Denmark Rail & Samsø Island Grand Tour
Take the train north from Copenhagen to Skagen, with a ferry ride to Samsø Island for an overnight cycling trip.
Explore Denmark's main highlights without a car. This route connects Odense, Aarhus, Aalborg, and Skagen via intercity rail, with a fast ferry detour from Aarhus to Samsø Island. With stays of about two nights at each stop, transfers are straightforward. Perfect for first-time visitors who prefer not to drive. This itinerary skips the West Coast and the south; you can fly back to Copenhagen from Aalborg or return by train.
The Samsø Labyrinth is open from approximately April to October, and some rail lines may have construction adjustments.
Day by day
Day 1 · Arrival & Nyhavn / Tivoli
Copenhagen（Nyhavn、Strøget、Tivoli Gardens）
Take the metro from the airport for about 15 minutes to reach the city center. Spend the afternoon exploring the harbor and pedestrian streets on foot.
Stay: Indre By
Day 2 · Royal Palaces & Food Markets
Copenhagen（Rosenborg Castle、Torvehallerne、Amalienborg Palace、The Little Mermaid）
Walk around the city all day. For longer distances, take a bus or metro, which usually takes no more than 20 minutes.
Stay: Indre By
Day 3 · Coastal Train to Castles & Art
Copenhagen（Louisiana Museum of Modern Art、Kronborg Castle）
Take the Coast Line train from Central Station for about 40 minutes to Humlebæk, continue to Helsingør, and return to the city in the evening.
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is closed on Mondays.
Stay: Indre By
Day 4 · Roskilde & Transfer to Odense
Copenhagen（Viking Ship Museum, Roskilde、Roskilde Cathedral） → Odense（St. Canute's Cathedral）
Travel from Copenhagen to Roskilde in about 25 minutes. After sightseeing, take the intercity train for about 1 hour to Odense.
Stay: City Centre Pedestrian Streets
Day 5 · Hans Christian Andersen's Odense
Odense（H.C. Andersen House、Hans Jensens Stræde (Andersen Quarter)、H.C. Andersen's Childhood Home、The Funen Village）
Mainly explore the Old Town on foot. In the afternoon, take a local bus for about 15 minutes to the Funen Village in the southern suburbs.
Stay: City Centre Pedestrian Streets
Day 6 · To Aarhus for the Rainbow Panorama
Aarhus（ARoS Aarhus Art Museum、Aarhus Cathedral、Latin Quarter）
Take the intercity train from Odense to Aarhus (about 1.5 hours). It is a 5-minute walk from the station to the art museum.
Stay: Latin Quarter
Day 7 · The Old Town & Prehistoric Museum
Aarhus（Den Gamle By、Moesgaard Museum）
Walk to Den Gamle By (The Old Town) open-air museum in the morning. In the afternoon, take a local bus for about 30 minutes to Moesgaard in the southern suburbs.
Stay: Latin Quarter
Day 8 · Fast Ferry to North Samsø
Samsø（Sælvig、Nordby、Samsø Labyrinten）
Take the passenger-only fast ferry from Aarhus Harbor to Sælvig (about 1 hour), then cycle about 10 km to Nordby.
The fast ferry does not carry motor vehicles. Bicycle reservations are required, and services on the island are limited.
Stay: Nordby Village
Day 9 · Return to Aarhus & Head North to Aalborg
Samsø（Nordby Bakker & Ballebjerg） → Aalborg（Jomfru Ane Gade）
Cycle back to Sælvig and take the ferry (about 1 hour). Transfer to the train in Aarhus for a 1.5-hour ride to Aalborg.
Stay: Old Town Centre
Day 10 · Viking Cemetery & Transfer to Skagen
Aalborg（Lindholm Høje、Utzon Center） → Skagen（Skagen Town Centre）
Take a local bus to Lindholm in the morning. In the afternoon, take the train for about 2 hours to Skagen; some departures require a transfer.
Stay: Skagen Old Town
Day 11 · The Grenen Sandspit & Skagen Painters before Departure
Take a bus or cycle to Grenen in the morning. After lunch, take the train for about 2 hours back to Aalborg, then head to the airport.