6 Things to do in Oslo, Norway: Fun Weekend Travel Guide

I am a participant in affiliate programs, so basically I earn a small commission if you use any of the affiliate links on this post - at no extra cost to you! Dope right?

Yanno, going to Pakistan in a group trip really changed my life. For one, it opened my eyes to a country that I had no insight on or about. Second, and more relevant to this post, it spoiled me with a great group experience. So when a few friends wanted to visit northern Norway as part of a group trip, I decided to join them! Of course, that led me to having a few days before the start of the trip in Oslo where I had a few days to find all the fun things to do in Oslo.

I hadn’t heard much about Oslo. In fact…I honestly hadn’t heard anything hahah. Even the few people I knew who had visited Norway, they either zoomed through Oslo on the way somewhere else, as a cruise port stop, or they skipped Oslo altogether in favor of Tromso or other spot in northern Norway.

Which…fair. Norway isn’t exactly known for its city life. Still, I couldn’t go to a country without seeing the capital city if I had a choice! If you also have a few days slated to visit, here are my recommendations and findings of things to do in Oslo.

Flying into Oslo

Unless you’re on a cruise ship, chances are you’ll be flying into Oslo through the Oslo Airport (OSL), also called the Oslo Gardermoen Airport or Gardermoen. Since we had flown to the region from the US to Helsinki, Finland (it was the cheapest point wise), we had a direct flight on Finnair.

The price was a little under $200 USD one way, took a little under 2 hours, and I was able to earn oneworld status points so that was really nice too. I was pleasantly impressed with Finnair, it wasn’t very fancy but it got the job done. Plus, having oneworld Emerald status allowed me to use the first class lounge at the Helsinki airport!

But I’ve rambled too long about the plane. On arrival, we hopped on the Flytoget (Airport Express) since it was the easiest to find, and you simple tap-pay at the gate as you would any other subway system. If you don’t have a card or phone that allows tap-to-pay, you can also buy tickets at the kiosk in the airport (right next to the gates). I believe it was abouttt ~$25 USD one way.

There is also a non-express train, and it only takes about 5 minutes longer and is cheaper (~$15 USD). Alas, if you find it first, feel free to take it. The express train only has one stop before the city city (Lillestrøm) and was super clean, comfortable, and convenient. The express train leaves about every 10-15 minutes, so I don’t think it’s necessary to buy anything in advance.

After a quick 20 minutes or so, you’ll get off at Oslo Central Station/Oslo S. I almost wished my time pre-group trip was longer so I could’ve taken a scenic train trip somewhere, but since I only had a few days I decided to stay in Oslo. But you really can go to a lot of cool places in the country by train from here. Spoiler, there’s not toooo many things to do in Oslo, so I’d recommend it if you’re in the area more than 3 days or so.

There’s a few restaurants and a convenience store (7-11) right in the main terminal, so if you’re hungry or need a snack you can pick something up. When you’re ready, step outside the train station and you’re right in the city center.

One quick note, for rideshares, use Bolt over Uber! It’s faster and cheaper. Otherwise, public transit is really great in the city.

Where to Stay in Oslo

You probably still have your bags and luggage though, so let’s head to your hotel to drop things off! Thankfully, we purposely booked a hotel that was right across from the train station and I highly recommend it for the convenience alone.

Thon Hotel Opera is THE hotel to book if you’re only in town for a few days. It’ll situate you right in the middle of all the things to do in Oslo and it’s a very nice hotel. Because of its convenience, it is a little more expensive than I would usually go for, but paired with the fact that it includes a free (and tasty) breakfast buffet, I’d 100% say it is worth it. With the prices in Oslo, you’d be paying that anyway.

If I didn’t have free breakfast at the hotel, I would have just slept in and skipped breakfast.

The beds were incredibly comfortable and cozy, though I’ve found that to be true for most of the Nordic countries. I literally had to take a picture of the comforter tag because it was unbelievable. Though if you’ve never traveled to this region, just know they love putting together two twin beds to make a full/queen sized. So it can feel…separated if you’re traveling with a romantic partner, but tbh I kinda liked it.

I run hot anyway.

Since we were visiting mid-week, it wasn’t too busy and we were given a complimentary upgrade as well. The room featured two desk areas (which was great for me as a traveling grad school student) and a fantastic bathroom featuring heating floors and a double showerhead.

Along with being close to all the best things to do in Oslo, as I mentioned before there’s a free breakfast buffet every morning. They have a really good spread of both Norwegian breakfast items (which is mostly meatballs, bread, and pickled items) as well as the more continental options like eggs (prepared a few different ways), meats, and pastries.

I do wish their tea section was more robust, but as I was about to find out…tea is not much of a thought in Norway. It is what it is. That aside, it was a very good breakfast, and they even had omega-3 vitamins (individually packaged) which was fun and probably great for my skin!

Now that you’re all checked in, let’s get into all the fun things to do in Oslo!

Places to Eat in Oslo

Well, actually, one more detail before we start checking off the things to do in Oslo. We gotta address the elephant in the room. The food.

It’s…not seasoned. Like. At all. I’m sorry I’m sorry. And that’s not me saying all the food is bad or disgusting, not at all, but it isn’t heavily seasoned. That’s just the cuisine and taste palate of Norway. Japan is the same way. If you’re someone who is used to more flavorful and seasoned cooking…then please adjust your expectations.

With that disclaimer out of the way, I did come across a few restaurants that were solid eats during my time in Oslo. I only ate breakfast at my hotel, so no suggestions on that, but for lunch/dinner, consider these spots:

• The Salmon: if you’re in Norway, ya gotta try the salmon. The best place I went for that was at the aptly named restaurant The Salmon. I’m sure all the salmon in Oslo is fresh, but here it was a little more finesse.
• Way Down South: Now this was my favorite restaurant in Oslo. It’s honestly probably the most flavorful restaurant in the whole country. American Southern BBQ and they really nailed it. It’s pricey, but what isn’t in Norway.
• Fulani – Afro-Caribbean Streetfood: Now you know me, and I had to look up some Black owned restaurants in Oslo. What makes this one convenient is that they have a location in a food hall right next to the hotel. Loved the rice and plantains, but accidentally ordered a tofu protein (I don’t like tofu), but I was so happy to finally have some flavor.
• Kain Neo-Filipino Bistro: Everywhere I go, I end up eating at a Filipino spot and they have YET to let me down! This one is more contemporary Filipino, which I love, but just don’t expect like a homestyle cooking vibe. They also have a tasting menu option, which I would love to go back to try.

And…yeah, that’s about it…

Sorry. But I was only there for a few days so I’m sure there’s more great restaurants out there! If you’ve visited Oslo, lemme know your recommendations in the comments below. If you’re into drinks, there are a lot of bars and breweries. Drinking is one of the best things in Oslo according to locals hahah. I’m not the biggest drinker and I don’t like beer at all, but I do recommend HIMKOK if you’re a cocktail/mocktail drinker.

Things to do in Oslo

Okay, now we can finally get into the meat of things to do in Oslo! Again, I gotta give a lil disclaimer so you can manage your expectations. There’s….not a whole lot of things to do in Oslo. And that’s not inherently a bad thing, every city has its own vibe. Just know that you won’t really be bouncing around between multiple attractions like in NYC or London or Tokyo.

It’s a much chiller pace in Oslo.

Oslo is a great city if you love museums or hanging out at a cafe/outdoor bar in the summer. The shopping isn’t the most exciting, but there were some cool shops to pop into that I’ll get into later. Also if you are traveling with kids, there’s lots of outdoor parks and things to do for kids, which was nice to see (for them).

If I’m honest though, I am more of a gogogo traveler who loves big cities with lots to do. Oslo is not that type of city. That said, I was able to find a good amount of things to do in Oslo that kept me entertained. Moreso than Helsinki, Finland anyway.

So without further ado, here are the things to do in Oslo that I recommend adding to your itinerary.

Museums

Now you know Europe LOVES a museum, and Oslo has plenty of them to go around. Visiting at least one museum is one of the best things to do in Oslo, especially if the weather is not-nice. My maximum though is one museum a day, and tbh my boyfriend’s tolerance is even less, but feel free to pick and choose whichever ones catch your eye.

• Munch Museum: an art museum dedicated to the famous Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. He’s the guy who made ‘The Scream’ painting. I was expecting to just pop in to see that then bounce, but surprisingly it was a great museum and I ended up spending a few hours there. There’s also an interactive floor that’s kid friendly. If you really like Edvard Munch, there’s also a Munch city tour that focuses on the places around Oslo associated with the artists.
• Nobel Peace Center: if you’ve ever been interested in the Nobel Peace Prize and what peace initiatives look like around the world, this is the place to be. It’s fantastically done and there’s even walking tours every Saturday and Sunday at 3pm.
• Holmenkollen Ski Museum: now I really liked this one, buuut I’m not gonna lie. It’s very out of the way and there’s not public transit there. Modern skiing is largely associated with the Nordic countries, specifically Norway, so it was fun learning about the evolution of skiing. There’s also additional activities like ziplining and this…ski simulator thing, it’s silly but fun. You can go to the observation deck, but honestly it was a bit underwhelming so if there’s a long line, I’d say skip it.
• Kon-Tiki Museum: wow, this is a fun one. It’s all about Thor Heyerdahl who was a famous Norwegian archaeologist and details the adventures of his journey on the seas. The exhibits are very kid friendly and it’s easily accessible visit public transit all year round.
• The Norwegian Museum of Cultural History: this is more on the side of the traditional history/culture museum, but with a twist. It’s outdoors and kinda takes you through a traditional Norse folk village. It reminded me a bit of the Ainu Cultural Museum in Japan! It’s a great way to learn more about Norwegian culture in a more engaged way.

The Vigeland Park

The second most popular of the things to do in Oslo is to visit Vigeland Park. You mayyy recognize it from pictures. Outside of the Opera House, I think Vigeland Park is one of the most photographed places in Oslo. It’s not…incredibly exciting, at least compared to another park on this list, but I do think it’s one of the most iconic things to do in Oslo.

We didn’t spend too much time here, maybe 30 minutes or so, but since it is a large park you can spend a lot of time walking around, having a picnic, or just enjoying the roses. However if you want some professional photos around Oslo, I think this would be the best place to join a photography tour if that’s your thing.

Karl Johans Gate

So this is actually a pedestrian street that starts at the Royal Palace at the top of a hill, and goes all the way down to Oslo Station area. For us, it was the perfect way to end our day since we just ended up back at our hotel at the end. Along the walk, you see a few sites like the Norwegian Parliament building (Stortinget), the National Theatre (unfortunately no shows during our visit) and the Oslo Cathedral.

In between those, there are a lot of shops and restaurants and various street performers sprinkled about. I watched a Micahel Jackson performer that was honestly the highlight of my time in Oslo. That alone makes me say walking Karl Johans Gate is one of the best things to do in Oslo.

There are a few Norwegian and Nordic brands as well as other international shops. Coming from America, none of the international brands were cheaper than I could get at home (except DJI), but depending on where you live, it may be a good deal for you. Just double check! If you like shopping, this is going to be one of your favorite things to do in Oslo.

Ekebergparken

This was actually my favorite park and one of my favorite things to do in Oslo simply because of all the art installed throughout the park. You can spend a good few hours here, and because of a particular light piece, I’d recommend coming about an hour before sunset (or more depending on how long you want to walk around the park) then as the sun goes down head to “Nordic Pixel Forest” to see the piece in the dark.

There are periodic walking tours that would be great to join, but even if you go on your own like I did, this is easily one of the best things to do in Oslo. While it’s a bit outside of the city center, there is a public transit stop right outside of the park.

Outdoor Sauna

Last but certainly not least, if you wanna get real Nordic, you can experience the joys of the outdoor sauna. Well, the sauna part isn’t open air or anything, it’s still…enclosed, but it’s not in a spa or building. The saunas are located right on the water’s edge, and then after some time you step out of the sauna and dip into the cold water.

Another moment of honesty….I didn’t do this hahah. I don’t like cold water to begin with, but I definitely don’t wanna jump in no harbor okay. It’s not for me. BUT it is one of the cool things to do in Oslo and a very local experience, so if you’re open to it – go for it. I was recommended to do it through Oslo Badstuforening since it’s easily accessible and clean.

If you do it, lemme know how it is!

TLDR; Daily Itinerary Breakdown

So you can take all these things to do in Oslo and make your own itinerary, buuut since I’m such a generous travel blogger, I’ll share a quick day by day itinerary for you to follow if you want. I mean, I already made it so I might as well spread the effort, right?

Now depending on if you’re just in the city for a day as part of a cruise stop, or the full 3 days, feel free to edit this as needed!

Day 1:

• Start the morning at the Munch Museum and seeing the Oslo Opera House
• Lunch at Fulani – Afro-Caribbean Streetfood
• Spend the afternoon walking Karl Johans Gate, starting at the Royal Palace and walking down to check out the shops and cafes.
• Book a sauna session with Oslo Badstuforening, then head back to the hotel to freshen up
• Dinner at the hotel restaurant
• Head to Ekebergparken for an after-dinner walk through the art-filled park

Day 2:

• After breakfast, head to Vigeland Park to see some of the iconic statues and art pieces without all the crowds
• Spend the rest of the morning at either the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History or the Kon-Tiki Museum. Or both!
• Lunch at The Salmon
• Stroll the nearby Aker Brygge area filled with shops and museums. Pop into the Nobel Peace Center if you’re not all museum’d out.
• Head to the hip area of Grünerløkka to check out the vintage shops and small businesses. Frøken Dianas Salonger is a good place to start. When you’ve worked up an appetite, grab dinner at Way Down South.
• Stay in the area to pop into a bar or dance club. Otherwise, or in addition to, you can swing by the cocktail bar HIMKOK before retiring for the night.

Day 3:

• After breakfast, spend the morning at the Holmenkollen Ski Museum.
• Do a food and city walking tour to learn more about Oslo with a local guide.
• Depending on the weather, you can head to the Botanical Garden or any other museums you didn’t get to.
• Dinner at Kain Neo-Filipino Bistro.
• Head to bed early if you’re leaving town.

More than 3 full days:

As you can see, by the third day…you start running out of things to do in Oslo hahah. So if you have more than 3 full days, I’d suggest leaving. And I mean that in the most respectful way haha. I’d recommend catching a train to a nearby attraction for a day trip, like Fredrikstad Old Town or Telemark.

Island hopping is also one of the best things to do in Oslo, though I didn’t get to do it myself. Let me know if it’s fun if you’re able to add it to your itinerary!

Conclusion

And in conclusion, boom, there’s my take on the best things to do in Oslo. It’s not a city that requires a lot. It could be a nice relaxing trip instead of the usually hectic busy vacation. Oslo wasn’t my favorite city, but it wasn’t bad either.

So many people who lived in Oslo were confused (but pleasantly surprised) that I traveled all the way from America to visit Oslo of all places with the intention to see the city. I currently live in Portland, Oregon USA, which is also not an attraction-heavy city so sometimes I’m shocked when visitors come to Portland and don’t immediately leave to go hiking around the state haha. So I get it.

Oslo was a nice calm start before the whirlwind group trip in northern Norway. And…wow, what a wild 7 days in northern Norway that turned out to be haha. If you’ve been to Oslo, what were your thoughts? Are there any other attractions or restaurants you would list as one of the unmissable things to do in Oslo? Let me know in the comments below! Especially if you have restaurant recommendations. Help each other out yall cuz the pickings were SLIM.

Anyways thanks for reading, I’ll see ya in the next post 🙂

Pin these Thing to do in Oslo

Sharing is caring!