Norway
Oslo
Spend two days: waterfront architecture and Munch, Bygdøy museums, Vigeland and a ride up to Holmenkollen. Below: 5 sights, 1 activity and 1 outdoor spot, plus how Oslo fits into a longer trip.
- Places
- 10
- Curated routes
- 1
- Best season
- Jun – Aug
- Warmest month
- July
- Coolest month
- January
- Wettest month
- August
5 See · 1 Do · 1 Outdoors · 2 Eat · 1 Drink
Scandinavian Capitals
from our route notes
22°C / 71°F avg high
-2°C / 29°F avg high
about 122 mm rain
Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.
Things to do in Oslo
10 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.
See
5 sights worth building a day around across Bjørvika, Sentrum and Bygdøy. 2 of them are free.
Photo: Pierre Blaché · CC0
Photo: Premeditated · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ralf Roletschek · GFDL 1.2
Photo: Tore Storm Halvorsen · CC BY-SA 4.0SeeFram Museum
The polar ship Fram, which you can board, plus polar exploration exhibits.
Tip Take the summer ferry from City Hall pier to Bygdøy.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.5SeeNorwegian Museum of Cultural History
Open-air museum with 160 old buildings, including a 13th-century stave church.
Do
1 activity for when the group wants to do more than look in Holmenkollen.
Photo: Ben Chester · GoogleDoHolmenkollen Ski Museum & Tower
Ski jump with a top-of-tower view and a ski history museum.
Tip Take T-bane line 1 to Holmenkollen.
Outdoors
1 outdoor spot for fresh air in Frogner.
Photo: Jose mari · Google
Eat
Where we would book a table in Oslo across Vulkan and Aker Brygge.
Photo: Mathallen Oslo · Google
Photo: Lofoten Fiskerestaurant · GoogleEatLofoten Fiskerestaurant
Seafood restaurant on the Aker Brygge waterfront.
Tip Reserve a window table in summer.
Drink
Our picks for a drink in Oslo in Grünerløkka.
Photo: Cy · Google
How to fit Oslo into a trip
Oslo is stop 3 of 3 on our Scandinavian Capitals route. Follow it as-is or lift Oslo into your own plan.
Stop 3 of 3
Scandinavian Capitals
Copenhagen, Stockholm & Oslo
- Trip length
- 8 days
- Best season
- Jun – Aug
- Pace
- easy
- Before: Stockholm
Getting here and onward
- Stockholm to OsloStockholm is about 416 km / 259 mi away in a straight line
Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.
Oslo month by month
Average daily highs run from -2°C / 29°F in January to 22°C / 71°F in July. August is the wettest month, with about 122 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.
- Jan-2° / 29°F average high
- Feb-1° / 30°F average high
- Mar3° / 38°F average high
- Apr10° / 50°F average high
- May16° / 60°F average high
- Jun20° / 68°F average high, in our recommended season
- Jul22° / 71°F average high, in our recommended season
- Aug20° / 69°F average high, in our recommended season
- Sep16° / 61°F average high
- Oct9° / 48°F average high
- Nov3° / 38°F average high
- Dec-1° / 30°F average high
Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Oslo weather and the best time to visit →
Near Oslo
3 other destinations from our guides within about 350 km (217 mi), measured in a straight line.
Oslo questions, answered
How many days do you need in Oslo?
Our route notes suggest 2 days in Oslo. On our Scandinavian Capitals route it is stop 3 of 3 in a 8-day trip. The listed visit times for our 10 places add up to roughly 13 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.
What is Oslo best known for?
Spend two days: waterfront architecture and Munch, Bygdøy museums, Vigeland and a ride up to Holmenkollen. Standouts on our list: Oslo Opera House (Marble roof you can walk straight up for views over the Oslofjord); MUNCH (Waterfront museum with the largest collection of Edvard Munch's work); Akershus Fortress (Medieval fortress and castle on the harbor with free grounds).
When is the best time to visit Oslo?
Our Scandinavian Capitals route is best Jun – Aug. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in July (22°C / 71°F), the coolest in January (-2°C / 29°F) and the most rain in August (about 122 mm).
What are the best things to do in Oslo?
Start with Oslo Opera House, MUNCH, Akershus Fortress, Fram Museum and Norwegian Museum of Cultural History. Our guide lists 10 places in all, from 5 sights, 1 activity, 1 outdoor spot, 2 places to eat and 1 bar or café.
Where should a group eat in Oslo?
Our picks: Mathallen Oslo (Vulkan); Lofoten Fiskerestaurant (Aker Brygge). Reserve a window table in summer (Lofoten Fiskerestaurant).
What is near Oslo?
The closest destinations in our guides are Flåm (about 226 km / 140 mi), Bergen (about 305 km / 190 mi) and Geiranger (about 309 km / 192 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.
Plan Oslo with your crew
Open the Scandinavian Capitals route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 10 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.