Like any metropolis, Oslo offers a wide range of options from which everyone should be able to choose.
Norway's capital is ideal for a combination of hiking in the countryside, easily accessible by metro, playing sports (especially skiing) and visiting museums.
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Modern architecture and monuments
You won't find many world-famous historical sites in Oslo, but the city will entice lovers of modern architecture.
The city's skyline currently consists of the Bjørvika district near the main station, with many modern buildings.
It is also in this district that you will come across Norway's most infamous building - the new Norwegian Opera House, built in 2008.
Right next door is the Munch Museum, which, in addition to its valuable collections, boasts one of Oslo's most striking modern buildings.
Modern architectural gems can also be found in the form of the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art on Tjuvholmen, the new National Museum building, the Holmenkollen ski jump and the iconic red-brick City Hall from 1950.
Historical monuments are represented by Oslo's main cathedral.
Museum tour
Oslo stands out for its extraordinary concentration of great museums, which are worth travelling from at least all over Europe to see.
Most museums can be found on the Bygdøy peninsula. Here you'll visit a popular open-air museum combined with a folklore museum, a centre for Holocaust studies or four museums dealing with the sea and maritime expeditions.
The most famous on the Bygdøy peninsula is undoubtedly the Fram Museum, with the original of the great expedition ship Fram, with which famous Norwegian sailors set out to discover the Arctic at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Other famous museums can be found mostly in the centre of Oslo:
Tour of the islands
Weather permitting, take a ride around the enchanting Oslo Fjord bay and disembark at several islands ideal for walking as well as swimming in the sea.
Several private companies operate cruises on the Oslofjord, but we definitely recommend taking the regular line ferries, which stop at all the islands and the regular Ruter fare applies.
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Which islands to go to?
We'd recommend the following islands to visit, some of which we break down in the location details:
- Hovedøya - ideal for walks in the park, scenic views or a visit to the monastery ruins.
- Lindøya - get to know the local life and walk among the picturesque colourful houses
- Gressholmen - a great place for a walk in the forest, stunning views from several hills and a visit to the historic lighthouse
- Langøyene - an island popular for its beautiful beach
Boat lines Ruter
To get to the islands, use the boat lines incorporated into the public transport network. All routes depart from the Aker brygge harbour.
Regular fares apply, including day or long term tickets.
Detailed information about travelling by boat is described in the Transport chapter.
Sightseeing cruises
Sightseeing cruises on the Oslofjord are also popular with tourists, but they do not stop at the islands.
Prices for a 1.5-hour cruise are around 410 nok, which is almost 10 times the cost of a regular Ruter ticket on a regular ferry service.
Cruises are operated by companies such as:
Hiking
Oslo has a great location between the fjord and the mountains with endless dense forests.
The combination of natural conditions and Oslo's not too large size makes for great hiking opportunities. Walking in the forests, along the coast or along the rivers can keep you busy for a week.
The most popular hiking areas in the city are on the Bygdøy peninsula or along the 8 km long park following the course of the Akerselva river.
There are much wider hiking opportunities on the northern outskirts, where you can easily take the metro literally right into the forest.
- Metro line 5 to the Sognsvann terminus to Lake Sognsvann
- Metro line 1 to the Holmenkollen area
You can see the marked hiking routes clearly on the map.cz website.
Skiing and adrenaline
Skiing enthusiasts will appreciate the possibility of enjoying the slopes and hundreds of kilometres of cross-country skiing trails right in Oslo or in the immediate vicinity.
Cross-country skiing
There are dozens to hundreds of kilometres of marked and groomed trails in the Oslo area. Cross-country skiing is Norway's national sport.
The most popular areas for cross-country skiing are, like the hiking trails, around Lake Sognsvann and the Holmenkollen ski area. For a description of the most popular trails, see, for example, Oslo's official tourist website: visitoslo.com/cross-country-skiing.
Both places can be reached by metro, which you can use to transport your skis for free.
And where can you rent cross-country skis in Oslo if you don't want to take your equipment from home?
The biggest and best-known rental shop is called Bull Ski and is located in the Holmenkollen area near the biathlon shooting range. Prices for one-day rentals start at 499 nok and you can find detailed information at bullsuperski.no.
Downhill skiing
On the northern outskirts of Oslo, take advantage of the smaller Tryvann-Wyller ski resort, run by Skimore Oslo.
The ski resort has a total of 9 km of slopes, 3 chairlifts and 4 pole lifts.
Detailed information on prices and snow depths can be found on the official website: oslo.skimore.no/en.
There is also a ski rental service on site with prices starting from 500 nok per day.
The Wyller lift station can be reached directly by bus line 41 (Wyllerløypa stop). The bus goes to Røa Metro Station, which is crossed by Metro Line 2.
Tryvann is reached by bus 48 from Voksenkollen metro station, which is crossed by metro line 1.
Zip Line
For adrenaline sports fans, there is the opportunity to try out an adrenaline zipline ride on the famous Holmenkollen ski jump; it is also possible to rappel down the ski jump in larger groups.
For more information about adrenaline experiences at Holmenkollen, please visit the website kollensvevet.no.
Visit the ski races
Oslo is a mecca for biathlon, ski jumping and cross-country skiing.
Every year in March, the Holmenkollen hosts the World Cup in cross-country skiing, ski jumping and biathlon, along with various other events and competitions throughout the season.
Tickets for the individual events are always on pre-sale about 3-4 months in advance via the official website of the organiser: holmenkollenskifestival.no.
Enjoy the sauna
Although Norway's neighbour to the far north, Finland, is home to saunas, there is also a great tradition of saunas in Norway.
Visit one of Oslo's many public saunas and enjoy a post-sauna swim in the cool waters of the Oslofjord with divine views of the Opera House or the Aker brygge promenade.
There are basically 3 types of saunas you can use:
- Shared sauna for up to 8 people - prices from 195 nok
- Private sauna - prices from 1 300 nok
- Floating sauna - boat trip with sauna for 2 hours, prices from 350 nok
Oslo Badstuforening offers the lowest prices with locations in many places in the city.
We always recommend booking online at least 5-7 days in advance at oslobadstuforening.no.
