Copenhagen: Private Forgotten Giants E-Bike Treasure Hunt

The real draw here is not Copenhagen’s postcard center. It is the open-air hunt for four giant wooden sculptures scattered around the city’s western edge, where parks, lakes, and everyday suburban Denmark replace famous sights. You pedal from Bådehavnsgade through Glostrup, Høje-Taastrup, Albertslund, and Valensbæk on an e-bike that takes the strain out of the ride.

I like the easy access to Thomas Dambo’s recycling art, made from local scrap wood and reused materials. I also like the route itself, which shows you parks and countryside you would be unlikely to reach on a normal city visit. The main caution is time: at three and a half hours, the schedule can feel brisk, with limited room for a café stop or a leisurely ride back.

Key points to know before you book

• Four giant sculptures: Search for Sleeping Louis, Little Tilde, Thomas on the Mountain, and Teddy Friendly.
• A side of Copenhagen most visitors miss: The route reaches Glostrup, Høje-Taastrup, Albertslund, and Valensbæk.
• Comfortable electric bikes: The Maravelo e-bike is designed for different cycling levels and is easy to learn.
• Useful included equipment: You receive a Livall high-tech helmet, water, and an Osmo Pocket camera for high-quality video.
• Private and multilingual: The guide leads a private group in English, Danish, Russian, or Arabic.
• Best for riders aged 14 and up: Children under 14 cannot join, and the schedule may feel rushed if you want long breaks.

Four Forgotten Giants beyond Copenhagen’s center

Thomas Dambo’s Forgotten Giants are oversized wooden figures placed in less-visited parts of Greater Copenhagen. They are not lined up in a park for quick photos. You find them as part of a route, which gives the activity a small treasure-hunt feeling and makes each sculpture more rewarding.

The figures on this ride are Sleeping Louis, Little Tilde, Thomas on the Mountain, and Teddy Friendly. Each one has a playful name and a strong connection to its surroundings. The sculptures are made from local scrap wood and recycled materials, so this is not polished public art designed only for a city square. It is rougher, friendlier, and tied to the idea that discarded materials can become something people want to visit.

I like that the art gives you a reason to see areas outside the usual Copenhagen circuit. You are not simply cycling for exercise, and you are not spending the whole time looking at traffic. The sculptures create clear goals along the way, while the ride between them lets you see how the capital region opens into parks and natural areas.

This is also a good choice if you want a low-pressure introduction to Danish cycling. The guide handles the route, and the electric motor helps you keep moving without treating the outing like a race.

Starting at Bådehavnsgade 42P

The ride begins outside BetaFactory Trifolium at Bådehavnsgade 42P, 2450 København SV. This is the point to allow a little extra time to find the meeting place and get ready, since the tour does not begin in the middle of Copenhagen’s central sightseeing zone.

You receive a Maravelo e-bike, along with a Livall high-tech safety helmet. The bikes are meant to make the ride safe and pleasant for a range of cycling abilities, and the electric assistance matters here because the route covers several districts in a limited amount of time.

If you have not ridden an e-bike before, you should get the basic controls explained before setting off. One useful feature of a guided private ride is that you can ask questions at the start rather than trying to learn while keeping up with a group.

A bottle of water is included. You also receive an Osmo Pocket camera for high-quality video shooting, a nice extra if you want more than a few phone snapshots of the sculptures and route.

The first 30 minutes toward Glostrup

The opening electric-bike ride takes about 30 minutes. It moves you away from the starting point and toward Glostrup, setting the tone for the rest of the afternoon: this is a regional ride, not a short spin around central Copenhagen.

The value of this first section is the change of pace. You leave the concentrated sightseeing areas behind and begin seeing the city as a network of neighborhoods, green spaces, and cycling routes. The guide also gives you time to settle into the bike before the main sculpture hunt begins.

You should expect the route to feel active from the start. This is not a tour with long periods of sitting and listening. You are riding, stopping for the art, and moving on. The electric motor makes that practical, especially for anyone who cycles occasionally rather than every day.

Glostrup and the first sculpture stop

The Glostrup portion is listed at about 50 minutes. Here the ride becomes more of a guided search, as you travel through the area and reach one of the Forgotten Giants.

The pleasure is partly in the contrast. Glostrup is not presented as a grand historic center. Instead, you get a look at a practical Copenhagen suburb, with open areas and bike routes that most short city breaks never reach. The sculpture gives the stop a clear focus and prevents the outing from becoming a general-purpose bike ride with no destination.

Take time for photographs, but keep an eye on the clock. The total tour lasts 210 minutes, and the schedule has several long riding sections still ahead. If you want a relaxed photo session at every giant, you may find the pace tighter than expected.

Høje-Taastrup, the longest section

The Høje-Taastrup section takes around 80 minutes, making it the longest part of the outing. This is where you get the strongest sense of the western side of Zealand, with more room for natural scenery and longer stretches between stops.

The route is especially useful for anyone who has already seen Copenhagen’s canals and central streets and wants something different. You see a less familiar part of the region while still having the structure of a focused attraction hunt.

One of the sculptures here is Thomas on the Mountain, a title that hints at the playful scale and placement of Dambo’s work. The figures are made to be discovered in public spaces, and their size gives the ride a childlike quality without making it a children’s tour. Adults who enjoy unusual public art will find more to appreciate than they might from a standard city-center gallery visit.

The scenery is a major part of this section. You pass through areas where parks and open views take over from dense urban streets. The ride can feel like a short countryside outing, even though you are still within Greater Copenhagen.

Albertslund and the return through green spaces

The itinerary allows about 45 minutes for the electric-bike ride through Albertslund before returning to Bådehavnsgade. This final portion matters because it is not simply a transfer back to the meeting point. It gives you more time on the bike and another look at the parks and paths around Copenhagen’s western edge.

By this point, the electric assistance should be doing useful work. You have already spent much of the tour riding, stopping, looking, and riding again. If you are not used to cycling for several hours, the motor helps keep the final stretch enjoyable rather than turning it into a test of stamina.

A previous participant particularly enjoyed stopping for ice cream or beer by a lake, with time to talk about Copenhagen. That kind of pause depends on the day’s timing and the guide, so do not assume it is guaranteed. It does show what can make this experience special when the schedule allows: the best moments may come not only from the giants, but also from watching local families use the parks around them.

Why the electric bike changes the experience

The Maravelo e-bike is more than a convenience. It changes who can reasonably consider this tour. You do not need to be a strong cyclist to cover several districts, and the assistance helps you focus on the route and the scenery rather than on managing every kilometer.

The bikes were described as easy to get used to, especially on safe cycling routes. That is important for first-time e-bike riders, though you should still feel comfortable balancing, steering, braking, and riding outdoors.

The tour is not designed for children under 14. Older teens and adults who can handle a multi-hour outing are the better match. If you want a slow ride with frequent café stops, this may not be the right format. One person found the timing rushed and wanted both a quick coffee stop and a slower return ride.

That is the clearest weakness to keep in mind. The route covers a lot, and the four giants are spread across different places. You gain variety, but you give up some flexibility.

What the private format adds

A private group makes this outing more personal than a large bicycle tour. You can ask about Thomas Dambo’s ideas, the recycled materials, or the places you pass without waiting for a crowd to settle down.

The guide speaks English, Danish, Russian, or Arabic. No guide names are provided, but the guide is responsible for leading the route, explaining the art, and helping you manage the e-bike and equipment.

Private does not mean unstructured. The ride still follows a planned route with set sections through Glostrup, Høje-Taastrup, and Albertslund. You should think of the private format as a chance for clearer communication and a more comfortable group dynamic, not as a fully custom day where you can change every stop.

The strongest guide experiences described here combine enthusiasm with practical help. A good guide can make the route feel like a story rather than a series of directions, connecting Dambo’s recycling work to the odd, cheerful figures you encounter.

Is $213 per person a fair price?

At $213 per person, this is not a budget bike rental. You are paying for a private three-and-a-half-hour activity with a live guide, an e-bike, safety equipment, water, and a camera. The price makes more sense if you value a guided route and would not know how to reach the four sculptures on your own.

The tour also saves you the trouble of planning a multi-district ride. You do not need to work out which paths connect the sites, how long the route takes, or how to turn a list of sculptures into a coherent outing.

Still, the value depends on your priorities. If you mainly want to see the giants and are happy to arrange your own transport, the per-person cost may feel high. If you want the ride, the scenery, the guide, and the private setting as one package, the price is easier to justify.

For a couple or small private group that enjoys active sightseeing, this can be a memorable half-day purchase. For a solo visitor watching every kroner, it deserves a closer look before booking.

Practical timing and comfort tips

The full activity lasts 210 minutes, with riding sections listed as roughly 30 minutes, 50 minutes, 80 minutes, and 45 minutes. Those sections add up to about 205 minutes, so the schedule is quite full once stops, introductions, and transitions are included.

I would eat before setting off or carry a small snack. A café stop is not built into the stated plan, and the timing may not leave room for one. You may get a chance to pause by a lake for ice cream or beer, but treat that as a possible extra rather than part of the core promise.

Wear clothing suited to outdoor cycling and shoes you can pedal in comfortably. You will be outside for most of the activity, and the experience depends as much on the ride between the sculptures as on the stops themselves.

Cancellation is flexible: you can cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later. Starting times depend on availability.

Who should choose this ride?

I would recommend it to you if you want to:

• See a playful side of Copenhagen’s public art
• Visit four Thomas Dambo giants in one outing
• Explore western Greater Copenhagen beyond the usual center
• Try an e-bike with a guide nearby
• Spend several hours outdoors rather than inside museums
• Travel as a private group and ask questions along the way

I would be more cautious if you want a slow food-and-coffee excursion, dislike cycling, or have only a short window between other plans. The route is friendly to different cycling levels, but it is still a sustained ride with a fairly tight timetable.

Should you book the Forgotten Giants e-bike hunt?

Book it if you like unusual art, open-air sightseeing, and the idea of seeing the Copenhagen region from a bicycle seat. The four giants give the ride a clear purpose, while the paths through Glostrup, Høje-Taastrup, Albertslund, and Valensbæk show you a part of Zealand that is easy to miss.

The best reason to choose this tour is the combination of local scenery, recycled art, and easy electric cycling. The main tradeoff is the pace. You will cover plenty of ground, but you may not have time for a long coffee break or an unhurried return.

If you can accept that rhythm, this is a lively and unusual half-day outing. If you want maximum control over stops and timing, rent your own bike and visit fewer sculptures at a slower pace.

FAQ

Where does the tour start and finish?

It starts and returns to Bådehavnsgade 42P, outside BetaFactory Trifolium, 2450 København SV, Denmark.

How long does the activity last?

The tour lasts 210 minutes, or three and a half hours.

Which sculptures will I see?

The route includes Sleeping Louis, Little Tilde, Thomas on the Mountain, and Teddy Friendly.

Which areas does the route visit?

The ride goes through or includes Glostrup, Høje-Taastrup, Albertslund, and Valensbæk, with the return to Bådehavnsgade.

Is the tour suitable for children?

Children under 14 are not permitted to join this activity.

What languages can the guide speak?

The live guide can lead the tour in English, Danish, Russian, or Arabic.

What equipment is included?

You receive a Maravelo e-bike, a Livall high-tech safety helmet, an Osmo Pocket camera for high-quality video, and a bottle of water.

Can I cancel the booking?

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