Malmö travel guide: the best one-day trip from Copenhagen?

Explore Malmö with a one-day trip from Copenhagen with this travel guide. Find out how to get there, prices, tips and the best things to do in this beautiful Swedish city!

Copenhagen is a beautiful city with plenty of interesting things to do. However, one of the reasons to visit it is the proximity to other regions and countries, such as Sweden. Thanks to the Øresund bridge, Sweden and Denmark are connected, and it is very easy to commute or travel between cities. Thus, lots of people consider Malmö as a one-day trip destination from Copenhagen. In this guide you will find all the information needed to decide if you want to spend one full day in Malmö, the main things to visit and do and practicalities, like how to get there or how pricey it is.

FAQ’s one-day trip to Malmö

How to get from Copenhagen to Malmö?

There are multiple ways to go from one city to the other.

The three most common options are:

• Train
• Bus
• Private car (via Øresund bridge)

How long does it take to go from Copenhagen to Malmö?

Depending on the transportation method you choose, it can take from 30-40 minutes to 1h. The most convenient way to visit the Swedish city from Copenhagen is the train. It takes 36 minutes, it is comfortable and quite affordable.

Other options to go from Copenhagen to Malmö are to rent a car o to take a bus. Either way, these options will end up being almost as expensive as the train if not more, especially the car, as the Øresund bridge comes with a fee of 57€ one way. If you split the cost with some friends it can be comparable.

Buses take between 40 minutes and 1 hour and prices are comparable to the ones on the train. Thus, the train is the most common and easiest way to get to Malmö from Copenhagen.

How much does it cost to go from Copenhagen to Malmö by train?

Being the easiest and most comfortable way to commute between the two cities, you could think that it would be the most expensive one. Nothing is more distant from reality. The price for the one-way ticket is 133 SEK (Swedish Krona), around 12 €/$, operated by the Swedish railway company SJ. The trains leave every 10-20 minutes from Copenhagen central station and tickets can be purchased online on the official SJ website here!

Do I need a visa to visit Malmö?

When travelling in Europe, it is so common to hop between countries that one forgets about things like visas. In this case, you are going from Denmark to Sweden or vice versa. If you are already legally in Europe, you should not have any problems with visiting Malmö from Copenhagen. In fact, there are no controls or similarities along the way (or at least not regularly). For anyone who has their nationality and resides in a European country, not even a Passport is needed, just with your ID you will be welcomed into any EU member country.

Does Malmö use the same currency as Copenhagen?

No. While in Denmark the currency is the Danish Krone, in Sweden they use the Swedish Krone. While prices between cities are similar (a bit cheaper in Malmö, you should not worry about exchanging money. Paying with a credit card is possible everywhere in Malmö (and Copenhagen), and this way you can forget about coins, foreign banknotes and possible scams.

How long does it take to see Malmö?

Malmö is a quite big city with around 350.000 inhabitants. The ideal time to spend in the city should be 2-3 days. However, in one day you can visit all its major tourist spots and even get lost in its beaches. This is what makes Malmö an ideal one-day trip from Copenhagen.

How to move around Malmö?

As a medium-large size city, Malmö has in place a good transportation system. Nonetheless, you won’t need to take almost any metros or buses, as things are very close from one to the other, and if you only spend one day in the city, walking as much as possible is the best way to get soaked in its vibe.

How to spend one day in Malmö? (best things to do as a one-day trip)

Malmö has a great mix of history, culture and architecture. Moreover, its location next to the sea also adds up to the experience, with a walk by the seaside during sunset as a great plan. All the spots listed in this guide can be visited in a one-day trip from Copenhagen to Malmö. A busy day, though.

Admire a unique metro station

As a travel photographer, Malmö was under my radar for one reason: the Triangeln Metro station. Although I usually prefer photographing nature or landscapes, a stop there is a must for anyone who either likes architecture or wants to get a unique shot. It is a bit far away from the city centre, although at a walking distance from there.

TIP: If you take the train from Copenhagen to Malmö, you can alternatively stop there and visit the metro station and walk to the city centre from there, instead of reaching the central station and then going all the way back there.

Explore the parks and gardens

Malmö is a green city. Without many tall buildings (although there is a quite famous one as you’ll see below), it is an easy-to-walk city with lots of gardens. The three I recommend are Pildammsparken, Slottsparken and Kungsparken. The latter two are merged one with the other and close to one of the most popular areas in the city. The first one though is close to the Triangeln Metro station, a more off-the-beaten-path spot. Still, a beautiful, quiet and relaxing place to see.

Malmö City Library

Whenever I visit a new city, I immediately look for the Market, the main train station and the Library. And Malmö has a quite unique City Library. The old building, which looks like a fortress is impressive from the outside, but the modern building next to it, also part of the Library is something you would not expect to find in the heart of a quiet park. Its architecture is very interesting, and if you are respectful and keep silent, it is a great spot to visit in Malmö.

Visit the Malmö Castle

In the heart of Kungsparken, one of the parks of Malmö, there is Malmö Castle. This 17th-century building was erected after the old one from the 15h century was destroyed during a rebellion. Nowadays it serves as a museum where you can learn more about the history of the castle but also of the city and country.

If you visit the city on a rainy or especially cold day, it could be a great option. However, if you only have a few hours and want to see most spots on this list, I would recommend skipping the museum and visiting the castle and the surrounding gardens.

Visit the Malmö Fish Market & Saluhall

Being located next to the ocean, Malmö is a fisherman’s city (or used to be). Thus, fish is a big part of the culinary offer in the city, and it can be seen from the various markets in the city. I would suggest visiting two of them. First, the Fish Market, which is very close to the Malmö castle. However, depending on the time of the day that you visit it, will be empty or very busy. It greatly depends on the fishermen’s schedules.

Thus, to see a more modern version of the market, you can visit the Saluhall. Don’t expect a farmer’s market, but more a place to try some of the typical food of the city. Multiple stands, some of the Swedish food but others with Asian or Middle-eastern offers, in an interesting building. Despite not being a typical market, it is worth visiting.

Discover Malmö’s old town

Malmö has a cute and beautiful old town. A mix of wooden façaces and colourful houses and more brick walls buildings occupy the old town of the city. Lilla Torg and Stortorget squares are the places to get started. The latter is where the Town Hall is, but make sure to get lost in some of its alleys and wander around. Especially on a sunny day, the old town of Malmö is very welcoming and nice to explore.

Visit Sankt Petri kyrka

This 14th-century brick church is the most important one in the city. The interior is impressive, with a tall nave, but what made me include it on this list is the side chapel that keeps some of the old paintings of the church. Not a common sight, and interesting especially for those who are into art, history or architecture. The church is free to visit but accepts donations from visitors. A great place to pause a bit from a busy day at the heart of the old town.

Try some of the Swedish fish

If you make it out of the Saluhall Market without eating any fish, you might want to stop anywhere in the old town (or surrounds) to try the local delicacies. There are lots of options, from the typical Nordic small fish snacks (Smörgåsbord or Smørbrød) to more elaborated options. Being at such a place, even if fish is not your thing, maybe it is worth giving it a try.

See the Turning Torso

Any Malmö travel guide (no matter if it is a one-day trip from Copenhagen or not), will list the turning torso as one of the things to see. This is a very characteristic skyscraper. Its turning shape is unique and can be seen from multiple spots in the city. It is the tallest residential building in the European Union and the tallest building in the Scandinavian countries.

Usually, the only way to see the Turning Torso is from the ground. However, for some weeks during summer, it is open to the general public, but the availability is limited.

To get the best possible views of the Turning Torso, though, avoid getting close to it, as it won’t be possible to get a good perspective of its size and shape. The place where I got the best views of the building was the next item on this list.

Admire the views of Copenhagen from Ribersborgsstranden beach

One of the reasons why Malmö is a great one-day trip from Copenhagen is because the two cities are very close. So close that you can see Copenhagen from Malmö’s Ribersborgsstranden beach. On sunny days, from the seaside of Malmö, it is possible to recognize some of the most iconic buildings in Copenhagen.

Besides the views, Ribersborgsstranden beach is a must for anyone visiting Malmö. Accessible on foot from the Old Town, it is a great place to spend the last hours in the city, hopefully with a beautiful sunset.

Take the typical Malmö photo

There is one typical photo of Malmö, one of its channels with a trio of tall silver buildings in the back. This view is exactly here. All the areas nearby and the park itself are great places to take photos of the city.

The best photography spots in the town though would be the Triangeln metro station, the Old Town, the Library, and the turning torso from the beach. Other great photography spots are the Malmö lighthouse or some of the cool buildings in the more modern areas, like the Malmö University building.

This is all that you can do in Malmö if you visit it as a one-day trip from Copenhagen. If you want to know more about Copenhagen, make sure to visit my detailed travel guide, where you will find a detailed budget, the best things to do and see and a complete photography guide of the city.

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