Is it time for a new Christmas tradition? The Viking Ship Museum is open with activities, storytelling and guided tours every day during the Christmas holidays.
Yuletide at the museum
The ships have come ashore for the winter and the days have become shorter and colder. It's time to gather with friends and family to create memories that can last a lifetime.
The Museum will be open to visitors every day during the Christmas holidays, to the delight of tourists, families and museum enthusiasts.
Christmas activities for everyone
The Museum offers a Christmas programme with activities for the whole family and guided tours about the world-famous Viking ships.
The Museum Shop and Café Knarr will also be open every day.
Daily guided tours
Every day, you can join tours about the five Viking ships exhibited in the Viking ship Hall. The ships provide a diverse insight into the Viking World. The Viking ships have revealed many unknown aspects of the Vikings' maritime skills in shipbuilding and seafaring, and there is no doubt that without ships, there would be no Viking Age!
Daily tours in English and Danish:
11:00: Guided tour in English
13:00: Guided tour in Danish
Note: From December 23 to January 1, the Danish tour is moved to 14:00 to make room for Christmas stories for children.
Christmas stories for children in Danish: December 22 to January 1
Listen to stories about the Vikings' Jól - Danish word for Yule tide.
Age: 5 - 11 years
When: December 23 to January 1: 13:00 - 13:30
Where: Viking Ship Hall
Stories for Children
Bring your children or grandchildren to the museum and join us on a voyage back to the Viking Age.
Rest on the deck of the large ship and listen to exciting stories about the Vikings' Jól, the Norse name for Yule tide.
Dive into the Past: Explore Shipwrecks at the Maritime Archaeologists' DocuLab
On the museum island, you can visit the 'Maritime Archaeologists' Workshop.' Here, archaeologists are working on documenting two remarkable shipwrecks found at a depth of 12 meters in the channel 'Svælget' during the construction of the artificial peninsula, Lynetteholm, in the port of Copenhagen.
Opening hours at the Maritime Archaeologists' DocuLab:
The Maritime Archaeologists' DocuLab is open to the public every day from 10:00 to 15:30.
Archaeologists work in the documentation workshop weekdays from 10:00 to 15:30.
Exhibition 'Swallowed by the Sea - two ships that never reached port:
The exhibition showcases findings from the excavations of the two shipwrecks and zooms in on the nearly invisible traces that contribute to new knowledge about past sailors, maritime activities, and society.
Open daily: 10:00 - 15:30
Where: The Maritime Archaeologists' DocuLab on the Museum Island, next to the Café Knarr
Get your hands on discoveries from the deep:
Workshops for children about Maritime Archaeology.
When: December 9 - 10 + 16 - 17 + December 24 - January 1
Time: 11.00 - 11.30 og 12.30 - 13.00
Where: The Maritime Archaeologists' DocuLab on the Museum Island, next to the Café Knarr
Write Christmas Cards with Runes
During Christmas time, Vikings visited family, just like we do today and greetings were sent from family members who could not travel.
They drank "to year and peace"; that's how they wished each other good health, fertility, and prosperity in the coming year.
In many ways, it resembles the Christmas and New Year wishes we send each other today. So, if you're in the mood for some Christmas teasing, you can write all your Christmas cards with runes and challenge the recipient to solve your Christmas riddle.
Opening hous at the Viking Ship Museum during Christmas holidays 2023
The museum is open every day 10:00-16:00, except 22 December, due to the Pia storm
The Museum Island, the Maritime Archaeologists' DocuLab and Café Knarr are closed 21 December - 23 December due to storm and increased water level
The Exhibitions in the Viking Ship Hall are closed on 22 December, due to storm and increased water level
