17 Best Things to Do in Oslo

Are you wondering about what things to do in Oslo? Oslo is one of the most admired cities and the capital of ‘The Land of The Midnight Sun,’ Norway, located on the country’s southern coast at the head of Oslofjord. 

This famous city is also known as ‘The Tiger City’ or ‘Tigerstaden’ by its locals; the name was given by the author Bjornstjerne Bjornson in around 1870 because the city was super cold and dangerous.

Norway’s economic and governmental centre, Oslo, is a hub of Norwegian trade, banking, industry, and shipping. Oslo is also an important centre of maritime trade and maritime sectors in Europe. It is also home to the world’s largest shipping companies, brokers, and marine insurance brokers.

1. What makes Oslo Unique?

Norway’s capital, Oslo, is a wonderful and unique place to visit. This beautiful place is located by the lovely picturesque Oslofjord, with an extensive list of things to do in Oslo and an extensive shoreline surrounded by charming hills of woodland and forests. Because of the city’s shape, the forest area is easily accessible from every part of the city.

1.2. Why is Oslo a Popular Tourist Destination?

Norway’s second-largest city and one of the best cities in the world, Oslo, is rich in its cultural background and has several fun things to do with famous theatres, extraordinary museums, and galleries.

This place is more of a Scandinavian capital, combining past, present, and future, such as Copenhagen and Stockholm. It also gives a very romantic feel, making it one of the best places for couples. Besides being a beautiful and exciting city, it offers a perfect setting for exploring and relaxing.

Oslo has numerous tourist destinations and a lot of fun and engaging things to do in Oslo. It offers much, from the alluring Viking Ship Museum, Oslo Opera House, Norwegian Maritime Museum, Royal Palace, and the beautiful Kon Tiki Museum to Oslo’s main shopping street, Fram Museum, and city hall.

So, if you are planning a trip to Oslo, the magical city of Norway, and are confused about what to do, don’t worry because here is a list of more than 15 fascinating things to do in Oslo.

2. Fascinating Things to Do in Oslo

2.1. Witness the Past at the Alluring Viking Ship Museum

Located on the Bygdøy peninsula in Oslo, Norway, this alluring Viking ship museum is a must-visit if you are interested in Viking history. The views of Oslofjord from here are unbeatable on a clear summer day.

This famous Viking ship museum is a part of the Museum of the Cultural History of the University of Oslo. The main jaw-dropping excavated from the world’s most significant known ship burial. The three main jaw-dropping attractions are the one and only Oseberg ship, the Gokstad ship, and the Tune ship.

The other attractions are the Viking age sledges, beds, a horse cart, wooden carvings, tent components, buckets, and other grave goods.

To witness the past at the Viking alluring ship museum, go to Oslo’s station or the bus terminal on number 30 or take the boat from Pier 3 along the city hall. It is one of the best things to do in Oslo if you are a Viking history lover.

2.2. Experience the Rich Opera at the Oslo Opera House

The opera house in Oslo is located in the Bjørvika neighbourhood of central Oslo. It is home to the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet and the national opera theatre in Norway. The Oslo Opera House is a significant modern building in Scandinavian architecture.

The exterior of the building is surrounded by marble stone from Carrara, Italy, and white granite. The whole structure was made to appear from the water like a glacier.

The opera house in Oslo consists of 1,100 rooms, the critical auditorium, accommodating up to 1,364 people, and the other two performance spaces, which can seat 200-400 people.

The Opera House Oslo is one of the top attractions, is at the centre of Oslo’s rapidly developing waterfront, and is one of the must-do things to do in Oslo. One of the primary purposes of the opera house in Oslo is to be the national producer of opera, ballet, music and dance, theatre, and concerts.

This famous Opera house has approximately 300 shows and 2,50,000 visitors every year. The opera house has received two awards: the World Architecture Festival Culture Award 2008 and the Mies Van der Rohe Award 2009.

2.3. Explore the Norwegian Maritime Museum

To go back in time and experience the lives of seafaring Norwegians over the past thousand years, you must visit this Museum. It is another thing to do in Oslo if you love museums.

Located at Bygdoynesveien on the Bygdoy peninsula, the west side of Oslo, this Norwegian maritime Museum reveals the coast culture and maritime history by displaying several subjects such as shipbuilding, boat models, fishing, marine archaeology, and shipping. The Museum is the biggest of its kind in the world.

The Norwegian Museum is located near five other national museums: the famous Viking Ship Museum, the great Fram Museum, The Norwegian Museum, and the beautiful Kon tiki Museum. You will get to witness marine archaeology in this Museum. The Museum also showcases a collection of 40-plus maritime paintings by talented artists.

There are several exhibits for the children, such as the Queen of Congo exhibit, where the children can board the ship, play with instruments, and have some playtime in the gallery. Other exhibitions include fishing, shipbuilding, and marine archaeology.

The place is excellent for adults and perfect for visiting with your little ones. It is the best thing to do in Oslo for children and adults.

2.4. Take a Quick Tour of the Royal Palace

The magnificent Royal Palace located at the end of Karl Johans Gate in central Oslo served as the residence of the Norwegian of the French King Charles III John in the first half of the 19th century. The Royal palace is now the primary residence of the present Norwegian monarch.

The building is made in the Neo-classical style. The palace construction started in 1825 and was completed by 1849. The court contains 173 rooms.

The Royal Palace should be on your “What to see list” of Oslo. You will never regret witnessing the royal life; it is also the best thing to do in Oslo.

2.5. Observe the Munch Museum

The Munch Museum contains a lot of artistic works from the great artist Edward Munch and other artists. It includes a great collection of paintings, graphic Art, drawings, watercolours, and sculptures and is also combined with exhibitions of contemporary Norwegian Art.

It is one of the top Oslo tourist destinations. There are around 1,200 famous Munch paintings, two of them are The Scream and Madonna. You can do the guided tours in English daily and look closely at the paintings. The other attractions of the Munch Museum include “The Sick Child” and “Puberty.”

2.6. Go Inside the National Museum

The National Museum, also known as The National Museum of Art, Architecture, and Design, is a Norwegian state-owned museum. It is another incredible thing to do in Oslo.

The National Museum collects, displays, and preserves the county’s Art, architecture, and design collections. It has up to 4,00,000 works.

The National Museum features a lot of different exhibitions, and they have a lot of attractions. You can visit the National Museum and give your eyes a good treat of Art by seeing the works at The National Gallery, Graphics and Drawing collections, Museum of Contemporary Arts, National Museum-Arts, Art Industry Museum, and National exhibitions.

Make sure you visit all these venues because one of the best things to do in Oslo is if you are a fan of the Arts.

2.7. Go on an Adventure in the beautiful Kon Tiki Museum

Located on the Bygdoy peninsula, Oslo, the Kon Tiki Museum is a museum that contains the vessels and maps from the Kon Tiki expenditure. The Museum also includes a library with about 8,000 books in it.

The Museum was built to keep a raft, the Kon tiki used during Norwegian adventure. The raft is housed in the Museum, and beneath the rath is a model of the whale shark the crew encountered during their voyage. In this Kon tiki museum, you will see the two vessels and a duplicate of the female tiger.

At noon every day, an award-winning chronicle like Oscar is shown about this Kon tiki expenditure. Besides that, you will see the artefacts, pictures, and descriptions from the Kon tiki expenditures.

2.8. Visit The Ski Museum

Located at the base of the Holmenkollen ski jump in the Museum, the Holmenkollen ski museum is the world’s oldest ski museum, founded in 1923. The private collections of the antique and historic skis of the architect Hjalmar Welhaven formed the foundation of the Holmenkollen Ski Museum as he put them on display in the Museum.

The best part of the Holmenkollen Ski Museum is that entry is free in the Museum with the Oslo Pass. The Oslo Pass is a pass or a card given to tourists that provides you free access to 30 museums and other attractions, free public transportation, a free outdoor swimming pool, walking tours, and other discounts on Oslo sightseeing.

You can go to the Museum and experience this fantastic past here. You can also go to the highest part of the Holmenkollen Ski jump and look at the beautiful view of Oslo and its fjord. Hence, it is such a cool thing to do in Oslo.

2.9. Have a look at the Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology

Towards the north of Oslo, you can find this beautiful Museum of Science and Technology, which you can reach by bus, train, or tram in a few minutes.

The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology is an educational institution showcasing the progress made in Science, technology, industry, and medicine. It consists of collections, exhibitions, and publications.

In this breathtaking science museum, you will witness the exhibitions on Norwegian industrial history, music machines, electricity, oil, gas, calculation machines, computers, and the science centre.

There are many amazing things to do in Oslo, and visiting the Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology is one of them.

2.10. See through the City Hall of Oslo

The capital of Norway and a municipal building, the city hall of Oslo, which stands tall today, was developed between 1931 and 1950. The city hall of Oslo is located in the city’s centre, in the Northern part of the Pipervika neighbourhood, and the building faces Oslofjord.

The building is built with red bricks, and it contains two towers. A lot of ceremonies and functions take place in the building. The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is one of the yearly ceremonies in December.

The city hall of Oslo also holds the “Structure of the Century Award.” This jaw-dropping site should be on your “things to do in Oslo” list because it is one of the best things to do in Oslo.

2.11. Shop at the Oslo City Centre

If you are a shopping freak, the Oslo City Centre should be on your list. It is the largest shopping centre in Oslo. Oslo’s city centre is visited by 50,000 people every day and 16 million people a year. It has 26,0000 square metres of commercial place with 93 stores on five floors. The city centre generated gross revenue of 1,444 billion Norwegian kroner in 2005.

2.12. Explore The Oslo Cathedral

The Oslo Cathedral, formally known as Our Savior’s Church, is the central Church for the Church of Norway Diocese of Oslo and the parish church for downtown Oslo. The Norwegian Royal Family and the Norwegian Government use the Church for public events.

The Church is a perfect place to disconnect yourself for a while and feel at peace. The Oslo Cathedral is beautifully made, with stained windows and an impressive painting ceiling. Don’t forget to look up at the top and this beautiful painting. Try it and visit Oslo Cathedral; you will never regret it.

2.13. Look into the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art

Another fantastic thing to do in Oslo is to look into the privately owned contemporary art gallery in Oslo, which was founded and opened to the public in 1993.

The Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art focuses mainly on the American appropriation artist Sill, developing international contemporary art scenes from artists like Jeff Koons, Richard Prince, Tom Sachs, and many more.

The Museum holds 6 to 7 contemporary art exhibitions every year, which you can go and visit. Look around at all the beautiful modern Art from different great artists.

2.14. Spend Time in The Fram Museum

Located on the peninsula of Bygdoy in Oslo, the Great Fram Museum tells the story of Norwegian polar exploration. It is near other museums, such as the Viking, Kon Tiki, and Norwegian Maritime Museums.

The great Fram Museum glorifies Norwegian polar investigation and three explorers, Otto Sverdrup, Fridtjof Nansen, and Roald Amundsen. You will also get to witness the exhibition of pictures of the animals of polar regions, such as polar bears and penguins.

One of the main attractions here is the wooden ships that the explorers used mentioned above and an impressive collection of models and paintings. A visit here will not take much of your time. Instead, it will entertain you, and you will have a great time here.

2.15. Walkthrough the Famous Tjuvholmen Park of Sculpture

The Tjuvholmen Park of Sculpture, designed by Renzo Piano, is a park of sculpture in the Tjuvholmen neighbourhood, built in Oslo. This park consists of seven sculptures, which are the main areas of interest in the sculpture park and some of the best things to do in Oslo. The seven sculptures are:

• Stuff for a House on an Island by Peter Fischil and David Weiss.

• Eyes by Louise Bourgeois.

• Edge II by Antony Gormley.

• Untitled by Anish Kapoor.

• Unknown (Totem) by Ellsworth Kelly.

• Moonrise by Ugo Rondinone.

• Spalt by Franz West.

All the seven sculptures are worth the visit. If you are in Oslo, then you must visit the Oslo park.

2.16. Spend Quality Time in the Vigeland Sculpture Park

The Vigeland Park of Sculpture is the largest park by only one artist worldwide. The park consists of more than 200 sculptures made of bronze, granite, and cast iron. All these works are by the famous Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland. All his works represent the philosophy of human life and its emotions.

The park has free entry and is open 24 hours a day for all 365 days. The park is also responsible for the design and architectural outline, attracting more than one million annual visitors.

The Vigeland Sculpture Park is Norway’s top tourist destination, a must-visit and one of Oslo’s great things to do. After the sculpture park, you must visit the Vigeland Museum in the neoclassical building, which was built in the 1920s as the home of Gustav Vigeland after he donated his work to the city. 

2.17. Wander in Akershus Fortress

The Akershus Fortress, or the Akershus Castle, in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, is a medieval castle built to protect and provide royal residence to the city. The castle has been used as a prison, military base, and office of the Prime Minister of Norway.

The Akershus fortress is entirely free to visit. The Akershus fortress’s main gates are open from 6:00 am till 21:00 every day for 365 days. Although the Akershus Fortress is free to call, other museums, events, restaurants, and concerts charge fees, and their entrance times may vary.

It is a very appealing building, and one should visit it in Oslo as visiting Akershus Fortress is one of the great things to do in Oslo.

The Footnote

Oslo is a very significant city in Norway. It is like heaven for a person who loves to travel and enjoys museums and arts. With the help of the above guide, you can quickly visit the most fascinating things in Oslo.

Besides the places mentioned above, you can do other things, such as tasting Norwegian dishes. You can try the most famous words from the most famous restaurants. If you are a foodie, this part of the trip will have your heart.

You can also go to the national theatre and indulge in dramatic arts performances because there are numerous fascinating things to do in Oslo. You can also see the modern architecture, Skidmore Oslo, the Pacific Ocean, and the oldest brick building because it has hundreds of attractions.

While listing other things to do in Oslo, remember that Oslo is a great place for adventures and exciting things. Apart from all the things mentioned above, there are many other things to do in Oslo. You can book budget hotels to stay there. There are super stylish budget hotels that will make your trip to Oslo a beautiful memory.