Fairy Tale Denmark Self Drive

Today, on your arrival in Copenhagen, pick up your car from the airport and drive to your hotel. After check-in, enjoy the day at leisure to explore the city at your own pace.

Overnight in Copenhagen

After breakfast at your hotel, depart from Copenhagen westward through farming countryside and small villages, some of which were founded by Vikings more than a thousand years ago. Upon arrival in Roskilde - until 1417, the capital of Denmark – we recommend a visit to the Viking Ship Museum, containing the remains of 5 Viking vessels which have been salvaged from the bed of Roskilde Fjord, where they were sunk more than a thousand years ago to prevent aggressive intruders gaining access to the town from the sea. After visiting the museum, a short drive to the Town Square, to visit the twin-spired Roskilde Cathedral. The construction of the Cathedral was commenced during the 12th century and additions have been made through the ages, in different architectural styles. The Cathedral is the traditional burial place of Danish monarchs and contains more than 40 royal graves. Continue from Roskilde to Halskov from where you will drive over one of the world’s largest suspension bridges constructed off-shore and arrive on the island of Funen. Drive to Kværndrup and Egeskov Castle (entrance fees not included), which is the best-preserved water fortress in the world, with its rounded towers, double gables, red brick walls, green torrents and spire, built on a foundation of oak piles rammed into a bed of a lake more than 450 years ago. Today it is a family owned castle which has belonged to the family Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille since 1784. Visit the Great Hall which dates back to 1554 and contains furniture and paintings as well as seven adjoining rooms. Enjoy the 40 acres park with hundreds of aromatic plants and herbs and visit the old-timers Museum. Continue to Odense, Denmark’s third largest city and Hans Christian Andersen’s home town.Overnight in Odense

Breakfast at the hotel. Before leaving Odense, we recommend a visit to Hans Christian Andersen’s home. The humble house, where HC Andersen was born in 1805, has been turned into a museum dedicated to the world-famous fairy tale writer. Leave Odense and cross the Little Belt waterway to Jutland. On the way to Aarhus, we recommend a detour to the village of Jelling. During the 10C, at the height of the Viking period, Jelling was for sometime the royal seat chosen by two Viking kings, Gorm the Old and his son Harald Bluetooth, who started the Danish Royal line. As evidence, they left two large burial mounds and two rune stones, known as the Jelling Stones, which have given crucial information about early Danish history. Continue to Aarhus, the second largest city of Denmark and also known as the City of the Smile. Visit the Old City (entrance fees not included) (Den Gamle By), a fascination open-air collection of completely furnished old Danish town houses with workshops etc. Also, possibility to visit the cathedral, the museum of Danish prehistory, Moesgaard or the drive past the Marselisborg Castle in Aarhus, the holiday residence of the Royal Family. When the Royal Family is not in residence there is free admission to the palace park for the public from morning to evening.

Overnight in Aarhus

Breakfast at the hotel and departure by ferry from Aarhus to the tongue of land Sjællands Odde on Zealand. Passing through rural villages and wooded, undulating countryside to Hillerød where we recommend a visit to the Frederiksborg Castle, the beautifully situated Renaissance building which - like so many others - was built by orders of King Christian IV. Today, Frederiksborg is the home of the Museum of National History, the collection of which includes priceless paintings, silver and porcelain items, furniture and tapestries. The castle chapel houses Denmark’s oldest organ from 1610. If time permits we recommend driving via Fredensborg for a photo stop at the Fredensborg Palace, the spring and autumn residence of the Royal Family, to Helsingør (Elsinore) and the Kronborg Castle, made famous by Shakespeare and the story of Hamlet. Afterwards route to Copenhagen. Along the way a possibility to visit world-famous museum of modern art, Louisiana, or Rungstedlund, situated on the shores of Øresund, 25 km north of Copenhagen, next to a tiny picturesque harbour full of colourful pleasure boats of all sizes. Rungstedlund was the beautiful family home of Denmark’s most famous female author, Karen Blixen, whose autobiographical book “Out of Africa” became known worldwide when a film was made of it in 1985. The house has been turned into a museum but a great part of it has been left as it was when she lived in it. Continue to Copenhagen and evening free for leisure.

Overnight in Copenhagen

In the morning after breakfast, depending on your departure flight timings, drive to Copenhagen International Airport and return your vehicle before your flight home.