Cheese and beer walk through Copenhagen. This 4-hour food tour is interesting because it follows the city’s shift from heavier “old style” Danish eating toward seasonal Nordic flavors, with stops that feel local rather than staged. I really like the exclusive Arla Unika cheese tasting (including a drink at the market halls), and I love how the tour anchors the meal with proper open-faced smørrebrød made for everyday Copenhagen lunch culture. One possible drawback: the lunch stop can be busy, so you should go in expecting quick, friendly pacing rather than a long, quiet sit-down.

If you want a tour that mixes food with clear city orientation, this one works well. The group stays small (maximum 12), the route keeps moving, and the guide often has names like Toby or Marie on the roster—both known for keeping the walk fun and the food stories easy to follow. One small planning note: because some eateries can be swapped on the day, your exact order of places might shift, even though the tastings stay consistent.

Key things that make this Copenhagen food tour worth your time

• Exclusive Arla Unika access with a flagship cheese tasting and a drink to start
• Smørrebrød built for lunch with sourdough rye and mostly organic/free-range ingredients
• A full sweet circuit: Bornholm licorice, Sømods Bolcher sweets, pastry from Riviera Bakery, and Summerbird chocolate
• Real Denmark drinks: a three-sample beer tasting plus apple wine and cider/beer options
• Local favorite hot dog from Den Økologiske Pølsemand near the Round Tower area

A food-led walk that tracks Denmark’s new-and-old flavors

Copenhagen’s food scene has changed fast in recent years. The tour captures that shift in a practical way: you’ll taste both classic Danish comfort foods (like smørrebrød and licorice) and the cleaner, lighter “new Nordic” attitude that leans on local produce and seasonal thinking.

What I like about this approach is that it doesn’t feel like a theme park route. You’re not just eating big hits of tourist food. You’re sampling products with names, makers, and specific roles in Danish daily life. That matters, because Denmark’s “conservative” reputation gets complicated once you start trying the details: how cheese is built with chef collaborations, how rye bread becomes a canvas for toppings, and how licorice can go from polarizing to world-famous.

Also, you’ll keep walking. The tour is about light sightseeing by foot while you eat. That’s ideal if you want to learn what to order later, not just collect bites.

Torvehallerne and Arla Unika: the cheese tasting start that sets the tone

You begin in central Copenhagen, then head toward Torvehallerne covered market halls, where the tour opens with Arla Unika. This stop isn’t a random cheese counter. It’s Copenhagen’s flagship cheese shop, and the tour’s tasting is award-winning and exclusive to this experience.

Here’s what you’ll get out of it:

• An artisan cheese tasting featuring cheeses developed in collaboration with Michelin-starred chefs
• Time to see the variety and understand why Danish cheese has a strong “maker identity”
• A drink pairing at the market: a glass of Danish craft beer or cider, plus apple wine at Arla Unika

That drink detail is more than a bonus. Denmark is a country where food and alcohol (or alcohol-like beverages) often belong together at the table. Starting with a cheese-and-drink combo gives your palate a base—salty, creamy, and often a little sharp—so later stops like chocolate and licorice make more sense.

Practical tip: wear comfortable shoes. The market halls are easy to navigate, but you’ll be on your feet for the whole first half.

Bornholm Shop and Sømods Bolcher: licorice, caramels, and court-asked sweets

After the cheese, you’ll keep moving through Copenhagen’s sweet-and-savory retail culture. One stop is Bornholm Shop, where the focus is liquorice, caramels, and preserves.

This is where Denmark’s reputation for “strange sweets” turns into something smarter. Licorice in particular isn’t just candy here—it’s a known flavor style with its own loyal audience. Bornholm-style offerings also show you how Danish sweets can be both intense and carefully balanced.

Then you’ll reach Sømods Bolcher, with handmade sweets that are by appointment to the Royal Danish Court. The wording matters because this is not industrial mass candy. The tour frames these treats as specialty goods, and once you taste them, you’ll see the difference in texture and flavor control.

In Denmark, sweet quality often shows up as:

• cleaner flavor (less syrupy clutter)
• stronger “ingredient personality”
• more thoughtful shaping and finishing

And yes, this is a “sweet stop” day. If you’re the type who worries about sugar overload, don’t cancel. Just pace your bites and keep sipping water between tastings.

Botanical Gardens apple wine plus Riviera Bakery pastry

Between candy and lunch, the tour takes you through Copenhagen Botanical Gardens. This isn’t just a pretty break. The goal is to give your body a breather and reset your sense of taste before heavier items.

You’ll stop for a sample of Danish apple wine while relaxing in the green surroundings. Apple wine can be sweet and aromatic, and it can soften the sharpness of licorice and cheese flavors. It also turns the tour from a strict “eat-eat-eat” schedule into something with rhythm.

Next up: pastry from Riviera Bakery, described as a local favorite far from chain-bakery sameness. You’re getting a flaky, fresh Danish pastry, and that’s a key balance point. If your sweet journey is starting to tilt too far toward rich candy, a buttery pastry gives you a different kind of comfort: crisp layers and warm wheat-and-butter flavor.

If you’re someone who usually skips pastries because they feel too filling, this stop is worth paying attention to. It’s not presented as a dessert afterthought—it’s part of the tour’s meal logic.

Smørrebrød at Aamanns café or Café & Ølhalle 1892: the lunch you actually care about

Smørrebrød is the headline lunch of this tour. The experience takes you to Aamanns café for hearty open sandwiches made from sourdough rye bread and predominantly organic and free-range produce.

You may also visit RØRT or Café & Ølhalle 1892, depending on the day. The tour’s smørrebrød venue list matters because Café & Ølhalle 1892 is iconic and old-school: it opened in 1892 and serves traditional smørrebrød to locals. It’s also considered the city’s oldest beer hall.

What to expect on the plate:

• Rye bread that holds up under toppings (not flimsy toast)
• Simple, classic flavor logic—think quality ingredients over heavy sauces
• A layout that feels like everyday Danish lunch, not fine-dining performance

One consideration: this is often where the pacing can feel tight. If the beer hall is busy, you’ll need to eat efficiently and keep chatting above the crowd noise. That doesn’t mean the food is bad—it means you should treat this stop like a real local lunch: tasty, social, and not built for slow linger time.

If you want to enjoy it most, go in hungry, then take small bites fast. You’ll taste more, and you won’t feel rushed.

Beer at Nørrebro Bryghus, then an organic hot dog near the Round Tower

Once lunch is handled, you get a shift into Denmark’s casual drink culture. At Nørrebro Bryghus, the tour includes tasting three different types of home-brewed beer. You’re not just drinking to drink; you’re sampling a spread, which helps your palate notice differences in malt, bitterness, and finish.

Then comes something wonderfully straightforward: Den Økologiske Pølsemand, a local favorite near the Round Tower area, where you’ll get an organic hot dog of your choice.

This combo works because it prevents the tour from getting too “dessert + rich food only.” Beer and hot dog is classic, easy, and filling—but the organic angle makes it fit the tour’s theme of thoughtful sourcing.

Practical tip: if you’re sensitive to alcohol, focus on slow sips during the beer tasting. The tour is designed so you get enough tastings to feel full, but the pacing can still add up.

Summerbird chocolate and flødeboller: finishing with the good stuff

The tour ends sweet, as it should, at Summerbird Chocolate, described as Copenhagen’s premier chocolatier. This is where luxury Danish chocolate becomes edible souvenirs in your brain.

You’ll also encounter flødeboller, which are chocolate-coated marshmallows. They’re the kind of treat people argue about after the fact: some love the texture contrast (soft marshmallow against crisp chocolate), others need one bite to decide.

Included in the sweet run:

• A signature chocolate treat from Summerbird
• Lakrids A by Johan Bülow: sweet licorice with a chocolate coating, world-famous in Danish gourmet culture
• The earlier candy stops, plus pastry, so your final sweetness doesn’t feel random—it’s a culmination of flavors you already met along the way

If you’re thinking about ordering more chocolate later in the week, this is actually useful. Once you taste Summerbird plus Johan Bülow licorice, you’ll know what kind of sweets you personally like and what feels like overkill.

Is it good value at $149.95 for a 4-hour tasting day?

At $149.95 per person for about 4 hours, the value depends on one thing: do you want a guided food education with built-in portions, or do you prefer to pick foods yourself?

This tour tends to feel like good value for food-focused travelers because:

• It includes multiple tastings that add up to enough for a full meal
• You’re not just eating; you’re also getting drinks (beer/cider and apple wine, plus beer samples later)
• Several stops are framed as local favorites or specialty makers (Arla Unika, Sømods Bolcher, Riviera Bakery, Summerbird)
• Group size is capped at 12, which usually means more attention and smoother pacing than larger tours

If your goal is only “one quick snack and a few photos,” this might be too much. But if you want to leave Copenhagen knowing what to eat on your own tomorrow, the cost starts to look reasonable.

One extra value point: the tour is booked fairly in advance on average (around 45 days), which usually signals demand and smooth logistics. If you’re traveling in peak season, waiting can put you on the wrong side of sold-out time slots.

Who this Copenhagen culinary tour suits best

This works especially well if you:

• Want a walk-through food plan so you don’t have to guess what to order
• Like a mix of classic Danish staples (smørrebrød, licorice, pastries) and the newer emphasis on local ingredients
• Prefer small-group tours (maximum 12) over big group chaos
• Enjoy guides who connect food to Copenhagen culture—guides like Toby, Marie, Fredrick, and Camilla are repeatedly associated with strong pacing and clear storytelling

It’s also a solid early or mid-trip activity. You get orientation, then you can use what you learn later. The route is described as requiring moderate physical fitness, so expect normal city walking, plus a few stops.

Should you book this tour?

Book it if you want the most efficient way to taste Copenhagen’s modern Danish food identity—cheese, rye bread lunch, beer, organic hot dog, and a seriously good chocolate finish—without spending your day hunting reservations.

Skip or think twice if you hate crowded lunch environments. The smørrebrød stop can be lively, and you should be okay with eating in a bit of a rush. Also, if you’re extremely sensitive to sweets or alcohol, you may want to plan your tastings carefully.

If you fall in the middle, you’ll probably love it. The tour’s best ingredient isn’t just the food—it’s the steady sequence that keeps you full, informed, and moving through real neighborhoods and makers.

FAQ

How long is the Copenhagen Culinary Experience Food Tour?

The tour runs for about 4 hours.

What’s included in the tastings?

All tastings are included and are enough for a full meal. The tour includes an award-winning cheese tasting, smørrebrød, an organic hot dog, sweets and pastry, a Summerbird chocolate treat, plus drink samples including beer/cider and apple wine.

Are there alcohol tastings?

Yes. You’ll get a glass of Danish craft beer or cider at Arla Unika, and you’ll also sample three types of home-brewed beer at Nørrebro Bryghus.

Where do you meet and where does it end?

You meet at Frederiksborggade 19, 1360 København, Denmark. The tour ends back at the meeting point.

Is the tour suitable for dietary restrictions?

You can advise dietary requirements at booking in the Special Requirements field, and the tour is designed to take dietary restrictions seriously.

How large is the group?

The tour has a maximum of 12 travelers.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. It offers free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. Changes inside 24 hours aren’t accepted.