During our Northern Europe holiday, we visited Copenhagen, Denmark’s vibrant capital. Right in the heart of the city, next to the main train station, is Tivoli—a charming theme park. It’s filled with beautiful gardens, cosy restaurants, and thrilling funfair rides.
Tivoli Park
Tivoli Gardens, first opened in 1843 as a way to give people a break from politics, quickly became a beloved, permanent fixture in Copenhagen. The park is centred around a serene lake, surrounded by lush gardens. Along its banks, you’ll find a stunning Chinese-style pagoda, a replica sailing ship, and several pavilions that host a variety of restaurants and bars.
Having visited many Disney parks before, stepping into Tivoli gave us the strong feeling that this park might have inspired Walt Disney himself. Tivoli felt like a proto-Disney park—a charming, miniature version that set the template for blending children’s attractions with food, entertainment, and beautiful visuals, like its gardens.
But let’s be real—most visitors don’t come to Tivoli for the gardens. They come for the thrilling amusement rides!
The Christmas decorations at Tivoli were absolutely stunning. There were little cabins selling food, drinks, and souvenirs, all twinkling with lights and draped in fir branches. Four times a year, Tivoli closes to transform into a new seasonal wonderland. During our visit, artificial snow covered some trees, adding to the festive vibe. The park also has a deposit system for drink cups to reduce waste, which is a great idea—though we did find ourselves with 5 Danish Krona coins that we had no real use for! As for the food and drinks, they were on the pricier side—another similarity between Tivoli and Disney!
Amusement rides
More than half of Tivoli’s park space is dedicated to rides. There are around ten major ones and over twenty smaller attractions, including plenty for younger kids. Bianca and I made sure to try all the bigger rides, braving queues of about half an hour each time for a two-minute whirl, spin, or toss.
We had wristbands that proved we’d bought the ride pass—just a quick tap on the reader, and the turnstile would open. Sometimes, though, the active part of the paper wristband would frustratingly rotate, messing things up! Like a couple of excited teenagers, we sprinted from one ride’s exit straight to the next ride’s queue. We stayed at the park the whole day, not leaving until it was late in the evening.
Surprises
We were a bit surprised to spot gambling machines tucked away in halls beneath the rides. On top of that, alcohol was being sold—definitely not something you’d find at Disney parks!
As we soaked in the beautiful garden lights and landscaping, we unexpectedly stumbled upon an attraction: the Villa Vendetta. It’s a haunted house with live actors ready to give you a fright. The room decor was impressive, but it didn’t quite deliver the scare we were hoping for.
