Reviewed · COPENHAGEN TOURS

Copenhagen: Six Forgotten Giant Sculptures Tour by Bus

★ 4.8 · 23 reviews 4 hours From $135 Operated by South Zealand Tours · Bookable on GetYourGuide
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The best part of this Copenhagen tour is the treasure hunt. Thomas Dambo’s six giant wooden figures are not lined up in a city park. They hide in fields, woods, and overlooked corners west of town, so each stop feels like a small discovery. The sculptures are built from scrap wood, often with help from local volunteers, and they give you a reason to see a side of Zealand that most city visitors miss.

I like two things right away: the bus removes the headache of finding six separate sites, and the short walks let you enjoy the countryside without turning the day into a serious hike. The tour is also well organized, with a guide such as Vinod keeping the route moving and leaving enough time to look around.

The main consideration is the price, $135 per person, which is a serious half-day expense. You are paying for transport, planning, and access to remote sculptures, not a long museum-style talk. If you want detailed art commentary at every stop, you may find the explanations lighter than expected.

Key points to know before you book

Copenhagen: Six Forgotten Giant Sculptures Tour by Bus - Key points to know before you book

  • Six giant sculptures in six western municipalities: The route reaches Rødovre, Hvidovre, Vallensbæk, Ishøj, Albertslund, and Høje Taastrup.
  • A real countryside outing: You walk through fields and natural areas to reach several sculptures.
  • Easy transport from Central Station: Meet at CPH Tours & Tickets, about two minutes from Copenhagen Central Station.
  • The bus saves major planning time: Driving to all six sites alone would be difficult, especially if you do not know the area.
  • Useful onboard comforts: The bus has WiFi and chargers, and you can bring snacks.
  • Best for curious, active sightseers: Expect repeated short walks, outdoor conditions, and a brisk four-hour schedule.

Why these giants make a good Copenhagen side trip

Copenhagen: Six Forgotten Giant Sculptures Tour by Bus - Why these giants make a good Copenhagen side trip

Copenhagen is easy to enjoy on foot, by bicycle, or by canal boat. This tour gives you something different. Instead of moving between famous buildings, you follow a trail of oversized folk-art figures spread across the western edge of the city region.

The project began with a simple idea: bring art out of museums and place it in natural areas that people might otherwise overlook. That matters here. The sculptures are not just objects to photograph. Their locations are part of the experience, and the walk to each one creates a sense of discovery.

The figures are made from recycled materials, especially discarded wood. Dambo has also worked with plastic and cardboard on other projects, but these six giants are wooden sculptures. Their rough surfaces and enormous scale suit the outdoor settings better than polished gallery pieces would.

You should also expect a playful mood. This is not a formal art-history excursion. You are looking for trolls, climbing around rural paths, and taking photographs with giant characters. Families, creative travelers, and anyone who likes unusual public art will get more from this than someone seeking traditional Danish architecture.

A few more Copenhagen half-days to weigh up

Meeting near Copenhagen Central Station

Copenhagen: Six Forgotten Giant Sculptures Tour by Bus - Meeting near Copenhagen Central Station

The tour begins at the CPH Tours & Tickets office, roughly two minutes from Copenhagen Central Station. That location is useful if you are staying in central Copenhagen or arriving by train. You do not get hotel pickup, so allow enough time to reach the office and find the meeting point.

From there, the bus takes you toward the sculpture sites. The route covers several municipalities west of Copenhagen, including Rødovre, Hvidovre, Vallensbæk, Ishøj, Albertslund, and Høje Taastrup.

The bus is a major part of the value. These are remote locations, and reaching all six independently would require careful driving, parking, directions, and timing. One recent tour experience specifically noted that the bus made the route far easier and offered the shortest practical walks to the sculptures.

The vehicle also has WiFi and charging points. You can bring snacks, though food and drinks are not included. That small detail matters on a route with several drives and only a brief scheduled break.

Sleeping Louis begins the giant hunt

Copenhagen: Six Forgotten Giant Sculptures Tour by Bus - Sleeping Louis begins the giant hunt

The first sculpture is Sleeping Louis. You are given about 15 minutes at this stop, including a guided visit. Starting with a reclining giant sets the tone nicely: you are not entering a standard attraction with signs and ticket barriers. You are walking into an outdoor setting and finding a large wooden figure where you may not expect one.

The short visit means you should be ready to get off the bus, follow the guide, see the sculpture, take photographs, and return on time. This is a repeated pattern throughout the tour. The walks are described as short, but you still need comfortable shoes suited to fields and natural ground.

Because the sculptures sit in remote areas, each stop has a different feel. The setting around Sleeping Louis is part of the appeal, even if the tour does not provide a long period for wandering. I would treat the first stop as a gentle introduction to the project rather than a place to linger alone.

Hilltop Trine adds a higher viewpoint

After about 15 minutes on the bus, you reach Hilltop Trine. The planned visit lasts around 20 minutes. This stop gives the tour another visual change, with the sculpture positioned at a higher point rather than simply tucked beside a path.

The name tells you what makes the location memorable, but the wider benefit is seeing how Dambo uses natural features as part of the artwork. You are not looking at a giant in isolation. The setting helps create the story and gives you a different view of the countryside around Copenhagen.

This is also a good moment to notice the contrast between the sculptures. They share recycled wood and a playful scale, but their locations keep the tour from feeling like the same photograph repeated six times.

Same neighbourhood, a completely different afternoon:

Oscar Under the Bridge is the longest sculpture stop

Oscar Under the Bridge receives about 40 minutes, the longest scheduled visit on the first part of the route. That extra time is welcome. A sculpture under a bridge has a more enclosed, unexpected setting, and you have room to see it from different angles.

This is one of the stops where the location does much of the storytelling. The project was designed to send people into places they might not normally visit, and Oscar Under the Bridge makes that idea clear. A piece of large-scale art under everyday infrastructure is a striking contrast.

Use the longer stop for photographs and a closer look at the construction. These are handmade-looking wooden forms assembled from scrap materials, not factory-perfect statues. You can see why the project works well outdoors: the rough wood, giant proportions, and ordinary surroundings all belong together.

A short break at Spisestedet Mosen

Copenhagen: Six Forgotten Giant Sculptures Tour by Bus - A short break at Spisestedet Mosen

The tour pauses for about 10 minutes at Spisestedet Mosen. This is a quick reset, not a full meal stop. Since food and drinks are not included, bring a snack and water if you know you will want something during the afternoon.

Ten minutes passes quickly, especially if you need a restroom, a drink, or a bite to eat. I would not plan on a relaxed café meal here. Think of it as a chance to stretch your legs and prepare for the final group of sculptures.

The break also helps the pace. The route includes several bus journeys and outdoor walks, so a short pause keeps the day from becoming one long sequence of getting on and off the bus.

Little Tilde brings you back into the open air

Little Tilde comes after the break, with about 20 minutes for the visit. By this point, you will understand the basic rhythm: the bus drops you close to the site, the guide leads you along the shortest route, and you get time for photographs and a look at the surroundings.

The benefit of a guided route is clear here. The sculptures are spread across ordinary parts of the western Copenhagen region, not concentrated around a visitor center. Without local directions, you could spend more time searching for paths and parking than enjoying the artwork.

The shorter stop also keeps the full route possible in a single half-day. You will not have much spare time to wander far from the sculpture, so stay with the group and listen for the return time.

Thomas on the Mountain is the longest walk and visit

Copenhagen: Six Forgotten Giant Sculptures Tour by Bus - Thomas on the Mountain is the longest walk and visit

Thomas on the Mountain has about 40 minutes, matching Oscar Under the Bridge as the most generous stop. The sculpture’s name suggests a setting with some height or a more open rural position, and it gives the route another change of pace.

This is a good place to look at the relationship between the figure and the surrounding nature. Dambo’s work often asks you to find the sculpture first, then consider why it was placed there. The art is playful, but the project also points you toward overlooked outdoor spaces around the capital.

The tour’s outdoor nature is important here. You may walk through fields or along uneven paths, so comfortable footwear is a practical choice. The supplied information does not promise a difficult hike, and the route is planned to keep walking distances short, but this is still not a purely bus-based sightseeing ride.

Teddy Friendly closes the route

Copenhagen: Six Forgotten Giant Sculptures Tour by Bus - Teddy Friendly closes the route

The last sculpture is Friendly Teddy, also known as Teddy Friendly by Thomas Dambo number 14. The visit lasts about 20 minutes before the bus begins the return to Copenhagen.

Ending with Teddy gives the tour a friendly final character. After seeing six figures in six different settings, you can compare how each one uses recycled wood, local surroundings, and a playful name to create a separate personality.

The final drive takes about 30 minutes, bringing you back to the CPH Tours & Tickets office. The tour is advertised as four hours, though the listed stop and driving times create a fairly full schedule. In practice, expect a brisk half day with approximate timings. Guides need to keep everyone together so the bus can complete the entire circuit.

What the guide adds, and where the tour could do more

The guide handles the route, timing, and transfers, which is no small task. The tour has earned a perfect transport score, and that makes sense: the bus takes you to six scattered sites while the guide organizes the walks and keeps the day running on time.

English is the tour language. A recent guide named Vinod was described as especially organized and pleasant, and the route left on time without making the group feel rushed. Those are valuable qualities on a tour with so many moving parts.

The weaker point is depth of commentary. You will hear about the troll project and the route, but the supplied details suggest that some visitors would like more about Thomas Dambo, the meaning of each sculpture, and Denmark during the bus rides.

That does not make the tour poor. It simply tells you what kind of experience this is. You are booking a guided art hunt with reliable transport, not a long lecture on contemporary sculpture. If you want more interpretation, prepare a few questions about the artist, recycled materials, volunteer construction, and the purpose of placing art outside museums.

Is $135 a fair price?

At $135 per person, this is expensive compared with a simple Copenhagen walking tour or a self-guided visit to one attraction. The price becomes easier to defend when you consider the route. Six remote sites, a bus, an English-speaking guide, navigation, timing, and short walks are bundled together.

The alternative is not a simple train ride between six locations. You would need to identify every site, work out the roads, find appropriate stopping points, and allow enough time to complete the circuit. If you have no car, the independent option becomes even less practical.

The value depends on your priorities. I would consider it worthwhile if you have already seen central Copenhagen and want a playful outdoor experience that would be hard to arrange alone. I would hesitate if you are watching every dollar, dislike bus time, or want detailed cultural interpretation at each stop.

The transport has practical extras, including WiFi and chargers. You can bring snacks, which helps because meals are not part of the price. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure and the option to reserve now and pay later also make the booking less rigid.

Who should take this tour?

I would recommend it most strongly to families, fans of large public art, photographers, and visitors who like seeing ordinary local areas rather than only famous central sights. The treasure-hunt format gives children and playful adults a clear reason to stay interested during the bus rides.

It also suits first-time visitors who want a simple way to see more of Zealand without renting a car. The tour shows you natural areas around Copenhagen while keeping the walking manageable.

You may want another type of excursion if you need a slow pace, a full meal break, or a detailed art lecture. The schedule is active, the stops are timed, and the group must return to the bus promptly. Bring walking shoes, water, and a snack, and dress for outdoor conditions.

Should you book the Six Forgotten Giants tour?

Book it if you want an unusual four-hour outing, enjoy playful recycled art, and value a guide and bus that solve a difficult route. The strongest reasons are the six distinct locations, the short walks, and the chance to see countryside beyond Copenhagen’s center.

Skip it if your budget is tight or if you would rather spend $135 on a longer, more traditional cultural experience. The commentary may not satisfy anyone seeking a detailed account of Dambo’s artistic methods or Danish culture.

For the right person, this is a smart way to turn a scattered public-art project into a practical adventure. You get six giant figures, a glimpse of western Zealand, and a day that feels more like a treasure hunt than a standard sightseeing loop.

FAQ

Where does the Six Forgotten Giants tour start?

Meet at the CPH Tours & Tickets office, located about two minutes from Copenhagen Central Station.

How long does the tour last?

The advertised duration is four hours, including bus travel, visits to all six sculptures, a short break, and the return to Copenhagen.

Which sculptures will I see?

The route includes Sleeping Louis, Hilltop Trine, Oscar Under the Bridge, Little Tilde, Thomas on the Mountain, and Friendly Teddy.

What language is the tour conducted in?

The tour has a live guide and is conducted in English.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included. You must reach the central meeting point at the CPH Tours & Tickets office.

Are food and drinks included?

No. Food and drinks are not included, but you can bring snacks to eat on the bus. The itinerary also includes a short break at Spisestedet Mosen.

Can I cancel the booking?

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later.

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