WHEN TO VISIT COPENHAGEN

Summer (June to August) is a lovely time to visit Copenhagen, with warm weather, long days and lots going on across the city. July and August are the warmest months of the year, and with average temperatures just over 20 degrees Celcius it’s a good time to take a dip in the harbour baths at Islands Brygge. Consequently, this is Copenhagen’s high season, when prices are higher and more people are visiting the city; book well in advance, particularly if you’ll be here during one of the many summer festivals. You’ll still need some warm clothes and wet-weather gear – cold winds can sweep in from the Baltic and summer months see more rain than any other time of the year.

The shoulder season (March to May, September and October) is the best time to visit Copenhagen. Tivoli Gardens re-opens towards the end of March, and spring ushers in colourful blooms and comfortable weather; autumn, whilst less predictable, can also be beautiful, and although the days are starting to get shorter by October, Halloween is a fun time to go to Tivoli. May is probably the best single time to visit Copenhagen, though September is the warmest of the shoulder-season months, averaging around 16.5 degrees Celcius. Throughout, there are fewer crowds and lower prices.

Winter (November to February) is dark and bitterly cold, with the thermometer regularly dipping below zero and the canals freezing over; February is the coldest month in Copenhagen, averaging 2 degrees Celcius (although average temperatures don’t hit double digits until May). There are Christmas markets at Nyhavn and Kongens Nytorv, though, and seasonal festivities at Tivoli (which is now also open during the February half term), and the cold weather makes this the perfect time to experience hygge, the quintessentially Danish concept of cosiness. This is the low season, and outside of Christmas, prices are at their cheapest all year.