Since my trip to Scandinavia ended in Oslo (that’s where the cheapest flights home departed), I decided to give myself just a little bit of time to explore this city. My main goal was to see the Viking Ship Museum, but to my disappointment, it’s actually closed for several years for renovations. Ugh. However, despite missing my most anticipated sight, I still found plenty of interesting things to do. So spend one day in Oslo to experience the city.
About Oslo
Oslo is the capital city of Norway and its most populous city. While many people will tell you to focus your Norwegian sightseeing on the fjords, mountains, and countryside, I think Oslo is worth a short stop. It’s a city with several interesting museums and a great place to experience modern Norway.
Things to Do in Oslo
This is not an exhaustive list of everything you can do in Oslo, but it’s a narrowed down list. You’ll find all the top museums, plus a few more out of the way options, on this list. Admittedly, you won’t be able to cover everything on this list with just one day in Oslo (there’s too many museums), but you’ll be able to cover a lot.
City Hall
Like so many other cities in Scandinavia, I’m recommending visiting Oslo’s City Hall. While Stockholm hold’s the Nobel Prize Banquet, Oslo’s City Hall is where the Nobel Peace Prize is presented. But beyond the Nobel Peace Prize, it’s still an important local government building.
Inside you’ll find artwork depicting stories from Norway. Take your time in the main gallery to take in the art and lookout out to the harbor. Climb the stairs to see some more art as well a collection of gifts presented from other countries.
Visit to Oslo City Hall is free, but make sure to confirm the hours before you arrive.
Akershus Fortress
This castle complex sits on the Oslo harbor front and offers some great views of the Oslofjord. There are also museums within the fortress (and I’ll cover one of them shortly), but for me, I just enjoyed walking the grounds and taking in the views of the fjord. It was a highlight of my Oslo itinerary.
Norwegian Resistance Museum (Norges Hjemmefrontmuseum)
The Norwegian Resistance Museum sits in the Akershus Fortress and offers a look at World War 2 in Norway. The museum tells the story of Nazi occupation, resistance, and eventual liberation of Norway. While everything is displayed in Norwegian first, there are plenty of English subtitles. I’d say most, but not all, of the museum is translated into English.
The museum does have some good information, but it is dated. There’s more dioramas and models than you’d expect in a more modern museum. That’s not to say that it’s not a good museum (there’s excellent information), but it’s not like many of the other museums you’ll visit.
Entrance to the Norwegian Resistance Museum is 100 NOK.
Oslo Cathedral (Domkirke)
It’s not a list of things to do in Europe without a cathedral, so I’m including the Oslo Cathedral on this list. This cathedral was built in 1697, after the two previous cathedrals had burned down. Now days, it’s where Norway holds its Royal marriages and funerals.
For me what made this visit interesting was some of the artwork throughout the church. Make sure to look up.
This cathedral has some strange hours, so look them up ahead of time so you can make sure that it’s open on your visit.
Entrance to the cathedral is free.
National Gallery (Nasjonalmuseet)
If you are an art lover, the National Gallery will probably be a stop you’ll want to add to your Oslo itinerary.
This is Norway’s national collection of art and unsurprisingly, this is where you’ll be able to find some of the best of Norway’s artists. Expect to see landscapes of the Norwegian countryside, but you’ll also find statues from Gustav Vigeland (more on him later) and one of Edvard Munch’s Scream paintings. Beyond that, you’ll also find some paintings from Picasso and a Van Gogh self portrait.
Entrance to the National Gallery is 200 NOK. Learn more at the official website.
Royal Palace (Det Kongelige Slott)
I had to include the Royal Palace on this list, even though I didn’t tour it myself. The Royal Palace can easily be walked to from the city center and can be viewed from the outside and from the park surrounding it. The Royal Palace was originally constructed in the 1800s and continues to be home to the King and Queen of Norway.
If you want to tour the palace, you need to visit during the summer months as the palace is only open to visitors from June to August. You must take a guided tour and tickets cost 220 NOK. Purchase your tickets online, in advance.
Vigeland Park and Museum (Vigeland Museet)
Gustav Vigeland was a master sculptor who made hundreds of sculptures during his life time.
For most visitors to Oslo, you can focus on Vigeland Park which is located inside Frogner Park. Vigeland Park is free to visit and displays a collection of nearly 200 pieces. These statues line the bridge and then continue on as they circle the monolith, a large statue that’s made up of over 100 figures carved out of one stone. More pieces surround the monolith and this is where most tourists seem to focus their time for the best photo. But you can continue just a little bit further to a few more figures beyond the monolith.
A visit to Vigeland Park is free. Plus the park is open all day, so this makes a great option to explore either early in the morning before the museums open or late in the day when the museums close.
If you’re interested in more of Gustav Vigeland, the Vigeland Museum is right nearby and tells the story of the sculptor and his work. Entrance to the museum costs 120 NOK.
Norwegian Folk Museum (Norsk Folkmuseum)
If you’re interested in folk culture, consider a visit to the Norwegian Folk Museum. This open air museum features 150 buildings that were sent in from across Norway and reassembled in the museum. During the summers, you’ll find workers and craftspeople giving demonstrations of traditional techniques.
Entrance to the museum is 180 NOK. Learn more at the official website.
Viking Ship Museum
For a look at an actual Viking Ship, as well as artifacts from the Viking age, visit the Viking Ship Museum.
This museum was high on my list, but I never got a chance to visit. The museum is currently closed due to renovations and it’s not expected to reopen until 2027. Still, I have to include it on this list because it’s a top sight in Oslo and this list would look odd without it. So for now, you’ll obviously have to skip it, but one day, once it’s back open, visitors will be able to add it to their itineraries again.
Fram Museum
The Fram Museum tells the story of the Fram and Gjøa ship. Both ships were Norwegian explorer ships that went on expeditions through the Arctic region. Their research was groundbreaking and provided a lot of insight into this region. Plus, the actual ships are housed in this museum, so you can walk through them to really get a better understanding of what it was like.
I went to the Fram Museum because I felt like I had to, but I really enjoyed my visit and this may be my favorite activity of my Oslo itinerary. There is a lot of information in this museum and it can be difficult to take it all in, but I still found it fascinating. Start downstairs by the Gjøa ship. Nearby is a small theater that shows a short film giving an introduction to the arctic exploration. There are headphones for each seat and you can select your language using the dial. After, tour the Gjøa ship before moving back upstairs to tour the larger Fram ship.
Entrance to the Fram museum costs 140. If you’re interested in other museums, combo tickets are available. Learn more about ticketing options.
Kon-Tiki Museum
I have one more maritime museum for you to consider and that’s the Kon-Tiki Museum. This museums details the theory of Thor Heyerdahl who believed that early South Americans crossed the Pacific Ocean to settle Polynesia. To test his theory, he built boats and made the journey himself, proving that it was possible (although most scholars agree that it’s incredibly unlikely).
Entrance to the Kon-Tiki Museum is 140 NOK. If you’re interested in other museums, combo tickets are available. Learn more about ticketing options.
Waterfalls in Grünerløkka
Everything else I’ve mentioned on this list has a focus on history, art, and general tourist activities. This last entry of the Grünerløkka neighborhood is different. While it’s easy to stick to Oslo’s Old Town (and the Bygdøy area for many of the museusm), take a stroll through the Grünerløkka. While the Old Town feels busy, Grünerløkka feels more relaxed and more lived in. There aren’t many sights here, but it does give a different feel which alone makes for an interesting visit.
However, if you go deeper into the Grünerløkka neighborhood, you’ll eventually find yourself walking along a river. Keep walking and you’ll find waterfalls, which is probably not what you’re expecting in a capital city.
To reach the waterfalls, you’ll either have a long walk from the Old Town or will have to catch some kind of transportation.
How Long Do You Need in Oslo?
I spent a day and a half in Oslo. I arrived in the early afternoon and spent that time exploring the Old Town and the Grünerløkka neighborhood. Then on m second day, I caught a bus to the Fram Museum, visited the Norwegian Resistance Museum, and finished my day at Vigeland Park.
How to Spend One Day in Oslo
Normally I’d have a recommended itinerary for one day in Oslo. I don’t feel like I can accurately design one because there are so many museums to choose from. I think a lot of the Oslo itinerary comes down to personal preference (in terms of which museums you visit).
That said, if I had to make a one day itinerary in Oslo, here’s what I’d do.
I’d take Bus #30 to the Bygdøy area to visit some of the maritime museums. I’d visit the Fram Museum and either the Viking Ship Museum or the Kon-Tiki Museum. On the way back to the city center, I’d stop at Vigeland Park for a quick stroll before heading to the Oslo Harbor Front. Visit City Hall before wandering through Akershus Fortress (with an optional stop at the Norwegian Resistance Museum) and the Old Town. In the evening, if you still have the energy, venture to Grünerløkka.
Getting to Oslo
Oslo can be reached by train (via its central train station), by bus (the main bus station is connected to the train station), or by plane.
For those arriving by plane, you can take a train into the city. A local train will be a cheaper, by if you’re in a hurry (or it’s too early in the morning for the local train to be running), you can use the FlyJet service. Note that the FlyJet service costs twice as much as a local train. While I used it and had no issues, take the local train if you can and save some money.
Getting Around Oslo
If you plan to stick to the historic Old Town, Oslo is easy to explore on foot. You can reach the Oslo Harbor Front (including Akershus Fortress), City Hall, National Gallery, and Royal Palace with minimal effort. I also walked to Grünerløkka and its waterfalls, but I’ll be the first to admit it was a long walk.
If you plan to visit some of Oslo’s Maritime Museums, you’ll want to purchase a public transportation ticket. I bought one 24 hour pass (from a 7-Eleven as the metro station I went to had no ticket machines) and then worked all of my further destinations into one day.
A one way ticket costs 42 NOK, while a 24 pass costs 127 NOK. If you plan to take at least three journeys, just get the 24 hour pass for your one day in Oslo. It’s just more convenient.
When to Visit Oslo
Winters have the fewest visitors and therefore you can expect a slightly lower price. However, winters have the worst weather (expect it to be cold) and have limited daylight. For example, in Oslo, the sun rises around 8:30 am and sets at about 3:30 pm in January.
Summers have long days with the sun not setting until 9:00 or 10:00 pm. You’ll also have the best weather. However, crowds are at their highest.
Typically, shoulder season can offer the best mix between daylight hours, weather, and tourist crowds. But I personally would recommend traveling very late spring to very early summer or very late summer into very early fall. Basically, try to catch that cut over between spring and summer or summer and fall.
I traveled in mid April and it was a bit chilly, especially in the mornings. I did ok, but I definitely would have preferred it to be just a little bit warmer. Plus some sights still had limited hours. If I were to do this trip again, I’d aim for late May or early June.
Final Thoughts
While many people advise to just get out of Oslo and see the Norwegian countryside, I enjoyed my one day in Oslo (although technically a day and a half). That’s not to say that the Norwegian countryside isn’t great. The Norwegian fjords and mountains are spectacular (and I just happened to run out of time). Still, you’ll likely be flying either in or out (or both) of Oslo on your trip to Norway, so spend one day in Oslo getting to know the country’s capital city.
Continue Your Adventure
Scandinavia: Start planning your trip to Scandinavia with this 10 Day Itinerary, featuring stops in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Check out my Scandinavia Budget for a realistic look at travel costs and budgeting tips. Plus, here’s my top tips for traveling Scandinavia.
Denmark: No visit to Denmark would be complete without spending at least one day in Copenhagen, where you can tour several churches and have some fun at Tivoli Gardens. Plus, learn more in my Denmark Travel Guide.
Sweden: A visit to Sweden will generally include its capital city of Stockholm. If you have extra time in Stockholm, consider a day trip to either Uppsala or Drottningholm Slott. But don’t miss Gothenburg, another great city that feels more relaxed than Stockholm. Continue your planning with my Sweden Travel Guide.