Best things to do in Oslo
Find out more about those top places in Oslo
Oslo Travel Guide: Where Fjords Meet Funky Art and Edvard Munch Still Screams (Silently)
If you think Norway is just fjords, forests, and people named Olaf chopping wood in silence, let Oslo change your mind — preferably with a steaming cup of coffee and a side of surrealist art. As the capital city of Norway, Oslo is where urban cool meets nature's drama, and where every turn offers a unique mix of cutting-edge design, deep-rooted history, and quirky Nordic charm.
Top Attractions and Things to Do in Oslo
This Oslo travel guide wouldn’t be complete without a round-up of the best places to visit — whether you're a museum nerd, a selfie-taker, or someone just chasing the nearest cinnamon bun.
1. The Opera House: Climb It Like a Local
Forget walking into buildings like a normal tourist — in Oslo, you walk on them. The Oslo Opera House, with its glacier-inspired design, invites you to hike up its slanted roof for panoramic views of the Oslofjord. It's one of the most iconic sightseeing spots in the city, and a popular local hangout (because who needs chairs when you have architecture?).
2. Vigeland Sculpture Park: Art That Might Confuse You
This massive open-air gallery inside Frogner Park showcases the life’s work of Gustav Vigeland, who sculpted over 200 figures in every emotional state imaginable — from loving embrace to full-on existential crisis. It’s both one of the city’s top attractions and possibly the weirdest picnic location in Norway.
3. Munch Museum: Still Screaming After All These Years
No trip to Oslo is complete without saying hi to The Scream. The Munch Museum is dedicated to Edvard Munch, Oslo’s most dramatic export (sorry, Ibsen), and features a treasure trove of his brooding masterpieces. Art lovers, rejoice. Everyone else: still worth it for the Instagram potential.
4. Aker Brygge and Tjuvholmen: Oslo’s Waterfront Glow-Up
Aker Brygge is the waterfront district where Oslo’s old shipyards have been reborn as a buzzing promenade of restaurants, bars, and shops. Just next door, Tjuvholmen is where you’ll find the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art and some seriously cool architecture. It’s perfect for those looking for chic things to do with a side of sea breeze.
5. Holmenkollen Ski Jump: Defying Gravity Since 1892
One of Oslo’s most iconic landmarks, the Holmenkollen Ski Jump doubles as a museum, a viewing platform, and a solid reason to question the sanity of ski jumpers. It’s also one of the best spots for sightseeing over the city.
Hidden Gems: Oslo’s Cool Corners
For something a little less polished and a lot more local, head to Møllegata. Once gritty, now glorious, this area has reinvented itself with street art, indie boutiques, coffee shops so hip they won’t write your name on the cup, and a vibe that screams (quietly) “Scandi-cool.” It’s one of Oslo’s rising stars on the places to visit list — and still somewhat under the radar.
Nature Just Around the Corner
What makes Oslo truly unique is that even with its skyscrapers and museums, you’re never more than 15 minutes away from nature. Take a ferry to the Oslofjord islands, hike in Nordmarka Forest, or enjoy a sunset by the water with locals who seem immune to cold.
Final Thoughts
Oslo is that rare city where you can start your morning at a world-class museum, have lunch on a fjord, and finish the day hiking through a pine forest — all without ever leaving the metro zone. It’s stylish without trying too hard, historic without being dusty, and somehow manages to be cozy even when it’s snowing sideways.
So, whether you're plotting your next Nordic adventure or just curious about the north, Oslo is ready to surprise you — in the best, most Scandinavian way possible. Just don’t forget your scarf (and maybe a bank loan for that cup of coffee).
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Viking Ship Museum
If you ever thought that the stories about Vikings were just tales to keep kids from causing trouble, you might want to think twice. The Viking Museum in Oslo contains relics and artifacts and many other pieces of evidence of their existence. At the museum, you'll get see real Viking ships and have a tour around it. You'll also get to learn about the Vikings and how they navigated the Fjords. You'll also get to know many interesting truths about the ancient people.
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The Vigeland Park
Vigeland Park is not just famous because it is the biggest in Oslo, it is famous because it is possibly the largest sculpture park in the world. On about 80 acres of land, the park has about 200 different sculptures which were all sculpted by Vigeland Gustav with granite, bronze and wrought iron. Till today, tourists and even the local people like to take tours around the park.
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The Royal Palace
Norway is a country that is rich in history and many of its traditions now have roots and sources from ancient times. At the Royal Palace, you'll get a tour of the most important rooms in the palace where crucial decisions are made every time. You learn a lot about the vibrant history of the people and get to appreciate Norway more.
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Akershus Fortress
Do you think you've heard spooky stories about places? Come have a tour around the Akershus Fortress and it will blow your mind. The myths and legends that surround this fortress now include tales of hardened criminals and ghosts. At the fortress, you will also get to learn about Norway's most vibrant traditions and cultures.
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The Fram Museum
There is always a lot to see when you visit places like the Fram Museum. Of course, the Fram Museum has lots of unique artifacts that make it one of the top tourist attraction sites in Oslo. Tourists can get to see shows of the Northern Lights from the museum every 20 minutes and also get to see the famous texts in different languages that describe many interesting Fram adventures.
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Kon-Tiki Museum
Not many people would have dreamed of doing what Thor Heyerdahl did. He crossed the Pacific with nothing but Kon Tiki, a balsa wood raft. He looks performed this great feat twice again on Ra and Tigris, two other Reed boats. The Kon Tiki Museum in Oslo still contains these rafts that Thor Heyerdahl made history with and it. A tour around the museum will also expose you to interesting stories about his voyage while you feast your eyes on other artifacts from the voyage.
