Tivoli Gardens at Christmas
Tivoli Gardens, situated in Denmark's capital city of Copenhagen, is one of the world's oldest amusement parks. Opening in 1843, it was another 150 years before the park welcomed guests during the Christmas season.
Today, Tivoli Gardens is one of Copenhagen's most popular festive attractions, with visitors flocking to see the park transformed into a beautiful winter wonderland.
Christmas trees, seasonal stalls, music, and thousands of lights create a truly magical atmosphere. The rides and restaurants are all open, plus a fabulous Christmas Market provides extra shopping and dining options.
We spent a wonderful few days in Copenhagen, just after the Tivoli Gardens Christmas celebrations began in 2022. So of course we couldn't miss the opportunity to experience the park during this special time of year.
Entering Tivoli Gardens
Hearts are at the centre of Copenhagen's Christmas decorations this year, including those at Tivoli Gardens.
Once you pass through the main entrance archway, (conveniently situated opposite Central Station), you're immediately enveloped by the welcoming sights, sounds, and aromas of Christmas.
Along the heart adorned walkway, there are snow covered stalls selling various festive goods, an abundance of twinkling lights, and rows of Christmas trees.
At the end stands a spectacular colour changing tree with the decorative lights of Nimb hotel providing the perfect backdrop.
Tivoli Gardens Rides & Attractions
Tivoli Gardens works on a slightly different system to many other amusement parks. An entrance fee is payable by all guests wishing to enter the park itself, then ride tickets are purchased as extra. This enables guests to enjoy the gardens, dine at restaurants or watch the shows, without the need to pay for rides.
Various packages are available, so I recommend checking the Tivoli Gardens website to gain the best price option for your visit.
All Tivoli Gardens rides are open during the Christmas season. Some aimed at younger children receive a festive makeover, and many are embellished with lights.
If, like us, you love rides, don't miss the opportunity to experience the thrill of Rutchebanen. As one of the world's oldest wooden roller coasters, it's Tivoli Gardens most popular attraction, which is still manned by a break operator today. Top Tip: Ride at the back.
The floorless coaster of The Demon twists and turns riders upside down, whereas the more sedate (but no less fun) Milky Way Express is another great attraction.
For slower paced enjoyment, there's a beautiful 2-storey Music Carousel, plus a Ferris Wheel, and plenty more options in between.
Tivoli Gardens Christmas Market
For even more festive fun at Tivoli Gardens, make sure you visit the Christmas Market. This was one of my favourite parts of the park. I loved mooching around the quaint chalet styled stalls, admiring the colourful Christmas trees, sampling the food, and generally enjoying the whole atmosphere.
The market is mainly centred near the Classic Carousel, with a few more outlets on the walkway between here and the main entrance.
Wooden tables and chairs are dotted around, with a couple of covered eating areas providing shelter. There are even blankets and heaters at various locations for some much needed extra warmth.
This is also where you'll find Julemandens Hus (the home of Father Christmas), so you can pay him a visit while you're there.
Where to eat at Tivoli Gardens
All Tivoli Gardens restaurants are open as usual during the Christmas season. Whether it's a leisurely sit down meal, a quick bite to eat, or food on-the-go, there's plenty of choice and a variety of cuisine on offer to suit most palettes and budgets.
Pafuglen Restaurant
Keen to try some classic Danish dishes, we opted to eat at Pafuglen for our first taste of smørrebrød. This traditional open faced sandwich consists of rye bread covered with a variety of toppings. The norm is some sort of fish, however, meat or vegetarian options are often also available.
As well as a single serving of Danish roast pork crackling with red cabbage and pickled cucumbers, we also chose the Juleanretning (Christmas Platter) from the menu. This included 4 different toppings of: pickled herring, breaded filet of plaice, duck terrine, plus a smaller portion of the Danish roast pork crackling. Thank goodness, because the single serving was huge!
The platter was a great way to sample a few different options, and we both had our individual favourites. Mine was the duck terrine, whereas my husband preferred the plaice.
Christmas Stalls
Hot Dogs wouldn't be my usual choice of snack, but as they're a traditional Danish Street Food, we decided to grab a couple from one of the Christmas Market stalls to enjoy on-the-go. I'm converted. They were so good, we had them twice!
And the perfect way to wash them down was with a warming cup of Gløgg. This Danish version of mulled wine has added raisins and almonds, and was absolutely delicious.
Hint: Drinks are served in a souvenir cup, which you will be charged a few Danish Krone more for. This is refundable if you return the cup once you've finished. However, we decided to keep ours as they make a great cheap memento.
Garden Deli
A lovely little spot we discovered, and another great place to warm up, was at the Garden Deli. This gorgeous hidden gem at Tivoli Gardens has attractive indoor seating and blankets creating a cosy atmosphere in which to enjoy hot chocolates and a huge ginger cookie (better known as Lebkuchen).
Tivoli Food Hall
If you're looking for somewhere which fits between a more formal restaurant meal and quick snacks, head over to Tivoli Food Hall. This place is a fabulous addition to Tivoli Gardens. Here you'll find a number of food outlets serving a variety of cuisine and drinks within a lively atmosphere.
We enjoyed a couple of meals here, with the added bonus of being able to order different cuisines thanks to the way the food hall is set up.
The Steak Frites from French Market got the thumbs up from my husband, as did the Thai Curry from WokWok. Gorm's Pizzas are deliciously crispy, with some interesting topping combinations, such as ham and green pesto with sliced potato. So good.
When to visit Tivoli Gardens
Tivoli Gardens open seasonally (not all year round). The main season tends to begin at the end of March and continues until the end of September.
The park then reopens briefly for Halloween from Mid-October until early November, before closing again in preparation for the Christmas celebrations. These begin mid-November and continue until New Year's Eve. Then Tivoli Gardens closes its doors until the following March.
Christmas opening hours are from 11am - 10pm (11pm at weekends)
We discovered mornings were much quieter, so it was a great time to explore the park at our leisure, plus the ride queues were significantly shorter.
To enjoy the full Tivoli Gardens Christmas experience, I recommend at least part of your visit takes place after dark. This is when thousands of lights illuminate the structures and walkways of the gardens, and it's truly breathtaking.
Many of these can be seen around the lake, so it's worth taking a wander down here. The weeping willow trees are simply stunning, as are the views across towards the impressive Chinese Restaurant building.
Special illuminations also take place near the lake at various times throughout the evenings. Plus fireworks are shown on a Saturday night. Note: these are subject to change and cancellations according to the weather.
Although we didn't manage to catch any of the shows, we did enjoy the festive music and projections onto Nimb hotel, as well as the colour changing Christmas tree nearby.
The sun sets early in Copenhagen during the winter (3pm-4pm), which means you can enjoy all the lights and festive atmosphere from early evening onwards.
What to wear at Tivoli Gardens
Dress for the cold and wet. Even on a dry November day, we endured below freezing temperatures. A strong breeze made it feel a few degrees colder, then temperatures plummeted even further when night fell.
We noticed a number of people wearing waterproof trousers. Although we were lucky enough not to need these, a thick coat, plus hat, scarf, and gloves were essential.
There are some great stalls at Tivoli Gardens selling a number of the smaller items. And I can confirm the thick socks make a cosy reminder of your visit once you've returned home.
Top Tips for Tivoli Gardens at Christmas
Tivoli Gardens really is a wonderful place to visit at Christmas time. The atmosphere is so welcoming, there's something for everyone, and it definitely got us both in to the Christmas spirit.
If you're planning a visit, here are my top tips:
- Check the website prior to your visit to secure the best ticket for you, especially if you wish to go on the rides.
- Dress warm. It's often very cold, and sometimes wet at this time of year.
- Time your visit so you can experience the park after dark.
- Enjoy the stalls and atmosphere of the Christmas Market.
- If you only go on one ride, make it Rutschebanen...at the back!
