Considering I’ve lived in Denmark for going on four years and have explored our little country on many a weekend, I think I’ve been able to curate a near-perfect list of the best day trips from Aarhus.
We live just one hour away from Aarhus in Billund (where LEGO is headquartered) which means we’ve also taken our fair share of day trips and overnighters to the Aarhus. I’ve compiled what I think is the ultimate guide to Aarhus Denmark and if you haven’t read it yet, you definitely need to.
Anyway, the nice thing about Denmark is that it really isn’t a large country which means you can see a lot of it without an insane amount of driving. And Aarhus is pretty centrally located which makes it a great home base for various day trips throughout Denmark.
Spoiler alert- one of my top recommendations for places to visit near Aarhus is Billund. I may be partial since we live here, but you can’t visit Denmark and not visit the birthplace of LEGO. You need to check out The LEGO House in Billund, it’s a one-of-a-kind experience.
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Best time of year to visit these places near Aarhus Denmark
By far the best time to travel in Denmark is from June-September. The weather is (hopefully) hovering in the high 60°s F and 70°s F with more days of sun than rain. That being said, you could still have a week of rain in the middle of July- but it’s much less likely than if you visit in the winter.
If you want to avoid some of the crowds and steeper prices, steer clear of July as that’s when schools are out and Danes (even those without kids) are taking their holidays.
The winters in Denmark are gray, cold, and rainy affairs with limited hours of sunlight. If you’re keen on visiting Denmark in the winter, definitely make it December so that you can catch some of the Christmas markets.
Type of transportation needed for these Aarhus day trips
If you are planning on exploring only Aarhus you really don’t need to rent a car. Aarhus is quite a walkable city and great public transit options are available for any parts of the city you may not want to walk to.
And overall Denmark has a pretty decent public transit system connecting many of the larger cities. However, getting to some of the smaller towns via public transit from Aarhus can be quite time-consuming and may require multiple transfers.
But don’t fret, there are plenty of cities to visit near Aarhus that you can reach easily via public transit. I have indicated how long it takes to reach each city via car or public transit and I point out if public transit is not recommended to reach a specific destination.
If you want to visit multiple cities on this list below of Århus day trips, I would recommend renting a car. You’ll be able to see much more and see it more efficiently. And for some of these day trips from Århus, public transit just really isn’t a good option.
Map of the 10 best cities to visit near Aarhus Denmark
*Use this interactive map to help plan your day trips from Aarhus Denmark. Click the arrow on the left-hand side to see a pop-out list of all the map pins. Or click on the rectangle on the top right-hand side to open the map in a new tab.*
10 Top Day Trips From Aarhus Denmark
1. Ebeltoft
- Distance From Aarhus: 45 minutes by car, 1.5 hours by bus
- Top Things to see: Quaint, slanting half-timbered homes from the 1600s, a glass-blowing museum, and a huge ship in the harbor from the 1800s.
One of the closest, quaintest places to visit from Aarhus is going to be Ebeltoft Denmark. If you really want to see Denmark’s iconic colorful, half-timbered homes and buildings from as late as the 1600s, then Ebeltoft is the place for you.
Visiting Ebeltoft is like visiting the open-air museum ‘Den Gamle By’ in Aarhus, but instead, it’s all buildings in their original locations (rather than buildings from around Denmark that have been transported to a museum). You’ll get the cobblestone streets, beautiful blooming hollyhocks (in the summer), and old buildings leaning so much to one side that you’re not sure how they are even standing.
Some of the prettiest streets to add to your itinerary are Nørrebakke and Adelgade to see the half-timbered Restaurant Mellem Jyder that is tipping in all directions, colorful homes, and the Old Town Hall.
Plus, swing by the harbor to visit the Fregatten Jylland ship and museum. This huge ship is one of the longest and most significant historic wooden ships in the world. It was built in the 1800s and served faithfully for the Danish Navy. The museum has lots of great activities and tours for both kids and adults.
And if all that’s not enough, you can also visit the Ebeltoft Glass Blowing Museum. Not only can you see glass exhibitions at the museum, but you can also visit the Glass Studio to see glass blowing live.
If you’re visiting the glass museum with kids, be sure to make a glass mosaic of your own to take home (by creating a colorful motif and gluing the glass together).
2. Silkeborg
- Distance From Aarhus: 40 minutes by car, 45 minutes by bus
- Top Things to see: Go canoeing or take a ride on the world’s oldest remaining coal-fired steamer
Silkeborg is a unique area of Denmark sometimes known as ‘the lake district’. Not only can you explore the city of Silkeborg itself, but my recommendation would be to rent canoes at the Silkeborg Harbor from Silkeborg Kanocenter.
From the harbor, you will paddle past uniquely Danish summer homes and to as many lakes as you’d like (it’s kind of a big area of connected lakes).
If canoeing isn’t your thing, another great option is to take a ride on the Hjejlebådene which is the world’s oldest coal-fired paddle steamer in operation (clear from 1861). You can take a short or a long ride or even a ride right at sunset.
3. Jelling
- Distance From Aarhus: 1 hour by car, 1 hour and 20 minutes by train
- Top Things to see: Viking rune stones, Viking mounds, and a church all from around 965 AD + a free Viking museum
If you are looking for a day trip to take from Aarhus that is a quick stop- then Jelling may be a good option for you. Jelling is also right on the way to Billund (the next city I talk about) and would be a great, quick stop on your way.
Jelling is a great stop for those who love Vikings because it’s home to the Kongernes Jelling Viking Museum (which is free to enter btw). But, in my opinion, is that just across the street (and always accessible) are two, large Viking rune stones from 965 AD written by King Harald Bluetooth. The original stones are on display in glass cases outside next to a Christian church with a history back to around 1100 AD.
The original church was constructed of wood and built by the same Viking, King Harald Bluetooth- but four different churches have since been reconstructed on the same site. Harald Bluetooth is known for converting Denmark to Christianity.
You can also look for the remains of Denmark’s largest Viking stone ship outline or climb Denmark’s two largest Viking grave mounds.
As I mentioned, the rune stones, mounds, church, and the ship outline are located outside and are always accessible, even if the museum is closed.
4. Billund
- Distance From Aarhus: 1 hour and 10 minutes by car, 1 hour and 30 minutes by train/bus
- Top Things to see: LEGO Headquarters, The LEGO House, and the original Legoland
Billund is definitely one of the best kid-friendly day trips from Aarhus (but it’s still awesome even if you don’t have kids with you). Billund is a tiny little town in Denmark where LEGO was invented and even after almost 100 years, it’s still the home of LEGO Headquarters.
I know a thing or two about Billund as LEGO is the entire reason we have lived in Denmark for many years- my husband works as a LEGO model designer designing the sets you see on store shelves and online.
But anyway, back to things you can do in Billund. My top recommendation for Billund is to visit The LEGO House which is a totally immersive LEGO experience and museum. It’s the only place of its kind in the world and there are no plans to build anything like it anywhere else. Check out my guide to The LEGO House if you want to head there.
You can also visit the first-ever Legoland, take a picture with a huge LEGO Minifigure in front of the beautiful LEGO Campus, and see the original home of the LEGO Founders (the Christiansen family).
If you love LEGO, check out this post: 7 Awesome LEGO Things You Need to See in Billund Denmark
5. Søndervig
- Distance From Aarhus: 1 hour and 55 minutes by car, not recommended by public transit
- Top Things to see: Lynvig Fyr lighthouse, Søndervig beach (strand)
One of the best day summer day trips from Aarhus is heading over to the west coast of Denmark to see the neverending stretches of beaches lined with grassy sand dunes. You can visit in the winter months as well, but I will warn you that it will be quite cold.
My recommendation for a west coast beach that’s easy to get to from Aarhus is Søndervig Strand. The walk through the sand dunes is gorgeous and something about having a picnic in the dunes sheltered from the wind feels like it’s straight out of a movie.
All of the west coast beaches are perfect for beachcombing where you will find all sorts of shells, jellyfish and even amber if you’re lucky (and you know what you’re doing).
But beyond the beach, I highly recommend climbing the stairs to the top of Lynvig Fyr lighthouse. It’s an incredibly picturesque lighthouse with the most amazing views of the grassy, rosehip-lined sand dunes leading out to the sea. That view is one of my favorite views in all of Denmark.
Plus, the small roads near the west coast are lined with Danish summer homes with traditional thatched-roof houses that look straight from a fairytale.
6. Aalborg
- Distance From Aarhus: 1 hour and 20 minutes by car, 1 hour and 20 minutes by train
- Top Things to see: Aalborg city center, a Viking burial site, and a half-timbered castle from the 1500s
Aalborg is Denmark’s fourth largest city and just over an hour north of Aarhus. It’s a perfect stop if you are heading up north to Skagen and you want to get out of the car and stretch your legs a little. If you don’t have much time, I recommend stopping by Lindholm Høje which is an awesome Viking burial site with stone markings in the shapes of ships, circles, and triangles.
The burial site is just outside of the city center and is one of my favorite things to see in Denmark. There is also a museum onsite you can explore if you have a bit more time.
Or you can visit the city center of Aalborg where you can visit the Aalborghus Castle which is a red and white half-timbered castle from the 1500s. Plus in the city center, you can get a nice view of the city and water from the Aalborg Salling Rooftop (similar to the rooftop on my list of things to do in Aarhus).
7. Skagen
- Distance From Aarhus: 2.5 hours by car, not recommended by public transit
- Top Things to see: Northernmost point of Denmark where the two seas meet, a lighthouse in the sand on a cliff edge, a sand ‘buried’ church, and Denmark’s largest sand dunes
Next to Copenhagen, Skagen is one of the most visited destinations in Denmark, and for good reason! Skagen is the city at the northernmost tip of Denmark. It has a cute town with yellow buildings, a famous art museum, and a shop where you can watch hard candies and licorice being made.
If you are taking a day trip to Skagen from Aarhus, I definitely recommend you do it by car. It will be very difficult to take full advantage of the area if you choose to travel via public transit.
However, the biggest attraction in Skagen is Grenen- the point where you can see the waves of the Baltic and the North Seas meet! You can walk along the sand past WWII bunkers to see the waves meet or you can take a ride on the Sandormen Tractor.
Other amazing sights to see not in Skagen, but nearby in the north of Denmark are the buried church, the epic Rubjerg Knude lighthouse in huge sand dunes along the edge of a cliff (they actually recently moved the entire lighthouse to keep it from falling) and the Råbjerg Mile sand dunes.
8. Kolding
- Distance From Aarhus: 1 hour and 10 minutes by car, 1 hour and 20 minutes by train
- Top Things to see: Castle from the 1200s (Koldinghus), Trapholt Art and Design Museum, and a fjord
Kolding is a city that is often overlooked but has some fun things to see and do. The main attraction in Kolding is the Koldinghus- a 750-year-old castle that is now a museum with many exhibits and a viewpoint overlooking the city.
And if you love design, but can’t make it to the Design Museum in Copenhagen, I’d recommend visiting the Trapholt Museum of Modern Art, Craft, and Design. Danes are proud of their design history and you can get a taste of it here.
The Trapholt Museum and Koldinghus are both located on the Kolding Fjord a picturesque body of water lined with red-roofed Danish homes.
9. Odense
- Distance From Aarhus: 1 hour and 45 minutes by car, 1 hour and 30 minutes by train (not recommended if you want to go to Egeskov Castle)
- Top Things to see: Castle from the 1200s (Egeskov Castle), Trapholt Art and Design Museum, and a fjord
If you love castles, fairytales, and colorful homes, Odense is the city to visit for you. Odense is known for being the birthplace of the famous writer, that’s known for his fairytales, Hans Christian Anderson. The Hans Christian Anderson museum has beautiful immersive experiences and amazing fairytale play areas for kids.
You can also visit his childhood or home or see the colorful Danish houses on Munkemøllestræde and the surrounding area.
But my top favorite thing to do in the Odense area is to take the 30-minute drive south of the city into the countryside to Egeskov Castle. You can tour Egeskov Castle, but in my opinion, the grounds surrounding the castle are really what makes this castle amazing.
There are hedge mazes, rose gardens, unique museums, and epic playgrounds for the kiddos in your group. You could spend an entire day exploring everything around Egeskov Castle.
10. Copenhagen
- Distance From Aarhus: 3 hours and 15 minutes by car, 2 hours and 40 minutes by train
- Top Things to see: A canal boat tour starting from the colorful Nyhavn (harbor), Rosenborg Palace, Amalienborg Palace, and lots of other cool things
Ok, Copenhagen is the obvious city to visit in Denmark. It’s the capital of Denmark and the country’s largest city. Although it’s a different part of the country from Aarhus, it still is pretty easily reachable from Aarhus in just a day trip.
If you have the time, I’d recommend spending a couple of days in Copenhagen. However, if you don’t, then I think a day trip to the city is just fine. If you’re just doing a day trip to Copenhagen from Aarhus, I’d recommend taking the train. The train is faster, you can relax and you won’t need your car to explore the city.
Be sure to check out my one-day Copenhagen itinerary to know all of the top sights you can fit into one day. When you think of Copenhagen think of an unbelievable amount of people cycling, and picturesque canals that you can take a canal boat tour of (either a smaller more intimate canal tour or a less-expensive group canal tour).
To take advantage of your limited time in Copenhagen, you may want to book this 3.5-hour Copenhagen Hygge & Happiness Tour or this 3-hour Copenhagen historical highlights tour.
Plus Copenhagen has castles, churches, an amusement park right in the city, and beautiful viewpoints. It’s definitely a city to not miss.
And those are the cities I recommend to visit if you are wondering what cities are near Aarhus that you can visit in one day! Please let me know if you have any questions about traveling in Denmark in the comments below- I’ll be sure to get back to you.
Check out these other posts, I know you’ll love them:
- 7 Awesome LEGO Things You Need to See in Billund Denmark
- A Local’s Ultimate Guide to The LEGO House Home of the Brick
- 22+ Best Things to do in Aarhus Denmark: The Ultimate Guide
- Viking Ship Museum Denmark: Everything You Need to Know!
- Explore a Beautiful Viking Burial Site in Aalborg Denmark
- 24 Things You Need to Know Before Visiting Copenhagen Denmark
- The Only Itinerary You Need for One Day in Copenhagen
- 8 Incredible and Budget-Friendly Copenhagen Hotels
- The Ultimate Cheaps Eats Copenhagen Food Guide
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