OSLO (Norway)

What to see in Oslo during the long weekend? Get inspired by my tips

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Experience Oslo with Get Your Guide:

How to find your way around Oslo Gardermoen Airport

A train goes directly from the airport to the center. Depending on where your hotel is, get off at Oslo S (main train station) or National Theatre.

There are two train companies at the airport. Choose the one with the VY logo - it's half the price and the trains run for almost the same time. You can buy a train ticket either in the machines at the airport (you can pay by card), but there was a queue. I recommend downloading the VY app at home and when you land, feel free to buy a train ticket online without queuing, a ticket to the National Theater station cost NOK 118 per person (April 2023). You buy a ticket for a specific train and a specific time, it is not public transport. The other company has a red logo and is called Fly to get - The Airport Express. These are luxury trains, but they are only about 3 minutes faster. Anyone who doesn't know rushes to their cash registers because he doesn't want to stand in line and doesn't know he'll pay that much once, so watch out! On the light boards on the platform, the company is also listed for each train. Most people will go to the center, so go with the crowd and take the train labeled VY.

Where to stay in Oslo

From personal experience, I recommend the Karl Johan Hotel 4*, which is located right in the center of the Karl Johans Gate, which is busy during the day (quiet at night, no, it's not a gate, as we mistakenly thought, but a street). The rooms are comfortable, with all the amenities you need, and a great breakfast is included. You can walk to most sights in the city, including the sea. There are many restaurants and shops around, the public transport interchange (metro, train, buses, trams - all stop at the National Theater) is about 4 minutes from the hotel. Read the full review of this hotel here - KARL JOHAN HOTEL. 

Information about Oslo in a nutshell

Oslo is the capital of Norway, located in its southeastern part by the sea (an important seaport). It was founded in 1048 by King Harald III. Today, just over a million people live in Oslo. Thanks to the liberal immigration policy, you will meet many nationalities here and the city is constantly growing. The area of the city is 454 km² and it is one of the largest capital cities in Europe. Among other things, the Nobel Peace Prize Committee is located here. In 1952, the Winter Olympics were held here.

What to see in Oslo during the weekend

DAY 1 - Holmenkollen - Vigeland - Folkemuseet

Buy an all-day ticket for NOK 120 (an hourly ticket costs NOK 40 if you need it later). We bought it right at the subway entrance in the snack shop at the National Theater station. These 3 locations are outside the center of Oslo.

Holmenkollen

First catch the metro to Holmenkollen, this is the farthest part of the trip. Metro is a bit of a strong word, once you are out of the center the metro comes to the surface and becomes a train and then almost a cog as you claw your way up the hill to the sports complex. But at least you have a nice view. Get off at the stop of the same name - Holmenkollen, there is a direct subway, you do not change anywhere, the journey takes about 25 minutes.

And why should you go here? All fans of winter sports, especially ski jumping and biathlon, certainly want to see with their own eyes the area known from TV, the home base of top Norwegian biathletes. There is no entrance fee in the area, you can freely climb the bridge and enjoy the views, you can see all the way to the sea. In 1952, the Winter Olympics were held here, you can take a photo under the rings. When you blow up (jumpers go up a cable car and then a lift), you can visit the gift shop and buy a ticket for the jump tower. We were unlucky, it was just closed. For those who are not afraid of heights, there is an adrenaline zip line, from the tower all the way down. And you can also buy a ticket for a capsule for about 6 people that tosses with you while you jump off a bridge or go downhill. The picture was so horribly out of focus that I do not recommend this attraction, a waste of money. Right next to the giant bridge is a shooting range and facilities for biathlon. Apparently everyone can ride here, as soon as the season is over, a few people were racing here on cross-country skis, and Johannes T. Boe wasn't :) If you're lucky with the weather, it's very nice here, you're just in the mountains, and at the same time you're not far from the capital.

Please note that the area is quite uphill from the subway, so if you have a problem with mobility, I do not recommend visiting.

When returning by metro, get off at the Majorstuen stop, it is just outside the center. You can then reach Vigeland by walking along the straight line in approx. 10-15 minutes.

Vigeland

Vigeland Park (or Frogner Park) in Oslo is the largest park in the world with sculptures by one creator and at the same time one of the most popular Norwegian attractions. Admission is free and the park is open year-round. You can't miss the park, the entrance is a huge wrought iron gate. And there will probably be plenty of visitors. The park would certainly be nicer in late spring and summer. At the beginning of April, nothing was blooming here and the photos are so sad.

The park is named after the Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland, who was born in 1869. He personally created models of all the sculptures from clay, according to which craftsmen then processed them from bronze, granite or wrought iron. Most of the works are distributed along the 850-meter-long axis of the park connecting the majestic Main Gate made of granite and iron with the so-called Circle of Life. It depicts an intertwining of men, women and children and symbolizes eternity. Today, visitors can view over 200 sculptures in the park. The largest of them, the so-called Monolith, stands on the highest point of the park called the Monolith Plateau. Its majesty is given by the 36 sculptures that surround it. The 17.3 meter high obelisk was worked by 3 masons for 14 years, it is a single piece of granite block. It is decorated with 121 figures.

Very famous is the statue of the Angry Boy, which is located on the left side of the bridge. There are lots of other statues around it and you can easily miss it, we had to search for a while. He is said to be the most photographed child in Oslo :) and also the most angry :))

There is a tram stop directly in front of the park. We went back to the National Theater stop and there we changed to bus No. 30 - Bygdoy, which went to the Norsk Folkemuseum open-air museum on the Bygdoy peninsula. The hop on - hop off bus also stops here. Get off at the Folkemuseet stop directly in front of the museum entrance.

There are also many other large museums on this peninsula, such as the Frammuseet (Pole Discovery Museum - the main exhibit is the ship Fram, which participated in several Norwegian expeditions of explorers Amundsen, Sverdrup, Nansen to both poles of the earth). Kon-Tiki Museet (Museum of Thor Heyerdahl - a Norwegian sailor who sailed from South America to Indonesia on the Kon-Tiki balsa raft). Vikingskiphuset - Viking Ship Museum - the museum is currently being renovated, it should reopen in 2026. Norsk Sjøfartsmuseum (Norwegian Maritime Museum). We only had time for one museum, and it was the open-air museum that interested us the most.

Norsk Folkemuseum

The Norwegian Folk Museum or the Museum of Traditional Norwegian Architecture. It is the largest open-air museum in Europe and you will find 160 buildings here. You can admire buildings from the 12th to the 18th century. The museum is quite large, and if you wanted to see all the exhibits, you could spend several hours here. Here you already have to byu tickets - 180 NOK.

Outdoor buildings are divided into 3 main sections:

1) Countryside

- see rural buildings and farms from different parts of Norway, there are also live animals

2) Old Town

- the buildings of old Oslo (formerly Cristiania) and some of its suburbs, you will also find fully equipped shops and pharmacies, or equipped houses

3) Collection of King Oscar II.

- the collection of King Oscar II. was founded in 1881 as the first open-air museum in the world. King Oscar was the king of Norway and Sweden. In 1907, the collection became part of this museum. The most admired building in the collection is the wooden church from Gol from around 1200.

There are also two cafes in the area, one right by the entrance (if you want to eat, definitely eat here, they have a much larger selection, you can sit inside as well) and the other is roughly halfway along the tour, you mainly sit outside and only had waffles to eat.

Right behind the entrance is a courtyard with several large buildings, various exhibits are located here, everything is already included in the price. We were impressed by the modern exhibition Timescape 1600 - 1914, in a multi-storey building on the right, and you will walk through time from old Norwegian times to modern times. You can admire costumes, furniture, decorations, jewelry and much more. Another exhibition is focused only on costumes, another on folk art... but you can spend the whole day here. I definitely recommend a visit, it's a very interesting place.

You can get back to the center again by bus.

DAY 2 - sights in the center of Oslo

All these sights can be walked around, you don't need to use public transport. It depends on you which sights interest you and which you miss.

Royal Palace

It was built in the 18th century as the Norwegian residence of the Swedish-Norwegian King Charles XIV. Today it is the official residence of the Norwegian royal family. Every full hour there is a changing of the guards. The palace is usually open to the public from the end of June to the middle of August, so only for a very short time. If you are visiting Oslo at this time, it is recommended to buy tickets in advance. In the summer season, you can also visit the Oscarshall Summer Palace on the Bygdoy peninsula, which is surrounded by a romantic park. Outside of the summer season, you only have to admire both buildings from the outside, you can't even get up close to the summer castle.

Karl Johans Gate

The main street in the center (not a gate as the name may suggest), mostly pedestrian only, you will find many restaurants and shops, it is about 800 m long and stretches from the Main Station to the Royal Palace.

National Theatre

On the main street, Karl Johans Gate, you will find the historic building of the National Theater between the Royal Palace and the Parliament building. Opposite it is the photogenic building of the Faculty of Law of the University of Oslo, which boasts beautiful antique columns. A metro, bus and tram stop is also named after the theater. The theater is right next to them.

Norwegian parliament building (Stortinget)

A beautiful building in an eclectic yellow brick style from 1866. If you are here on a Saturday, you can also go on a tour of the interior at 10 and 11.30, with a guide.

Trinity Church

Trefoldighetskirken is a large octagonal church with beautiful stained glass windows. Built in the Neo-Gothic style, it is one of the most beautiful churches in Oslo. It is located further north, further from the sea.

Damstredet Street

A narrow cobbled street with wooden houses from the 19th century. The street runs between Akersveien and Fredensborgveien and is only 160 meters long. You can't look into the houses, some are normally inhabited, you can only admire them from the outside, and even if it's a little further on foot than all the other monuments in the center, I recommend visiting.

Oslo Cathedral (Oslo domkirke)

The Church of Our Savior is a baroque church on Stortorvet Square. The church of the Protestant Church of Norway, where the bishop resides. It was built in the 17th century. The church is used by the Norwegian royal family for festive occasions.

Akershus Castle and Fortress

Construction began around 1300. It is located on the coast next to the port. The fortress is still used by the army today, but some parts are made accessible. The fortress also served as a prison and survived all invasions by troops, especially Swedish. In 1940, however, it fell into the hands of the Germans. It was not liberated until 1945. Entrance to the outdoor areas is free, but if you want to see the exhibition from the Second World War, there is already an entrance fee. The exhibition was very interesting, you just get depressed, what a terrible time it was. From the walls there is a nice view of the harbor and the town hall building. Cannons are displayed outside.

Oslo City Hall (Oslo rådhus)

A functionalist brick building from 1936. It has two tall towers. On December 10, the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded here every year.

Nobel Museum (Nobel Peace Center)

In the bay, a short distance from the town hall. It is currently closed, it is being rebuilt, it should be opened at the end of summer 2023. There are exhibitions of Nobel Peace Prize laureates, the space is also used for discussions about peace.

Aker Brygge

District around the harbor with many restaurants, cafes and shops. A place full of life.

Oslo Opera House (Operahuset)

It is located a little further, near the Main Station, in another bay. It is an architectural gem (reminiscent of an ice circle plunging into the fjord) and you will definitely not miss it. The best view of it is from the sea if you go on a boat trip. The building is built in such a way that you can reach its roof on an inclined surface, where you have a great view. It is decorated with white granite and marble, otherwise steel, concrete and glass combine here. Entry to the outdoor areas is free. There are 3 opera halls inside.

Boat trip along the Oslo fjords

Do you know the GetYourGuide app? If not, click on the active link to read what you're missing out on. Through them, you ordered a boat trip with this name - Oslo Fjord Sightseeing Cruise by Electric Boat - a sightseeing cruise along the Oslo fjords by electric boat (you can order it directly on the given link). The cruise goes around the entire coast of Oslo, you can see the sights on the coast from a different perspective and then goes between the islands. It takes about 2 hours. Small snacks can be purchased on board. You can sit on the outdoor deck as well as inside. The only stop is the Bygdoy peninsula, where, as seen above, it is full of museums, but then you have to get back to the center at your own expense. The video of this cruise is on my Instagram and Youtube.

Paradox Museum Oslo

Buy tickets HERE

If you like optical illusions and want to take great photos, this museum of paradoxes is right in the center.

We had 3 days in Oslo, so we didn't have to rush, if you want to do everything in just two days, you have plenty to do :)

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