Oslo, Norway

Destination: Oslo, Norway  
Dates: August 2022 
Nights: 3 Nights 
Accommodation: Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel, Oslo  
Highlights: Oslo City Bikes, tap water, hiking, views, beaches, quality of air (you really do feel it) and the free areas 
Lowlights: Expensive!

Oslo was one of our chosen city break destinations. I’m going to be honest when I booked Oslo, I started having doubts on the plane as research on what to do was a struggle. We arrived early and had our first Chai Latte in Espresso House. We stayed at Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel close to Nationalthreatret station. The hotel had great views of the Fjords from the bar on the 21st floor, so that was a bonus.

Flytoget Airport Express

The express train from Oslo Airport (Oslo Lufthavn) to the city is the fastest way to get to the centre. It costs £34 return per person or £18 for a single ticket and is valid for 90 days. Luckily for us it also stopped at Nationalthreatret and only took 20 minutes.

Oslo Pass

Is it worth it? The Oslo Pass gives you free admission to 30 museums and sights in Oslo and you get unlimited travel with the public transport system. Personally, we planned to get a pass whilst out there but didn’t bother as most of the things we visited were free or not included. Prices for the pass are:

24hrs- 445 NOK (£37.79)

48hrs-655 NOK (£55.62)

72hrs-820 NOK (£72.01)

Norsk Folkemuseum – Norwegian Museum of Cultural History

First thing we did once we arrived was visit Norsk Folkemuseum which showed us how Norwegian people lived from 16th century until now. It features 160 historic buildings, cobbled streets and sod roofed farm. You can actually step inside the building and find out more from the people who are dressed the part. The museum also offers activities that you can get involved in. They had traditional folk dancing and singing, and even old traditional activities like bark shaving.

Oslo City Bikes

Download the app, grab your bike and go explore…for an hour! A single ride costs £3.50 (39NOK) or a 24 hour pass is £6 (69NOK), but you will need to keep changing bikes every hour not to be charged the extra £1.30 every 15 minutes. This is a great and cheap way to get around Oslo if you are short of time. Warning: The app is not great for finding your location or a bike dock station.

Vettakollen Viewpoint

The best way to see Oslo is from the top. This was a 45 minute train ride from Nationaltheatret to Vettakollen and then a 30 minute walk to the top. It’s an easy walk up hill but this was in the summer. The panoramic views of Oslo and Fjords are amazing on a clear day.

Sognsvann Lake

Sognsvann Lake is only a 30 minute walk from Vettakollen Viewpoint which is a nice place to have lunch and get away from the hustle and bustle. There are so many trails leading to the lake where you can jog, walk or cycle. What’s great about Norway is there are benches and BBQ pits set up everywhere for you to enjoy.

Ekebergparken

We rode our bikes to Ekebergparken from the city centre. There are no docking stations in the park but there is one opposite Oslo Hospital which is a 2 minute walk from one of the entrances. The park is on a hill with paved trails and surprisingly great views of the city. It’s free with 44 interesting sculptures to find, which can be found here.

Damstredet and Telthusbakken

This is a very small cobbled street with colourful historic houses. It’s usually crowded with people trying to get their Instagram picture. It doesn’t take long to explore but if you want to get the money shot then get there early.

The Royal Palace/Det kongelige slott

by Eirik Skarstein

Like all parks in Oslo, they are well kept, pretty and accessible. On the city bikes we wanted to check if the King was in. With no barriers and one guard you can pretty much knock on the door, but I wouldn’t advise it! It’s a beautiful building which is visible from Karl Johans Gate.

Karl Johans Gate

Photo by Marcel Ardivan

This is the main street in Oslo, filled with varies restaurants, high end shops and hotels. It gets very busy on the weekend but still a nice place to take a stroll.

Oslo Express City Tour by E-scooter

Short of time and want to know more about Oslo, do a e-scooter tour. This tour was a good way to see the main attractions and thanks to our guide Katerina learn about the history of Oslo. Oslo city centre is a perfect place to ride bikes or e-scooter as there isn’t many cars on the road. The route includes the Oslo Opera House, Akershus Fortress and Medieval city, City Hall, Aker Brygge, and Tjuvholmen

River Akerselva

Grab lunch to go and take the city bikes along the river heading North . Here is where you’ll discover where the locals are hiding. Whether it be having a BBQ, taking a dip in the river, picnic with family, playing Kubb (a wooden stick game where the objective is to knock over wooden blocks with wooden batons) or walking everyone seems to be doing an outdoor activity.

Oslo Floating Saunas

Only in Oslo! Hire a floating sauna, get hot and sweaty and then jump into the water to cool off! This is a must! KOK has two locations in town- Aker Brygge or Langkaia. You can choose from three different experiences book a seat for £21, book the whole sauna for £159 or if you got the cash take a cruise with your floating sauna for £228.

Fancy a swim?

What I love about Oslo is the water is clear and clean, the boats are all electric so you can literally take a dip anywhere. The water temperature is 19 degrees during the summer which is most certainly acceptable to any Brit! There is decking and areas to sit, lie and sunbathe everywhere in Oslo. Bring your swimming gear and towel in the summer you will not regret it!

Opera House

This must be the hub of the town. It’s a great space to chill, relax and access the rooftop for those sunrise and sunset photos. This beautiful building that resembles an iceberg is free to explore inside and outside. The structure offers a unique sit-down experience. The lobby, restaurant and toilets are opened to the public.

Museum and activities

With over 100+ attractions to tickle your fancy, Oslo is not short of museums, exhibitions and parks. Check out what Oslo has to offer here.

Places to eat

When it comes to eating, Oslo is expensive but you can eat on a budget. Here are few places we visited:

To round up, Oslo was a pleasant surprise. Clean, friendly and lots to do made the three days a complete treat. I had heard that there was not much to do, but actually we found there wasn’t enough time to do everything we wanted. A personal favourite moment, was taking the train to the suburbs and climbing to the view point. It was beautiful, just as we know Scandinavia to be. This is the only city that resembles being in the countryside with the smell of burning wood in the air and a port that you can actually swim in. Norwegians believe that all spaces should be for everyone as long as you respect and look after it , and that suits me!

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