Fun at Tivoli Gardens

Denmark, Summer 2023, , , , , , , , ,

This is the third in a series of blog posts documenting our 2023 summer holiday: a wonderful road-trip around Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

Day 3: July 26, 2023

The third day of our holiday was one we were all very excited for – the first theme park of the trip as we planned to spend the day at the iconic Tivoli Gardens.

A scenic view of a tree-lined sidewalk beside a decorative iron fence adorned with blooming flowers. In the background, there is a historic building with a tall spire visible against a clear blue sky. People can be seen walking in the distance along the pathway.
A child in blue shorts stands next to a large bronze sculpture of two lions engaged in a fierce pose. The sculpture is located on a grassy area near a road, with trees and buildings visible in the background. The sky is partly cloudy.

After making sure we stocked up with a hearty breakfast at Cabinn we walked into the centre of Copenhagen.

A city scene featuring a large historic building with a tall spire, set against a blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds. In the foreground, there are bike lanes marked with symbols, and a street populated with various vehicles, including a bus. The scene captures the vibrant urban atmosphere.
A vibrant outdoor stage is seen in a park, with people walking along a pathway and gathering on the grass. The sky is partly cloudy, and trees surround the area. Several steps lead up to the stage, which is decorated with banners.

Our visit coincided with the culmination of the 110th Tour de France, which had been won by Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard. This meant that the centre of Copenhagen was buzzing with cycling fans. We were in the queue for Tivoli before the majority of people had arrived but it was still getting busy enough. And as we made our way into the park we found that a special stage had been set up inside in his honour.

There is a dizzying array of ticketing options for Tivoli Gardens. At its most basic you can buy a ticket to enter the gardens and have pay per use access to the rides and amenities. And then there were various ticket passes and packages that included food and drink and photos.

We had initially expected that the Copenhagen Card would be perfect for our needs, especially with its inclusion of public transport. However, when we looked at the individual costs of the things we planned to do we found the calculator on the Copenhagen Card website had been wrong. I never really got to the bottom of the difference between their sums (which were definitely wrong) and mine (which weren’t). But the Tivoli Gardens coverage from the Copenhagen Card is only for access to the park and not to the rides so it was definitely not what we needed. It was easy to cancel the cards so top marks for that aspect of the customer service.

This left us trying to work out what was going to be the right thing to do for our needs. We were lucky to discover promotional offers on Tiqets that eventually meant we plumped for the full package which gave us entry, unlimited rides, a set menu meal at various of the dining options in the park plus access to the horror house, the aquarium and unlimited ride photos on our phones. In a refreshing change there was no way to pay to skip the queue – a trend of late stage capitalism that I really dislike – everyone turns up and waits their turn.

It wasn’t cheap as the total cost for the four of us, even with the discount, was £200 but once we’d factored in what it covered it worked out as the right deal for us, especially in how we managed the food, meaning we got through the day with only minimal additional spend.

A busy amusement park scene featuring a group of adults and children observing something behind a railing. In the foreground, a woman is seated with a young girl on her lap, while a young boy is sitting next to them. Several other visitors stand behind the railing, looking at an attraction in the background. The atmosphere is lively, with people dressed in casual attire enjoying their time at the park.
A bustling amusement park scene featuring a line of visitors waiting to board a ride, with a colorful attraction in the background. The area is surrounded by lush greenery and rocky structures, and people are seen interacting and enjoying their time. The sky is partly cloudy, adding to the vibrant atmosphere.
A group of adults and children are smiling and sitting together in an amusement park ride. The foreground features a man in glasses wearing a maroon shirt with the text "Leave it all beh-," and a young girl with dark hair waving. In the background, a woman with glasses and a headband is sitting next to a boy. Other children can be seen in the ride behind them, all enjoying their time at the park. The setting is bright and cheerful, with colorful ride seats visible.

We started off with the classic Tivoli Gardens ride – The Roller Coaster. It’s one of the oldest running wooden roller coasters in the world having been built in 1914! It is an oddity with only a handful of roller coasters in the world that are like it. The reason is that the driver, the brake man, rides on board.

Two children stand in front of a funhouse mirror, which distorts their reflections. One child, facing the mirror, has a light brown short haircut and is wearing a dark shirt. The other two children, one with long hair and another in a pink shirt, appear with exaggerated, warped features in the reflection. The background shows a park-like setting with greenery and a blurred glimpse of a structure.
A narrow street lined with colorful shops and murals. A group of people are walking down the cobblestone path, while others are gathered in front of the store displays. Trees provide shade along the route, and decorative elements add to the charming atmosphere.
A narrow, paved pathway winding between two buildings, one rocky and the other with a decorative fence. People walk along the path, including a woman carrying a backpack and a small child in front of her. Lush greenery surrounds the area, with benches and an archway decorated with colorful items in the background.

From there we went to The Fun House, passing by magic mirrors and down narrow alleyways. The kids absolutely loved the weird staircases, treadmills, rope bridges and slides but soon their appetite was for something bigger.

And so we made our way to bigger and bolder rides with Ezra and I going very, very high in the sky on the Star Flyer, then the quease inducing Astronomer before Ezra found his absolute favourite ride of the day, Aquila (which he rode multiple times in the end). We stopped for lunch and then pressed ahead with other parts of the park. I spent a lovely time with Eleanor going round a ride dedicated to Hans Christian Andersen (twice).

A family stands at an ice cream counter. A woman behind the counter is preparing an ice cream order. A girl in a yellow jacket and a hat looks up at the server, while a toddler is being held by an adult wearing a dark coat and a cap. The counter displays various ice cream options and prices. The setting is bright and vibrant, suggesting a fun, casual atmosphere.

We also indulged in some excellent ice creams – though I’ve never been able to find any trace of what exactly goes into a Fyrtårn ice cream, other than it kind of resembling a lighthouse.

A stage with a colorful backdrop is set for a performance, featuring a scenic painting of buildings. In the foreground, a group of children with light-colored hair watches intently from wooden benches. The stage is designed in an ornate style typical of traditional theaters.

Then it was time for tea and we took advantage of our special package to eat from the options as the food court. The food court is open to the public but has a route into the park for those who are enjoying the Gardens. While I went to source our evening meals the family settled down at the open air theatre to enjoy a wonderful farcical live action pantomime. Ezra especially loved it.

A spacious aquarium interior featuring a large, illuminated viewing panel filled with various colorful fish and aquatic life. Several visitors are standing near the panel, observing the marine life, while others sit on benches. The room has a dark, modern design with subtle lighting and features a ceiling with hanging structures resembling underwater plants.
An aquarium scene featuring a variety of fish swimming among artificial coral and rocks. A shark is visible near the bottom of the tank, while other colorful fish, including a blue tang, swim throughout the scene. The tank is illuminated with a blue light, creating a vibrant underwater atmosphere. A person’s head is partially visible in the foreground, gazing into the aquarium.
A bathroom interior featuring a unique design. On the left, an oval window displays vibrant green plants behind glass, resembling an aquarium. The wall on the right is tiled in light blue, and a white urinal is mounted on the wall below. The floor is dark and textured.

After that Eleanor was getting tired so we had another few rides before Christine took her back to the hotel and left Ezra and I to enjoy the evening. This included the dodgems, a return to Aquila and several rides on the swinging chairs (a favourite of both Ezra and Christine) as well as a wander round the extensive aquarium – pity the poor occupants of the urinal tank!

A vibrant amusement park scene featuring a roller coaster in the background and a water ride with colorful tubes in the foreground. The area is surrounded by lush trees and a decorative fence, with a cloudy sky overhead.
A bustling outdoor walkway lined with trees and illuminated by arching rows of lights. People are gathered along the path, some stopping to chat or browse nearby stalls. The ground is paved with a herringbone pattern, and the atmosphere appears lively and inviting, with greenery enhancing the scene.
A lively scene in a park at dusk, featuring a carousel in the background illuminated with lights. People are gathered in the foreground, some enjoying food at a kiosk, while others explore the area. The atmosphere is vibrant with trees and buildings surrounding the park. A sign labeled "GASOLINI" is visible on the right side.

Dusk at Tivoli Gardens is a wonderful experience with the park looking very good as night advances and the lights switch on. In the end we stayed until closing and really got our money’s worth with the park not closing until 2200! A far cry from how early UK theme parks shut!

A serene riverside view at dusk featuring traditional Asian architecture illuminated with colorful lights. The scene includes a pagoda-style building with a multi-tiered roof and ornate decorations, surrounded by lush greenery. Nearby, several boats are docked on the water, reflecting the vibrant lights and creating a cozy ambiance. The sky is a deep blue as evening sets in, enhancing the tranquil atmosphere of the setting.



About Benjamin Welby

I’m Benjamin Welby. I live in Croydon with my wife and two children. I church at Croydon Vineyard. We’ve had season tickets for Bradford City since 2007. I’ve got degrees in History, Post-War Recovery and Public Administration and have spent the last 15+ years working at the intersection of digital transformation and good governance. I began my career in local government, went on to help launch GOV.UK and most recently worked on defining global standards for digital government at the OECD. I'm currently currently co-authoring a book integrating biblical values with civic life, encouraging Christians to adopt a hope-filled, faith-inspired perspective on democracy and how we are governed. I’m interested in too many things: being a good husband and father, following Jesus, the theology of governing well, a warm welcome for refugees and asylum seekers, that ‘digital’ leads to fair, inclusive and equitable transformation, exploring the world, League Two football, Pantomime, various England sports teams and Team GB…