Tivoli Gardens amusement park in Copenhagen is a must for all visitors to the city, young and old. The central location of the more than 175-year old park adds an extra dimension to this unique place.

Tivoli Gardens was founded in 1843 and has become a national treasure and an international attraction. Fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen visited many times, as did Walt Disney who even found the inspiration to his own Disney World here.

Part of Tivoli Gardens' secret is that there is something for everyone. The scenery is beautiful with exotic architecture, historic buildings and lush gardens. At night, thousands of coloured lights create a fairy tale atmosphere that is completely unique.

Magical and nostalgic rides

The rides are all designed to match Tivoli's architecture and gardens. Some rides are wonderfully nostalgic. Others will match the expectations of the keenest thrill seekers, e.g. the Vertigo which will turn you upside down at 100 km/h and was voted Europe’s Best Ride in 2014.

Tivoli’s oldest and most popular ride, the wooden Roller Coaster from 1914, is one of only seven roller coasters worldwide which have a brakeman on board every train.

In 2017, Tivoli got a new, digital dimension – a virtual reality experience in The Demon, where the rollercoaster passengers are brought on a journey through a Chinese universe with fire-spitting dragons and exploding fireworks.

TRAVEL TIP: With a Copenhagen Card in hand you get free admission to Tivoli and over 80 attractions as well as free public transportation in the whole capital region.

Dining in Tivoli Gardens

When it comes to food, Tivoli is equally diverse. Lots of people will bring a picnics to the garden, but you can also choose from Tivoli's broad selection of restaurants. You'll find everything from traditional Danish cuisine to French bistro or Asian food, including a new restaurant from Michelin-rewarded chef, Henrik Yde, who in i 2017 opened Kiin Kiin Piin To in the Chinese Tower.

Classy Nimb and Nimb Hotel are situated in Tivoli Gardens and in restaurant Fru Nimb (Mrs Nimb), you can get traditional Danish smørrebrød (open-faced sandwiches). A new addition to the Nimb universe is restaurant Gemyse, an urban garden restaurant that focuses on dishes with quality vegetables and ecology. Another newcomer from Nimb is Cakenhagen that serves coffee, cakes and champagne.

Do you want to know more about dining in the city centre? Check out our guide.

Friday Rock and world-class classical music

The music program in Tivoli has exciting events to offer every year no matter your age or genre preferences. Besides from major events such as Friday Rock and Summer Classic, there's live music in Tivoli every single day. In 2017, Friday Rock got a little brother, strikingly named Little Friday. Every Thursday, Little Friday will present upcoming Danish artists from both popular and more niche-specific genres.

On top of this, there’s Mundo Monday with music from all corners of the world, Tuesday Tunes with Danish songs and evergreens as well as Jazzy Wednesday. Saturday nights are reserved for swinging sounds from Tivoli’s Big Band and Tivoli Late Night Orchestra. They’ll get a dancing party started for Saturday Swing at Plænen, where both amateurs and experienced dancers can join.

See Tivoli Gardens' music calendar.

Not just a summer thing

Halloween, Christmas, Winter and summer each have their own uniquely themed season in Tivoli, where the gardens are redecorated to convey they cozy winter vibes, the hearty Christmas feeling, the nostalgic long summer days and the scary halloween. Check out the opening hours of each season on Tivoli's website.

Visit the city's other top attractions

Tivoli is among Copenhagen's top attractions. You can learn more about the top attractions here.

Fun attractions for kids

Copenhagen Zoo

Den Blå Planet, National Aquarium Denmark

Tivoli Gardens

Experimentarium

Bakken

Danish Architecture Center

Children's Traffic Playground

Children's Museum at The National Museum

Open Air Museum

Planetarium

CopenHill

The Children's Workshop at SMK

Zoological Museum

GoBoat Copenhagen

Bounce Inc

The Kids' Workers Museum

Konditaget Lüders

The Six Forgotten Giants

Hans Christian Andersen Fairytale House

Circus Museum

Airtrix Trampoline Park

Exhibition: Kids' City at Danish Architecture Center

Have you considered the Copenhagen Card for families?

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