Updated August 2023.
The City of Tigers
Considered the oldest of the Scandinavian capital cities as it was established in 1048, it only served as Norway’s capital briefly in the 1300s and then not again until 1814 after the 12th century Black Death and after a fire devastated Oslo in 1624, the city was actually moved slightly west, so it doesn’t have the same history as some older cities like Bergen or Trondheim.
It wasn’t until 1905, after Norway received its independence from Sweden, did Oslo become the capital again in 1925 as Norwegians didn’t want a city honoring a Danish king (Christiania) to serve as the capital.
Oslo is derived from the Norse word for god, Ás, and Lo, meaning field or meadow. Hence "The Meadow of the Gods", but its nickname stems from the author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson around 1870, who perceived Oslo as a cold and dangerous place. Funnily enough, Oslo honored the nickname in 2000 by erecting an ~15-foot bronze statue of a tiger crafted by Elena Engelsen in front of Jernbanetorget, Oslo Central Station.
It wasn’t until 1905, after Norway received its independence from Sweden, did Oslo become the capital again in 1925 as Norwegians didn’t want a city honoring a Danish king (Christiania) to serve as the capital.
Oslo is derived from the Norse word for god, Ás, and Lo, meaning field or meadow. Hence "The Meadow of the Gods", but its nickname stems from the author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson around 1870, who perceived Oslo as a cold and dangerous place. Funnily enough, Oslo honored the nickname in 2000 by erecting an ~15-foot bronze statue of a tiger crafted by Elena Engelsen in front of Jernbanetorget, Oslo Central Station.
Overview
Path is ~ 4 miles of walking from Vigelandsparken through the Oslofjord Cruise. Additional mileage based on lunch selection and night experiences.
- 8:00 - 9:00 AM: Vigelandsparken - Sculpture park
- 9:30 - 11:00 AM: The Royal Palace - Monarch's residence
- 11:00 - 11:30 AM: Karl Johan - famous street
- 11:30 AM - 11:45 AM: Oslo Cathedral - main cathedral
- 12:00 - 12:15 PM: Oslo Opera House - architectural marvel
- 12:15 - 1:30 PM: Lunch
- 2:00 - 3:15 PM: Akershus Fortress - castle
- 3:30 - 5:30 PM: Oslofjord Cruise - fjord boat ride
- 6:00 - 9:00 PM: Night Experiences
- Dining at Grünerløkka or Aker Byrgge
- Opera Performance
- The Thief Rooftop Bar
Click the star to add the map to your Google Maps! To view it, simply open Google Maps, navigate to the Menu, choose “Your Places,” click "Maps", and voila, the map should be added.
Tips
Oslo Pass
The Oslo Pass is Oslo's "city card", offering unlimited public transit around the city, free entry into 30 attractions, and certain discounts. Check out this flyer to see if one will be going to enough attractions for the price to be worth it. Generally, if one wants to see ore museums, then I would highly recommend this option. Note that the Oslo Pass unfortunately doesn't include transportation to/from the airport.
One can easily download the Oslo Pass app and purchase it there for 24, 48, or 72 hours.
One can easily download the Oslo Pass app and purchase it there for 24, 48, or 72 hours.
Getting Into the City
Oslo Airport Gardermoen (OSL) is the main international airport. The best/fastest way to get to and from OSL is a 20-minute train ride.
- Vy (118 NOK): National railway company with 3 departures each hour. One can buy tickets at all Entur ticketing machines or on the Vy app.
- Flytoget Airport Express Train (230 NOK): Travels between Oslo Central Station and OSL every 10 minutes in the day and every 20 minutes during off-peak times.
Getting Around the City
Like all Scandinavian cities, it is quite easy to get around with their integrated public transit system. While for the most part, walking is the best way, there are a few other options: train, tram, bus, and ferry.
All the public transit is run through Ruter AS, so one can dowload the Ruter app and buy tickets on the app. While there are physical versions, one needs to pay an extra 50 NOK for a reusable plastic ravel pass.
Note that one ticket can be used on a combination of transport options and is based on a zoning system. The entire city of Oslo is in Zone 1, so it's easy to get around.
Prices:
All the public transit is run through Ruter AS, so one can dowload the Ruter app and buy tickets on the app. While there are physical versions, one needs to pay an extra 50 NOK for a reusable plastic ravel pass.
Note that one ticket can be used on a combination of transport options and is based on a zoning system. The entire city of Oslo is in Zone 1, so it's easy to get around.
Prices:
- Single ticket (advance) – 40 NOK
- Single ticket (on board) – 60 NOK
- 24-hr ticket – 121 NOK
- 7-day ticket – 335 NOK
- 30-day ticket: 853 NOK
Metro Entrance
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METRO (T-Bane) There are 6 metro lines each with their respective color that connect different parts of Oslo but they all connect in the city. Line 1 is the best option for those heading to Holmenkollen ski jump. |
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TRAM The Tram is an older, slower form of transit, but works exceptionally well through residential parts of the city. Take Tram 12 to Vigeland Park. BUS There are two types of buses:
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Tram
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FERRY Ferries leave from the pier in front of Oslo City Hall and can take one to the other islands in the fjord. Note that only in summer, there is a tourist ferry shuttle between City Hall and Bygdøy, and it requires a special ticket. |
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BIKE Oslo's city bike program is called Obos. Like other city rideshare options, one can download the app, find available bikes at stations, and pay for time ridden before docking them elsewhere. |
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1-Day Plan
8:00 - 9:00 AM: Vigelandsparken (Vigeland Park)
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Vigelandsparken is also known as Frogner Park. It is a public park renowned for over 200 bronze and granite unique sculptures created by Gustav Vigeland. Collectively, they are known as the Vigeland Installation (Vigelandsanlegget), which form the world’s largest sculpture park created by one artist.
All the sculptures show the various stages of human life with themes of love, family, and the human condition. All the statues show the journey of a person from cradle to grave. Some of the famous sculptures are as follows:
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9:30 - 11:00 AM: The Royal Palace
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Built in 1814, the palace is the official residency and workplace of the Norwegian royalty and where foreign dignitaries stay. It is designed in a neoclassical architectural style with beautifully designed rooms.
In the front of the palace is an equestrian statue of Karl Johan, a fascinating Frenchman who became the Swedish-Norwegian king and the first monarch of the Bernadotte dynasty, elected the heir-presumptive to King Charles XIII of Sweden. One can walk around the gardens in Slottsparken, opened in 1847, to see the sculptures, and then head in for a guided tour at 10 AM (note that tours are only open in the summer and one should book in advance). |
The changing of the guard ceremony occurs everyday at 1:30 PM, but times may change depending on other events, so one should check the calendar.
11:00 - 11:30 AM: Karl Johan
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Karl Johans Gate, truncated to Karl Johan, is the main street of Oslo and named after the former king. The street goes from the central Oslo train station to the Royal Palace. The street stretches from the central train station (Oslo S) to the Royal Palace.
There are a lot of shops, restaurants, and different stores along the way. One can also check out the Parliament of Norway, the National Theater, and the University of Oslo. One place to check out is Freiabukken, a famous Norwegian chocolate shop. Try their Kvikk Lunsj which tastes like a Kit-Kat. |
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11:30 - 11:45 AM: Oslo Cathedral (Oslo Domkirke)
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Along Karl Johan, one should stop by the Oslo Cathedral, also known as the Oslo Domkirke or the Cathedral of St. Olav, dedicated to St. Olav, the patron saint of Norway. It is the main cathedral in Oslo where coronations were held until the early 20th century.
Historically, the first church was built in the 11th century dedicated to St. Hallvard, with the new church built on-site after the original medieval cathedral burned down in the late 17th-century. Inside, one can view beautiful artwork, frescoes, and stained glass windows. |
12:00 - 12:15 PM: Oslo Opera House
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Considered an innovative and unique architectural feat, the Opera House was designed by the Norwegian firm Snøhetta with white Italian marble and Norwegian granite. The most interesting design feature is the sloped walkway that allows people to walk up onto the roof for panoramic views.
Inside, it is the home of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet with different performances like operas, ballets, and concerts. |
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Left: Deichman Bjørvika (Famous Public Library) and Right: Oslo Opera House.
12:15 - 1:30 PM: Lunch
2:00 - 3:15 PM: Akershus Fortress
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Historic fortress in a strategic location that first served as a castle to protect Oslo from sea attacks, built in the late 13th century under King Haakon V. Over the years, it has been modified and expanded to become a military stronghold, palace, prison, and seat of government.
It has a mix of medieval and renaissance architectural elements from all the changes that were made throughout the years. One can easily tour the historic grounds, medieval castle, and museums housed in the fortress, such as the Norwegian Armed Forces Museum. The castle contains multiple halls, the former royal residences, the prison cells, the banquet hall, the stables, the chapel, and the guardhouse. In Disney’s Frozen, the Arendelle Castle could be based on this fortress. |
3:30 - 5:30 PM: Oslofjord Cruise
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Times change based on the season, but this tour experience provides a great view of the fjord on a wooden sail ship. The tour is conducted using a voice recording about all the destinations along the fjord, including nearby bathhouses and islands. One can also buy food and drink on board, and this is a great place to try a traditional Norwegian hot dogs.
Here are a few options: If one wants to spend time at a museum in the afternoon, one can head here for an evening dinner cruise.
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NOTE: While Oslo (supposedly) doesn't have the spectacular fjord views compared to other Norwegian ciities like Bergen, Tromsø, Ålesund, or Bodø, it still has a lot to offer.
6:00 - 9:00 PM: Night Experiences
Aker Byrgge
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There are many different activities that one can do:
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Museums
Bygdøy
A peninsula west of Oslo’s city center that is home to the Bygdøy Royal Estate, the official summer home of the Norwegian monarch. The castle, Oscarshall Castle, isn’t open to the public, one can explore the surrounding area. There are plenty of nice beaches to swim and picnic, a popular one being Huk Beach.
There are also plenty of museums. Given the timing, one probably only has time to visit one museum in the one-day plan, but one can easily spend a whole day visiting all of them. Note that one can walk along Bygdøy Allé, a tree-lined avenue, to connect the museums.
There are also plenty of museums. Given the timing, one probably only has time to visit one museum in the one-day plan, but one can easily spend a whole day visiting all of them. Note that one can walk along Bygdøy Allé, a tree-lined avenue, to connect the museums.
- Viking Ship Museum (Vikingskipshuset): Although closed until 2026/2027 for renovation, this famous museum is notable for well-preserved Viking ships and history of Viking and seafaring.
- Kon-Tiki Museum: Dedicated to the incredible raft journey of Thor Heyerdahl across the Pacific Ocean in 1947.
- Norsk Folkemuseum: The Norwegian Museum of Cultural History is an open-air museum featuring authentic historical houses restored and moved to the museum.
- Fram Museum (Frammuseet): Museum showing the history of polar exploration featuring the Fram, the famous wooden ship used by famous explorers like Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen
- Norwegian Maritime Museum (Norsk Maritimt Museum): Explores Norway’s maritime history with ship models, artifacts, and exhibits on seafaring.
- The Holocaust Center (Holocaust-senteret): Information and exhibits on the Holocaust, especially the history of Jews in Norway during WWII.
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Restaurants
Grünerløkka
- Mathallen Oslo: Food hall with plenty of shops.
- Illegal Burger: Delicious burgers with vegetarian options too.
- Schouskjelleren Mikrobryggeri: Microbrewery with a pub atmosphere, serving selection of craft beers.
- Smalhans: Nordic-inspired cuisine with a changing menu every day.
- Lofoten Fiskerestauarant: Seafood served from fresh catches from the Lofoten Islands.
- Sjømagasin: Located in the Tjuvholmen district, this restaurant has delicious Norwegian seafood.
- The Thief: A roofotp bar in the Tjuvholmen hotel, it provides panoramic views of Oslo.
- Vippa: Trendy food hall on the water near the fortress.
- HIMKOK: A hidden speakeasy that is a combination of a cocktail bar, a microdistillery, and a food venue.
