Oslo, Norway is a charming city on the harbor. It is very walkable and picturesque with the feel of a big city with small-town charm. It is a popular stop on Baltic and Nordic cruises and a wonderful city to spend the day. When you only have a short time to visit, here are a few ways to make the most of this capital city.
Before You Start
Purchase an Oslo Pass for free entry to most museums and attractions as well as public transportation in the city. Oslo Pass also grants free entry for walking tours, swimming pools, and discounts for a variety of sightseeing and restaurants too. Purchase this online or with the Oslo Pass App. They are also available at the cruise port and several locations around the city.
Walking Tour
Enjoy a free walking tour at the Tiger outside the Jernbanetorget metro station. Arrive at 10am sharp, to join the walking tour in English, courtesy of Free Tour Oslo. The tour runs about an hour and a half and highlights Oslo attractions such as the Oslo Opera House, Oslo City Hall, National Theatre, Karl Johans gate, and the Storting parliament building. This is a great way to learn a little about the city, get your bearings, and make a game plan for what you want to hit later in the day.
Akershus Fortress and Castle
If you arrive by cruise ship you will likely dock right by the Akerschus so walk right to it. Akershus Castle and Fortress is a medieval structure dating back to 1299 when construction began. It was completed in the 14th century. The medieval castle had a strategic location at the far end of Akersneset and has withstood numerous sieges through the ages. The fortress offers guided tours for the public on weekends. Nobel Peace Center If you are going to be in Oslo, you must at least walk by the Nobel Peace Center. The
Nobel Peace Center is a showcase for the Nobel Peace Prize and the ideals it represents. If you are lucky enough to be there on a Friday at noon from May to October, you will be able to see the weekly release of the peace dove. It is released from a window at the Nobel Peace Center, and as the dove crosses the square, the John Lennon song Give Peace a Chance will play from the bell towers. Guided tours are available on Saturdays. Audio guides are available on other days.
Royal Palace
The long road to the royal palace is stunning. It is lined with cafes and shops up to a point then with rows of trees. It stands as a centerpiece when looking down from the opposite end of the road. If you are lucky, you will see the royal processional with horses, carriages, and guards in full dress uniform with horns sounding. The Royal Palace was built in the first half of the 19th century as the Norwegian residence of the French-born King Charles III John of Norway, who reigned as king of Norway and Sweden. It remains the residence for the King and is considered the Royal House of Norway. Guided tours of the palace are available during the summer months. Frogner Park & Vigeland Park Frogner is the largest park in the central part of Oslo and a popular recreational area for
people from all over the city. Frogner Park has Norway's biggest collection of roses; a total of 14,000 plants of 150 different species. You will also find the Oslo museum here within Frogner Manor.
Inside the park you find Vigeland Sculpture Park, one of Oslo's most popular attractions. It contains more than 200 of Gustav Vigeland’s statues sculpted in bronze, granite, and cast iron. These sculptures express the essence and emotions of human life from conception to old age. At the center of the garden is a 46 ft high monolith that was carved from one piece of granite and contains 120 figures within it. It is visible from all sections of the park.
Holmenkollen Ski Museum and Ski Jump
Head over to another one of Oslo’s top attractions to take in the 360-degree views from the top of the ski jump. If you are nervous about heights, just stand at the bottom of the jump and look out over the city, the view there is amazing too. This attraction is popular as an excursion on cruise ships and the jump is so big you can see it from the cruise ship as you pull out of port. You will notice a statue of a dog by the jump. As the story goes, Bikkja Bakken pulled free from his owner during one of the events and ran across the ski lane where the jumpers land which stopped the event. Now, every year, dogs audition to run across the snow during ski season. Viking Ship Museum This museum is quite small but filled with artifacts of the time Vikings ruled Norway. They
even have 3 Viking Ships inside that were built between 800-900 AD. The ships were excavated from a burial mound near Oslo. It also has a carriage, believed to be the only one of its kind left. Of note, The Oseberg ship was used to bury 2 powerful women who were given a large collection of burial gifts including three elaborate sleights, a wooden cart, five carved animal head posts, five beds, and the skeletons of 15 horses, six dogs, and two cows. Be sure to take the stairs so that you can look into the ships.
Oslo has many wonderful museums, shops, fjord cruises, wildlife cruises, and a wonderful foodie culture too. You could easily spend 3 days in Oslo. If you only have one day, try a tour in the morning to include a few of the sights mentioned here, then walk around in the afternoon. If you go in the summer you will enjoy the midnight sun so you will have plenty of time to explore.
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