-Off buses
boat cruise on the city’s canals
Tivoli Gardens
Rosenborg Castle
Christiansborg Castle
National Museum
each adult Copenhagen Card holder may bring 2 children (aged 3-11) free of charge
public transport card
It features over 40 of the city’s must-see attractions. You can choose a duration from 1 to 3 days. It also gives you access to the capital’s hop-on hop-off buses. It’s an interesting city pass, but it doesn’t include a transport card.
from 78 euros
Copenhagen Discover Card
unlimited admission to over 80 museums and attractions for 1 to 5 days
canal boat cruise
Tivoli Gardens
Rosenborg Castle
Christiansborg Castle
Copenhagen National Museum
Each adult with a tourist card can admit 2 children (aged 3-11) free of charge.
unlimited access to the public transport network
access to multi-stop buses (Hop on Hop off)
Probably the most comprehensive tourist card of the city, you’ll have access to over 80 tours and activities, as well as a transport map. You’ll have from 1 to 5 days to visit the city, depending on your needs. To make the most of your stay, you can use the public transport network. It’s the best city pass.
from 67 euros
Copenhagen Card HOP
The Copenhagen HOP Card is a good option for people who want to benefit from hop-on hop-off bus access. These are multi-stop tourist buses. However, you won’t have access to the rest of the public transport network with this option. The choice between multi-stop buses and public transport is often quite a divisive one, and it’s certainly a criterion that will help you decide between the 2 official city passes.
City pass price
3 rates are available: 24h, 48h and 72h. Every adult (16+) with a tourist card can obtain two children’s cards free of charge.
| Adults (16+) | 12 to 15 years | Ages 3 to 11 | |
| 24-hour rate | 78 € | 43 € | free of charge |
| 48-hour rate | 104 € | 57 € | free of charge |
| 72-hour rate | 128 € | 69 € | free of charge |
Tours and benefits of the Copenhagen Card HOP
The Copenhagen Card HOP is a tourist card allowing access to over 40 attractions, including :
- Unlimited access to Stromma’s Hop-On Hop-Off buses
- Boat tour of the city’s canals
- Tivoli Gardens
- Round tower (Rundetårn)
- Rosenborg Castle
- Christiansborg Castle
- Copenhagen Zoo
- Amalienborg Castle
- Church of Notre-Sauveur
- National Museum
- Botanical garden
- Museum of Natural History
- Planetarium
- Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
Period of validity
This city pass offers 3 validity options: 1, 2 or 3 days from first use. Once you’ve activated your card, the hours begin to count and the activation cannot be cancelled. Of course, activation takes place on first use, not when you purchase online.
Where can I pick up my tourist pass?
The card is digital, so it doesn’t need to be exchanged at a physical point of sale; the QR code received after purchase acts as the city pass. You’ll need to present it at each entrance, and only one visit per attraction is allowed. All these details are explained in the confirmation email sent just after the online tourist pass purchase.
On the plus side, there’s no need to go out and pick up a physical card. You can use it directly from your smartphone or via a paper version printed before your departure.
Copenhagen Card Discover, the most comprehensive city pass
The second card, the Copenhagen Discovery Pass, gives access to over 80 attractions. It’s a complete city pass that includes a public transport card for easy travel around the city.
Copenhagen Card price
The price of the city pass increases with the length of validity. As with the previous card, each adult holder of a Copenhagen Discovery Card can take up to 2 children aged 0-11 with them.
| Adults (16+) | Youth (ages 12 to 15) | Children (11 and under) | |
| 24h rate | 67 € | 38 € | free of charge |
| 48-hour rate | 99 € | 54 € | free of charge |
| 72-hour rate | 124 € | 66 € | free of charge |
| 96h rate | 144 € | 78 € | free of charge |
| 120h rate | 161 € | 87 € | free of charge |
Included tours and benefits
Here’s a non-exhaustive list of the many things you can do with the Discover Card. You’ll find the same tours and attractions that you’ll find on the Hop version of the Copenhagen Card, plus many more, as there are a total of 80 for this version. These include
- boat tour of the city’s canals
- access to the public transport network
- ticket for entrance to Tivoli Gardens
- ticket for the round tower (Rundetårn)
- Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
- Rosenborg Castle
- Christiansborg Castle
- Copenhagen Zoo
- Amalienborg Castle
- Church of Notre-Sauveur (with a superb view from the bell tower)
- Copenhagen National Museum
- Botanical garden
- Museum of Natural History
- Planetarium
- ARKEN Museum of Modern Art
- Ragnarok Museum
- Casino Marienlyst
- Koge Museum
- Château Jægerspris
- Circus museum
Period of validity of the Copenhagen City Card DISCOVER
You can choose the validity period of your card, from 24 hours to 120 hours. You can decide to activate the card whenever you like. The first time you use it, the time starts to count down. So you can buy a city pass well in advance of your stay and activate it once you’re there.
Of course, as with the previous option, the duration must be chosen at the time of online purchase. And it is no longer possible to modify it afterwards.
Where can I pick up a city pass in Copenhagen?
It’s a 100% paperless city pass. You will need to activate your digital Copenhagen Card in the official application. The link will be provided in the confirmation email after purchase. Present your smartphone coupon at the entrance to the place you’re visiting. On the plus side, there’s nothing to collect on site. It’s the most convenient way!
WHICH Copenhagen City PASS SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?
Would you like to get around the city by public transport? Have access to as many activities as possible? Limit your visits to the essentials? Save as much as possible? There are many reasons to choose a city pass to visit Copenhagen. Here are two needs that can be likened to 2 tourist city passes of the city.
Want to enjoy the essentials and use the tourist buses?
Copenhagen Card HOP
For first-time visitors who want to discover the city’s must-see monuments and activities, it’s all you need. You’ll save on entrance fees and be able to take advantage of the city’s hop-on hop-off buses. One point to note about this tourist card: you won’t have access to public transport. What’s more, if you want to visit Copenhagen’s attractions for more than 3 days, you won’t be able to do so with this city pass.
For a full visit with access to public transport
Copenhagen Card Discover
If you want to visit Copenhagen in its entirety, this city pass is ideal. With over 80 activities to choose from, you’ll have access to the vast majority of the city’s sights. What’s more, it will make your life easier by giving youaccess to all public transport. The trip from the airport to the city center is also included. At the same price as the Copenhagen Card Hop, we think it’s the best way to discover the capital in depth!
