CopenPay: Free Experiences for Green Actions
CopenPay is one of the most charming travel ideas going: instead of paying with money, you “pay” for experiences in Copenhagen with climate-friendly actions. Cycle, arrive by train, join a harbour clean-up or eat plant-based, and you unlock free museum entry, boat tours and guided visits. Here is how CopenPay works, when it runs in 2026, and what you can earn.
What is CopenPay?
CopenPay is a summer initiative from Wonderful Copenhagen, the city’s official tourism organisation, run with the municipality and a long list of local attractions. The idea is simple and a little radical: it turns your good behaviour into a currency. Rather than charging visitors more or capping numbers – the route some crowded cities have taken – Copenhagen rewards travellers who make climate-friendly choices with free and discounted experiences. It began as a small pilot in 2024, grew to around 100 attractions in 2025, and has become a model other destinations are copying.
CopenPay lets you “pay” for cultural experiences in Copenhagen with green actions – cycling, arriving by train, joining a clean-up or eating plant-based – instead of cash. It is free to join and runs each summer.
How it works
You earn rewards in three ways:
- Actions during your stay – travel by bike or public transport, join a clean-up, volunteer in an urban garden, or choose a plant-based meal.
- How you get to Copenhagen – arrive by train or electric car (buying sustainable aviation fuel for a flight can also count).
- Staying longer – staying four days or more unlocks extra rewards, the idea being to travel less but stay longer.
It runs largely on trust, in keeping with Denmark’s high-trust culture: you simply show proof of your action – a train ticket, a photo of your bike, confirmation of a clean-up – at the participating attraction.
What you can earn
Rewards vary by attraction and change each year, but typically include free or discounted museum admission, free boat tours, free bike or kayak hire, guided tours (the Carlsberg brewery, the Cisternerne, the Danish Architecture Center), and even free or half-price meals. One classic perk: cycle or take public transport to CopenHill, the waste-to-energy plant with a ski slope on its roof, and you can unlock a run down the slope. Small, memorable things that also lighten your footprint.
When it runs
CopenPay is a summer programme. In 2025 it ran for nine weeks, from 17 June to 17 August, and in 2026 it is expected to run over a similar window – roughly 17 June to 17 August. Because the exact dates and offers are set each year, check copenpay.com for the current schedule before you plan around it.
CopenPay is seasonal and the details are refreshed annually. Confirm the 2026 dates, actions and participating attractions on copenpay.com – this page describes the scheme, not a guaranteed live offer.
Participating attractions
More than 100 attractions have taken part, among them the National Museum, the National Gallery (SMK), Kronborg Castle in Elsinore, CopenHill, the Danish Architecture Center, GoBoat, the Cisternerne, urban gardens and bike-hire schemes like Donkey Republic. The full, current list lives on copenpay.com, organised by the action each reward requires.
Is it worth it?
If you are visiting in summer, yes – it is a genuinely easy way to turn things you might do anyway (cycling, taking the train, grabbing a plant-based lunch) into free experiences, and it pairs perfectly with doing Copenhagen on a budget. Even setting the savings aside, it is a nice nudge to explore the city more thoughtfully.
How to take part in CopenPay
- Visit copenpay.com and browse the actions and rewards by attraction.
- Do a qualifying action – cycle there, arrive by train, join a clean-up, eat plant-based, and keep any proof.
- Show your proof at the attraction to claim the reward.
- Stack it with free sights and budget travel for a cheap, low-impact trip.
Questions and answers
What is CopenPay?
A summer scheme by Wonderful Copenhagen that lets you “pay” for experiences in Copenhagen with climate-friendly actions – cycling, arriving by train, joining a clean-up, eating plant-based – instead of money.
How do I get the rewards?
Do a qualifying green action, keep proof (a train ticket, a photo, a clean-up confirmation), and show it at a participating attraction. It runs on trust.
When does CopenPay run in 2026?
It is a summer programme – roughly 17 June to 17 August, as in 2025 – but confirm the exact 2026 dates on copenpay.com.
What can I get for free?
Depending on the attraction: free or discounted museum entry, boat tours, bike or kayak hire, guided tours, and even meals.