VisitNyhavn
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The short answer
- Best overall: late May, June and September. Long days, the outdoor tables are out, and the city is a little less full than in July and August.
- Busiest: July and August. Hotel nights by foreign guests in Copenhagen are about 40–55% above an average month (2024 and 2025).
- Quietest: January and February. Around half the visitors of an average month and short days, with the ice rink and the Copenhagen Light Festival (29 January–21 February 2027) to make up for it.
- For Christmas: mid-November to around 20 December. The Christmas market on Nytorv opened on 6 November 2026, Tivoli opens for Christmas on 13 November, and most shops close on 24 December.
The year at a glance
| Month | Daylight (15th) | Avg. temp. | Sunshine hours | Rain (mm) | How busy* | What's on near Nyhavn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7 h 39 min | 1.6 °C | 52 | 65 | ●○○○○ 56% | Broens Ice Rink; Tivoli's Christmas season ends 3 January; light festival from 29 January |
| February | 9 h 39 min | 1.5 °C | 69 | 50 | ●○○○○ 59% | Copenhagen Light Festival until 21 February; ice rink until 21 February |
| March | 11 h 47 min | 3.3 °C | 131 | 46 | ●●○○○ 77% | Tivoli reopens for Easter 19 March 2027; Easter 25–29 March |
| April | 14 h 09 min | 7.2 °C | 188 | 39 | ●●●○○ 95% | Spring; the first outdoor tables on the sunny side |
| May | 16 h 15 min | 11.4 °C | 237 | 47 | ●●●●○ 110% | The sunniest month of the year |
| June | 17 h 30 min | 14.5 °C | 227 | 64 | ●●●●○ 115% | The longest days |
| July | 16 h 58 min | 16.9 °C | 228 | 66 | ●●●●● 141% | Peak season |
| August | 15 h 05 min | 16.9 °C | 198 | 82 | ●●●●● 145% | Peak season; harbour swimming |
| September | 12 h 47 min | 13.6 °C | 144 | 75 | ●●●○○ 107% | Still warm, fewer people |
| October | 10 h 31 min | 9.4 °C | 99 | 83 | ●●●○○ 105% | The wettest month; in 2026 the ice rink opened on 30 October |
| November | 8 h 19 min | 5.5 °C | 54 | 70 | ●●○○○ 89% | Christmas market on Nytorv from 6 November; Tivoli's Christmas from 13 November |
| December | 7 h 04 min | 2.8 °C | 43 | 71 | ●●●○○ 101% | Christmas markets; Lucia kayak parade 13 December; New Year's Eve |
* How busy: hotel nights by foreign guests in the City of Copenhagen in 2025, as a share of the average month (Statistics Denmark). It measures the city, not the quay alone, and 2024 shows the same pattern. Weather: the Danish Meteorological Institute's national normals 1991–2020, which cover all of Denmark and are still provisional. Daylight: the 15th of each month. Events are for the winter of 2026/27 and 2027.
Month by month, in a sentence
- January: the quietest month on the quay. Dress for temperatures around freezing and have the windows to yourself. Tivoli's Christmas season ends on 3 January, and the park stays closed until Easter.
- February: the light festival and the ice rink at Broens, both until 21 February, and the days are already more than two hours longer than at midwinter.
- March: the city wakes up. Tivoli reopens for Easter on 19 March 2027, and Easter runs from 25 to 29 March.
- April: the blankets come out on the sunny-side chairs, and on the 15th it stays light until 20:14.
- May: statistically the sunniest month, with summer days before the summer crowds.
- June: the longest evenings. On 15 June the sun sets at 21:55. See Nyhavn in summer.
- July and August: warmest and busiest, so book restaurants and hotels early. Cool off with harbour swimming near Nyhavn.
- September: our pick for a city break: still warm, with about a quarter fewer visitors than in August.
- October: autumn colours and, on average, the wettest month, so have a plan for Nyhavn in the rain. In 2026 the ice rink at Broens opened on 30 October.
- November: dark afternoons, but the Christmas season starts, and so do gløgg and æbleskiver. Tivoli opens for Christmas on 13 November.
- December: Christmas in full swing and the Lucia kayak parade on 13 December. Most shops close on 24 December (see what's open at Christmas), and the year ends with New Year's Eve.
Read more by season
- Summer: Nyhavn in summer, with outdoor tables, canal tours and long evenings.
- Winter: Nyhavn in winter, November to February with light, weather and what's open.
- Christmas: the Christmas markets near Nyhavn and Broens Ice Rink.
- Not sure yet? Read is Nyhavn worth visiting? and see what's on in our calendar.
How we checked
Daylight comes from sunrise-sunset.org, weather from the Danish Meteorological Institute's climate normals 1991–2020 (national figures, provisional), and how busy the city is from Statistics Denmark's hotel figures for the City of Copenhagen (table HOTEL1, 2024 and 2025). Dates for Tivoli, the ice rink, the Christmas markets and the light festival come from the organisers' own websites. Everything was checked on 7 November 2026.
What is the best month to visit Copenhagen?
For long days and fewer crowds, late May, June or September. July and August are the warmest months but also the busiest.
When are there fewest tourists in Copenhagen?
In January and February, with around half the foreign hotel guests of an average month.
How many hours of daylight does Copenhagen have in winter?
About seven. On 15 December the sun rises at 08:32 and sets at 15:36.
How warm is Copenhagen in summer?
July and August both average 16.9 °C in the Danish Meteorological Institute's national normals, and June averages 14.5 °C. Bring a layer for the evenings.
When is Tivoli open?
For Christmas from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 (closed on 24 December), for Easter from 19 to 29 March 2027, and for summer from 30 March to 26 September 2027.