Copenhagen: Six Forgotten Giant Sculptures Tour by Bus

Troll hunting makes a fine day out. This four-hour bus tour takes you beyond central Copenhagen to find Thomas Dambo’s six Forgotten Giants, giant scrap-wood sculptures tucked into fields, wooded patches, and overlooked corners of Zealand. You get a playful art hunt, fresh air, and a look at parts of Denmark most city visitors never reach.

I like the easy bus connection between remote sites, since finding all six alone would take planning and a car. I also like the local volunteer angle: these are made from recycled wood with community help, then placed outdoors where anyone can see them. The main drawback is the price, $135 per person, and the amount of time spent riding between stops. If you want a slow country walk, this tour moves at a brisk pace.

• Six giant sculptures in one afternoon: See Sleeping Louis, Hill Top Trine, Oscar Under The Bridge, Little Tilde, Thomas on the Mountain, and Friendly Teddy.
• A practical route by bus: The vehicle handles the long connections between Rødovre, Hvidovre, Vallensbæk, Ishøj, Albertslund, and Høje Taastrup.
• Short walks to outdoor art: You walk through fields and natural areas, but the route is designed to keep walking distances manageable.
• A project made from scrap wood: The sculptures turn discarded materials into public art far from a museum gallery.
• Modern bus comforts: The bus has WiFi and chargers, useful during the long stretches between stops.
• A guide-led treasure hunt: English guiding keeps the hunt organized and helps you reach all six sculptures within four hours.

Why these giant trolls are worth your afternoon

Thomas Dambo’s Forgotten Giants project gives you a different view of Copenhagen. Instead of placing large sculptures in a city square, the artist and local volunteers put them in areas that are easy to overlook. You go out to find the art, rather than having the art wait for you.

That idea matters. The sculptures encourage you to notice Danish nature around the western municipalities of Copenhagen. A patch of woodland, a grassy field, or a spot beneath a bridge becomes part of the experience. The scenery is not grand in the postcard sense, but it is open, ordinary, and local. That is exactly the point.

The giants are made from scrap wood, and Dambo has worked with other recycled materials too, including plastic and cardboard. You are not looking at polished gallery pieces. You are seeing rough, playful outdoor figures built to weather the elements and invite close inspection.

The tour works best if you enjoy a little silliness with your sightseeing. You are hunting for trolls, taking photographs, walking outdoors, and hearing about the project. It is less suitable if your ideal Copenhagen excursion means architecture, royal palaces, or a long café stop.

Starting near Copenhagen Central Station

You meet at the CPH Tours & Tickets office, just two minutes from Copenhagen Central Station. That is a useful meeting point, especially if you are staying in the center or arriving by train. You do not receive hotel pickup or drop-off, so plan to reach the office on your own.

The first bus ride takes about 30 minutes. This is not wasted time, since the sculptures sit outside the center in six different municipalities. Still, you should know what you are buying: part guided outing, part road trip, and part outdoor treasure hunt.

The transport receives especially strong marks for comfort. The bus includes WiFi and chargers, and you can bring snacks to eat. Food and drinks are not included, so buying something before departure is sensible. The scheduled break is only 10 minutes, which is enough for a quick pause but not a full meal.

The tour is conducted in English. Guide Vinod has been praised for keeping the day organized and leaving on time, an important detail when six separate stops must fit into four hours. A well-run schedule matters here because delays at one sculpture could shorten your time at the next five.

Sleeping Louis begins the sculpture hunt

The first stop is Sleeping Louis, one of the Six Forgotten Giants. You get about 15 minutes with the sculpture, including guided time and the walk needed to reach it.

Starting with a sleeping figure sets the tone nicely. These sculptures are not formal monuments. They are oversized characters waiting to be found, and the first discovery makes the rest of the afternoon feel like a scavenger hunt.

Fifteen minutes is brief, but it keeps the route moving. You should have time to look closely, take photographs, and hear the basic story of the piece. If you enjoy studying construction details, do not expect a long art lecture at every stop. The tour gives you access to all six rather than a slow examination of one.

Hill Top Trine and the pleasure of finding the route

After roughly 15 minutes on the bus, you reach Hill Top Trine. The visit lasts about 20 minutes. The name hints at the way the sculpture uses its setting, and the appeal comes partly from the search itself.

Outdoor art changes depending on how you approach it. You may first spot a piece of wood, a large hand, or a face among the trees and grass, then see the whole figure as you get closer. That gradual reveal is something you do not get in a museum, where the object is already framed for you.

This stop also shows why sensible shoes matter. The route includes walks through fields and natural areas. Exact ground conditions are not specified, so I would choose footwear that can handle uneven outdoor paths rather than city dress shoes.

Oscar Under The Bridge gets the longest first-half visit

The third sculpture is Oscar Under The Bridge, with about 40 minutes set aside. That is the longest visit in the first part of the outing, giving you more time to explore the setting and take pictures.

The location is part of the fun. Oscar is not simply placed in front of a ticket desk. The bridge helps create the scene, and the sculpture feels connected to an otherwise ordinary piece of infrastructure. Dambo’s work often asks you to look again at places people normally pass without stopping.

This is also a good point to judge the tour’s pace. Forty minutes sounds generous compared with the 15-minute stop at Sleeping Louis, but the time includes reaching the sculpture, listening to the guide, and returning to the bus. You will not be lingering for hours.

If photography matters to you, Oscar may be one of the more satisfying stops because the bridge gives you a clear setting around the figure. Keep your camera ready, but do not forget to look at the surrounding area too. The project is as much about bringing you outdoors as it is about collecting six giant portraits.

A ten-minute pause at Spisestedet Mosen

The bus then takes about 15 minutes to Spisestedet Mosen for a 10-minute break. This is a useful breather after three sculpture stops, but it is not presented as a full dining visit.

Since food and drinks are excluded, bring a snack if you know you will need one. The ability to eat on the bus makes this easier, though you should not rely on the break for a proper lunch. The tight pause keeps the afternoon on schedule, but it limits your chance to sit and enjoy a meal.

Little Tilde shows the smaller side of the project

Little Tilde follows the break, with around 20 minutes at the sculpture. The name gives this giant a more personal feel, and the shorter visit helps maintain the rhythm of the route.

By this point, you understand the basic pattern: ride, walk, discover, listen, photograph, and return to the bus. That repeated structure is practical, though some people may find it a little rushed. I would treat each stop as a focused visit rather than expect a long free period.

The sculpture’s placement in a remote outdoor area is part of its charm. You are not only checking off another troll. You are seeing how a piece of art can make an overlooked corner worth visiting.

Thomas on the Mountain is the centerpiece

Thomas on the Mountain receives about 40 minutes, matching Oscar Under The Bridge for the longest stop. This gives you time to appreciate the scale of the sculpture and the relationship between the figure and its surroundings.

The name also points to an important feature of the project: the giants are built for specific places. They are not interchangeable objects that could be moved into a city gallery without losing something. Their settings help tell the story.

I would use this stop to listen closely to the guide and look at the scrap-wood construction. The materials are part of the message. Dambo’s work shows how discarded wood can become something memorable when people bring imagination and teamwork to it.

Some visitors have wished for more explanation about Dambo, the meaning of each sculpture, and Denmark during the bus rides. That is a fair limitation to consider. The tour is organized and efficient, but the amount of art interpretation may depend on how much the guide shares on your particular departure. If you want detailed contemporary-art commentary, this may feel lighter than expected.

Friendly Teddy closes the outdoor adventure

The final sculpture is Friendly Teddy by Thomas Dambo, also identified as number 14 in his wider body of work. You get about 20 minutes here before the final bus ride back to Copenhagen.

Ending with Friendly Teddy keeps the mood gentle and accessible. The name says plenty about the project’s tone: these are giant wooden figures meant to be approached, photographed, and enjoyed, not treated as serious monuments behind barriers.

After this stop, the ride back takes about 30 minutes. You return to the CPH Tours & Tickets office near Copenhagen Central Station, where the four-hour outing ends.

What the $135 price really buys you

At $135, this is not a cheap way to see public art. You are paying for the guide, the bus, the route planning, and the ability to reach six remote sites without arranging your own transport.

That last part is the main value. Trying to find all six by public transport or rental car would be difficult, especially if you are unfamiliar with the western suburbs and countryside around Copenhagen. The tour handles the driving and selects a route that allows you to visit every sculpture in one afternoon.

The price is harder to justify if you only care about one or two trolls. In that case, a self-guided visit might suit you better, if you can arrange transport. But if your goal is to see all six, the bus turns a complicated outing into a straightforward half-day plan.

I also place some value on the chance to see parts of Zealand outside the center. You get nature, suburban edges, remote paths, and local public art in one package. It is not a full Danish countryside tour, but it gives you a useful change of pace from Copenhagen’s streets.

The bus ride is part of the tradeoff

You spend about two hours in total on bus transfers, based on the scheduled travel times. That is a significant share of a four-hour tour.

The upside is comfort and efficiency. The bus has WiFi and chargers, and it removes the stress of driving between six scattered locations. You can rest, eat a snack, and watch the scenery pass.

The downside is that the tour cannot give you long walks or much unplanned time. If you prefer to wander through nature at your own speed, the schedule may feel tight. The short visits are designed to make all six sculptures possible, not to turn each site into a separate hike.

I would bring water, a snack, a charged phone, and clothing suited to outdoor conditions. You will be outside at each sculpture, and the route includes fields, so comfort matters more than looking polished.

Who will enjoy this tour most

I would recommend the experience to:

• Families who like playful art and a simple treasure hunt
• First-time Copenhagen visitors who want a break from city sights
• Art lovers interested in recycling, public spaces, and community projects
• Visitors without a car who still want to reach remote sculptures
• Photographers looking for unusual subjects outside the usual city center
• Anyone who enjoys a guided outing with a clear schedule

I would hesitate if you want a serious art seminar, a long countryside walk, or a relaxed meal during the afternoon. The guide keeps things moving, and the six-stop format leaves little room for detours.

The experience is also a good fit for people who value access over independence. You give up some freedom, but you gain a practical route and a much better chance of finding every giant in one day.

Booking details that matter

The tour lasts four hours and includes an English-speaking guide and bus transportation. It does not include food, drinks, hotel pickup, or hotel drop-off.

You can cancel up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund, and you can reserve now while paying later. Starting times vary, so check availability before planning the rest of your Copenhagen day.

The transport has earned a perfect score from all recorded ratings for that part of the experience, and the overall rating is 4.8 from 23 ratings. That matches the main strength of the outing: it is a well-organized way to reach places that would be awkward to find alone.

Should you book the Six Forgotten Giants tour?

Book it if you want a playful, unusual half-day outside Copenhagen and like the idea of finding all six sculptures without renting a car. I especially recommend it for first-time visitors who have already seen the main city sights and want fresh air, local public art, and a practical route.

Think twice if $135 feels high for an outing with short stops and considerable bus time. You may also want a different tour if your priority is detailed information about Thomas Dambo, each sculpture’s meaning, or Danish culture during the drive.

For the right person, the value is clear: six distinctive outdoor artworks, a guide who keeps the schedule under control, and a look at the overlooked places around Copenhagen. It is a cheerful change from the usual city checklist, with just enough adventure to make the bus ride worthwhile.

FAQ

Where does the Six Forgotten Giants tour meet?

You meet at the CPH Tours & Tickets office, located about two minutes from Copenhagen Central Station.

How long does the tour last?

The experience lasts four hours, including bus travel between the sculpture sites and the return to Copenhagen.

Which sculptures does the tour visit?

The route visits Sleeping Louis, Hill Top Trine, Oscar Under The Bridge, Little Tilde, Thomas on the Mountain, and Friendly Teddy.

Is transportation included?

Yes. Bus transportation between the meeting point and all six sculptures is included.

Is hotel pickup and drop-off included?

No. You must reach the centrally located meeting point on your own, and the tour does not provide hotel drop-off.

What language is the tour conducted in?

The live tour guide speaks English.

Are food and drinks included?

No. Food and drinks are not included, though you can bring snacks to eat on the bus.