Oslo, the capital of Norway is the perfect weekend city break. In this Oslo travel guide you’ll find everything you need to know to plan your trip to Oslo, including where to stay in Oslo, best Oslo food spots and Oslo must-do activities. I visited Oslo on vacation with my husband in September 2024 and fell in love with the city. There is so much to do in Norway’s most populated city; it has beautiful city parks, immense culture and museums, a quirky street food scene and once you explore outside the city of Oslo you’ll find the most breathtaking hikes and countryside views.

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Table of Contents
How to get to Oslo
There are two airports to fly into Oslo. The main one being Oslo airport which is close to the city. We flew into Torp Sandefjord airport which might have cheaper airline rates. This airport is a little further from the city of Oslo however there’s a regular coach which you can take to Oslo city. The journey time is about 1.5 hours. The journey to Oslo from Stockholm is relatively easy with a direct 5-6 hour train.
Where to stay in Oslo
We stayed in the Scandic Solli hotel in Frogner, Oslo and this was a great base for exploring the cultural city of Oslo. The Norwegian style breakfast buffet at this Oslo hotel is huge and includes traditional Norwegian food like Norwegian waffles and brunost (brown cheese) along with typical breakfast favourites. Our room at the Scandic Solli was spacious, bright and had a nice view of the nearby park. You can watch a room tour of the Scandic Solli hotel in my Oslo Travel Vlog on YouTube. I also had my eye on the stunning Sommerro art deco hotel just around the corner from the Scandic Solli but it was booked out on our visit. There are lots of other beautiful hotels in Oslo if you fancy staying in a different district.


Things to do in Oslo
I was blown away by the activities and experiences in Oslo. We visited Oslo in September so the weather was beautiful but most of these activities are available all year-round.
- Sunset boat cruise with dinner in Oslo fjord – The sunset boat cruise with dinner in Oslo fjord was a highlight for my Oslo trip. We enjoyed a three course Norwegian dinner with local ingredients and impeccable views of Oslo fjords.


- Oslo floating saunas with cold plunge in Oslo fjord – You will see the famous Oslo floating saunas as you explore the city. I booked with Kok floating saunas in their Langkaia location with a view of Oslo opera house.

- See the famous The Scream artwork at Munch museum
- Shopping in the markets around Oslo
- Visit the Vigeland sculpture park in Oslo

- See the magical light display at Ekebergparken – We stumbled upon this display by an accident, Ekebergparken is accessible by tram from the city of Oslo. It’s so beautiful and I could have spent all day here.

- Walk on the roof of Oslo Opera house for sunset, another free activity in Oslo is walking on the roof of the Oslo opera house. You can’t beat the Oslo city views here.

- Visit the Holmenkollen ski museum and tower
- Akershus fortress – it’s free to explore the grounds
- Visit the Norwegian folk museum
- Oslo island hopping tour

A lot of these Oslo activities are actually free making Oslo surprisingly budget friendly if you couple this with the street food options below. If booking a tour I always like to book through Get Your Guide.
Getting around Oslo
I recommend using the Ruter one-day travel pass for easy transport around Oslo city. I downloaded the app which hosts your travel tickets.
Hiking near Oslo
Nordmarka just outside Oslo has some beautiful hiking experiences. I loved wandering through the Norwegian forests and seeing the incredible views of Oslo fjords. I even climbed an inactive volcano! Lots of Oslo locals offer guided hiking tours if you’d prefer some help. I use AllTrails to plan my hikes as it’s super easy to find suitable trails and track them. These are the top hikes I recommend near Oslo city which are accessible by public transport.
This is a beautiful circular walk around the lake Sognsvann located a short metro ride outside Oslo city. The hike is 3.5km on mostly flat ground. I recommend early morning on a crisp day but it the weather is nice you can also swim in the lake.

This 7m hike takes you from Vetakollen to Frognerseteren where you can have a lovely lunch in the Frognerseteren mountain restaurant.

This 8km hike is more challenging than the others with a hike up an inactive volcano.

Where to eat in Oslo
Try some fantastic traditional Norwegian restaurants in Oslo.
- Lorry restaurant – this quirky restaurant is more like an art gallery with all the unique artwork and sculptures on display and is a must-visit on your Oslo vacation. Don’t miss the reindeer burgers!


- Frogenrseteren – This mountain top restaurant is located at the top of Holmenkollen and perfect for a post-hike lunch. Don’t miss the huge apple pie and panoramic views of Oslo fjords.


- Fiskeriet – this seafood restaurant is located in a fish market. I tried the traditional fiskegrateng dish which is amazing but you can’t go wrong with fish and chips.


- Lofotstua AS – this low-key Northern Norwegian style restaurant also specialises in seafood and you really can’t get more authentic than Lofotstua.


Don’t miss the fantastic Norwegian street food and bakeries in Oslo. You can even do an Oslo street food tour where you can here about the history of Oslo’s famous food scene.
- Syverkiosken – this is the only remaining Oslo hotdog stand and well worth a visit.


- Harald’s Vaffel – you have to try the Norwegian waffles with brunost, sour cream and raspberry jam.

- Fabro Gard bakery – a cinnamon bun in Oslo is a must and where better than a locals favourite bakery.


I share lots of Oslo food and travel videos on my social media channels if you want to check out @BoopFoodie. This includes individual Oslo restaurant and activity recommendations with more travel details for your vacation in Oslo.
Watch my Oslo Travel Vlog

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