Copenhagen: Six Forgotten Giant Sculptures Tour by Bus

The best thing about this tour is the hunt itself. Six giant trolls made from scrap wood are scattered across the western edge of Copenhagen, in places you would probably never find on your own. You ride from one quiet nature spot to the next, then walk out to uncover each sculpture. It feels part art outing, part countryside treasure hunt.

I like the clever use of recycled wood and the way the tour gets you beyond the city center. I also like the practical bus service: the stops are spread across six municipalities, and the bus saves you a great deal of time and guesswork. The main consideration is that this is a four-hour tour with several bus rides, so it suits you best if you enjoy a moving day rather than a long stay at one attraction.

Key points to know before you go

• Six large Thomas Dambo sculptures: Find Sleeping Louis, Hilltop Trine, Oscar Under the Bridge, Little Tilde, Thomas on the Mountain, and Teddy Friendly.
• A countryside outing near Copenhagen: Walk through fields and remote green areas that are easy to miss on a standard city visit.
• Efficient transport: The coach links sculptures scattered around Rødovre, Hvidovre, Vallensbæk, Ishøj, Albertslund, and Høje Taastrup.
• Short walks at each stop: You do not need to plan long hikes, though you should be ready for paths through fields and outdoor ground.
• English-speaking guidance: Guides such as Vinod keep the day organized and help you reach each sculpture without wasting time.
• Good bus comforts: The coach used on the tour has Wi-Fi and phone chargers, and you can bring snacks.

Why six wooden trolls make a fine Copenhagen day trip

Thomas Dambo’s Forgotten Giants project was built to pull art out of galleries and place it where people can stumble across it. The sculptures are made from scrap wood with help from local volunteers. Their rough, oversized forms fit the idea perfectly: these are not polished museum objects behind a rope. They sit in places where you have to look, walk, and pay attention.

That setting changes the experience. You are not simply driven to six photo stops. You follow paths, scan the trees or open ground, and then see a huge wooden figure appear. The scale makes the sculptures playful, but the recycled materials give them a useful message too. Dambo has also worked with plastic, cardboard, and other discarded materials, so the project is part of a wider effort to turn waste into public art.

I find this especially useful for a short Copenhagen visit. The city center is compact and easy to cover, but it does not show you much of Zealand beyond its streets and canals. This tour gives you a look at quieter areas around Copenhagen without asking you to rent a car or work out a complicated route.

The six sculptures are spread through western municipalities including Rødovre, Hvidovre, Vallensbæk, Ishøj, Albertslund, and Høje Taastrup. That spread is the reason the bus matters. Driving to all six independently would take planning, parking research, and some patience with local roads. The tour turns that puzzle into one continuous half-day outing.

Starting near Copenhagen Central Station

You meet at the CPH Tours & Tickets office, about two minutes from Copenhagen Central Station. That is a useful location if you are staying in the city or arriving by train. The tour does not include hotel pickup and drop-off, so allow time to reach the office before departure.

From there, you board the coach for the first ride. The full experience lasts about four hours, including driving, short walks, guided visits, and a brief break. The transport received a perfect score from the available ratings, and that makes sense here: the sculptures are not grouped together, so comfortable, dependable transport is a major part of what you are paying for.

The bus used for the outing has Wi-Fi and phone chargers. You can also bring snacks, which is handy because food and drinks are not included. I would bring water, a small snack, and shoes that can handle outdoor paths. The tour is not presented as a strenuous hike, but you will be walking through fields and remote areas rather than staying on city pavement.

Sleeping Louis begins the hunt

The first sculpture is Sleeping Louis. A guided visit of about 15 minutes gives you time to walk out, locate the giant, and take photographs. Starting with a sleeping figure sets the tone nicely: these sculptures are meant to be found in ordinary outdoor places, not introduced with a grand museum entrance.

The first coach ride takes about 30 minutes, so this opening section also gives you a chance to settle in. If your guide shares background about the project, this is a good point to listen for the basic idea behind the six giants and Dambo’s use of scrap wood.

The short visit is worth keeping in perspective. You are seeing six sculptures in one morning or afternoon, not spending an hour with each one. That fast rhythm helps the tour cover a wide area, but it means you should be ready to take in each piece, photograph it, and move on.

Hilltop Trine adds a change of setting

After another bus ride of about 15 minutes, you reach Hilltop Trine. The planned visit lasts about 20 minutes. The name suggests a higher setting, and the stop gives the route a different feel from the first sculpture. Each giant is designed to belong to its own patch of ground, so the walk to Hilltop Trine is part of the discovery.

This is where the tour’s outdoor purpose becomes clear. Dambo’s project wanted people to notice nature areas that might otherwise be overlooked. You get more than six pieces of public art. You also get a sequence of small surroundings, each with its own path, open space, or wooded edge.

Keep your expectations practical. This is not a formal garden tour, and no detailed list of walking surfaces is provided. Conditions can vary in outdoor areas, so sturdy casual shoes are the sensible choice. The tour keeps the walk to each sculpture as short as possible, according to the transport feedback, but you still need to be comfortable walking outside.

Oscar Under the Bridge is the longest sculpture stop

The coach then travels for about 20 minutes to Oscar Under the Bridge. With roughly 40 minutes here, this is one of the longest visits of the day. The extra time matters because the sculpture’s location is part of its character. You are not just looking at Oscar. You are seeing how a giant figure works with a piece of everyday infrastructure.

This stop should give you more room for photographs and for a proper look at the construction. Scrap wood is not hidden behind a smooth finish. You can appreciate the scale, the joints, and the handmade quality. If you enjoy public art that feels tied to its surroundings, Oscar may be one of the more memorable stops.

The route uses short transfers between several locations, but this is also one of the points where you spend a solid amount of time on foot. A guide can help keep the group moving and explain the work, though the amount of information about each sculpture may depend on the guide and the day. One useful improvement would be more detail about Dambo’s ideas, the meaning of each figure, and Copenhagen’s outer districts during the longer bus rides.

A ten-minute break at Spisestedet Mosen

After Oscar, you stop at Spisestedet Mosen for about ten minutes. This is a short pause rather than a full meal stop. Since food and drinks are not included, you should not rely on this break as your main chance to eat.

Ten minutes is enough to stretch, use the pause to reset, and have a snack you brought along. It is not enough for a leisurely café visit. The brief stop also shows how tightly the four-hour schedule is planned. The tour aims to reach all six giants in one outing, so the day keeps moving.

Little Tilde brings the project back to the small details

Little Tilde follows the break, with around 20 minutes set aside for the visit. Compared with the 40-minute stop at Oscar and Thomas on the Mountain, this is a quicker look. That does not make it unimportant. The pleasure of the project comes from seeing how each sculpture has its own pose, setting, and personality.

The name Little Tilde also gives the tour some variety. After several huge figures, a sculpture with a smaller-sounding identity changes your sense of scale. You begin to notice not only how large the giants are, but how Dambo uses names and placement to make them feel like characters.

You will want to keep your camera ready, but do not rush through the walk itself. One of the tour’s real strengths is that it sends you into places you might otherwise pass without noticing. The walk is part of the artwork’s presentation, not simply a way to get from the bus to a photo opportunity.

Thomas on the Mountain gives you more time to look

The next stop, Thomas on the Mountain, allows about 40 minutes. Like Oscar Under the Bridge, it receives one of the longest visits. The name points to a setting where the sculpture and the ground around it matter equally. You get time to see the figure from different angles and take in the area rather than making a quick stop.

This is also a good place to think about the project’s central idea. The giants are not placed in Copenhagen’s main squares, where thousands of people would pass them each day. They are positioned in less noticed outdoor areas, encouraging you to seek them out. The art rewards curiosity and a willingness to leave the obvious route.

The tour’s guide-led format helps here. A well-organized guide such as Vinod can keep the timing under control, explain where to walk, and make sure the group returns to the coach. That matters when six stops are spread across a large area. You get the benefits of an independent hunt without the risk of spending too long looking for one sculpture and missing the next.

Teddy Friendly closes the six-giant trail

The final sculpture is Friendly Teddy, also referred to as Teddy Friendly and listed as one of Thomas Dambo’s numbered works. The visit lasts about 20 minutes. Ending with a friendly-looking giant is a fitting close to a route built around humor, recycled materials, and public art.

By this point, you have seen six different settings and several types of placement. You may find that the final stop works best as a chance to compare the sculptures. Which one used its surroundings most effectively? Which one had the most interesting construction? Which one would you have struggled most to find without the bus?

The coach then returns to the central meeting point, with the final ride taking about 30 minutes. You finish near Copenhagen Central Station, which makes it easy to continue sightseeing, catch a train, or return to your hotel.

What the $135 price really buys you

At $135 per person, this is not a cheap way to see outdoor sculptures. You are paying for a four-hour guided outing, coach transport, and the convenience of reaching six scattered sites in one organized route. There is no separate admission charge listed for the sculptures, and food and drinks are not included.

The value depends on how you would otherwise reach the giants. If you have a car, enjoy route planning, and do not mind searching for remote locations, you might prefer to visit independently. But if you are based in Copenhagen without a vehicle, the bus saves you a considerable amount of time and removes the hardest part of the day.

I also think the price makes more sense for first-time visitors who want something beyond the city center. You see public art, countryside, and several outer municipalities in one half-day. It is less convincing if you want a slow art tour with long explanations at every stop. The schedule is efficient, and the amount of commentary about Dambo, each sculpture, and Denmark can vary.

The guide and bus make or break the day

The strongest practical reports about this outing point to organization, punctual departures, and a smooth route. Vinod is specifically praised for keeping the day orderly and making the stops easy to manage. That is important because the tour includes many moving parts, several walks, and a fixed return time.

The bus also earns its place. Wi-Fi and chargers are useful during the longer rides, especially if you are taking many photos. You can bring snacks, which I recommend, since the ten-minute break is brief and there is no included food.

The main weakness is informational rather than logistical. You may want more stories about Thomas Dambo, more explanation of what each sculpture means, and more facts about Copenhagen and Denmark during the bus rides. If the guide provides that extra context, the day becomes stronger. If not, you will still get the outdoor hunt and reliable transport, but you may need to supply some of the artistic background yourself.

Who should book this tour

I would choose this tour for families, couples, and curious adults who like unusual sights and do not want another standard city walk. Children may enjoy the giant scale and the search element, while adults can appreciate the recycled construction and the changing outdoor settings.

It also suits you if you have already seen Copenhagen’s central sights and want a different half-day. The experience shows a less familiar side of the region without demanding a full day of independent driving.

I would hesitate if you dislike coach rides, need long quiet visits at each artwork, or want a serious art-history lecture. There are several transfers, and some sculpture visits last only 15 or 20 minutes. You should also be comfortable walking outdoors in fields and remote areas.

Booking is flexible: you can cancel up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later. Starting times vary, so check availability when choosing your date.

Should you book the six Forgotten Giants tour?

Book it if you want a playful, well-organized escape from central Copenhagen and like the idea of finding art rather than simply being shown art. The six sculptures, recycled wood, short walks, and quiet settings create a memorable change of pace.

Skip it if $135 feels too high for a bus outing or if you prefer to explore at your own speed. For most visitors without a car, though, the transport is the key value. You get a difficult-to-plan route, an English-speaking guide, and a genuine look at the overlooked edges of Copenhagen in four hours.

FAQ

Where does the Six Forgotten Giants tour start?

The tour starts at the CPH Tours & Tickets office, about two minutes from Copenhagen Central Station.

How long does the tour last?

The activity lasts four hours, including bus travel, guided visits, walking time, and a short break.

What language is the tour conducted in?

The live tour guide speaks English.

Which sculptures will I see?

You will visit Sleeping Louis, Hilltop Trine, Oscar Under the Bridge, Little Tilde, Thomas on the Mountain, and Friendly Teddy, also called Teddy Friendly.

How are the sculptures connected?

The six giants are part of Thomas Dambo’s Forgotten Giants project. They were made from scrap wood with help from local volunteers.

Is bus transportation included?

Yes. Bus transportation and a guide are included in the tour price.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. You must make your own way to the centrally located CPH Tours & Tickets office, and hotel pickup and drop-off are not included.

Are food and drinks included?

No. Food and drinks are not included. You can bring snacks, and the itinerary includes a short ten-minute break at Spisestedet Mosen.

Do I need to walk during the tour?

Yes. The sculptures are in remote outdoor areas, and the tour includes walks through fields to reach them. The route is planned to keep the walks as short as possible.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

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