Things to Do in Odense

September 2, 2026

Things to Do in Odense

Odense is the main city on the island of Funen (Fyn) and the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen, so much of what you do here circles back to the storyteller. It is a compact, flat, walkable city, roughly 1h15 to 1h35 by train from Copenhagen, and it works well as a base for the wider island. Prices are in Danish kroner (DKK, “kr”), not euro.

Hans Christian Andersen sites

H.C. Andersens Hus is the headline attraction: a largely underground museum by the architect Kengo Kuma that opened in 2021, built around a green “Fairytale Garden.” Adult entry is around 165 DKK; under-18s go free but still need a booked ticket, and reserving ahead is advised. The same ticket covers same-day entry to the small yellow Childhood Home on Munkemollestraede near the cathedral, where Andersen lived as a boy.

Odense Zoo and the river cruise

Odense Zoo keeps more than 2,000 animals across roughly 147 species, with an indoor South-America rainforest (the Oceanium), giraffes, penguins and manatees. Adult tickets are 250 DKK and children (3 to 11) 150 DKK, with under-3s free. You can reach it on foot, by bike, or on the Odense Aafart river cruise, which has run since 1882 and links Munke Mose in the centre to the zoo and the Fruens Boge beech forest. A return adult fare is about 125 DKK, child 95 DKK.

Culture and the old town

Kunstmuseum Brandts, Funen’s largest art museum, sits in a converted 1869 textile factory in the Latin Quarter, with a cafe and art bookshop. TID (formerly Montergarden) is the city museum, set among old courtyards. Den Fynske Landsby, the Funen Village, is an open-air museum of 25 historic buildings in the Fruens Boge woods and is worth a couple of hours.

Active and rainy-day options

Odense calls itself Denmark’s cycling capital, with a large network of dedicated lanes, so a rental bike along the river is an easy half-day. For families or wet weather there is Jumping Fun (trampolines), Bowl’n’Fun (bowling, indoor karting, laser tag, minigolf) and the GoMonkey high-ropes park on the edge of town.

Beyond the city

Funen is the real bonus. Egeskov Castle about 30 minutes south, the Ladby Viking ship near Kerteminde, and coastal towns such as Svendborg and Faaborg all make easy outings by train or bus.