Oslo holidays

How to reach Oslo

Flight time: Flights to Oslo take approximately 2 hours from London.

Transfer time: Oslo Gardermoen Airport is about 45km north of the city centre; the Airport Express train, Flytoget, gets you to Oslo Central Station in 20 minutes, while regular NSB trains take 30 minutes. Airport buses and taxis are also available.

Price: The Flytoget Express train costs NOK 210 (£17.50) one way, while the regular train is cheaper at NOK 120 (£10). Airport buses are around NOK 140 (£12), and taxis start at NOK 750 (£62) for a trip to the city centre.

Best time to visit Oslo

This will depend on your priorities for your holidays to Oslo; spring and summer are great for getting outdoors, but winter offers a magical Christmas vibe.

March to May:

• The days begin to lengthen, and by May you can expect up to 15 hours of sunlight a day, with average temperatures climbing from 2°C to 13°C.

• It’s a quieter period for sightseeing and ideal for enjoying parks and the Oslofjord.

June to August:

• Summer brings with it longer days and temperatures between 18°C and 25°C.

• Outdoor events like the Oslo Jazz Festival and beach days by the fjord make this a fantastic time to visit.

September to November:

• Autumn can be exquisite, with the city often bathed in the soft sunshine of an Indian summer - a great time to investigate Oslo’s myriad cultural attractions.

• Temperatures drop from 15°C in September to around 3°C by November, with rainfall averaging 60–90mm.

December to February:

• Winters are long and dark, with reduced daylight, opening times and transport services, but the Christmas markets and all round festive cheer are ample compensation.

• Temperatures range from -6°C to -1°C, with 5–7 hours of daylight.

Practical information

• Spoken languages: Norwegian is the official language, but nearly everyone speaks fluent English.

• Local habits and customs: Few Norwegians tip at cafés, but rounding your bill up by a few kroner is pretty standard and considered polite. Drinking alcohol in public places is not permitted, and being drunk on the streets can get you arrested.

• Currency: The currency is the Norwegian Krone (NOK). Credit and debit cards are widely accepted, but having a little cash for smaller purchases is advisable.

• Getting around: Oslo’s safe and efficient public transport system, Ruter, consists of buses, trams, a small underground rail system and local ferries. In Zone 1, flat-fare tickets cost NOK 39 (£3.50) if purchased before the journey, NOK 59 if purchased from a bus or tram driver or on a ferry. A single ticket costs NOK 40 (£3.50), while a 24-hour pass is NOK 117 (£10). Tickets are easily purchased through the Ruter app or at kiosks.

• Electricity and plug types: Norway uses the European standard 220 volts with Type C and F plugs. UK travellers will need a two-pin adaptor.

• Time zone: Oslo is in the Central European Time (CET) zone, 1 hour ahead of GMT. It observes Daylight Saving Time from late March to late October.

Best things to do in Oslo

Urbane and vivacious, Oslo is one of the world’s most prettily-sited capitals, with a flourishing café scene and a clutch of outstanding museums.

Viewpoints and panoramas

• Havnepromenaden: The 9km-long Harbour Promenade connects all the main waterfront sights of Oslo in one long, traffic-free walkway, with fine vistas all the way along.

The best districts

• Grünerløkka: Formerly a run-down working-class district, Grünerløkka has recently been reinvigorated in a boho sort of way, its regeneration turning it into one of the most fashionable parts of the city.

• Vulkan: A revived neighbourhood, it takes its name from the iron foundry that once hogged the riverbank here. The redevelopment now complete, Vulkan holds a platoon of bright apartment blocks and a capacious food hall – the Mathallen.

Museums

• Nasjonalmuseet, Oslo: Boasting Norway’s widest and most impressive collection of fine and applied art, the National Museum has a bit of everything, from Dahl to Kittelsen and tapestries to drinking horns. And of course, there’s Munch.

• Nasjonalmuseet, Oslo: The life and work of Norway's most famous artist, Edvard Munch, is explored in depth at this world-class museum.

• Ibsenmuseet: See exactly where Norway’s greatest dramatist, the illustrious and notably grumpy Henrik Ibsen, spent his last years and breathed his last breath.

Parks and gardens

• Vigelandsparken, Oslo: Before his death in 1943, Gustav Vigeland populated Oslo’s favourite park with his fantastical, phantasmagorical bronze and granite sculptures.

• Ekebergparken: Occupying the wooded heights just to the southeast of the city centre, locals have been coming up to Ekeberg Park to admire the harbour view for decades, where there's also a delightful open-air sculpture park, whose 30 or so pieces are spread out through the woods.

Historical monuments

• Rådhus: Opened in 1950 to celebrate the city’s 900th anniversary, the grand City Hall is a firmly Modernist, twin-towered building of dark-brown brick and very much a grandiose statement of civic pride.

• Akershus Fortress: Perched on a rocky ridge high above the zigzag fortifications, the castle is approached through two narrow tunnel gateways, which lead to a cobbled courtyard at the heart of the fortress.

• Den Norske Operahuset: One of the city’s proudest buildings, the Opera House is a fantastical, glassy, cuboid structure with exterior ramps that look like extended ski slopes, designed by the Norwegian company, Snøhetta.

Day trips in the area

• Oslofjord: The islands of the Oslofjord are great for swimming, sunbathing and walking – and they are just a short ferry ride from Oslo city centre.

• Bygdøy Peninsula: As well as holding the peninsula’s world-famous Viking Ship Museum, the Bygdøy lines up a trio of excellent museums featuring everything from Norwegian folk art to the derring-do voyages of Thor Heyerdahl.

• Fredrikstad: An ideal day trip from the capital, this modest little town of 82,000 people fills out a thumb of land just across the river from a superbly preserved 17th-century fortress, now known as Gamlebyen (Old Town).

Activities for families in Oslo

There’s a galaxy of things to do with young (especially pre-teen) children in Oslo.

• Interactive museums: One of the most popular museums for children in Oslo is the Norsk Teknisk Museum; an interactive museum par excellence, it’s equipped with working models and numerous things to push and touch, as well as a café and picnic area.

• Festivals: The engaging two-week Mela Festival, down at the Rådhusbrygge in August, is a family-orientated celebration, featuring dance, theatre, arts and food stalls.

• Outdoor activities: Get the family swimming, walking through woods or just lazing on the beach while exploring this charming Oslofjord island, just a short ferry ride from the city centre.

Free things to do in Oslo

Expensive it may be, but Oslo holidays don’t have to cost a fortune - there are many ways you can enjoy the city without having to dig deep into the wallet.

• Free museums: Discounts for children are commonplace, and almost all sites and attractions let babies and toddlers in for free and charge half of the adult tariff for children between 4 and 16 years of age.

• Beaches: If the weather is good, the beaches of the Oslofjord islands offer a free hit, albeit you’ll be sharing the space with the locals.

• Ice skating: Every winter, from November to March, a floodlit skating rink, Narvisen, is created in front of the Stortinget, beside Karl Johans gate. Admission is free and you can rent skates on the spot at reasonable rates.

Nature and outdoor activities in Oslo

Surrounded by forest and fjord, Oslo is very much an adventure playground, offering a wide range of sports and outdoor pursuits.

• Hiking: In summer, locals take to the hills to hike the network of trails that lattice the forests and lakes of the Nordmarka; it is easily accessible by metro.

• Skiing and snowboarding: Oslo’s largest and best downhill ski area is Oslo Vinterpark, where there are 18 ski slopes and 11 ski lifts. Its facilities include a ski school and ski equipment rental and, snow permitting, the park is open from December to April.

• Kayaking: The sheltered waters of the Oslofjord are ideal for kayaking excursions and the excellent and extremely efficient Oslo Kayak Tours offers several good choices, including two- and three-hour trips.

• Cycling and mountain biking: Oslo’s cycle-friendly infrastructure includes urban routes and forest trails; there’s a municipal bike rental scheme in which bikes are released like supermarket trolleys from racks all over the city. The trails around the Tryvann area are popular with mountain bikers.

Local dishes in Oslo

Oslo possesses several dozen fine restaurants, the most distinctive of which feature Norwegian cuisine and ingredients, especially fresh North Atlantic fish, but also more unusual dishes of elk, caribou and salted-and-dried cod – for centuries Norway’s staple food.

Some typical dishes

• Fårikål: Norway’s national dish, a hearty lamb and cabbage stew that’s especially popular in autumn.

• Raspeballer: Potato dumplings served with meat, vegetables and a generous helping of butter.

Meat dishes

• Lapskaus: Pork, venison (or other meats) and vegetable stew, common in the south and east, using salted or fresh meat, or leftovers, in a thick brown gravy.

• Kjøttkaker: Norwegian meatballs served with mashed potatoes, gravy and lingonberry jam.

Fish and seafood dishes

• Gravetlaks: Salmon marinated in salt, sugar, dill and brandy.

• Steamed mussels: Freshly caught mussels from the Oslofjord, these delicious morsels are then soaked in white wine with garlic and herbs.

• Cod and haddock: Whether grilled, poached or fried, Oslo’s cod and haddock dishes are as fresh as it gets.

Sweets and desserts

• Tilslørtbondepiker: Stewed apples and breadcrumbs, served with cream.

• Skolebrød: A sweet bun filled with custard and sprinkled with coconut, perfect with a mug of coffee.

Local drinks

• Aquavit: A bitter concoction which, at 40 percent proof or more, is real head-banging stuff, arguably made more palatable with beer chasers. Linie aquavit, made in Norway from potatoes, is one of the more popular brands.

• Craft beer: Oslo’s craft breweries, notably Oslo Brewing Co., produce an array of unique ales, stouts and lagers worth sampling.