See Denmark’s largest collection of living plants
The Botanical Garden is part of the Natural History Museum at the University of Copenhagen. It’s close to the center of Copenhagen and covers an area of 10 hectares, and the historical glasshouse dating back to 1874 will catch your eye immediately.
You don’t have to be interested in botany or gardening to visit it. The gardens are huge to waddle around, and you can enjoy them even without entering the glasshouses. There is much to explore, but the Palm House and Butterfly House are among the most interesting to see.
You can explore and discover over 13 000 species here. There are around 600 species of Danish plants, 1 100 species of perennial plants, 1 100 annual plants, and various rock gardens with plants from all over the world.
How to get to Copenhagen’s Botanical Garden
It’s easy to get to the Botanical Gardens. Of course, one choice is to take the bike.
Then there are plenty of public transport options. From each side, there are stops to get off.
- You can take the bus 184, 350S, 5C, or 6A.
- Or the train A or B. Close by is the Nørreport Station. It’s where we got off the metro line.
- The metro line M2 is a third option.
Opening Hours
Opening hours for the gardens as such are divided based on the season.
- From October 1st to March 31st from 8.30 am to 4 pm.
- From April 1st to September 30th from 8.30 am to 6 pm.
In case you want to visit the Palm and the Butterfly House, the opening hours are:
- From April 1st to September 30th from 10 am to 5 pm. Mondays are closed except in July and August.
- From October 1st to March 31st from 10 am to 3.30 pm. Mondays are closed.
To ensure opening hours didn’t change, visit their website here – link.
Tickets to the Botanical Garden in Copenhagen
Visiting the garden and waddling around is free. Admission needs to be paid for the Plam House, where the Butterfly house is included in the fee.
You can buy the tickets at the entrance to the Palm House.
- Adults: 60 DKK
- Children from 3 to 17 years old: 40 DKK
- Children from 0 to 2 years old: free entry
- Penguins: free entry
- Admission included in Copenhagen Card
Note that guide dogs are allowed; however other pets are not, as the garden is filled with rare plants. Also, as common sense dictates, while waddling around, don’t enter the flower beds or climb the trees, do not collect the flowers or seeds, camping and making fires are also not allowed, etc.
Bikes and scooters are not allowed, and you can sit and chill only in selected areas – see here.
Waddling around the Botanical Garden in Copenhagen
The purpose of the Botanical Garden is to add to the knowledge and understanding of the diversity of the vegetable and fungi kingdom. Another objective of the garden is to strengthen the interest in national and global nature values.
When entering from Øster Voldgate, there is a small shop, coffee house, and restrooms.
As you waddle on you, go around the University Botanical Museum. It’s a beautiful red building.
The gardens are beautiful to waddle around, and there is much to see. The glasshouses, of course, will catch your attention but waddle on and also discover the rest of it.
The garden was first established in 1600 but moved twice before it was ultimately given its current location in 1870. The garden was laid out in 1874.
Read also about the Copenhagen Zoo
The Palm House
The Palm House is located in the middle of the Botanical Garden. And because it looks so beautiful and one does not have a chance every day to see palms, we had the “great” idea to go inside. I write “great” because although it was beautiful, outside it was already hot and sunny weather, around 30 degrees Celsius but when you enter the palm house, you start to sweat and don’t stop till you are out 😅. Be prepared to sweat.
The Palm House is the tallest of the glasshouses and was built from 1872 to 1874.
Inside, you find a green oasis of subtropical and tropical plants, and the air around is not for every penguin. I thought I would pass out 😅 so be ready for a heat wave to slap you in the face.
There is a lot to see in the Palm House. Many exotic and rare plants grow in different tropical and subtropical environments – hence the wave heat slap.
We saw a giant bamboo, large palms, flowers, and carnivorous plants.
But the heat was something else. When we exited the Palm House, the outside temperature seemed suddenly ok.
And I dare you to take a walk up the 16m (52 ft.) tall narrow, cast-iron spiral staircase inside the Palm House, which dates to 1874. You will get closer to the palms and get a fantastic view from above. But beware, the heat up there is even worse.
The Butterfly House
To get to the Butterfly House, you must exit the Plam House and enter again. Before getting to the butterflies, you will waddle through the cactus house.
After the cactus, you waddle directly into the butterflies that flutter amongst the orchids and vanilla plants. If you are a butterfly fan, then this is for you. They will flutter around you and are everywhere. It feels like you step into a different dimension – like a fairy tale.
Note that the butterflies land everywhere in the house, so watch your step, so you accidentally do not kill one.
Our visit to the Botanical Garden was combined with the visit to Rosenberg Castle and the King’s Gardens.
Before going to the castle, do not forget to see a space object. Yes, you heard it right.
Located in front of the Natural History Museum is the Agpalilik – one of the largest iron meteorites in the world. I mean, look at this giant.
It fell in Northwestern Greenland around 12 000 years ago. It was discovered in 1963 and was taken to Denmark. It took several years to get the 20 tonnes giant here. It’s still sitting on the same steel sleight that was used to pull it free from the rocks. Now it weighs only 16 tonnes as the scientists cut a piece to study it.
Enjoy your waddle in the botanical gardens of Copenhagen.
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