This is the only place in the world where you can walk directly from the Viking Ship Hall and the original 1000-year-old Viking ships to the lively atmosphere of Museum Island. Here you can watch the boat builders at the Boat Yard recreate a Viking ship with traditional tools at the boatyard. The life around the clinker-built wooden boats is included in UNESCO's Representative List of the Living Heritage of Humanity.
Sail out on the fjord
From 1 May to 30 September, you can join daily sailing trips on Roskilde Fjord in the descendants of the Viking ships - the traditional Nordic wooden boats. On the sailing trip, you'll experience first-hand how people in the Viking Age sailed when they went to sea. We use the very same energy source to move forward - oars and sail and the muscle power of the crew.
Boatbuilders recreate a warship
During the summer season, the Viking Ship Museum's boatbuilders and experimental archaeologists will continue building a new reconstruction of the original Viking Age warship Skuldelev 5, which is on display in the Viking Ship Hall. It is possible to get close to the work and see how they use their craft to build ships using the same techniques and copies of Viking tools.
Build your own small boat
The 'Build Boat Workshop' is open every day from 10-17. The workshop is located opposite the boatyard, and here children can follow in the footsteps of the boat builders and build their own little boats. The boats are made from leftover wood, paper, string and whatever other imaginative materials you can think of.
Experience the maritime crafts
During the summer season there will be activities focusing on maritime crafts. There will be ongoing activities where Viking Age craftsmanship around the ships will be demonstrated by blacksmiths, rope makers, weavers and other craftsmen.
The Maritime Archaeologists' DocuLab
Every day you can visit the Maritime Archaeologists’ DocuLab and see the ongoing work to document the two new ship finds from Copenhagen Harbour. Piece by piece, the timber is lifted out of large tanks filled with water to be cleaned, scanned and examined for traces of past sailors and boat builders.
Guided tours indoor and outdoor
In the summer season there will be even more exciting and educational guided tours for children and adults alike. There will also be outdoor tours of the shipyard and indoors in the Viking Ship Hall, where guides will talk about the original ships and life around them 1000 years ago.
Enjoy a Nordic meal and design
During your visit to the Viking Ship Museum, you can also enjoy a Nordic-inspired meal at Café Knarr or explore our museum shop in the Viking Ship Hall.
There is so more to explore at the Museum!
Join the Museum's daily guided tours
On the guided tours you can immerse yourself in the history of the famous Skuldelev ships or follow the process when the skilled boatbuilders create reconstructions of Viking ships.
On the museum island you can visit the boatyard
At the Build a Boat workshop, children can build their own mini Viking ships while the Museum's boatbuilders work on the reconstruction of the Skuldelev 5 ship nearby.
Explore the Maritime Archaeologists' Workshop Learn all about their work exploring the hidden treasures on the Danish seabed. Gain insight into everything from diving investigations to advanced 3D scanners.
Sailing trips on Roskilde fjord
Every day you can board the traditional Nordic boats and learn about the art of sailing with oars and square sails. The Museum also offers evening sailing trips, day courses and group sailing trips.
Crafts of the Viking Age
Learn about Viking craftsmanship when the blacksmith, the sailmaker and the woodcarver demonstrates their skills at the Museum.
