What to do in Oslo
Places to go, things to do
The Oslo Pass
Free entry to 30 museums, free public transport, free entry to swimming pools, discounts on sight-seeing and special offers at restaurants, shops and leisure venues. You have unlimited travel on public transport in zones 1 and 2 (this includes to Vollen)You can buy the Oslo pass for 24, 48 or 72 hours with prices according to whether you are an adult, a child 4 – 15 or a senior 67+. Students can have 20% discount but must bring a valid student ID card with photo. You can buy the Oslo Pass at the Oslo Visitor Centre inside Østbanehallen, by Oslo Central Station which is open 365 days a year. Read more at www.visitoslo.com
Det Norske Teatret – The Norwegian Theatre
At Det norske teatret you can see plays and musicals performed in the New Norwegian language. This theatre is famous for excellent scenography and performance. In spring 2019 there are performances of David Bowie's Lazarus (photo above of the final song "We can be...
Oslo Summer Park
Oslo Summer Park is the biggest climbing park in Oslo and very popular with locals and visitors alike. There is climbing for everyone, regardless of age or skill. There are over 150 elements among the trees, across 9 different routes of varying...
Bicycles: on- and off-road
Exploring the Oslo region and city is especially great by bicycle. There are lots of cycle tracks in and around the city and throughout the region. Norway has been enthusiastic in encouraging people to cycle to work or free time activities. Tourists to...
The Norwegian Folk Museum in Oslo (Norsk folkemuseum)
The Norwegian Museum of Cultural History is located at Bygdøy in Oslo and has an open-air museum with 160 historic buildings. One of the main attractions is Gol Stave Church which dates from around 1200. Indoor exhibits include Norwegian folk costumes,...
Magic Ice, Oslo
Magic Ice is found in four towns in Norway (and also in Anchorage, Alaska, Copenhagen, Denmark and Reykjavik, Iceland) The photos here were taken in Svolvær, in Lofoten in the North of Norway but the concept is much the same at each location. On entry you are given a...
Oslo Town Hall (Oslo rådhus)
The City Hall, Oslo Rådhus, is situated in Pipervika, right by the harbour where the ferry boat from Vollen docks. Oslo Rådhus has characteristic architecture, (known to the citizens as the blocks of goat cheese), artworks and the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, held on...
Holmenkollen Ski Jump Tower, Ski Museum & Magic Activity Centre for kids
The famous statue of the late King Olav V is at Holmenkollen which has been the site for more than a century of skiing competitions. Inside the Ski Jump is the Holmenkollen Ski Museum, the oldest of its kind in the world. The museum presents over 4,000 years...
The Resistance Museum at Akershus Castle (Norges Hjemmefrontmuseum)
The photograph above is taken from Aker wharf, across the Oslo harbour. It shows Akershus Fortress. The resistance museum is in the large square building to the left of the fortress. Norway’s Resistance Museum aims to give an authentic presentation of the German...
Astrup Fearnley Museum at Tjuvholmen
Astrup Fearnley Museet is a private museum of contemporary art, and has since its opening in 1993 been one of the most important art institutions in Oslo. The museum moved to Tjuvholmen in 2012, beautifully located in Oslo centre by the Oslo Fjord in a...
The Royal Palace in Oslo and Oscarshall at Bygdøy
The Royal Palace in Oslo is open to the public during the summer. All visitors must follow a guided tour. The season lasts from mid June - mid August. Tickets are usually available from early in March. During the season, guided tours in Norwegian are given...
The Nobel Peace Center (Nobels Fredssenter)
Nobel Peace Prize museum with an exciting combination of changing and permanent exhibitions that promote popular interest in issues relating to war, peace and conflict resolution.The Peace Prize laureates are all presented on digital screens in the Nobel Field, a...
Hop-on Hop-off Tours of Oslo
Spend a day seeing the sights of Oslo, the oldest of the Scandinavian Capitals, from an open-top, double-decker tour bus. Your pass is valid for a full 24-hour period, and you can hop on and off at your leisure. You will enjoy 360-degree views from the...
Ekeberg Park (Ekebergparken)
Ekeberg park is large, with woods, established paths and art. (Click the link for a map of the park and details of all the works of art) All sculptures are of high quality and are representative of European art history of the last 130 years. (Just a few examples are...
The National Gallery (Nasjonalgalleriet) The new National Gallery opened in May 2022
The National Gallery in Oslo centre, was where you could find Norway's largest public collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures. The National Gallery closed temporarily in January of 2019, to facilitate the move to the new National Museum opening in 2022. It...
Vigeland Park
Vigeland Park is the world's largest sculpture park made by a single artist, and is one of Norway's most popular tourist attractions. The park is open to visitors all year round. There is a large parking lot beside the park. Allow at least an hour to enjoy the...
Museums on the Bygdøy peninsula in Oslo
The Fram Polar ship is in one of Oslo's most visited museums, located on Bygdøy peninsula right beside the landing stage for ferries from Oslo Harbour. To get there from Vollen, you can take the bus or ferry to Oslo and then change to the Bygdøy ferry boat at Pier 3....