How To Spend 24 Hours In Oslo

For a capital city, Oslo is fairly compact, which means that you can actually see a lot of it in 24 hours. Naturally, the Norwegian weather and season has a big say in what you should do, so we’ve included a few different options for a well-spent day in Oslo.

In the Morning

Oslo is ideal for walking, but its excellent transport system is a great back-up for rainy weather, or for those who find walking or reaching those further-out destinations more difficult. A great first point to visit is the local transport “Ruter” office just outside of the Central Station on Jernbanetorget, where you can pick up a 24-hour ticket. These are also available from machines at the other stations in Oslo. Oslo’s visitor centre is just by the station too. From here, you can head to the famous Tiger Statue on the square. Free walking tours start from here every day at 10am and take about two hours. Alternatively, head northwards to Grünerløkka – roughly a twenty-minute walk or eight minutes by public transport – to sample some of Oslo’s hippest brunch spots and cafés.

Jernbanetorget by the Central Station – the red clock tower building houses the Ruter office

At Midday

If the weather is good, take a stroll up to the Castle Park, where you may even see a member of the very down-to-earth royal family out on a stroll around here. As an alternative, the National Gallery located just behind the university buildings gives an excellent overview of Norwegian art through the ages, and houses The Scream and an entire room dedicated to Munch’s paintings.

Karl Johans gate from Parliament to the Royal Castle

In the Afternoon

In good weather, you can continue on eastwards from the Castle Park up Bogstadveien, one of Oslo’s most popular and upmarket shopping streets, to the Majorstuen district. Take in the classic, colourful Oslo apartment blocks on your way. The 11 and 19 trams will get you there too. Once you reach Majorstuen, walk down Kirkeveien to the Vigeland Park, one of Oslo’s most famous attractions and the largest sculpture park in the world. The two museums in the park, the Vigeland Museum and Oslo City Museum, are great options if the weather doesn’t quite lend itself to close inspection of the weird and wonderful statues.

From Majorstuen, it is easy to take the metro up to Holmenkollen, Norway’s awe-inspiring ski jump, where you’ll also find one of the most beautiful views of Oslo and its surroundings. The Bygdøy peninsula to the south houses many of Oslo’s best museums, including the Folk Museum and the Viking Ship Museum.

Vigeland statues enjoying an autumn sunset

For the Evening

The beautifully rehabilitated old dockyard Aker Brygge is now home to some of Oslo’s best upmarket restaurants and bars. This is a great place to sample some of Norway’s delicacies such as fish and other seafood, and its waterfront location and view of the fjord lend themselves magnificently to a warm and light summer night (the sun only really sets close to midnight in June and July). In fact, in such weather, the whole waterfront from Aker Brygge to Akershus fortress down Rådhusgata to the impressive new buildings at Bjørvika is worth taking in. The Opera House at Bjørvika is one of Oslo’s architectural masterpieces. Perhaps an opera or ballet will tempt you, but if not, a visit to its exterior and interior is definitely recommended.

You can walk all over the Opera House and enjoy the fjord view from its roof

Livelier nightlife, meanwhile, can be found in Grünerløkka to the north, in the city centre or to the east in the Gamle Oslo area, where restaurant prices also tend to be a little lower. All that’s left to do is to wish you good night and to urge you to open the windows when you sleep – Oslo’s famously crisp, fresh air is one of the special delights of this Nordic capital.

Featured image by Tydence Davis.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.