Whilst Copenhagen might wear Denmark’s crown, Aarhus, Denmark’s second-largest city has plenty of jewels of its own.

In fact, there are so many fun and family-friendly things to do in Aarhus with kids that a city break in Aarhus could easily become one of the highlights of a holiday in Denmark with children.

Our in-depth guide to things to do in Aarhus with kids is perfect for you if you’re planning a short city break in Aarhus, road-tripping around Denmark’s scenic Jutland Peninsular or thinking about spending longer in Aarhus with your family. We’ll show you the best kid-friendly places in Aarhus to visit and some great ideas to add to your Aarhus itinerary. 

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“The World’s Smallest Big City”

As you’d expect from the land that gave the world Lego, Denmark is a very family-friendly country to travel around. Aarhus is no exception to the rule! It’s small and safe.

Yes so safe that you really will see babies napping in prams alone outside cafes whilst mum pops in for a cup of coffee!

Aarhus has a wonderful small-town atmosphere and houses a population of just three hundred and thirty-six thousand. Aarhus boasts many world-class museums and art galleries as well as gorgeous traditional timber-framed buildings and a 14th-century cathedral.

Even if you decide not to visit any museums (we understand, entrance fees in Denmark aren’t cheap!), you’ll still get a wonderful feel for the city wandering the ancient streets and enjoying the friendly buzz.

Best Things to do in Aarhus with kids

So let’s kick off our list of fun things to do in Aarhus with kids. Let us show you around this unique and historic Danish city pointing out what worked (and what didn’t) during our family trip to Aarhus.

We absolutely love visiting Aarhus with our kids – and we believe that you’re going to have a great time in Aarhus with your kids too!

Here is our list of the best things to do in Aarhus with kids. All the museums listed, we found to be very child-friendly with baby-changing facilities, refreshment areas and nearly all museums and sites had free entry for children.

Den Gamle By Open-Air Museum

DEN GAMLE BY (the Old Town), in the beautiful Scandinavian city of Aarhus, is an open-air museum that showcases many historic Danish buildings, structures and landmarks in an interactive and captivating way.

Many of these historic buildings were collected from across Denmark and then reassembled in the old town of Aarhus. This engaging open-air museum displays authentic Danish buildings and historic structures from the 16th century to the early 20th century.

Our little ones especially enjoyed the small traditional fairground and exploring the old-fashioned shops.

Den Gamble By is a fascinating destination for the entire family. There is a diverse collection of old houses including the coin master’s mansion, shops, workshops, a merchant’s house, a toy museum, textile museum, candle making workshops and antique furniture. This interactive museum has free admission for all visitors under the age of 18.

Viking Museum

Children (and adults) can gain great insight into Viking history and culture by visiting the VIKING MUSEUM. Located in central Aarhus, the Viking museum retells the dramatic 1000-year old history of the Vikings and their overseas escapades.

Within the underground museum, you will see an old Viking house and many of the original tools are on display. The museum is very small and we comfortably visited in under 30 minutes with our two little ones.

Find the Viking Museum, Aarhus at Skt. Clemens Torv 6, Aarhus 8000. Look for the door leading into the basement of a bank.

Visit the Viking Museum website for detailed information. The museum offers free entry for children under the age of 18.

Annual Viking Festival

The world-famous Viking Moot is an annual event at Moesgard Beach. The event takes place in July every year and it is a celebration of Viking history and culture.

The Viking Moot festival is a great time to visit. Visitors can see Viking battle reenactments (quite scary for toddlers!) and boat building displays, as well as archery competitions. You can also try traditional Viking food and buy souvenirs like wooden swords.

We stumbled across the Viking Moot by pure chance. But it is so incredible that we’d highly recommend planning your trip around it.

Aarhus Botanical Gardens

Nearby Den Gamle By is Aarhus Botanical Garden. A beautiful little oasis with lush green gardens, lakes and picnic spots. It is a huge garden spanning an area of 53 acres and was founded in 1873. It has greenhouses that feature subtropical plants and trees from around the world; and a sustainable population of butterflies.

There is an amphitheatre where live concerts are often shown in the summer months. Overall, a nice place to unwind and relax with the family – and a great place to let the kids burn off some excess energy!

ARoS Art Museum

The ARoS Art Museum in Aarhus was founded in 1859 and has the reputation of being one of the largest and most respected art museums in Europe.

The museum exhibitions focus on contemporary, classic and modern art featuring paintings, structures and drawings. The visually stunning art installations are the creations of artists hailing from Demark, as well as from the rest of Europe and around the world.

The ten-storey museum building is in itself a work of art and the circular skywalk of the museum known as “your rainbow panorama” is immensely popular. Toddlers will love running (ahem… walking carefully) around and around the circular skywalk whilst admiring the city through the different hues.

Children can also enjoy treasure hunts and other activities. Check out the ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum website to find out about the latest child-friendly events. Families can also take guided tours of the museum to learn more about the art pieces. Children under age 18 have free entry.

Marselisborg Palace

The grandiose Marselisborg Palace is the residence of the Danish Royal family during the summer months. The early 19th-century palace was a wedding gift to the then Crown Prince of Denmark from the people of Denmark.

Marselisborg Palace can be viewed from the outside and the public can visit the surrounding gardens and the parklands. The gardens display lush green lawns, ponds and sculptures, as well as rose and herb gardens. You can view the changing of the guard’s ceremony at the palace grounds.

Aarhus Central Food Market

The Aarhus Street Food market houses a variety of food trucks. It is open all year round and a great place to go to try local staples like Danish smørrebrød (open sandwiches).

The street food stalls also sell a wide range of popular international dishes such as Mexican tacos, Vietnamese dishes, Japanese food, as well as local Danish dishes made from freshly sourced ingredients. You can view the preparation of dishes right in front of you, and take in the hustle and bustle of the Food Street and the aroma of Danish delicacies. The food street offers food and drinks and vegetarian dishes, too. It’s a fun and relaxed location for an easy meal for children.

The food street is open every day. Find it at Ny Banegaardsgade 46, Aarhus.

Rosenholm Castle

Rosenholm Castle was founded in 1559. It is a stunning 16th-century building and showcases the decor and furniture from the Renaissance era. Its rooms are decorated with paintings, sculptures, antique furniture and tapestries. The castle is surrounded by beautiful gardens which are perfect for exploring for kids.

You can take the guided tours of the castle and experience the lifestyle of an old Danish noble home. The castle has been owned by the Rosenkrantz family for the last 450 years. Visiting the castle that has been kept in an immaculate condition gives a glimpse into the Italian Renaissance era.

Cycling in Aarhus

Danes love cycling. Like all Danish cities, Aarhus is a bicycle-friendly. You can easily rent a bike and explore the city with your family independently, or take a guided tour.

Guided tours help tourists to get to know the city intimately. On your guided tour you can view and learn about historic landmarks in Aarhus while bicycling. Pedal past the Aarhus town hall, the Aarhus cathedral and many other must-see Aarhus attractions. Check out the prices of guided cycle tours in Aarhus here.

Don’t brag but hiring a bike is a fantastically healthy option and bikes are a great mode of environmentally friendly transport. Kids will love cycling too. You can pre-book bikes online, and children’s bikes are normally available, too.

Aarhus Walking Tours

If you want to enjoy the town of Aarhus at a slower pace, taking a walking tour or meandering around will give you a great flavour of this fascinating city and its history.

As you walk around the city and observe locals, you’ll learn about Danish culture and lifestyle. Central Aarhus is easily walkable and you’ll see the Cathedral, the town hall, the street food area and so much more.

It’s best to explore it on foot, to be able to get a deep insight into the Danish culture. In a city with so many narrow streets, twists and turns walking is a great way to reach places that bikes and local transport can’t access.

You can check the availability of walking tours online. If you’re there in winter, don’t forget to pop into a cafe to warm up with hot chocolate and a real ‘Danish’ pastry!

Explore the Latin Quarter

Finally, head to the Latin Quarter for some great shopping. The historic Latin Quarter’s streets are full of shops selling beautiful crafts by local artisans as well as renowned Danish and international brands.

The area’s cobble-stoned streets lined with tiny, colourful houses, shops and cafes interspersed with historic landmarks are a travel photographer’s dream! A great area to meander around after a busy day sightseeing.

Women’s Museum: Kvindemuseet

Aarhus is home to one of only a handful of women’s museums in the world. An absolute must-see.

A well-designed and thought-provoking museum with interactive displays retelling Danish history through a women’s perspective.

Housed in a beautiful old building, this fascinating museums covers women’s issues from suffrage to LGBQT+ rights, gender equality and body issues. Explore the museum and then pause to reflect on what you’ve learnt with a delicious home-made cake in the cosy on-site cafe.

To find out about the latest exhibitions and opening times, check out the Kvindemuseet Website.

Interested in women’s history? You’re in the perfect place! Check out our great articles on women’s museums around the world.

Moesgaard Museum

The world-famous Moesgaard Museum is home to the Grauballe Man. A rather eery sight, the Graubelle Man is the name given to the preserved body of an ancient Danish man who lived in the Iron Age. The body was so well-preserved in a bog that you can still see his hair, facial expression and even his throat – which bears a slash mark.

Located in Højbjerg, a suburb of Aarhus the Moesgaard Museum is dedicated to archaeology and ethnology. It is really is a superb museum set in a beautiful contemporary building and well-worth adding to your Aarhus with kids itinerary.

More great attractions to visit near Aarhus with kids

If you have your own transport, it is definitely worth planning some time into your Aarhus itinerary to leave the city and explore some of the surrounding attractions and Danish countryside. Below are some great family-friendly activities to do within an hour’s drive of Aarhus.

Silkeborg

Silkeborg is an attractive, small town located about 40 minutes drive from Aarhus. The Silkeborg Museum is home to many archaeological finds including the Tollund Man. Another exceptionally well-preserved bog body.

The museum is very child-friendly with children’s activities and a few boxes of toys in the cafe. Find out more about the Silkeborg Museum here.

Legoland Billund

Very few families are going to venture to the Jutland Peninsular without making time to visit the home of Lego.

Click here for Legoland Billund prices and tickets.

Head to the beach!

As a peninsula, Jutland is blessed with miles and miles of gorgeous, scenic coastline. If you happen to be visiting in the summer as we did, definitely make time to explore the many secluded beaches and seaside towns.

Before we visited Denmark, I devoured Helen Russell’s humorous insights into Danish culture and society. This is a really easy read that is packed with insider knowledge that will take your understanding of Danes to the next level! Click here to find out more on Amazon.

Denmark with toddlers and babies

If you think travelling to Denmark with a baby or toddler sounds too much like hard work then head straight over to find our enlightening posts on all the reasons why babies are great travel companions (honestly), why toddler tantrums on the road are worth it and our epic 56 ugly, messy and outrageous truths about travelling with kids. 

To find out more about how World for a Girl can help you and your family plan the best travel itineraries in Denmark and around the world check out our About Us page and see our extensive travel experiences (over 100 countries and counting!) 

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