Top Things to Do in Oslo Norway

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There is a reason why Oslo is one of the most visited places in Norway. It is a city full of history, wonderful sites and activities that showcase Norwegian culture. If you are wondering what to do while there, we have a great list of what we think are the top things to do in Oslo, Norway!

Top Things to Do in Oslo, Norway

Oslo City Hall

Oslo’s City Hall may not seem like an attraction you’d want to see. The building looks quite plain on the outside, but on the inside you will find great Norwegian art.

The main hall is adorned with frescoes by two famous Norwegian artists, Henrik Sørensen and Alf Rolfsen. One fresco features the pillars of Norwegian identity (fishing, forestry, and industry) along with explorer Fridtjof Nansen and playwright Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson.

W. Bulach [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]On the second floor, you will find the Munch room where you will find his painting Life.

The Ceremonial Gallery is decorated with tapestries. You will find scenes from Norwegian history along with paintings of King Harald V, Olav V, and Haakon VII.

Make sure that you also take time to walk around City Hall to admire the sculptures that adorn the outside of the building and square surrounding the building.

Nobel Peace Center

Learn about Alfred Nobel and the Nobel Peace prize. Exhibits change throughout the year and are meant to give engage guests to thoughtfully explore topics related to war, peace and conflict resolution.

If you are traveling with children in Oslo, they can explore the Nobel Peace Center with “Fred & Toca Loca” who teach children that speaking out matters.

This is fully interactive and has children think about moral dilemmas in a child-friendly way.

Hours: Open at 10am-6pm

Nobel Peace Center Tickets:
Adult: 150 NOK ($16 USD)
Student/Senior: 100 NOK ($11 USD)
Children 12-16: 50 NOK ($5 USD)
Children under 12: Free

Free with the Oslo Pass

Oslo Opera House

While this is the National opera theatre in Norway, I don’t intend for you to visit to see an Opera.

Instead, you should walk to the roof for amazing views of the Fjord, the city and the beautiful hills in the distance.

Free to the public

Visit Akershus Fortress

On the banks of the harbor is Akershus Fortress, a medieval castle & fortress that now serves as a museum.

Built in 1299 under King Håkon V, Akershus Fortress saw a number of a number of sieges before being turned into the royal residence of King Christian IV.

You can get a guided tour of the fortress through out the day to learn its history and use as a prison.

The Royal Palace

The Royal Palace is one of Norway’s most important buildings that sits at the end of Karl Johan.

Built in 1825, the Palace became the official residence of King Oscar I in 1849.

The Royal Palace is open to the public only during the summer, while the Palace park is open year round. You can take a guided tour of the Royal Palace when it is open. The tour is available in Norwegian and in English and should be booked in advance.

Tickets for the Royal Palace

Adults: NOK 140 ($15 USD)
Children (3-12 years old), seniors and students: NOK 110 ($12 USD)
Children under 3: FREE

Vigeland Sculpture Park

Frogner Park is the biggest park in central Oslo and where you will find the Vigeland Sculptures.

The sculpture park is Gustav Vigeland’s life work, showcasing over 200 of his sculptures. The sculptures you find here are statement pieces that while different are very much in the same style. Nearly all of them feature nude people. 

While fanciful and a bit obscure, they each tells a story.  It’s fun to decide what that story may be!

The park is FREE and because of this is usually very busy. 

Viking Ship Museum

Norway has a fascinating history when it comes to the Vikings and you can find evidence of their lives at the Oslo Viking Ship Museum.  This one of our favorite things to do in Oslo.

There you will get to see ships that were pulled out from beneath the Fjords. It is remarkable at how intact they remain after such a long time. The details are pretty amazing to see up close.

These elaborately designed vessels were used for traditional Viking burials and you will get to see the ships along with other pretty amazing artifacts.

Hours:

1 October to 30 April: 10am to 4pm
1 May to 30 September: 9am to 6pm
Closed: January 1, February 5 & 12

Tickets:

A ticket gives you admission to both the Viking Ship Museum and The Historical Museum (not on our list of things to do)
Tickets are available from the ticket office at the museum entrance. They do not sell tickets online.
They accept Mastercard, Visa, Maestro, Union Pay, JCB, Oslo Pass, ICOM cards and V Pay credit cards.

Ticket Prices

Adults: NOK 120 ($13 USD)
Seniors and students: NOK 90 ($10 USD)
Children under 18: FREE

Kon-Tiki Museum

in 1947 Thor Heyerdahl crossed the Pacific Ocean on the simply raft made of balsa wood. His goal was to prove the origin on the origin on Polynesian people.

This was the first journey of its kind and it was the basis for a documentary in 1951. The raft, known at Kon-Tiki, can be seen at the Kon-Tiki Museum along with other artifacts from later journeys to Easter Island, Fatu-Hiva, Tùcume, Galapagos.

Museum Hours:

The Museum is open every day.
November–February 10am-4pm
March–May 10am-5pm
June–August 9:30-6pm
September–October 10am-5pm

Tickets for Kon Tiki Museum

Adults: NOK 120 ($13 USD)
Seniors: NOK 90 ($10 USD)
Children 6-15 & students: NOK 50 ($5 USD)
Families NOK 240 ($26 USD)

Free with the Oslo Pass

Munch Museum

During the time that the new National Gallery is being built, the Munch Museum will house some of the most famous works by Munch, including The Scream, Madonna, Starry Night and The Kiss.

The Scream has been removed for preservation. It will be at the new National Gallery when it opens.

Fram Museum (The Polar Ship Fram)

One of the most popular museums in Oslo, the Fram, houses the largest wooden vessel ever built. The Fram was built to explore the Arctic and that is exactly what it did.

In this museum, you will be able to board the ship and experience what it was like when it sailed in the late 19th century.

The Fram Museum also has a polar simulator that allows you to feel what it would have been like during the polar expeditions.

Fram Museum Tickets

Adults: NOK 120 ($13 USD)
Seniors: NOK 90 ($10 USD)
Children 6-15 & students: NOK 50 ($5 USD)
Families NOK 240 ($26 USD)

Free with the Oslo Pass

Norsk Folkemuseum – Norwegian Museum of Cultural History

There is no better place to learn about the beautiful history of Norway than through a living museum.

The Norwegian Museum of Cultural history is open air museum where you can walk through historic homes and buildings while learning about Norwegian customs and history. 

There are more than 160 buildings to explore including a 13th century Stave church!

It is one of my favorite things to do in Oslo!

Hours:
Oct. 1 – April 30: 11am-4pm
May 1 – Sep. 30: 10am-5pm

Tickets:
Adults NOK 160 ($17 USD)
Children 6-17 NOK 40 ($4 USD)
Children under 6 FREE
Young adults and student 18-25 NOK 100 ($11 USD)
Family (2 adults with children 6 – 17) NOK 320 ($34 USD)
Retired as off 67 yrs and groups over 15 NOK 120 ($13 USD)

Visit Ibsen and Munch’s graves at Vår Frelsers gravlund

Why not many people may consider a graveyard a top place to visit while on holiday, this graveyard is quite special because you will find such notable Norwegians like Henrich Ibsen and Edvard Munch are buried.

Getting Around Oslo with the Oslo Pass

Oslo is a city that is easy to navigate, especially if you have the Oslo Pass.

Not only does the Oslo pass give you free entry to more than 30 museums and attractions, it also gives you free travel on all public transport.