Is Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde Worth a Visit?
The Viking Ship Museum is fittingly located at Roskilde Harbor.
The Viking Ship Museum is one of the top attractions in Roskilde. Here’s everything you need to know for your visit.
Having been in Denmark for more than a week now, we have had plenty of chances to visit a bunch of Viking sites, which I always find to be one of the most interesting parts of the country's past.
We checked out old burial grounds, huge ring fortresses, and massive runestones. But the thing I had always wanted to see was some original longships, which were clearly the essence of Viking life. The stone ships we saw earlier didn't really count. I was after real boats made of wood, held together with nails, and driven by sails.
So once we arrived in Roskilde on Zealand Island, I knew this was my chance. You see, back in the 11th century, Roskilde was one of Denmark’s major Viking hubs, and today it has a really cool Viking museum that's supposed to have preserved ships from that era. I was pretty sure I could convince Lucie to come with me to the Viking Ship Museum. Since she's into history, it wasn't that difficult.
So once that was settled, we walked in knowing almost nothing about the museum, except that it was supposed to have some Viking ships and a bit of history from that era. So, we truly had no idea what the museum had in store for us, but we were super excited to find out. And if you are in the same boat, this guide is here to help. Let's dive into it.
The 14 meter long Skuldelev 3 is easily the best preserved of the Skuldelev ships (roughly three quarters of it survived.).
Practical Information for Visiting the Viking Ship Museum Roskilde
So, after checking out Zealand's dramatic southeast coast, specifically where Stevns Klint meets the Baltic Sea, and making a brief stop in sleepy Koge, we finally arrived in Roskilde. We came mainly to see the UNESCO-listed cathedral, the Viking Ship Museum, and, naturally, the city itself.
Our first steps took us to the Viking Ship Museum parking lot, so we figured that the museum was a great place to begin getting to know the city a little better. Obviously, the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde is super easy to visit, so here are a few quick tips we picked up.
Around the 11th century, Roskilde was a key center of Viking power in Denmark.
Getting to Viking Ship Museum Roskilde
By Car: The museum is in Roskilde Harbor, in the northern part of the city. We drove in from Koge (less than 40 minutes) and then headed to Copenhagen afterward (around 45 minutes). Odense is less than a two-hour drive away, and you get to cross the Great Belt Bridge on the way, which makes for a really cool experience. You can compare rental car prices in Denmark here.
By Train: If you're using public transportation, the train is the most straightforward way to get to the Viking Ship Museum Roskilde, especially from Copenhagen or Odense. From the Roskilde train station, it's about a 20-minute walk.
Parking at Viking Ship Museum Roskilde
Since we were on a road trip, we needed to find a place to park. A quick glance at the map showed a parking area right next to the museum (Parkering Vikingeskibsmuseet). The best part was that it was free! (the GPS coordinates are 55.64934, 12.07958).
It was only a short walk from the parking area to the museum entrance.
We got there early and had no problem finding a spot. By the time we came back, the lot was almost full, and when we left town, it was completely packed. If you're visiting in summer, it'll probably fill up even faster. In that case, look for options like Parkering Maglekildevej, where the first two hours are free, or similar lots nearby.
Opening Hours of Viking Ship Museum Roskilde
You can visit the Viking Ship Museum any time of year. It is open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM between May 1 and October 20, and it closes an hour earlier during the winter season. Since we arrived in Roskilde in the morning just a few minutes before the museum opened and had already parked nearby, we decided to check it out first. We visited on a weekday in September, and it was pretty quiet. Thanks to its outdoor area, the warm summer days are probably the busiest.
The outdoor area of the shipyard was still very quiet in the morning.
Entry Fee to Viking Ship Museum in Roskild
Tickets to the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde cost 160 DKK per adult during our visit, which felt a bit steep, considering the museum's size and how much time we spent inside. Still, the price was about the same as what we paid at other Danish museums like Tirpitz or the H.C. Andersen House.
Later, I found out they also run sailing trips around Roskilde Fjord in the summer season, but those come with a 300 DKK price tag per adult. That definitely makes it a more expensive museum stop, though at least the museum ticket is included. You do not need to book museum tickets in advance, but it is a good idea to reserve the sailing trip ahead of time.
Hotels Near Viking Ship Museum Roskilde
If you're looking for a budget-friendly place to stay, Roskilde Danhostel is located practically right next to the Viking Ship Museum. If you prefer staying in the city center, then Four Points Flex is an option, despite its mediocre reviews. A couple of slightly better choices are Comwell Roskilde and Scandic Roskilde Park, though both are about three kilometers from the museum.
What's There to See and Do in Viking Ship Museum Roskilde
The Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde has two main parts. First, right after stepping in, we passed through an outdoor area that is free to access. There are workshops where local craftsmen demonstrate centuries-old techniques used in Viking shipbuilding, so we got a glimpse into shipwrighting, woodworking, blacksmithing, rope-making, and sail-making.
Here, they showed how the Vikings made ropes for their longships.
What's awesome is that they actually build ships here using the same methods as the Vikings, so seeing the shipyard in use was pretty amazing. We did get there on the early side, so it was super calm. The only action we saw was one guy going through his collection of chisels, and judging by how long it took, it looked like the most crucial part of the whole process at that moment.
There were both outdoor and indoor areas in the shipyard, each used for different aspects of the work.
All jokes aside, shipbuilding is a slow process, especially when you stick to the old techniques. So, this area was more about soaking up the scene. We wandered through the shipyard and saw boats in different stages of construction, which was really cool to see, especially when paired with the fascinating displays explaining the full process, from the first sketches all the way to launching them across the sea.
This is the reconstructed keel from the Skuldelev ship.
By the way, they also offer boat rides around the harbor, but that was something we found out about later, and honestly, I am not sure we would have taken the tour anyway. There are also outdoor activities like games and a dress-up corner, but those are mostly geared toward kids, so this part is great if you are visiting with family.
One of the best parts, aside from learning how Viking ships were built then and now, was spotting a few Viking ships docked at the harbor. These replicas were hand-built right here, which was super impressive, but what amazed us even more was that they are fully functional and ready to sail.
Seeing all those Viking ships in Roskilde Harbor was pretty awesome.
The absolute highlight came just after we crossed the small bridge between the outdoor area and the museum when we noticed the Sea Stallion from Glendalough on our right. It is a reconstruction of Skuldelev 2, the second-largest Viking longship ever discovered. The original ship was built in County Wicklow, near Dublin in Ireland.
The reconstructed Sea Stallion was definitely one of the highlights of the Viking Museum.
The cool thing is that they used oak from Glendalough, a place known for its stunning glacial valley and ancient monastic site. We had the chance to visit this area a few years ago, which made the whole story even more special for us. The most interesting part we learned here was that this ship replica completed a full trial voyage from Roskilde to Dublin (and back) in 2007 and 2008 with a crew of 62 onboard.
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Visiting the Viking Ship Museum Roskilde
The second part of the museum is located inside a large concrete building sitting right by Roskilde Harbor, just a stone's throw from the outdoor section. This is the part that requires a ticket, which we had no trouble buying on the spot (you'll find the ticket booth at the entrance to the museum, just before entering the outdoor section). Once inside, we stepped into the main hall, a big open space with five Viking ships on display.
Lucie checking out the display on one of the Skuldelev ships.
These ships were recovered from Roskilde Fjord back in the 1960s, or at least what was left of them after so many centuries underwater. Learning about their history was genuinely fascinating, especially since the five ships had been intentionally sunk around 1070 CE to block a key waterway near the village of Skuldelev from invading forces.
The discovery included both cargo ships and warships, and when they were uncovered, they were named Skuldelev 1 through 6. But it turned out that Skuldelev 2 and Skuldelev 4 were actually pieces of the same ship, which is why only Skuldelev 2 is listed today.
I managed to fit four of the five original Viking ships into this one frame (Skuldelev 2 is right up front).
As we looked more closely, we realized the original fragments of Viking ships were mounted on metal frames, with every delicate bit of timber placed exactly where it was originally found on the seafloor. The method they used to do this is pretty cool and quite impressive, even though what you see are mostly fragments. Next to each ship, there's a detailed small-scale model and a bit of information to explain what the full vessel once looked like.
Every Skuldelev ship has been preserved to a different extent, with some more complete than others.
So yeah, there's no complete longship to see in Roskilde's museum, but that's just how it often goes with archaeological finds, and it really highlights how rare the discoveries of Langskips and Knarrs actually are. I later found out the museum in Oslo has more complete examples, though those were preserved in burial mounds, unlike these, which spent 900 years resting in the silt of the sea.
Here’s a close-up of the oak timbers placed on the metal frame.
Toward the back, there was another room featuring various Viking artifacts like pottery, jewelry, and a "Climb Aboard" experience that used sound and digital projections to simulate what it felt like to sail on one of the longships. That part seemed mostly geared toward a younger audience, though.
Lucie gathered her courage to board the Viking ship in the museum.
After we had finished exploring the main hall, we were about to head out when we realized there was another section below this floor. It was a whole exhibition about excavating the ships from the seabed, simply titled 'The Excavation.' That part was really cool, too. There was even a film about it, but I especially loved the old photos and the story of the cofferdam method, which was used to recover the ships and by the museum described as one of the most remarkable archaeological efforts in Denmark's history.
The story of how the original Viking ships were retrieved was just incredible.
During our journey through this Nordic country, it only made sense to explore some Viking sites, considering how big a part this era played in Denmark's past. The Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde was absolutely worth visiting, and even though little is left of the original longships, the visit was great overall.
The keel on this Skuldelev ship is beautifully preserved.
If Viking history is your thing, we also recommend the Jelling Monuments and Trelleborg Fortress. Both places are a perfect addition to this museum. For something a bit more off the beaten path, the Lindholm Høje site was also really interesting and definitely worth a visit.
But Roskilde has more to offer beyond its Viking heritage. So our next stop took us to Roskilde Cathedral, one of the few UNESCO sites in Denmark, which was definitely a promise of something extraordinary.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
