Roskilde Cathedral: The Royal Tombs of Denmark
Roskilde Cathedral, burial church of 40 Danish kings and queens: opening hours, the DKK 80 ticket, Saturday closures, the train from Copenhagen and the tours that stop there.
Roskilde Cathedral is the burial church of the Danish monarchy: 40 kings and queens lie there, and since the late 1500s every Danish king and all but one queen has been buried in it. It is an early Scandinavian Gothic cathedral built of brick from the 12th century, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995, and about 25 minutes from Copenhagen by train. Adults pay DKK 80 and under-18s enter free. Go on a Monday or a Wednesday if you can: the church often closes for services, and on Saturdays in spring and summer for weddings and confirmations.
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Visiting on a tour
Hamlet Tours’ Grand Day Trip around Copenhagen gives the cathedral about 50 minutes, then goes on to the Viking Ship Museum, Frederiksborg and Kronborg, with every entrance ticket included. Its Viator itinerary makes the cathedral a photo stop outside from November to March, so in winter you may see it only from the square; ask Hamlet Tours when you book if the interior matters to you. The calendar is the same day on GetYourGuide; on Viator it costs from US$199 (checked October 2026).
Ophelia Tours’ castles day goes the other way round: Kronborg and Frederiksborg first, then a guided hour inside the cathedral at the end of the day, which in winter is its October-to-December and January-to-March versions, from US$208 (checked October 2026). It does not stop at the Viking Ship Museum.
Other Days with Open Dates
More Day Trips from Copenhagen with Open Dates
Castles, Sweden, the cliffs of Mon and the countryside, with live availability. Times and cancellation terms are on each listing.
Opening hours
| Months | Monday to Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|
| October to April | 10:00 to 16:00 | 13:00 to 16:00 |
| May | 10:00 to 17:00 | 13:00 to 16:00 |
| June to September | 10:00 to 18:00 | 13:00 to 16:00 |
Hours from roskildedomkirke.dk, checked October 2026.
The cathedral is a working church, and it may close for services at short notice; a date on its calendar shown without hours is closed all day. On Saturday 31 October 2026, for example, it opens at 11:30 rather than 10:00. The cathedral’s own advice is that Mondays and Wednesdays are open all day and Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays reliably until 13:00. Easter, Pentecost and Christmas have their own hours.
Tickets
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Adults (18 and over) | DKK 80 |
| Seniors (67 and over) and students | DKK 60 |
| Groups of 10 or more | DKK 60 each |
| Under 18 | Free |
| Copenhagen Card | Free |
Prices from roskildedomkirke.dk, checked October 2026. Tickets are sold inside the cathedral, and cards are accepted.
Getting there by train
Trains from Copenhagen Central reach Roskilde in about 25 minutes, and the cathedral stands about a 10-minute walk from the station. The Copenhagen Card DISCOVER covers the train and the ticket. The Viking Ship Museum is a 20 to 25 minute walk on, down by the fjord, or bus 203; vikingshipmuseumroskilde.com covers its hours, tickets and ships. A morning for the cathedral and an afternoon at the museum makes a full, easy day without a tour.
Inside
- The royal tombs. The coffins and sarcophagi of 40 kings and queens lie in the cathedral and its chapels; since the late 1500s every Danish king and all but one queen has been buried here.
- The building. An early Scandinavian Gothic cathedral, built in brick and dating back to the 12th century.
- The legends. Tradition says Harald Bluetooth built a church here and was buried in it; the cathedral itself calls that uncertain.
Roskilde, Then Both Castles
Hamlet Tours' Grand Day Trip stops at Roskilde Cathedral and the Viking Ship Museum, then Frederiksborg and Kronborg, with tickets included.
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