Castles Tour from Copenhagen: North Zealand and Hamlet Castle

The tour was great - visiting the castles and being guided through it all was interesting and very cool. I had a few qualms with how the tour was run. First of all, the meeting point was very unclear - no direct address and not being natives, it was very difficult to find. There was no sign on the sidewalk nearby, you were just expected to find the area before the bus showed up, which it did - a little late. Until the bus showed up, we were convinced we were in the wrong spot and was going to miss the tour entirely. Once we got on the bus, that was when they informed us that there would not be time for a formal lunch, instead we were to order sandwiches from a very select menu (three sandwich options) and we would eat on the bus. Nowhere was this mentioned prior and while it wasn't too much of a problem for me, but my roommate wasn't able to eat any of the sandwiches offered and we ducked out of a stop early in order to grab a quick sandwich at the first castle. This was not a huge deal to me and honestly, the sandwich I got was good - but more advance warning would have been nice. If you are a picky eater or have allergies, I would suggest to bring your own lunch. After that, the tour was fine. Most day tours I've been on include the guide talking during the trip about life and culture in their country, and this guide did not. He was knowledgeable on the castles, history, etc, but it would have been nice to learn more about Denmark. Overall, this was not my favorite tour, but the castles were nice and very beautiful and it was a day well-spent.

Did not have enough time to spend in last and best castle. Tour was well organized but the guide was disinterested and gave little information in monotonous manner. I would expect some historical context on the bus and additional facts in the castles. Otherwise, it was difficult to see the whole picture, it was disjointed information about various parts of the castles.

The overall tour was informative. The organization was another issue. The bus departure time was at least 30 -45 minutes later than the website and ticket purchase indicated and even the ticket takers seemed baffled. As we were concluding the tour of Kronborg and heading toward the bus,7 or 8 people in 3 different groups (including children) got separated from the main group. It became crowded and congested with other tour groups so it was easy to lose sight of our guide. Some people must have gone to the restroom or gift shop. The only instruction we had from our guide was that the bus would not be parked in the same place as the drop off and "don't get lost," and that we would have to find our own way back if we missed the bus. Once separated from the guide we had no idea which way to go. The bus was not in sight, there were several potential exits from the courtyard and it began to pour down rain. We ran down several roads looking for signs of our group. The guide eventually came back to redirect us, but the panic it created was totally unnecessary. He could have told us ahead of time where to meet i.e. "meet at the fountain" similar to his instructions at the prior site to "meet at Shakespeare picture." Additionally we all had headsets and could have received instructions on where to meet, and when everyone was accounted for, head back to the bus. If the tour is so pressed for time that you can't wait 5 minutes to collect everyone in the group, I would suggest either starting on time and/or editing out some of the details in the history monologue.

First, we wasted over an hour trying to find the bus since the instructions given were unclear and inaccurate. When the bus finally arrived, we waited another 30 mins. so the tour started over an hour later than it was supposed to. The tour of the first castle we visited was way too long - nearly 2 hours. It could have been completed in half the time. There was no time allocated for lunch so we had to order from 3 sandwich options on the bus. It was terrible. The second castle was just a photo stop. The third and final castle was magnificent. We could have spent more time at this one and less time at the first one. The only saving grace was that the tour guide was a nice fellow who agreed to have the bus drop us off at our hotel (since it was on the way). All in all, we could have probably skipped this tour, saved $350 for 3 tickets and put our time and money to better use in Copenhagen.

12 July "Castles" tour: We were a family with an elderly father in a wheelchair. Everyone enjoyed the entire trip! The tour guide was informative and well spoken. The bus driver very helpful with the wheelchair and accommodating the needs of our 86 year old father. The sandwiches available for purchase were excellent! Each stop well worth seeing. One of the best Viator offerings we've taken!!

We were rushed during the whole visit! First of all, it was 45 minutes later than the original departure time. Not sure if they were trying to make more sales at the spot or people were just late. No reason explained. Thought European countries are very punctual of their schedule. Then, we were only brought to the major scenes where they did had detailed explanations. That’s why I’m giving 3 instead of 2. But we didn’t have time to see the rest of the castles, the gardens and the shops. Not even time for restroom! All we heard was “we must leave now”! We had lunch on the bus! I feel bad for the elderly people on the tour. They were all being rushed as well! I recommended this tour to my friends. I looked like an idiot since we didn’t really seen much... very disappointing! Wish they could arrange earlier or reasonable departure time so maybe guests could have more free time and enjoy more!

Good tour!

Our guide, Jana, was very well-prepared, considering this was her first tour to the Hamlet Castle. She had some fascinating history to share! My one suggestion is to allow for some more time at the two castles we toured, and to skip the photo stop at the third. It would have been nice to pick up a couple souvenirs at the shops, but we were somewhat rushed to depart on time.

Great tip, memorable experiences.

I do not recall any problem at all.

Frederiksborg castle was amazing. Highly recommend. Next time I come back, I'm going to dedicate a whole day to that castle alone.