Oslo

A metropolitan city with forests and fjord

Between the Oslofjord and the forests lies Norway’s capital and largest city, with its vibrant social scene and special combination of nature experiences and city life.

Oslo is one of Europe’s fastest-growing cities, with a population approaching 700,000 and new neighbourhoods with eye-catching architecture are popping up. The largest city in Norway is quickly transforming into a cosmopolitan hub with an abundance of world-class museums, restaurants and art, but still maintains the relaxed atmosphere of a much smaller town.

The city is nestled between the Oslofjord and hundreds of square miles of forested hills, and is a green city in more ways than one. The compact city centre is easily explored on foot or by bike, and an efficient public transport system makes the whole city accessible without a car.

Norway’s capital since 1814, Oslo is home to the Norwegian government and the Royal Family.

The country’s largest cultural institutions, which include the Norwegian Opera & Ballet, the National Theatre and the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, present first-rate art exhibitions and opera, ballet and theatre performances.

Live music is a big part of the city’s identity, and every year Oslo’s clubs and arenas host thousands of concerts that showcase the talents of everyone from local bands to international superstars. Several large pop and rock festivals are held every summer, and there are annual festivals for genres ranging from chamber music to heavy metal.

visitoslo.com

Vigelandsparken

Terje Borud / Visitnorway.com / Vigeland-museet / BONO

Tjuvholmen

Torgny Gustafsson / VISITOSLO

Mathallen

CH - visitnorway.com

Holmenkollen

Terje Bakke Pettersen/ VisitOSLO / Normanns Kunstforlag

Things to do

Oslo is home to more than 50 museums, and top attractions include the Opera House, Holmenkollen Ski Jump, Vigeland Sculpture Park and the Munch Museum. The city’s evolution over the last 1,000 years is on display along the waterfront, where historical sites like Medieval Park and Akershus Fortress are neighboured by the contemporary architectural marvels of Tjuvholmen and Bjørvika.

Top 23: the locals' Oslo

Oslo Opera House: Please walk on the roof

Find top attractions and more things to do in Oslo.

From Munch to music

Things to do around Oslo

Round trips in the Oslo region

Tourist interviews

“Norway is a break from the noise”

Belgian small school teachers Delfien Cocquyt and Fien Sinove from Gent are best friends. The devote travellers finance frequent exotic vacations with weekend babysitting.
“Norway feels clean and delicate”

To a lot of people Scandinavia is somewhere on the opposite side of the earth. This year exchange student Liu Ai Yin from Taipei in Taiwan is reading economics at The University of Helsinki in Finland. She had the idea to bring over some of her Taiwanese family members for a fun holiday in Norway.
“In Norway even the King is down to earth”

Best friends Mora and González have been to the Olympic city of Lillehammer for work. During their four day visit, they also seized the opportunity to discover Norwegian nature and the nearby capital, Oslo.

Getting here and around

Oslo is the main nexus in Norway for both domestic and international travel, and has connections to most other Norwegian towns and cities.

By plane:

Oslo Airport at Gardermoen is Norway’s main airport, and serves over 100 domestic and international destinations.
From Oslo Airport you can reach Oslo's city centre by express train, express bus, local train, hire car or taxi.
The airport express train takes around 20 minutes. The local train takes a few minutes longer, but is the cheaper option.
Many European cities have direct connections to Sandefjord Airport Torp and Moss Airport Rygge, both of which can be reached from Oslo by express bus or train.

By road:

Oslo is the national hub for the road network, which makes it easy to reach by road from all corners of Norway.

By train:

From Oslo you can travel by train north towards Trondheim, west towards Bergen, southwest towards Kristiansand, south towards Gothenburg or east towards Stockholm.
The train journey between Bergen and Oslo is widely considered one of the most beautiful in the world, and takes 7-8 hours.

By boat:

Ferries arrive daily in Oslo from Kiel in Germany and Copenhagen and Frederikshavn in Denmark.

Local travel:

The metro, buses, trams and ferries in the Oslo area share a common ticket system, which makes it easy to get around.
To get around in Oslo’s compact city centre, bicycling or walking is usually the most convenient solution.

Where to stay

Home may be where you hang your hat, but if not, we'll do our best to help you find a place where you can sleep well and rest up.

Hotels & more in Oslo

Oslo offers accommodation in every price category, including hotels, youth and family hostels, guest houses, camp sites and private accommodation.

Food and drink

While there are many high-quality eateries in Norway, nowhere are they as concentrated as in Oslo. The city is packed with lovely restaurants and bars, and foodies will enjoy Mathallen food hall’s selection of Norwegian ingredients and specialities. All of Norway’s Michelin-starred restaurants are found in Oslo.