Copenhagen’s oldest and original food tour (Est. 2011).

Come hungry, leave happily overfed. Copenhagen’s original food tour, founded in 2011 by local company CphFoodTours, combines eight substantial tastings with a guided walk through the city center. I like the smart mix of famous Danish foods, such as smørrebrød and hot dogs, with less obvious stops like Arla Unika cheese and handmade royal sweets.

I also like that the tour uses several places you might not find on your own, including Café & Ølhalle 1892 and Sømods Bolcher. The main drawback is simple: four hours of eating and walking can feel long, and the generous portions mean you should arrive with a nearly empty stomach. The tour costs $141 per person, so it makes the most sense if you want food, sightseeing, and local guidance in one package.

Key points at a glance

• Eight tastings make up a full meal: Expect cheese, pastry, smørrebrød, drinks, a hot dog, licorice, handmade candy, and chocolate.
• Arla Unika is a special opening course: Its award-winning cheese was developed with Michelin-starred chefs and is an exclusive tasting on this tour.
• Copenhagen’s center becomes your dining room: The route includes Torvehallerne, the Botanical Garden, the Latin Quarter, Kultorvet, and the Round Tower.
• Café & Ølhalle 1892 adds real atmosphere: This preserved workers’ restaurant is Denmark’s oldest of its kind, though the lunch venue can vary.
• The guides make the difference: Simon, Marie, Peter, Camilla, Miguel, Cassandra, and others are praised for warmth, humor, food knowledge, and city stories.
• Plan for weather and walking: The tour runs rain or shine, requires comfortable shoes, and is not suitable for wheelchair users.

Starting beside Torvehallerne

The tour begins at Frederiksborggade 19, right outside the Italian restaurant Un Mercato by the metro stairs near the Hall 2 entrance of Torvehallerne. This is a useful meeting point because Nørreport Station is Copenhagen’s central transport hub, and the tour begins only about a minute from it.

You will spend roughly four hours on foot, moving through the historic center at an easy enough pace for eating and conversation. The route ends where it starts, which makes it simple to continue sightseeing or return to your hotel by metro.

The group size is not specified, and the experiences described range from intimate groups of three or four to a group of 14. That matters. A smaller group allows more questions and a more personal feel, while a larger group may require you to stay close so you can hear the guide at each stop.

English is the tour language. The company assigns different guides, including Simon, Marie, Peter, Camilla, Miguel, Cassandra, and Mino. The strongest pattern in the feedback is not one particular guide, but the consistent praise for guides who keep the pace comfortable, explain the food clearly, and add useful stories about Copenhagen.

Arla Unika cheese and a warm Danish pastry

The opening food stop is a strong one: award-winning cheese from Arla Unika. This range was developed in collaboration with Michelin-starred chefs and is supplied to high-end restaurants. On this tour, the cheese tasting is presented as exclusive, giving you a chance to try something beyond the usual supermarket selection.

The tour also includes apple wine at Arla Unika. That pairing gives the first stop a little more weight than a quick cheese sample. It is an early introduction to the way Danish food can be both simple and carefully made.

From there, you walk to Riviera Bakery for a Danish pastry served warm from the oven. This is one of the most appealing details of the tour. A fresh pastry eaten soon after baking is a different experience from a packaged cinnamon roll grabbed at a station café.

The bakery is described as a local favorite rather than a standard chain. You might receive a flaky pastry or a cinnamon-style treat, and a gluten-free option has been provided when dietary needs were communicated ahead of time. That is useful, but you should still tell the company about allergies or restrictions before the tour rather than hoping for a last-minute substitution.

Gardens, Latin Quarter streets, and Copenhagen’s food story

Between tastings, the guide leads you through the Botanical Garden and the Latin Quarter. These walking sections keep the tour from becoming a string of indoor food stops. You get a look at central Copenhagen while your appetite resets.

The guide also points out notable buildings and landmarks along the way. Past participants have especially appreciated the city facts woven into the route, rather than a long lecture delivered all at once. Simon, Mino, Marie, and others are praised for explaining Copenhagen’s food and culture in a friendly, approachable way.

This is where the experience becomes more than a meal. You are not simply being taken from one restaurant to the next. You are learning how food fits into Danish daily life, local business, older institutions, and newer culinary ideas.

Still, keep expectations in check. The tour focuses on the historic center around Nørreport, not a broad survey of every Copenhagen neighborhood. If you want to explore the city’s outer districts or modern Nordic dining scene, you will need another outing.

Smørrebrød at a historic lunch table

The lunch course is one of the main reasons to book this tour. You receive gourmet smørrebrød, Denmark’s famous open-faced sandwich, along with a beer or soft drink. This is not a token bite. The portions are substantial enough that several people have needed very little food afterward.

The lunch may be served at RØRT or Café & Ølhalle 1892. RØRT offers a more modern setting, while Café & Ølhalle 1892 is the more atmospheric choice. It is Denmark’s oldest preserved workers’ restaurant and is available to this tour as an exclusive stop.

That historical setting gives the sandwich a useful context. Smørrebrød is not just rye bread with toppings placed on it. It is a traditional Danish lunch with attention to texture, balance, and presentation. The exact toppings are not specified, so you should think of this as an opportunity to try the local specialty rather than a chance to select from a full menu.

The venue can change because of opening hours and holidays. This is worth knowing before you book. Café & Ølhalle 1892 may be the highlight for anyone interested in old Copenhagen, but the tour still works if lunch takes place at RØRT.

A drink at SKAAL and the Kultorvet stop

The route continues toward Kultorvet, where you stop at SKAAL for a glass of Danish craft beer or crisp apple wine. This gives the tour a relaxed pause in a popular beer setting and adds another look at modern Danish drinking culture.

The drink is included, and alcohol-free alternatives are available. This is a good feature for mixed groups because you do not have to drink beer to take part in the tasting. Some people have received two decent-sized beer or beverage servings during the tour, though the exact arrangement may vary with the route and venue schedule.

The timing of the drinks is one small point to consider. Beer or cider accompanies the smørrebrød, and another drink appears at SKAAL. One person found the alcohol stops a little close together and would have preferred a food stop between them. If you rarely drink, choose the soft drink options and pace yourself.

Kultorvet also gives you a short break from seated eating. The square helps connect the food stops to the city itself, and the guide may share more information about the area as you walk.

The Round Tower and Copenhagen’s organic hot dog

Near the Round Tower, you stop at DØP, also known as Den Økologiske Pølsemand. The stand serves organic hot dogs from a repurposed oak barrel, and you can choose pork, beef, or vegetarian.

This is a particularly useful tasting because it represents everyday Danish street food. Copenhagen’s food reputation often focuses on expensive restaurants, but a good hot dog is part of the city’s ordinary food culture. The choice of meat or vegetarian sausage also makes this stop more flexible than some traditional tastings.

The Round Tower adds a clear sightseeing reward. You will not be climbing it as part of the food tour, but its presence gives the stop a strong sense of place. The combination of a landmark and street food works well: you see one of central Copenhagen’s best-known sights while eating something locals actually buy.

The hot dog is another reason not to eat breakfast beforehand. Add it to the pastry, cheese, and smørrebrød, and the tour is already approaching a full day’s worth of food.

Licorice, handmade candy, and royal connections

The sweet section begins with Lakrids A by Johan Bülow. This Danish success story pairs sweet licorice with a chocolate coating. Licorice is one of those foods that can divide a group, so this tasting is a useful test of your Danish snack tolerance.

If you dislike licorice, you may still enjoy the chocolate, but the flavor remains distinctive. The tour includes it because it represents a modern Danish brand with international reach, not because it is a safe dessert for every palate.

At Sømods Bolcher, you get handmade rock candy produced by traditional methods since 1891. The business is an official supplier to the Royal Danish Court, and the stop lets you see a very old confectionery tradition connected to a working shop.

This is one of the tour’s more unusual stops. Many food tours offer chocolate and pastry, but handmade hard candy adds a different texture and a little theater. The exact production activity may depend on opening hours and appointments, so treat the stop as a chance to learn about the craft rather than a guaranteed full demonstration.

The final sweet is a handcrafted flødebolle from Summerbird, an organic Danish chocolatier. A flødebolle is a soft, whipped filling with a chocolate shell, and Summerbird is known here as one of Denmark’s top chocolate makers. It is a fitting finish because it feels distinctly Danish while also giving you a polished chocolate dessert.

How much food do you really receive?

The tour advertises a full meal, and the serving sizes described support that claim. You receive eight tastings, but several are more than tiny samples: the pastry, smørrebrød, hot dog, drinks, and sweets can all be fairly filling.

I would follow the advice to eat only a light breakfast, especially if your tour starts before lunch. One person specifically suggested arriving with little food already in the stomach, and that is sensible. You should not arrive starving, but a normal large breakfast could make the final sweets difficult.

The variety is the tour’s strongest food feature. You move from cheese and pastry to open-faced sandwiches, beer or cider, a hot dog, licorice, candy, and chocolate. This gives you a broad introduction to Denmark rather than four versions of the same dish.

The tradeoff is that the early tastings can blur together once you have eaten several more courses. If you want to remember every flavor in detail, take notes or ask the guide for the names of products and shops.

Is $141 a fair price?

At $141 per person, this is not a cheap way to grab lunch. You are paying for much more than the food itself: eight tastings, drinks, four hours of guiding, access to selected venues, and a walking tour through central Copenhagen.

The value is strongest if you are visiting Copenhagen for the first time and want an easy introduction to Danish food. Buying comparable portions, finding the shops, and learning the background on your own would take time. You also risk choosing tourist-oriented bakeries or missing places such as Sømods Bolcher and Café & Ølhalle 1892.

The value is weaker if you mainly want a quick snack tour or prefer to choose every dish yourself. The route is fixed, the lunch location can change, and some flavors, especially licorice, are not universally popular. You also need to be comfortable walking for four hours and eating at a steady pace.

For a special occasion or an early trip activity, the price is easier to justify. Book it near the start of your stay, since the guides often provide ideas for other places to eat during the rest of your visit.

Practical details before you book

Wear comfortable shoes. You will walk through streets, gardens, squares, and the central district between stops, and the tour operates in rain or shine. Copenhagen weather can change quickly, so dress for the forecast and bring a rain layer when needed.

Tell CphFoodTours about dietary restrictions in advance. Gluten-free substitutions have been handled successfully, including a gluten-free pastry and beer, but the company needs notice to prepare.

Children under three are free, and children aged three to 12 use a child ticket. The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users.

Services and venues can change around holidays, closing hours, and other scheduling issues. That may affect the lunch restaurant or a particular tasting, but the overall structure remains a food and sightseeing walk through central Copenhagen.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the tour for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later, which is handy when your Copenhagen plans are still shifting.

Should you book Copenhagen’s original food tour?

I would book this tour if you want a filling first taste of Copenhagen, especially on your first or second day in the city. The route gives you the essentials, smørrebrød, pastry, hot dog, beer, cheese, licorice, candy, and chocolate, while also showing you the Botanical Garden, Latin Quarter, Kultorvet, and Round Tower.

I would skip it if you want a short tasting, dislike walking, or prefer a highly customized menu. Four hours is a real commitment, and the food is generous enough to challenge anyone who arrives after a full breakfast.

For most visitors who enjoy trying local food, the mix is hard to beat. Guides such as Simon, Marie, Peter, Camilla, and Miguel have been praised for keeping groups engaged without drowning them in facts. Book early in your stay, wear sensible shoes, and leave room for that final Summerbird flødebolle.

FAQ

Where does the Copenhagen food tour begin?

It begins at Frederiksborggade 19, outside Un Mercato near the metro stairs by the Hall 2 entrance of Torvehallerne. The meeting point is about one minute from Nørreport Station.

How long does the food tour last?

The tour lasts four hours and returns to Frederiksborggade 19.

What food and drinks are included?

The tour includes Arla Unika cheese, a fresh Danish pastry, gourmet smørrebrød, beer or a soft drink with lunch, a glass of Danish craft beer or cider at SKAAL, an organic hot dog, Lakrids A by Johan Bülow, handmade sweets from Sømods Bolcher, and a Summerbird chocolate treat.

Is this tour offered in English?

Yes. The live tour guide speaks English.

Can children join the tour?

Children under three are free. Children aged three to 12 use a child ticket.

Is the tour suitable for people with dietary restrictions or wheelchair users?

You should communicate dietary restrictions in advance. The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users.