Looking for input for Oslo and General Norway sights to see

[crazydog]

Hello,

I will be in Oslo for almost 2 full days. I am looking for suggestions for things to do in that time.

 

I thought the 1st day which is a little more than a half day, my group could explore Oslo. Is it pretty easy and compact enough to walk around?

 

On the 2nd day which is a full day, we would like to enjoy nature and were thinking of touring a fjord, doing the Norway in a Nutshell tour, or if possible, taking a day trip to Bergen.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Thanks!

[kaisatsu]

Hello,

I thought the 1st day which is a little more than a half day, my group could explore Oslo. Is it pretty easy and compact enough to walk around?

Downtown is easy to walk around, but a lot of the most popular museums are out on the Bygdøy Peninsula, which isn't really walkable. Also, you can walk from downtown to Vigelands Park, but it takes 30-40 minutes. So I would suggest at least buying public transportation passes to get around. A 24-hour pass costs 70 NOK for adults (½ price for children/seniors) and can be purchased at convenience stores around town. If you plan to visit a few of the museums with admission fees, it might be worthwhile buying the Oslo Pass at a tourist information office, which includes museum admission as well as public transit.

 

On the 2nd day which is a full day, we would like to enjoy nature and were thinking of touring a fjord, doing the Norway in a Nutshell tour, or if possible, taking a day trip to Bergen.

A daytrip to Bergen is really only possible by air, or by overnight train each direction. There is a one-day Norway in a Nutshell trip that makes a roundtrip from Oslo to Flåm and Sognefjord. It departs around 6:30 am and gets back to Oslo around 10:30 pm. That might be your best bet if you really want to get a glimpse of the western fjords.

 

Around Oslo, you could opt to do a cruise on the Oslofjord (which isn't anywhere near as dramatic as the western fjords), but you'll get a great view of that scenery on your sail-out on Vision of the Seas. For nature, you can take the T-bane line 3 to its terminus at Sognsvann, which is a lake on the outskirts of town that's popular for its walking paths. There are also some nice walking paths up around the Holmenkollen ski jump, and the area has great views over the city and the Oslofjord. Here is a map with the walking paths in both areas marked.

 

Another option to enjoy the natural scenery in good weather is to take a local ferry (covered by the transit pass) from Vippetangen out to one of the islands in the fjord like Hovedøya for a picnic. At any supermarket, you can buy a one-time-use "Engangsgrill" along with some sausages and lompe (flatbread) and set up an impromptu barbecue. The islands have some great coastal scenery, looking back over the city, and they're considered kind of mini-escape for the residents of the city. Similarly, the southern and western coasts of the Bygdøy Peninsula are lined with bike/walking paths and small beaches and can be a pretty place to explore.

[QTBird]

I've been in Oslo 2 weeks. We just came back this morning from Norway in a Nutshell. Awesome experience. A must do if you have time. You can do it in a 24hour period. We chose to spend 2 nights in Bergen the "city of painted houses" and then take the overnight train back to Oslo. Rick Steves says that if you go to Norway and don't see the fjords, you need your passport revoked. I would agree. We had very cold weather and misty, but still worth it.

Things I'd recommend in Oslo: Frogner Park to see the Vigeland Statues - incredible- unless you have an aversion to nudity, and then you might be uncomfortable. National Gallery, great original works - Munch's Scream is an example. You must see the Viking Ship Museum and the Kon-Tiki Museum. We've seen the Viking Ships in Copenhagen that are amazing, but these are incredible. The Karl Johanns Gate (pedestrian street) runs from the Palace to the Central Train Station - a very wonderful place to people watch. The Oslo Opera House is built out on the water and is a wonderfully constructed modern building. Right where the cruise ships dock on the pier is the Akershus Castle and Fortress. I loved touring the castle- the audio tour is very informative. The Norwegian Resistance Museum there on the grounds is very gripping. If you have extra time and would like to stretch your legs, take the Sognsvann T-Bann (metro subway) out to Sognsvann Lake for delightful walk on the trails around the lake. When I was here in March, the lake was frozen solid and the Norwegians were all out on their cross country skis. Now everyone is out walking, running, and biking. Oslo is a very active city.

We are here through July - my husband has been here since February on Sabbitical.

Enjoy your visit.

[crazydog]

Kaisatsu,

Thank you again! And escpecially for the suggestions and map.

 

QTBird,

Thank you for your suggestions also. I've been on the fence with the Norway in a Nutshell but I think you've convinced me. On the 1-day Osl to Voss alternative, do you still get to see Songefjord?

 

Question for you both: Do you think that we can get a good overview of Oslo the first half day, ie, see the highlights so that we can do the Norway in a Nutshell the 2nd day. We would of course choose the Norway in a Nutshell tour that leaves Oslo then goes through Voss which gets us back in Oslo at 10:30 PM.

[kaisatsu]

Question for you both: Do you think that we can get a good overview of Oslo the first half day, ie, see the highlights so that we can do the Norway in a Nutshell the 2nd day. We would of course choose the Norway in a Nutshell tour that leaves Oslo then goes through Voss which gets us back in Oslo at 10:30 PM.

It depends on how much of Oslo you really want to see. You can't do much in half a day, but if you don't really want to see much, then that's not a problem. Personally, I think half a day is rushing it a little, but that's just me. My full-day itinerary would be to start with Vigelands Park early in the morning, then head to Bygdøy and explore the Folk Museum until lunch. Walk over to the Viking Ship Huset and have a picnic lunch if the weather is nice and then visit the ships. Catch the bus down to the Kon-Tiki and Fram museums and ride the ferry back to the city center. Walk over to the National Gallery and see The Scream. That's too much for a half day, though.

 

I really like the open air Folk Museum, which houses a lot of buildings that have been from various areas around the country. There are some historic Oslo city buildings as well as a lot of farmsteads from various rural areas to the west and north, and there are a few reenactors demonstrating traditional crafts, cooking, etc. along with displays about Norwegian culture and history. There's also a restored wooden stave church, which is one of the icons of Norway. Of the visitors we've had, they all really enjoyed the place, but it never seems to get much promotion here on the boards. I'm not really sure why. Maybe because so many Baltic cruises also visit Stockholm, and their open-air museum is much bigger?

 

If you really only want to do a half day in Oslo, I would try to do Vigelands Park (early in the morning or late at night, depending on which half of the day you have, since it's open 24 hours), the Folk Museum, and the Viking Ships. I'm personally not a huge fan of the Viking Ships, but they are one of the things Oslo is best known for, and it doesn't take more than 20-30 minutes to look around, so they're good if you're on a tight schedule. Of course, if you have specific interests (seafaring, Arctic exploration, art, medieval history, literature, the Nobel Peace Prize, etc) then there are probably better ways to customize, but that's my general blanket suggestion.

 

When are you arriving? You could always try to squeeze a little more in on the morning of the ship's sailing. Last time we sailed Vision, the cabins weren't open until around 13:00. If the weather is too chilly to enjoy the pool (it certainly was yesterday), there isn't a huge reason to board the ship early.

[crazydog]

It depends on how much of Oslo you really want to see. You can't do much in half a day, but if you don't really want to see much, then that's not a problem. Personally, I think half a day is rushing it a little, but that's just me. My full-day itinerary would be to start with Vigelands Park early in the morning, then head to Bygdøy and explore the Folk Museum until lunch. Walk over to the Viking Ship Huset and have a picnic lunch if the weather is nice and then visit the ships. Catch the bus down to the Kon-Tiki and Fram museums and ride the ferry back to the city center. Walk over to the National Gallery and see The Scream. That's too much for a half day, though.

 

I really like the open air Folk Museum, which houses a lot of buildings that have been from various areas around the country. There are some historic Oslo city buildings as well as a lot of farmsteads from various rural areas to the west and north, and there are a few reenactors demonstrating traditional crafts, cooking, etc. along with displays about Norwegian culture and history. There's also a restored wooden stave church, which is one of the icons of Norway. Of the visitors we've had, they all really enjoyed the place, but it never seems to get much promotion here on the boards. I'm not really sure why. Maybe because so many Baltic cruises also visit Stockholm, and their open-air museum is much bigger?

 

If you really only want to do a half day in Oslo, I would try to do Vigelands Park (early in the morning or late at night, depending on which half of the day you have, since it's open 24 hours), the Folk Museum, and the Viking Ships. I'm personally not a huge fan of the Viking Ships, but they are one of the things Oslo is best known for, and it doesn't take more than 20-30 minutes to look around, so they're good if you're on a tight schedule. Of course, if you have specific interests (seafaring, Arctic exploration, art, medieval history, literature, the Nobel Peace Prize, etc) then there are probably better ways to customize, but that's my general blanket suggestion.

 

When are you arriving? You could always try to squeeze a little more in on the morning of the ship's sailing. Last time we sailed Vision, the cabins weren't open until around 13:00. If the weather is too chilly to enjoy the pool (it certainly was yesterday), there isn't a huge reason to board the ship early.

 

Thanks for the recommendations again. Based on this I think we can make our decision. I had really meant to ask you about whether we would be able to see the Sognefjord on the 1-day NIN tour that goes through Voss. Would you know? We arrive the afternoon of 3 June. Thanks again Kaisatsu! You have been providing great info for our upcoming Baltic cruise!

[kaisatsu]

Thanks for the recommendations again. Based on this I think we can make our decision. I had really meant to ask you about whether we would be able to see the Sognefjord on the 1-day NIN tour that goes through Voss. Would you know? We arrive the afternoon of 3 June. Thanks again Kaisatsu! You have been providing great info for our upcoming Baltic cruise!

 

Yes, the roundtrip NIN will visit Sognefjord for the ferry portion from Flåm to Gudvangen, including the UNESCO-listed Nærøyfjord arm. Gorgeous scenery! :)

[lambs2]

It is now March 2011 and I am wondering how your 1 day Norway in a Nutshell tour worked out for you, crazydog. We will be spending 2 nights in Oslo after our Baltic Cruise this May and were hoping to do the one day tour on our second Oslo day, also. Would love to hear some feedback from your adventures (I do see that you are on a cruise RIGHT NOW, but hope you come back here upon your return!!

 

Marguerite

[annie99]

We are on the Emerald Princess in June this year. Just wondering if the hop-on-hop-off bus is a better option that the transit day pass in Oslo?

Does anyone know where the HOHO bus stops? Is it near the pier?

[alexandra cruiser]

up by googling,,,says stops close to pier,,and price seems fair,,sorry forgot exact one,,,love them because its hassle free,,,and I m terrible at maps and routes,etc....plan to take HOHO,,stop off at sites,,I want to see,,then go back to ship for rest,,,then take ferry to island museums...in port for 8 hrs....have used them in many cities and love the convenience.:)