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Strawberry – a different hotel company
Scandic Hotels – in all major cities from north to south
Thon Hotels – with fantastic breakfast
Radisson Blu Hotels – discover your favourite destinations
Classic Norway Hotels – From distinctive hotels to authentic fisherman's cabins
Citybox – modern and affordable hotels in a central location
DanCenter – your specialist in holiday homes in Norway
Norgesbooking – book your perfect cabin stay in Norway
Campcation – book camping all across Norway with Campcation
Campanyon - discover unique stays in nature
Brim Explorer – silent fjord tours by electric catamaran
Stromma – Norwegian city sightseeing with bus and boat
Widerøe – the largest regional airline in Scandinavia
NOR-WAY Bussekspress – experience amazing scenery by bus
Vy express – travel with bus throughout Norway
AutoEurope – always a smooth car rental experience
Rent-A-Wreck – the smart car rental alternative
Arctic Campers – Norway’s camper van rental
Cabin Campers – your cottage on four wheels
SJ NORD – the adventure starts on the train
Vy – travelling by train has never been easier
Hurtigruten – "The World’s Most Beautiful Sea Voyage"
Fjord Tours – Home of Norway in a nutshell® - Norway’s most popular tour
Authentic Scandinavia – Travel created by locals
Up Norway – Bespoke luxury tailored by insiders
Discover Norway – skiing, biking and hiking tours in Norway
Norrøna Hvitserk – expeditions and adventure holidays
Booknordics.com – hundreds of activities, tours and day cruises in Norway
Fjord Travel – let us show you the beauty of Norway!
Go Fjords – tours and activities all over Norway
50 Degrees North – unforgettable tailor-made and small group tours to Norway
Norwegian Holidays – low-price package holidays with Norwegian. Flight, hotel and rental car
My Nordic Travel – Do It Yourself, make your own itinerary
Ski holidays in Rauland – Go skiing in beautiful mountain nature
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Are you planning a Christmas holiday in Norway? Great choice! Here is everything you need to know for an unforgettable adventure.
The central parts of the country are always more snowsure than the coast, but Oslo and the surrounding eastern and central part of Norway often have snow at Christmas. The same applies to Northern Norway.
The southern regions and Fjord Norway are more of a gamble – you’ll probably have to head inland to have a good shot at snow.
If you’d like a thorough overview of snow at specific locations, visit the weather site Yr.no. For snow reports that focus more on skiing, Fnugg has got you covered.
How best to enjoy the snow? Go skiing, of course! But there are plenty of other winter activities on offer, too.
Just pick a direction. Norway is so full of wonderful Christmas markets that you could probably survive most of December on a diet of nothing but gingerbread cookies and mulled wine.
If you’re having trouble choosing, you’d be well advised to look at our guide to the best Christmas markets in Norway.
At the fairs, you’ll find a selection of anything from handcrafted products and culinary delicacies to woodwork, gingerbread towns, Ferris wheels, puppet shows, and pastries. Be aware that most fairs close up shop before Christmas Eve, so make sure to plan your visit accordingly.
Don’t worry – Norway is pretty generous when it comes to breathless last-minute Christmas shopping. According to the law, shops can be open on the last three Sundays before Christmas Eve between 2 PM and 8 PM. On Christmas Eve, shops must close no later than 4 PM, and remain closed on the first and second day of Christmas.
This gives you a good opportunity to shop for a present. Many grocery store, shops, and shopping centres open on Sundays in December.
On Christmas Eve, it’s important to remember that many shops close earlier than 4 PM.
Whether you are longing for a quiet holiday in the mountains or some Christmas spirit in the cities, you are sure to find the perfect destination. Check out the magical options! below:
Even though Norway does slow down quite a bit during the holidays, the nights are not completely silent. Whether you’re in the mood for a Christmas party or a Christmas mass, you can find a large selection of activities by browsing our event calendar.
If you’d rather relax and see a film, many cinemas remain open for most of the holidays, with the exception of Christmas Eve. And no, the films are not dubbed – unless it’s an animated film, in which case you might want to avoid Norwegian language screenings, marked norsk tale.
Christmas, in general, is a bit of sponge holiday that has soaked up bits and pieces from various cultures and traditions. Throughout history, it has been a celebration of anything from the god Saturn to the winter solstice.
The Christian version of the holiday was introduced gradually in Norway around the year 1,000. The Norse sacrificial feast jólablót (jól = jul, the Norwegian name for Christmas) coincided with the birthdate of Jesus on the 25th of December, a date that had already been moved from sometime earlier in the year to better match Roman holidays.
Our current Christmas tradition, as it is celebrated today with customs like Santa Claus and dancing around the Christmas tree, was first introduced in the 1800s.
Although Christmas is a time of rest and relaxation for a lot of chefs and waitstaff, there are still plenty of places that will welcome diners, especially in the cities.
As for ordering traditional Norwegian Christmas food, you can’t go wrong with “ribbe” (pork ribs) or “pinnekjøtt” which is cured lamb steamed over sticks (pinner). There are plenty of other culinary traditions, too, as seen in this classic Christmas food test, courtesy of the US embassy here in Norway:
26-27 November
Christmas market in Fredrikstad's main square
4 November - 18 December (weekends only)
Pre-Christmas adventure in Henningsvær
17 November - 31 December
The Christmas Town Tromsø
29 October - 23 December
Christmas market at Hadeland Glassverk, Jevnaker
25 November - 22 December
Christmas market in Bergen
12 November - 1 January 2023
Winter Wonderland in Spikersuppa, Oslo
26-27 November
Christmas at Granavollen, Hadeland
26 November - 12 December
Christmas market "Jul i Viken", Lillestrøm and Norges Varemesse
26 November - 22 December
Christmas market in Kristiansand
26 November - 23 December
Christmas in Bærums Verk
1-18 December
Christmas market in Trondheim
1-4 December
Christmas market in Røros
4 December
Christmas market at the Stenberg Museum, Toten
2-3 December and 9-10 December
Christmas market in Lillehammer
1-11 December
Christmas market in Egersund
3-4 December and 10-11 December
Norsk Folkemuseum's annual Christmas fair, Oslo
3-18 December (weekends only)
Christmas in the old town, Fredrikstad
10-17 December
Julegada Christmas fair, Vennesla
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Discover more Norwegian holiday traditions and treats.
Stay a bit longer and celebrate New Year's Eve in Norway as well!
See our selection of companies that work hard to make you happy all through your trip.
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