When is the Best Time of Year to Visit Denmark?

During January, winter is at its peak with the sun rising around 9 am and the sunset starting to occur around 4 pm and is considered one of the darkest months in Denmark. When Christmas is over and the celebratory mood has faded, locals return to their normal daily lives, while struggling to beat the winter blues. Life in Denmark during the first month of the year is relaxed, except for the 1st of January, which, like in every country, people celebrate the New Year. However, no more national holidays or festivals take place during the rest of the month. If you’re planning on visiting Denmark in January, make sure to pack your warmest clothes, gloves, hats and scarves.

Rainfall Days: 18

Temperature: 32°F (0°C)

The Winter Jazz Festival in February marks the beginning of the winter’s end and with days getting longer, Danes are heartened that they survived one more Scandinavian winter. The Danish Carnival, also known as Fastelavn, often takes place in February, giving locals especially kids one more reason to look forward to this time of year when they can eat candies and fastelavnsbolle guilt-free. Culture enthusiasts visiting Copenhagen in February are very lucky as the Frost Festival runs for more than 20 days and music concerts and cultural events take place in different places all over the city.

Rainfall Days: 15

Temperature: 34°F (1°C)

Even though for most European countries March is the first month of spring, in Denmark temperatures still sink below zero. Of course, for Danes who are used to freezing temperatures, when the thermometer shows -1, it’s still a reason to celebrate the beginning of the spring, however not all tourists share the enthusiasm. Aside from Easter that sometimes falls in March, Denmark doesn’t have any national holidays making it a quiet, laid-back month. If you like Scandinavia’s snowy scenery but want to avoid freezing-cold temperatures, March is the ideal month to visit Denmark, as chances are it will still be snowing. Plus, CPH:DOX, the country’s largest documentary festival, takes place in Copenhagen, so there are many people around and you’ll have a reason to discover the city’s best cinema halls.

Rainfall Days: 13

Temperature: 37°F (3°C)

In spring and summer, the scenery in Denmark changes completely, and April is the month the transformation begins. The days are noticeably longer, the snow melts, the parks flourish and Bispebjerg cemetery, Langelinie Park and Botanical Gardens are filled with cherry blossom trees and their pink flowers. On the fourth Friday after Easter Sunday, Danes celebrate the Great Prayers Day, which is a special national tradition. Locals eat hot wheat buns and take a walk at Langelinie, Kastellet or around Christianshavn where student choirs gather to sing. Although, it depends on the Easter dates of the year, the earliest date for Great Prayers Day is on the 17th of April and the latest on the 21st of May.

Rainfall Days: 15

Temperature: 43°F (6°C)

On the 1st of May, Denmark, like most countries, celebrates International Worker’s Day. If you’re in Copenhagen on this day, the place to be is Fælludparken, which is the largest park in Denmark. Every year special events, talks and music concerts take place from morning to afternoon. The huge park is packed with locals barbecuing, dancing and playing drinking games, so if you’re looking for something more relaxed you may want to look for another place. On May 5th, Denmark celebrates its liberation from the Germans and the national flags wave on the top of every bus and flagpole. Also, some locals preserve the tradition of putting candles on their windows just like their ancestors did on May 5th, 1945 when they heard the news that their country was free.

Rainfall Days: 14

Temperature: 54°F (12°C)

June is a very vivid month in Denmark. If you’re planning to visit Copenhagen in June, it is important to know that during the first few days of the month, Distortion, the largest street festival in the city, takes place. For five days, music stages are set in five different neighbourhoods (in rotation) and the streets are packed with locals. Whether that sounds like a good reason to visit Copenhagen on these days or not is up to you, but you have been warned. Also, June is the month locals celebrate Midsummer (Sankt Hans) and huge bonfires are lit in lakes and parks as a remembrance of the church’s witch-burning in the 16th and 17th centuries. These celebrations take place from June 19 to June 25. Constitution Day on the 5th and Valdemar Day on the 15th are two other national holidays worth experiencing. Finally, due to the Copenhell festival that takes place at the end of June in Copenhagen, it’s likely that the city will be busier than usual as many music lovers travel from abroad for the festival.

Rainfall Days: 16

Temperature: 59°F (15°C)

July is the hottest month in Denmark and it’s the time of year when most Danes take their annual holidays and travel abroad or to the country’s sunniest island. Due to the high temperatures and long days with up to 17 hours of sunlight, locals spend their mornings and evenings relaxing in the parks or diving in the canals. Danes’ favourite music festival, Roskilde Festival, takes place during the first week of July and during these days it’s rather unlikely to meet any local in other places except for Roskilde’s huge campsite. July is also the month when the Jazz Music Festival takes place, hosting world-class national and international artists.

Rainfall Days: 15

Temperature: 63°F (17°C)

Danes bid farewell to summer with festivals and events taking place all over the country. Cooking and food festivals in Copenhagen for foodies, Aarhus festival for art lovers, Hans Christian Andersen Festivals in Odense, Haven in Refshaleøen and of course, Copenhagen Pride are some of the events that take place the last month of the summer. The sunny weather and the more than 10-hour daylight is a good excuse for locals to hit the streets and parks.

Rainfall Days: 16

Temperature: 63°F (17°C)

In Denmark, the arrival of autumn instantly becomes apparent as the streets are covered with yellow leaves and the rains become more frequent. Outdoor spaces may not be as vivid as they were during the past three months, but there are still plenty of people on the streets. Food Festival in Aarhus takes place on the first days of September while in Copenhagen, CPH:PIX opens its doors to film lovers from Denmark and abroad.

Rainfall Days: 15

Temperature: 57°F (14°C)

In October, autumn is officially here with temperatures that people in many other countries experience during the winter. So, during this month there are only two things that help locals forget that another heavy winter is on their doorstep: Culture Night, which takes place in the middle of the month and Halloween on the 31st. We don’t have to say much about Halloween, as the way it’s celebrated in Denmark is exactly the same as in any other country. Culture Night, on the other hand, is a unique event that has been taking place in Copenhagen for over 25 years yet many foreigners have never heard of it. 250 museums, art galleries and other cultural spaces in Copenhagen are open for one night presenting special events, exhibitions and installations to the public. Make sure to check the dates so you won’t miss it.

Rainfall Days: 19

Temperature: 50°F (10°C)

Those who haven’t taken their winter hats and scarves out of the closet in October will certainly do so in November. Although it usually doesn’t snow, the weather gets rainy, windy and temperatures drop. Aside from All Saint’s Day, which is celebrated on the first Sunday of the month, Danes also celebrate Martinmas Eve and St Martin’s Day on the 10th and 11th of November respectively. According to the legend, St Martin tried to avoid becoming a bishop by hiding in a goose pen but the cackling of the geese betrayed him. The event led to the tradition of Danes eating goose for dinner on these two days. Finally, Christmas arrives in Denmark as early as the middle of November and some streets get decorated while Christmas markets start setting up their stalls, and Christmas beer is on the shelves.

Rainfall Days: 19

Temperature: 41°F (5°C)

In December, every city in Denmark looks like it’s straight out of a fairytale. The streets are filled with snow, myriads of lights sparkle in every neighbourhood and Christmas markets can be found on every corner while the waft of Gløgg and caramelized almonds lingers in the air. Danes love Christmas and make sure to celebrate throughout the whole month. One of the most common Christmas traditions is Christmas lunch, also known as Julefrokost, a meal that usually lasts from morning until evening. Locals have Julefrokost with their colleagues, friends and family and even restaurants add a special Julefrokost menu in their catalogue.

Rainfall Days: 18

Temperature: 36°F (2°C)