Copenhagen Water Activities: Best Swims, Boats & Saunas, Ranked (2026)

GoBoat puts you at the wheel of an electric picnic boat with a built-in table, routes wind past Christianshavn and the Opera House, and dogs are welcome. It's the single best DIY option on this list, no experience needed, and the closest thing to a proper Copenhagen hygge afternoon on the water.

• Departure: Islands Brygge 10, 2300 København S
• Price: From ~349–549 DKK/hour self-drive; guided options from ~195 DKK; private captain from ~1,499 DKK
• Google rating: ~4.5 (1,500+ reviews)
• Open GoBoat in Google Maps

Tip: Pack a picnic and a small trash bag, the crew briefs you on harbour rules and hands you a map. Book ahead on sunny weekends, slots go fast.

Departing from Nyhavn and Ved Stranden, Stromma's classic 1-hour route (or the extended 1h45 version) covers all the harbour's icons with a live or audio guide. Open boats run in summer, covered and heated ones in colder months, making this the most weatherproof sightseeing option on this list.

• Departure: Nyhavn 3, 1051 København K (also Ved Stranden)
• Duration: 1h classic or 1h45 extended route
• Price: From ~129–170 DKK adult; free with the Copenhagen Card
• Google rating: ~4.5 (1,400+ reviews)
• Open Stromma in Google Maps

Tip: Book online, it's consistently cheaper than the kiosk price at the pier.

Five connected pools, diving towers and lap lanes make this the harbour bath everyone pictures when they think of swimming in Copenhagen. It's open to the public around the clock from June to September, with lifeguards on duty daily during peak summer.

• Location: Islands Brygge, across from the city centre
• Lifeguards: Typically June 1–Aug 31, 10:00–18:00
• Entry: Free
• Open Islands Brygge Harbour Bath in Google Maps

Tip: Arrive before lunch on hot days to actually get a deck spot, this is the harbour bath that fills up first.

Smaller and quieter than Islands Brygge, Sluseholmen's organic, coral-shaped pools include a dedicated kids' pool and youth pool alongside lap and diving areas. It's the pick if you want the same free, lifeguarded harbour-swimming experience without the crowds.

• Location: Sydhavnen, southern Copenhagen harbour
• Lifeguards: Summer season, roughly June–September
• Entry: Free
• Open Sluseholmen Harbour Bath in Google Maps

Tip: A good family pick if Islands Brygge feels too busy on a summer weekend.

A genuine 50-metre lap pool with 1, 2 and 3-metre diving boards, plus a shallow kids' pool, all a two-minute walk from Fisketorvet mall for snacks and shopping afterward. It's the best pick on this list if lap swimming, not just lounging, is the goal.

• Location: By Fisketorvet, near Vesterbro
• Lifeguards: Summer season
• Entry: Free
• Open Fisketorvet Harbour Bath in Google Maps

Tip: Combine a swim here with furniture browsing at JYSK's Fisketorvet store, covered in our Danish design furniture guide.

Shaped like a conch shell pulled from the seabed, this 870 m² wooden deck curves out into the Øresund and ends in a 5-metre diving platform. There are no lifeguards, but it's genuinely one of the most architecturally striking places to swim in the city, and it never closes for the season.

• Address: Amager Strandvej 301, 2770 Kastrup
• Hours: Free and open at all times; no lifeguards, swim at your own judgement
• Entry: Free
• Open Kastrup Sea Bath in Google Maps

Tip: Go on a calm morning or at golden hour, and bring a warm layer outside of peak summer.

Clean water, timber boardwalks and cafés right on the boardwalk give Sandkaj a genuinely beachy feel despite sitting inside a working harbour district. There are no lifeguards here, so it's best suited to confident swimmers, but it's open year-round and a good pairing with the rest of Nordhavn's contemporary architecture.

• Location: Nordhavn, north of the city centre
• Hours: Year-round access; no lifeguards
• Entry: Free
• Open Sandkaj in Google Maps

Tip: Even in winter, the boardwalk cafés and the dip itself are open for anyone brave enough.

Amager Strandpark is the classic Copenhagen summer day: a swim in the sheltered lagoon, an ice cream, and a sunset stroll. Kayak, SUP, windsurfing and kitesurfing lessons are all available for beginners, and the Metro drops you right at the beach.

• Location: Amager, southeast of the city centre
• Getting there: Metro M2 to Amager Strand or Øresund
• Hours: Open 24 hours as a public beach park; lifeguards in summer only
• Entry: Free
• Open Amager Strandpark in Google Maps

Tip: Cycle the promenade at sunrise before it fills up, then come back for a swim once the lifeguards are on duty.

Bellevue blends classic beach life with iconic Danish modernism, Arne Jacobsen's blue-striped lifeguard towers are as much the draw as the soft sand itself. It's a five-minute walk from Klampenborg train station, making it an easy half-day escape from the centre.

• Location: Klampenborg, north of the city
• Getting there: S-train to Klampenborg Station, 5-minute walk
• Entry: Free
• Open Bellevue Beach in Google Maps

Tip: Combine it with Jægersborg Dyrehave deer park nearby, covered in our lakes and green spaces guide.

A wide stretch of sand and a 130-metre pier make Svanemølle the easiest beach day for anyone staying central, shallow water, families, and lifeguards on duty during peak season. It's usable year-round, just quieter outside summer.

• Location: Østerbro, northeast of the centre
• Google rating: ~4.3
• Entry: Free
• Open Svanemølle Beach in Google Maps

Tip: The easiest beach on this list to reach without planning, good for a spontaneous afternoon.

CopenHot's wood-fired saunas, barrel saunas and hot tubs overlook the water on Refshaleøen, with two cold-plunge tubs for the full contrast experience. Everything runs on wood heat, making it close to carbon-neutral, and the best move is to cycle over, heat up, then cold-plunge straight into the harbour.

• Address: Refshalevej 325, 1432 København (Refshaleøen)
• Hours: Wed–Sat 13:00–21:00, Sun 12:00–21:00
• Price: Hot Days sessions from ~350 DKK (1.5h); private sauna or hot tub from ~1,300 DKK
• Google rating: ~4.6
• Open CopenHot in Google Maps

Tip: Book ahead, especially for winter weekends, this is one of the most popular sauna spots in the city.

This tiny waterside café and wine bar runs a wood-fired barrel sauna right by its own swimming pier, simple and intimate compared to CopenHot's bigger operation. By day it's a relaxed spot for coffee and pastries; after a winter sauna session, the harbour ladder is right there for the plunge.

• Address: Refshalevej 141, 1432 København (Refshaleøen)
• Price: Shared barrel sauna ~50 DKK/person; private sauna 800–950 DKK depending on the day
• Open La Banchina in Google Maps

Tip: Pair it with CopenHot on the same Refshaleøen outing, they're a short walk apart.

Single and double sit-on-top kayaks need no experience, sea kayaks require certification, and a 2-hour hire is enough to reach Christianshavn and the Opera House and back. Rentals include the kayak, life vest, paddle and spray deck. For a free option in exchange for collecting harbour trash, look up GreenKayak, a genuinely feel-good local favourite.

• Address: Børskaj 12, 1221 København K (by Børsen and Christiansborg)
• Price: Rentals from ~195 DKK
• Google rating: ~4.4
• Open Kayak Republic in Google Maps

Tip: You must be able to swim at least 150 m and be sober to rent, standard rules across Copenhagen's kayak operators.

Kalvebod Bølge's undulating wooden waterfront has its own designated swimming zone for lap-style swims, plus space for SUP sessions facing Christianshavn. It's less of a destination and more of a genuinely nice stop to fold into a longer harbour walk.

• Address: Kalvebod Brygge 7, near the city centre
• Entry: Free
• Open Kalvebod Bølge in Google Maps

Tip: Best at sunset, facing back across the water toward Christianshavn.