Copenhagen Card

Copenhagen's city card, now fully digital

Copenhagen Card is a digital city pass for Copenhagen and the surrounding Capital Region of Denmark. It combines free entry to museums and attractions with either public transport or hop-on hop-off sightseeing buses, depending on the version. It does not run the attractions, the trains or the buses; it sells access to them. The site describes it as "the official city card for Copenhagen" and says: "Since 1984, we have offered great convenience and big savings for guests coming to explore and enjoy the attractions of Copenhagen." Its reach is set by the 2 card versions: the DISCOVER card covers the whole Capital Region, while the HOP card covers central Copenhagen. The site is in English and Danish, and the app is in 8 languages.

DISCOVER and HOP

The site offers "two different cards". COPENHAGEN CARD - DISCOVER is "The all-inclusive card that covers admission to 80+ attractions and includes public transportation in and around Copenhagen - including to and from the airport." The FAQ adds that DISCOVER holders "can travel as much as you like in the Capital Region (zones 1 - 99) with public transport, as long as your card is valid." The homepage headline list reads "Free entrance to top attractions", "Free unlimited transportation" and "Airport transportation included!", which applies to DISCOVER.

COPENHAGEN CARD - HOP "Covers admission to 40+ attractions in the city centre and access to the Hop-on Hop-off sightseeing buses." The FAQ is explicit that "you cannot use public transport with COPENHAGEN CARD - HOP", that the buses are "only" accessible with HOP, and that the card works with Stromma's buses on all 3 routes. It warns that "there are several Hop On - Hop Off operators in Copenhagen", so HOP holders need to look for the right buses.

Savings claims and the calculator

The homepage headline is "Save 30% with a COPENHAGEN CARD.*", with the footnote: "On average all our customers in 2025 saved at least 30% compared to normal prices on attractions and public transport." Rather than list prices on the homepage, the site sends visitors to a calculator on the attractions page, where they add the sights they plan to see and the tool shows the saving. A Prices page sits in the main menu, and the full list of included attractions is on the attractions page, which the FAQ links to. The homepage also shows a Trustpilot widget. One wording needs care. The savings section adds "and remember - transportation is always included!", and the FAQ answer on main benefits says holders "always get free admission to museums and attractions in and around Copenhagen and unlimited transport". That holds for DISCOVER, where it means public transport, and for HOP only in the sense of the sightseeing buses, since the same FAQ states that HOP does not cover public transport. Buyers who expect to ride the metro or the airport train should choose DISCOVER.

How the app works

Everything runs through the free app, "Copenhagen Card City Guide", for iOS and Android. The app is available in English, Danish, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Polish and Turkish. Cards bought in the app appear there automatically; cards bought on the website are redeemed by entering the order reference from the confirmation email, "including the dashes between the numbers".

The key step is activation. The site says to activate the card in the app only when ready to start exploring, because the clock starts then, and that redeeming in advance without activating is fine. The validity is counted in hours: "if you activate a 24-hour card at 10 am on a Tuesday, it expires at 9:59 am Wednesday." All cards on the same order activate at the same time, which matters for families or friends traveling on different schedules. Once activated, "you cannot pause the time and it cannot be undone." The app needs internet only to activate; after that it works offline and in flight mode.

At attractions, holders scan the card's barcode, and on public transport they show it to inspectors on request; "There is no need to tap your card anywhere before entering." The app also carries a map of all included attractions with opening hours and a favorites list for planning.

Practical warnings in the FAQ

The FAQ covers two common mistakes. For an accidental activation, it says to contact support with the reference number and card number, "then we will help you cancel the card." For travelers from other time zones, it advises checking that the phone is set to Danish time (Central European Time) before activating, or risk "loosing hours on your card." It also reminds buyers to add kids cards when purchasing adult cards. And it stresses that a card cannot be used at all until it is activated, for attractions, museums or transport, recommending that visitors plan their first use carefully to get the most from the validity period. The how-it-works page puts the same advice more bluntly: "Be careful not to activate your card before you are ready to start exploring!" For HOP holders, the FAQ links to a page showing which buses to look for.

Other services

The footer links to a Travel Agents & Group Bookings page, Gift Cards, Terms & Conditions and a cookie and privacy policy.

What the site leaves open, and who it suits

The homepage and how-it-works page do not show card prices or durations beyond the 24-hour example, or the ages that count as a child; the Prices page and the terms are the places to check those. They do not state a refund policy for a card that was bought but never activated, beyond the help offered for accidental activations. Which attractions need a booked time slot is not mentioned, and neither is accessibility at the included venues.

DISCOVER suits visitors who will use trains and the metro, including the airport link, and want to reach attractions across the region beyond the city center. HOP suits a shorter, central stay where a sightseeing bus is the preferred way around. Both suit visitors who are happy to manage everything on a phone. Visitors planning only one or two paid sights should run the calculator first.