Last Tuesday I got back from a holiday trip to Europe with Open Invite Trips, an exclusive group travel experience for women! I’ll be sharing all of the details from my trip in this week’s podcast episode (out tomorrow!), but wanted to share photos links to my city guides for easy reference. I’ve updated my Amsterdam City Guide and added a new one for Copenhagen! Just a reminder, you can find all of my city guides here. If you have a question about Open Invite Trips and how it works/what it costs/what is covered/etc, chances are I’m going to be answering it on the podcast this week, so be sure to tune in here!
The reason I signed up for this trip was primarily for Copenhagen, as I had not been yet and have long desired a tour of the Scandinavian countries. I spent four nights in Copenhagen and three nights in Amsterdam, and I would say that was the perfect length of time to spend in both cities. I’ve done Amsterdam twice before, so I’d already checked off most of the touristy things and was looking forward to just bopping around town. I should note a few of us also spent a day and a half in Paris at the end, but I ended up getting sick and felt pretty terrible the last couple of days. I didn’t end up taking many pictures, and most of our activities were inside! I’ve been to Paris several times before though, so I didn’t feel too bad about not exploring like I normally would.
Below are photos from the Copenhagen and Amsterdam portions of my trip, along with some highlights from each! As I said before, I’ll be speaking about each destination, activity, meal and the entire experience with Open Invite on the podcast so I’m not going to deep dive into it here. Just wanted to provide a post for easy referencing!
PHOTOS FROM COPENHAGEN
NYHAVN // COPENHAGEN CITY CENTER
TIVOLI GARDENS – this was such a treat to visit during the holiday season! It’s one of the world’s oldest amusement parks, and it gets totally decked out in holiday lights, Christmas trees, and festive decor for November and December. In addition to rides, you can also find several restaurants, food and drink vendors, little shops and more attractions at Tivoli. Here I am pictured with Gluhwein, but the real highlight was trying aebleskiver for the first time – they are basically pancakes in the shape of a donut hole… SO DELICIOUS! I bought an aebleskiver cast iron pan on Amazon the second I got back so I could try and make them at home.
TIVOLI GARDENS // ROUND TOWER
VIEW FROM THE ROUND TOWER // ILLUM DEPARTMENT STORE
A PHOTO OF THE OPEN INVITE TRIPS GROUP // OUTSIDE HOTEL SANDERS
PHOTOS FROM AROUND COPENHAGEN
COOKING CLASS BAKING COPENHAGEN BUNS – I’m normally someone who loves to sightsee and explore, so the idea of a cooking class was not appealing to me… but it ended up being one of my favorite things we did as a group on the trip! It was a great way to get to know some of the other ladies better, and we got to try our hand at baking three of Copenhagen’s most popular buns.
THE ROUND TOWER // DINNER AT RESTAURANT BARR – I dined here on my first night in Copenhagen! I arrived a day early so I could get my bearings before everyone gathered to start the group trip, and this was the perfect spot for a solo diner. They have a small bar that overlooks the kitchen, and I ended up meeting two other solo travelers who were also seated there. The menu is fairly limited, but I thoroughly enjoyed what I got! I ordered the cabbage appetizer (very light, but lots of flavor!), and the Wiener Schnitzel for my entree. The Schnitzel was perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, and the ideal amount of butter. It was also served with a whipped horseradish – superb!
ROSENBORG CASTLE – In addition to beautiful interiors, here you’ll also be able to view the Danish Crown Jewels. Something to note – the entire castle is not very well lit. We went on a particularly dreary day and it was so dark inside many of the rooms, which made it hard to see everything and probably not as enjoyable? I’d recommend going on a day when you’ll get as much natural light in each room as possible.
NYHAVN // DINNER AT BAEST – we had a group dinner here and everything was absolutely delicious! They have great pizzas, charcuterie plates, freshly baked bread, and so much more to enjoy. We all raved about the kale salad and the Brussels sprouts in a pesto sauce.
ROSENBORG CASTLE
OPEN-FACED SANDWICHES AT RESTAURANT PALAEGADE – a fancy lunch spot with some amazing open-faced sandwiches, a Copenhagen delicacy! It’s a very popular restaurant, so reservations required. // STREETS IN COPENHAGEN
PHOTOS FROM AMSTERDAM
VIEW OF THE CANALS // CANAL TOUR IN AMSTERDAM
THE PANCAKE BAKERY – I’m no stranger to Amsterdam’s famous pancakes and was thrilled Open Invite had a dinner planned around them! Amsterdam’s pancakes are thicker than a crepe and thinner than a pancake, and can be filled with any variety of savory or sweet ingredients. I always get ham & cheese – a classic combo. // CAFE DE KLEPEL – I decided to dine here on a night I had solo, and had the best meal at the bar! If you want access to a table and the full dinner menu, you need to make a reservation in advance, but I managed to get there early enough to snag one of the seats at the bar! There’s a specific bar menu of apps, including charcuterie and cheese boards, oysters, escargot, and a few other items. I decided to go with the charcuterie board and escargot, and it was the perfect meal! So cozy and delicious.
CAFE DE KLEPEL // CANAL BOAT TOUR – Open Invite Trips scheduled a lovely canal boat tour and we enjoyed an elegant lunch on board! The wine, Prosecco AND conversation were flowing! Such a fun experience to consider if you’re traveling with a big group!
