Trip Planning
The TakeYourBackpack guidebooks are your all-in-one travel companion, featuring the best cities, national parks, hikes, beaches, and unique sites, along with essential tips on when to go, how to get around, exchanging money, and even local phrases to get you started — everything you need for a smooth, unforgettable backpacking adventure.
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Planning a backpacking route through Denmark can be tricky — you need to balance must-see places, travel times, budget, and how long to stay in each destination. Our free personalized Denmark itinerary planner creates a route based on your travel style, trip duration, and interests, so you can spend less time researching and more time exploring.
Personal tip: I normally search on good rating for atmosphere (for meeting people) and location (for easy exploring). Cleanliness as a bonus.
Travel Essentials
No vaccinations are required to enter Denmark, and there is no yellow fever certificate rule for any traveler. Make sure routine vaccines such as measles-mumps-rubella, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis and polio are up to date, and consider flu and COVID-19 shots in winter. If you plan to hike or camp in forests or on Bornholm in summer, ask your doctor about the tick-borne encephalitis vaccine, and check yourself for ticks after days outdoors.
vaccination requirementsWhen I first started traveling, I often spent part of my first day in a new country hunting for a local SIM card. While this can still be slightly cheaper, it also takes time and planning.
These days, it's much simpler to install an eSIM before leaving home. Once you arrive in Denmark, you can activate it immediately and have mobile data from the moment you land — which is especially useful for ordering transport or navigating away from busy airports.
There are many providers nowadays, and price differences are usually small. I personally go with
Holafly, as it offers excellent network coverage throughout the country and strong global coverage, so you can manage multiple countries from a single app.
HolaFly eSimCulture & Customs
Danes value punctuality, equality and modesty, so arrive on time, avoid bragging and expect a relaxed, informal tone even with older people or bosses. Do wait for the green light before crossing, even on an empty street, and stay out of bike lanes when walking, because cyclists move fast and expect a clear path. Do take your shoes off when entering someone’s home, bring a small gift such as flowers or wine if invited, and wait for the host to say “skål” before drinking. Don’t take photos in Christiania, where locals strongly object, and don’t cut in line; many shops and offices use numbered tickets. Return cans and bottles with the “pant” deposit mark to machines in supermarkets for a refund. Speaking loudly on public transport draws frowns. Women and gay travelers face no particular etiquette restrictions, and public affection between same-sex couples is unremarkable in cities.
Trying traditional food is always a great way to experience the culture. Here are some must-try dishes for Denmark.
- Smørrebrød: Open-faced sandwiches on dense, dark rye bread, topped with pickled herring, roast beef with remoulade, egg and shrimp or liver pâté. It is the classic Danish lunch, eaten with a knife and fork, and the order of toppings (fish first, then meat, then cheese) is taken seriously.
- Stegt flæsk med persillesovs: Crispy fried pork belly slices served with boiled potatoes and a creamy parsley sauce. Danes voted it their national dish in a public poll, and it remains a comfort meal in homes and traditional lunch restaurants.
- Frikadeller: Pan-fried meatballs of minced pork, usually with potatoes, brown gravy and pickled red cabbage or cucumber salad. Almost every Danish family has its own recipe, which makes it the most everyday dish on this list.
- Flæskesteg: Roast pork with a thick layer of crackling, the centerpiece of Christmas dinner. Outside December you will find it stuffed into a bun with red cabbage and pickles as a popular street-food sandwich.
- Rød pølse: The bright red sausage sold from hot dog stands, served with ketchup, mustard, remoulade, crispy onions and pickles. Hot dog wagons have been part of Danish street life for over a century, and a stand-up hot dog is one of the cheapest hot meals in the country.
- Wienerbrød and kanelsnegl: Flaky laminated pastries and cinnamon swirls from the local bakery. What the world calls a “Danish” is eaten here with morning coffee or as an afternoon treat.
- Æbleskiver: Small, round pancake balls dusted with powdered sugar and dipped in jam, traditionally eaten during the Christmas season with gløgg (spiced mulled wine).
Yes, tap water in Denmark is safe and excellent to drink, coming from clean groundwater that is tested regularly and usually not even chlorinated. Locals drink it straight from the tap at home and in restaurants, and tourists can do the same without worry. Bottled or filtered water is unnecessary, so carry a refillable bottle and top it up at hostels, cafés and public drinking fountains.
The main language in Denmark is
Danish. Backpacking is way more rewarding if you know a bit of the local language, so I'd suggest brushing up on the basics just in case your Danish skills have become a bit rusty.
Want to understand locals better?The complete Travel Guide for Denmark includes 52 essential words and phrases — greetings, thank-yous, ordering food, transport, numbers, and common local expressions you'll actually hear.
Get your local basic phrases 👉
Get the Travel Guide - is spoken widely and fluently in Denmark, and in Copenhagen, Aarhus and other tourist hubs you can handle hotels, restaurants, shops and museums entirely in English. Younger Danes and hostel staff tend to speak it almost like a second native language, and even in rural Jutland or on small islands most people under 60 will manage a conversation. Danish is the only other language worth learning, mostly for reading labels, signs and menus, and a camera translation app handles supermarket packaging well. Learning “tak” (thanks) and “undskyld” (excuse me) costs you nothing and earns a smile.
Money & Payments
The local currency of Denmark is DKK (kr).
Denmark is close to cashless, and you can pay by card almost everywhere, from supermarkets and hostels to hot dog stands, public toilets and train ticket machines. Visa and Mastercard are accepted nearly universally, with contactless and Apple Pay or Google Pay common, while American Express is patchier. Some shops add a small surcharge of around 1 to 4 percent for foreign cards, and the local MobilePay app usually requires a Danish or Nordic bank account. ATMs are easy to find in towns and at train stations, and Danish bank ATMs rarely add their own fee, but your home bank may, and you should always decline the machine’s conversion offer and choose to be charged in Danish kroner (DKK). Don’t bring US dollars or euros expecting to spend them, since only a few tourist shops take euros and at poor rates. If you need to exchange cash, use exchange counters at Copenhagen Airport or Central Station or a bank rather than street kiosks, though withdrawing a small amount from an ATM is usually the cheaper option.
Tipping in Denmark is not expected, because service charges are included in prices by law and staff earn a proper wage. Rounding up the bill or leaving around 5 to 10 percent in a restaurant is a kind gesture when service stands out, but nobody will chase you for skipping it. Taxi drivers, bartenders and hotel staff don’t expect tips either, though rounding up a taxi fare is appreciated.
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Over the years, I've learned the importance of packing minimally. It's so much easier to jump on the back of a truck or squeeze yourself into the last spot of a minibus without that supersized backpack. If you're headed to a warm destination, leave your winter jacket at home; for colder regions, opt for thin thermal underlayers. Instead of packing your entire wardrobe, bring just three sets of clothes, as laundry facilities are available everywhere.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.