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Wondering where to stay on your trip to Copenhagen? The city is small and incredibly easy to get around, but each neighbourhood has its own personality, so it can be hard to know where to base yourself.
In this guide, I'll break down the best areas to stay in Copenhagen, who they suit and the top hotels in each area, so you can choose where to stay for your trip.
A Quick Overview of Copenhagen
As I mentioned in the introduction, Copenhagen is a compact city and is very easy to get around via walking, the metro or buses.
If you stay within the city centre, you'll be able to walk to most attractions as it's such a compact area.
If you stay in a suburb just outside, it's only a short metro ride into the city centre. There are plenty of metro stations all around the city and regular trains every couple of minutes.
Rory Watson
Best for First-Timers & Sightseeing: Indre By (City Centre)
If it’s your first time visiting Copenhagen, Indre By is the most convenient place to stay. This is the heart of the city, where you'll find Nyhavn’s colourful harbour, Strøget’s shopping streets, Rosenborg Castle, the Round Tower and countless cafés, bakeries and cosy side streets.
Everything is walkable and you’ll never be far from a metro station, so it's incredibly easy to explore the rest of the city too.
It’s the ideal base if you want to be close to all the major attractions, stay somewhere atmospheric, or only have a few days in Copenhagen and don’t want to spend time commuting.
The trade-off is that hotels here to be more expensive and the area can feel busy, especially around Nyhavn - but for convenience, it doesn’t get better.
Where to stay in Indre By:
- Manon Les Suites Guldsmeden (luxury) - tropical-inspired boutique hotel with a stunning indoor pool and beautiful rooms.
- 25hours Hotel Paper Island (mid-range) - design-focused hotel with harbour views and great food.
- Generator Copenhagen (budget) - social, budget-friendly hostel with private rooms available and a central location.
Best for nightlife, trendy cafés & an arty vibe: Vesterbro
Vesterbro is one of Copenhagen’s coolest neighbourhoods, it's a former working-class district and is now lively and full of personality. It’s full of independent cafés, craft beer bars, vintage shops, street food markets and some of the city’s best restaurants.
Despite its lively atmosphere, Vesterbro still feels local and relaxed once you move away from the main streets.
It’s a great choice if you want a neighbourhood with character and lots happening right on your doorstep, while still being a short walk or metro ride from the city centre.
Where to stay in Vesterbro:
- NH Copenhagen Grand Joanne (luxury) - modern, stylish hotel with beautiful rooms and excellent amenities.
- CPH Hotel (mid-range) - modern, comfortable and well-located with easy access to the city centre and local cafés.
- CityHub Copenhagen (budget) - comfortable and unique hostel with compact pods and social spaces.
Best for cool, trendy vibes and bars - Nørrebro
Nørrebro is a creative and multicultural neighbourhood, with a cool and trendy vibe. It's packed with bars, live music venues, vegan eateries, eco shops, vintage stores and affordable restaurants.
It’s the perfect area for anyone who wants to experience the city like a local, enjoy nightlife and explore a neighbourhood full of character.
Where to stay in Nørrebro:
- Numa Copenhagen Nørrebro (mid-range) - modern, stylish aparthotel with bright, roomy studios.
- Hotel Nora Copenhagen (budget) - cosy, affordable hotel in a convenient location, perfect for exploring Nørrebro’s lively streets.
Best for families, green spaces & relaxed local life - Østerbro
Østerbro is one of Copenhagen’s greenest boroughs, known for its calm residential streets and the city’s largest park, Fælledparken. It’s very family-friendly while still offering excellent brunch spots, cafés and bakeries.
You'll find some of Copenhagens most popular spots like Juno the bakery and Atelier September!
Østerbro gives you a taste of local life away from the busy tourist areas but remains well connected to the city centre by metro and bus, so its perfect for anyone looking for a quiet spot to base themselves.
Where to stay in Østerbro:
- Audo Boutique Hotel (luxury) - boutique hotel with stylish rooms, a calm atmosphere and easy access to parks and local cafés.
- Fairfield by Marriott Copenhagen Nordhavn (mid-range) - modern, comfortable hotel right by the water.
- Bob W Copenhagen Østerbro (mid-range) - relaxed, well-designed studios that are great for longer stays.
Best for quiet local vibe and airport access - Amager East
Amager East is a practical and convenient area if you want to be close to both the city centre and the airport. It's mostly a residential neighbourhood, but still has lots of local cafés, shops and parks - it's ideal if you don't mind being slightly outside the centre but still want direct metro access.
We stayed at Go Hotel City in Amager East, which turned out to be a great base. It’s just 7 minutes to the city centre and 6 minutes to Copenhagen Airport on the metro, so it was incredibly convenient for sightseeing and a late arrival.
The hotel was clean, modern and comfortable - but it was definitely more on the budget side, with small compact rooms and no luxuries such as a kettle or coffee machine.
Best Hotels in Amager East:
- Dahei Apartment Hotel (luxury) - colourful, stylish studio apartments with full amenities in a peaceful, convenient location.
- CPH Studio Hotel (mid-range) - comfortable hotel with studio rooms, a restaurant and on-site bar, and close to the metro.
- Go Hotel City (budget) - simple, modern hotel on a quiet residential street with excellent metro connections.
Final Thoughts
Overall, choosing a place to stay in Copenhagen really comes down to what you’re after. If it’s your first visit and you have a bigger budget, the city centre is the best choice.
If you don't mind being just outside of the city centre or you're on a slightly tighter budget and want more for your money, a neighbourhood like Vesterbro, Østerbro or Nørrebro would be perfect.
Personally, we would choose either the city centre, Vesterbro or Nørrebro on our next visit, so that we could be in the middle of all the cafes, bars and attractions!
