In the event you’re contemplating a household vacation in Denmark, likelihood is your first decisions are going to be Copenhagen or Legoland Billund, particularly should you’re visiting Jutland with children. Each get my vote, however there’s excess of Lego alone to your Jutland itinerary.
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After our journey in the direction of the top of August, discovering Vikings, historic cities, a wartime bunker within the dunes and spectacled bears – plus Lego galore – I’ve pulled collectively my strategies for one week in Jutland with children, in addition to concepts should you’ve bought a bit longer to spend.
As a result of should you’re searching for concepts for one week in Denmark, as this itinerary exhibits, there are few locations with fairly as many kid-friendly actions crammed into such a small house.
Try my full information to Denmark with children right here
We by no means went past a 50-mile radius on this Denmark itinerary with children and infrequently drove for longer than an hour (nice in case your children aren’t followers of automobile journeys) however we by no means got here near working out of issues to do. In case you have much less time, you could possibly additionally take the primary few days to make a Billund itinerary and stick in and round Legoland.
Jutland itinerary: Day 1 – arrive in Billund
Billund is round three to 4 hours’ drive from Copenhagen, or round an hour from Aarhus, so it’s straightforward to mix each into one journey.
However with low-cost flights from the UK to Billund, together with British Airways and Ryanair out of London (each of which labored out at comparable costs after we flew), most individuals fly straight there.
And Legoland is virtually subsequent door to Billund airport (actually, you may see the planes land from the Polar Land space), with a whole lot of the opposite sights very close by too.
Keep at: Legoland Fort lodge
I might begin by telling you all the sensible causes to remain on the new Legoland Fort lodge… however the greatest one is that it’s SO a lot enjoyable.
Lego dinosaur roaring outdoors as you stroll in? Yep. Lego dinosaur asleep by the fireside with bins of bricks to entertain the children as you test in? One other yep.
And that’s earlier than you test into the themed rooms – 142 throughout two buildings, designed for dragon knights, wizards and princesses, with Lego characters on the wall, a Lego cat above our mattress, and extra bricks by the bunk-beds in my daughter’s separate sleeping space.
Plus a locked treasure field, every containing totally different Lego goodies to your children to search out – there’s a path across the lodge and play space to get the code.
When my husband instructed me the bathe head within the rest room was additionally manufactured from Lego, I genuinely believed him for a couple of moments. It nonetheless wouldn’t shock me in the event that they ultimately work out a method to do that.
There are each day Lego constructing challenges, and all of the workers put on minifigures on their badges which you’ll be able to swap.
Again to that sensible observe, your keep contains entry to Legoland which is just some minutes’ stroll away, plus you may skip the queue by a separate entrance.
There’s an outside playground, designed to appear like a Lego model fortress, and large household restaurant: breakfast is included, the night buffet had some good decisions if (as a whole lot of Denmark) barely pricy
We stayed for 2 nights: in case your flight arrives sooner than ours did, go away a while to get constructing and usually benefit from the enjoyable.
Jutland itinerary: Day 2 – Legoland, Billund
The unique Legoland park, it opened in 1968 and has expanded over time to incorporate 11 totally different areas, a number of rides – together with some to swimsuit youthful/extra cautious children – plus some exhibits and dwell occasions, particularly throughout the summer time.
Legoland Billund opens at 10am and closes between round 6pm and 8pm, though rides could end earlier – one other massive bonus of staying so near the park is that when my daughter was flagging from our late arrival the evening earlier than, we might head again to the play space and room, and go away my husband to go on a couple of closing sooner rollercoasters.
There’s simply sufficient to fill a day – begin with a wander round Miniland, with its Lego landmarks and recreations of various international locations, together with a little bit illustration of the airport, utilizing greater than 25 million bricks.
Or Duploland is ideal with littler ones together with a little bit monorail to pootle round and take within the sights.
For extra views, the Legotop is a round gallery which rises up 36m and rotates slowly round. As you’re wanting down on Miniland, the place the whole lot’s already tiny, it feels as should you’re even larger.
Previous the Star Wars fashions, my daughter’s wishlist featured Atlantis by SeaLife within the Creativeness Zone – spot the Lego submarine among the many fish.
However there’s additionally Ninjago World, Legoredo City – a cowboy/Wild-West model expertise – Pirate Land, Knights’ Kingdom, Journey Land and Polar Land, plus the brand new addition of Peppa Pig in 2024.
The peak restrictions are all the time clearly marked, and regardless of being a few centimetres underneath 120cm, my seven-year-old might nonetheless go on the overwhelming majority of issues (and didn’t fancy the extra adrenaline-fuelled choices anyway).
In the event you’re unsure how a lot your children will take pleasure in rollercoasters, that is undoubtedly the place to tempt them – after making an attempt out The Dragon, Minnie insisted we went straight again to queue up and check out it once more.
The water rides in Pirate Land had been a success (though she was a bit extra nervous concerning the drop within the Viking River Splash in Journey Land), cherished taking pictures the lights contained in the Temple, panned for gold in Legoredo City and noticed penguins in Polar Land.
There’s an app to obtain so you may plan your day, test dwell trip instances and get additional suggestions. We managed fairly fortunately with a paper map should you don’t have it.
You too can get Q-Bots to skip the queues at Legoland however we definitely wouldn’t have wanted one.
The tip of August is term-time for Danish colleges, and we by no means needed to wait greater than 5 or 10 minutes for something – even in vacation time, I’ve heard it’s quieter than Legoland Windsor.
The park is closed on some weekdays outdoors the primary summer time season, in addition to throughout components of the winter months, so it’s price checking earlier than you go to.
Not all of the eating places will likely be open outdoors peak months as properly, even in late August: you may take picnics and if we went again, I’d undoubtedly do this – our pizza buffet was pretty commonplace theme park fare, and never the most affordable possibility.
Jutland itinerary: Day 3 – The Lego Home, Billund and Givskud Zoo
Legoland is perhaps the well-known identify however the Lego Home, the place you go to get your individual fingers on the bricks, was one in all my very own favourites.
Opened in 2017, the constructing – designed to appear like piled up bricks itself, with a couple of enormous vibrant ones close to the doorway – has a museum on the historical past of the model downstairs.
However the remainder is totally devoted to getting inventive: no-one sits out right here, there are workers to assist, encourage and encourage all ages to choose up a couple of bricks. There’s additionally an app with extra concepts, though you received’t be wanting inspiration as you wander.
My husband and daughter adopted the directions to construct one Lego craft and take a look at if it might fly, whereas I performed round with a heap of Lego designing my very own.
In one other space, you could possibly make a Lego fish and scan it to look digitally in an onscreen aquarium, design your individual creature or strive your hand at a cease movement video.
There are intricate fashions too, making up a complete Lego world – together with fairly a couple of scenes from films, together with (slightly fabulously) the set-up from Again to the Future – in addition to the prospect so as to add squares to a city and backyard simulation, with your individual creation altering life for the digital inhabitants.
And at every level, you may scan your wristband to save lots of info, movies, images and extra so that you’ve bought a memento report.
Even lunch has a Lego hyperlink: within the MiniChef restaurant, you employ particular bricks from the baggage on the desk to decide on your order which you then scan and after a slightly enjoyable video of Lego individuals getting ready your meal, is delivered by conveyor to a pair of robots (Robert and Roberta) close by in a field that appears like an outsized brick.
As you wait to gather your meals there’s Lego to play with: workers recommended a few concepts for video games till we bought sidetracked making an attempt to construct the tallest tower. Alongside the best way, the desk subsequent to us, which had been having their very own household constructing competitors, donated a small pyramid.
The ultimate oversize Lego behemoth ended up on show within the restaurant. This can be a world the place adults (and one small woman) spending half an hour setting up a big tower is each completely regular and worthy of recognition.
I might fairly simply have stayed all day… and you probably have time, I like to recommend giving your self a lot right here.
However there have been spectacled bears ready for us, so having watched a machine making the Lego bricks and choosing up our personal free memento, we headed off to Givskud Zoo.
The zoo, round a 20-minute drive away from the opposite Billund sights is a beautiful mixture of safari park and walk-around enclosures – and the 4 spectacled bears from South America are the latest additions, serving to have fun the zoo’s fiftieth birthday.
Their residence has a lot house, the zoo is hoping so as to add a couple of extra furry inhabitants to the sleuth.
The inspiration for Paddington, and the one bears that dwell in South America (together with darkest Peru), I found that they’re slightly greater than their fictional counterpart, prowling and padding previous swimming pools and thru the undergrowth of their residence, sometimes menacing a (cleverly protected) tree or two.
That was solely the beginning – there are lions (two prides, one on the safari route, the opposite on the strolling route plus a pair of brothers) together with giraffe, elephants, rhinos, gorillas, large otters, lemurs and numerous different animals. There’s even a guinea pig assortment!
In the event you don’t have your individual automobile, a safari bus runs at sure instances across the route, whereas should you’ve bought a rent automobile you may park at varied factors alongside the best way to interrupt up the safari part. A very nice technique to do it with children, so everybody can stretch their legs with out getting savaged.
There’s additionally a free digital audio information, whereas you may also obtain the app which has particulars of actions, in addition to instances for safari buses, eating places and outlets plus a map.
Between the animals, there are additionally a few themed areas – an Ice Age world and a wonderful assortment of dinosaur fashions, imposingly life measurement and towering above us among the many timber… and the indicators asking guests to not feed the dinosaurs.
Minnie was in her component right here – it’s a difficult resolution whether or not animals or Lego high her checklist of favorite issues, so a day which mixes each is difficult to beat. Though (once more) you probably have longer to spend, it’s straightforward to fill a complete day exploring and wandering right here.
Keep at: Lalandia Billund
This vacation park, a Lego brick’s throw from Legoland is a beautiful place for households to calm down – set in a number of inexperienced house with little playgrounds and leaping pillows, the vacation cottages sleep as much as 10 (or 8 in case your children are over two).
They’re self-catering and there’s a grocery store with a wide variety on the location (or a few different greater ones inside a couple of minutes’ drive) plus a beautiful patio to take a seat out on, in addition to eating and residing house, a correct kitchen, rest room with bathe, to not point out a washer and drier.
One factor to notice is that in addition to hiring bedlinen/towels (until you carry your individual), you additionally need to pay for electrical energy and water. Anybody staying additionally will get free entry to Scandinavia’s largest waterpark, which we checked out the next day.
Learn my full evaluate of Lalandia Billund right here
Jutland itinerary: Day 4 – Lalandia, Billund
You need a minimum of a day to discover Lalandia – our massive focus was on testing the Aquadome and enjoyable, however there’s a lot to do right here that you could possibly fortunately spend a number of days exploring.
And in addition to the waterpark, there’s a mushy play for youthful children with added actions, plus bowling, an ice rink, arcade, climbing partitions, mini dry ski slope, sports activities, mini golf and a excessive ropes course as properly.
The bulk is tucked away inside the primary Lalandia constructing – as you undergo the revolving door, you’d by no means count on to see this mini piazza inside with its eating places and cafes, plus all of the actions and amenities as properly.
From snowboarding slopes and climbing partitions to a bowling centre, ice rinks, sport halls, and a Monky Tonky Playland, Lalandia provides way more than its famed waterpark.
A whole lot of the actions do have an additional cost, even should you’re staying on web site as we had been – you may cost cash to your wristband and pay that method although.
We additionally found an outside mini golf simply between Lalandia and the Legoland Vacation village – that is undoubtedly extra within the loopy golf model than the one inside Lalandia which appeared extra like an indoor golf course in miniature.
And regardless of a couple of hilariously not possible holes, we had a whole lot of enjoyable. There’s an honesty system if no-one is manning the ticket sales space (with a warning of fines should you play with out paying and get caught) and you’ll pay in each krone and Euros.
However the Aquadome is the spotlight. For starters, there’s a wave pool and lazy river.
My daughter and some different children didn’t get the cling of the lazy bit and determined they wished to swim round within the present… I reclined very fortunately in my blow-up tyre and allow them to.
There are additionally smaller slides and some shallow swimming pools for teenagers, plus a big splash zone – be careful for the warning alert siren right here too… they actually imply it, and should you’re not underneath cowl, you’ll get deluged.
Then loads of sooner slides as properly – fairly a couple of are for 120cm or over, which meant Minnie was simply too small (to her aid) however fairly a couple of of these are for 2 individuals or extra.
Which sadly meant that neither my husband nor I might strive them, as we couldn’t go away our seven-year-old on her personal however couldn’t slide alone both.
Regardless of that, there have been sufficient enjoyable flumes that includes greater than sufficient probabilities to be unintentionally submerged alongside the best way, plus an outside Jacuzzi which I retreated to at one level. In case your wristband is charged, you may also use it to pay for drinks inside (in addition to to lock the lockers).
As somebody who enjoys waterparks however can’t think about spending all day there, staying at Lalandia is a giant bonus as you may pop in for an hour or two on daily basis should you wished, slightly than paying upfront and spending all the day there.
Parking is free for the primary hour – or you may go away your automobile by your vacation cottage should you’re staying and stroll or get the land practice.
In case you have longer than per week in Denmark, add an additional day staying at Lalandia to be able to spend a full day on the zoo and a full day on the Lego Home (as above), or add an additional two – or extra! – days for a extra chilled-out break having fun with the amenities.
Try my evaluate of a keep at Lalandia Billund.
Jutland itinerary: Day 5 – Kongernes Jelling and Koldinghus to Ribe
It’s straightforward to spend a complete week in Jutland with children round Billund – from the Lego to the zoo to Lalandia’s household sights, you received’t rapidly get bored should you’re planning a Billund itinerary.
However that basically is barely scratching the floor of what there may be to do on this a part of Denmark, with royal historical past, the nation’s oldest metropolis and its official birthplace to find.
Solely half-hour away is Kongernes Jelling, with the most effective interactive museums I’ve come throughout for teenagers (and adults) plus some fascinating Danish historical past – and nice should you’re searching for free issues to do with children in Denmark.
The inspiration is 2 historical rune stones, which nonetheless sit outdoors (now in glass circumstances) subsequent to the museum itself.
One comprises the primary point out of the identify Denmark, created throughout the tenth century reign of the primary Danish king, Gorm the Previous (my daughter, a giant fan of the How To Practice Your Dragon books was delighted by his identify!).
The second was created for his son Harald Bluetooth (sure, the identify behind the telephone know-how) who helped unify the tribes within the space.
It’s finest to discover the museum itself first, the place the workers solemnly instructed my seven-year-old that she might contact any of the displays… with one exception.
Something marked orange wasn’t non-compulsory, she completely needed to contact it, to carry the displays to life.
Her face lit up as she scampered off, decided to fulfil these directions (not even slowing all the way down to savour the very fact a robotic was drawing in chalk behind the welcome desk).
There’s a unbelievable combine of knowledge, with recordings telling extra about Norse mythology in addition to the prospect to nearly stroll the trail to Valhalla.
We additionally bought to find extra about on a regular basis Viking life. Regardless of the pillaging and plundering popularity (a well-earned one, let’s be honest), the Vikings had been additionally farmers, merchants and town-builders.
However as a result of crusing out and placing terror into the hearts of your enemies was a reasonably main half, there was additionally an exhibit displaying the assorted weapons you may like to make use of, how deadly they had been and how briskly you may kill off an opponent with them.
After gazing down from the roof onto two burial mounds flanking a small church and the well-known rune stones, we headed all the way down to see them shut up, in addition to the white flagstones marking the define of the place a ship was as soon as buried.
For some nice books on Vikings for teenagers, take a look at my high picks
Then extra probability to get fingers on at Koldinghus fortress, over 750 years outdated and a 40 minute drive away.
The previous royal residence in Jutland was partly destroyed in a hearth in 1808, and remains to be being restored, with structural helps which can be achieved cleverly sufficient to be virtually a design function in themselves.
It now homes collections of silverware, ceramics and historic artefacts, in addition to short-term exhibitions.
Simply my daughter’s favorite half was the prospect to decorate up in seventeenth century costume, the peak of royal model from 1610, proper all the way down to gloves and tiara.
She took this very critically, searching out the ending touches for my outfit – I’m slightly glad ruffs have since gone out of style! – and choosing out two separate ones for herself.
I needed to remind her not the whole lot else was fairly as touchable as Kongernes Jelling, though there may be an exercise path known as Within the Footsteps of the King to strive, in addition to a viewing tower to look down on the gorgeous city, a courtyard the place they had been establishing for a medieval banquet and a few fascinating displays.
One British-made gilded silver dressing set has handed from London to Denmark and Germany, to the USA and again to Denmark, linked to a royal scandal earlier than falling into the fingers of the Nazis alongside the best way.
Its first proprietor, Caroline Mathilde was the granddaughter of George II, married off to the mentally unstable Danish king Christian VII – accused of an affair, she was later divorced and banished.
Our closing cease was Ribe, Denmark’s oldest city and a ridiculously picturesque spot which dates again round 1,250 years.
As soon as residence to a tenth of the nation’s inhabitants, a whole lot of the buildings date from the 1500s – the imposing cathedral and some others are older however after fireplace, flood and plague, many had been destroyed and the city rebuilt within the sixteenth century.
On the identical time, Ribe began to change into a much less vital centre: fortunately for guests right this moment, as these historic and infrequently crooked beamed homes weren’t later demolished to make room for contemporary replacements.
Arriving not lengthy earlier than my daughter’s bedtime, I took the chance to discover a little bit on our first evening by taking the free Evening Watchman’s tour.
The publish itself is nearly as historical because the city, going again centuries as they stored the peace and warned of floods.
The official duties resulted in 1902 however throughout the 45-minute stroll round Ribe’s cobbled streets, the Evening Watchman revealed among the historical past of the position in addition to factors of curiosity: Scandinavia’s oldest college for instance, the Metropolis Corridor, and one constructing so wonky, there gave the impression to be barely a straight line in it.
Executed in Danish and English, there have been children on the tour too, plus you hear a couple of snatches of the Evening Watchman’s track alongside the best way.
Keep at: Ribe Byferie resort
We checked in to the Danhostel Ribe, just some minutes stroll from the town centre – and should you’re searching for a comparatively funds possibility, it’s price contemplating.
Nonetheless, if there had been availability, I’d suggest the Ribe Byferie resort, an identical distance from the town centre on the alternative aspect, with self-catering vacation properties which can be good for households.
Nichola from the weblog Globalmouse and her household stayed there in 2018 – take a look at her evaluate.
Jutland itinerary: Day 6 – Ribe to Tirpitz and Esbjerg
Spend a little bit longer exploring Ribe itself, together with a glance contained in the cathedral – you probably have time, you may also climb the tower – in addition to the waterwheels, waterfront homes and ornate doorways among the many vibrant outdated buildings.
However put aside a while to move over to the coast as properly. Wild and windswept, the dunes line the seafront, hiding their very own more moderen historical past.
On the Tirpitz museum, you may step inside a Second World Conflict bunker, constructed throughout the Nazi occupation of Denmark. Designed to be a part of Hitler’s Atlantic Wall defences, it was by no means really operational.
Atmospheric and sometimes eerie, I’d puzzled how this darker interval of historical past would work with a seven-year-old, however there’s really much more to find than simply the wartime years.
And should you’re pondering {that a} concrete bunker doesn’t sound wildly thrilling, as with the opposite Danish museums we’d visited, they’ve used each choice to carry it to life, inside a state-of-the-art constructing tucked underneath the grass.
Together with tales from the occupation instructed by these on either side, the museum additionally tracks the historical past of the Jutland coast, from its historical individuals to Viking instances, from conventional fishing village to seaside vacation vacation spot.
There’s a complete space devoted to ‘Baltic gold’ as amber was identified, full with bugs frozen inside items of amber.
The audio guides are cleverly achieved, so you may merely level them at an indication and pay attention (or skip previous areas you’re not taken with) in addition to sensory bins in a single space – touching ‘mammoth fur’ was a little bit of a shock.
Hold round that gallery and also you’ll additionally see the entire room reworked as a storm sweeps throughout the partitions.
Then into the concrete bunker to study extra concerning the plans for it, in addition to the day after day lifetime of these based mostly right here: one information story confirmed a former German soldier returning for the museum’s opening, a thought-provoking combine of inauspicious recollections and the banality of rediscovering on a regular basis gadgets.
After a fast stroll on the dunes, head in the direction of Esbjerg for lunch – Tirpitz is round an hour from Ribe, Esbjerg roughly half-way between the 2.
Among the many wealthy Jutland farmland, stretching out flat in the direction of the horizon, wind farms dotted alongside the coast, you may also spot the imposing Man meets the Sea sculptures.
Simply outdoors Esbjerg itself, the 4 enormous white statues of seated males tower above the waves.
Our go to to the town, a style of extra fashionable Denmark, had ended up being on a barely wet Sunday so with a whole lot of locations closed, we solely stopped briefly to refuel however you probably have longer (or higher climate), save a while to discover.
There’s additionally the The Fisheries and Maritime Museum close by, with an aquarium and ‘sealarium’ alongside the exhibitions on Denmark’s fishing and delivery historical past. Or for extra animals, Blavand Zoo can also be close by.
Jutland itinerary: Day 7 – Ribe Vikingecenter and again to Billund
How one can finish your week in Jutland with children? With extra Vikings, after all. A go to to the Ribe Vikingecenter, simply outdoors the town, was a unbelievable technique to step again in time and produce Viking life to life!
Based mostly on three genuine archaeological websites from the world, you may uncover a farm, city with a recreation of an early church and market the place individuals would have travelled by water to commerce – in the summertime there are nonetheless craftspeople promoting their very own creations.
We did handle to squeeze in a small sword battle and practised some archery, but in addition stamped a silver coin, watched glass beads being made, floor flour and tried wooden carving (utilizing particular exercise tokens), in addition to wanting inside homes massive and small.
There’s a sacred lavatory to discover and you’ll take a look at the church, within the means of being painted.
We watched the weaver making his dyes, a Viking lady twining onions to hold for the winter, and eyed up Viking-style beds earlier than making an attempt to coax sparks from fireplace stones.
At every spot, there are volunteers (and a few workers) in character to speak to – many really dwell on web site throughout the summer time, sticking to a Viking lifestyle so far as potential.
The animals on the farm are breeds which might have been much like these of a millennium in the past, even the meals on the tables (though much less strictly within the cafe!) is what individuals of the time would have eaten. And not using a time machine, it’s exhausting to assume how way more genuine it may very well be.
My daughter additionally made herself snug in each chief’s chair that she might discover, wanting mildly imperious. Truly make that very imperious.
And that’s the place our personal week in Jutland needed to finish – tempting although it was to move south in the direction of the German border, round an hour away. However with our flight leaving from Billund later that day, it was time to return north.
We determined to take the scenic route again to the airport, alongside Jutland’s west coast, having noticed the Ringkobing Fjord on the map throughout our go to to Tirpitz, a skinny strip of land between the water and the ocean.
Extra of an inland lake than dramatic surroundings like Norwegian fjords, it was nonetheless a really fairly route.
Wind surfers and kitesurfers had been profiting from the final of the late summer time solar, and I spied remoted cottages and extra clusters of vacation lodging to fireplace my creativeness for one more journey.
Regardless of cramming quite a bit into per week, it felt that nowhere was ever very removed from anyplace else, and all so family-friendly that it was enjoyable slightly than frantic.
Not venturing past Legoland, when you may see a lot coast and historical past in a couple of additional days, can be lacking out.
In case you have longer to spend, fairly Vejle on the jap coast is understood for its artwork – together with a floating sculpture path.
Or former capital of tradition Aarhus is Denmark’s second metropolis and a tempting possibility for a metropolis break in its personal proper, particularly should you’ve already visited Copenhagen, with historical past buildings and fashionable structure on the cobbled streets.
For concepts of issues to do in Aarhus with children, take a look at the following pointers from Museum Mum.
Try my full information to Denmark with children right here
*First printed 2019, final up to date 2024*
PIN FOR LATER: ONE WEEK IN JUTLAND WITH KIDS
Disclosure: My journey to Jutland was courtesy of Go to Denmark and the sights and lodging talked about. All opinions are my very own, together with a love of intelligent interactive museums and being allowed to play with Lego for hours on finish.
Pictures copyright MummyTravels
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