Oslo, the beautiful and expensive Oslo, the capital who has the most stunning contrast between city and nature. Yes, you landed on the right Oslo travel blog for your next trip ! Here’s a 3 days itinerary with loads of Oslo travel advice, Oslo Norway pictures and co.
Oslo travel cost
Oslo is known for being one of the most expensive European cities to visit, but I listed some Oslo travel budget tips in this Oslo trip planner below so you’ll know what to expect and where you want to save money.
The Oslo Norway currency is the NOK (Norwegian Kroner), 11 NOK is 1€. Oslo Norway Restaurants’ average meal is around 20-25€ and a beer, 8€.
How to get to Oslo Norway ?
To find Oslo Norway cheap flights, I would advise checking Skyscanner. If you’re already on the continent, night coaches are definitely worth checking ! We only paid 10€ for a Malmo Sweden to Oslo Norway bus. If you’re reading a travel blog, I guess you’ve already tried night buses? It’s generally the cheapest way to travel around. Furthermore, it allows you not only to save on Oslo Norway flights but also on the many expensive Oslo Norway hotels. But on a Norway road trip, you can’t do it every two days unless you’re a good sleeper (not my case).
Oslo Travel Card
The most expensive transport I’ve ever encountered during my travels definitely are Oslo public transports. Indeed, the 3 days Oslo travel pass is 78€ for all Oslo travel zones, while the 2 days Oslo travel card pass is 47€ for students, which is a budget on its own too. If you really don’t want to pay the travel pass, you can skip on the public transports and do an Oslo Walking Tour.
Oslo Travel Tips
Good to know : the Oslo travel pass gives you free entries to lots of museums, and even some discounts in restaurants ! Don’t forget to ask for the discount otherwise you won’t get it.
Oslo short trip for first timers
Oslo trip : first day visit
This first day in the Oslo Itinerary is entirely walkable friendly. Close your eyes, imagine the capital city of the incredible nordic country that Norway is… What comes to your mind first ? The Oslo Opera House for sure ! To set the tone, I would recommend checking out the impressive Oslo Opera, aka Opernhaus Oslo. The building’s architecture is insane, and so is the view from the roof, especially when it’s sunny.
From there, you can head to the port, called Cruise Søndre Akerhus. We took the stairs to the Akerhus Fortress and climbed until being at the very top, where there’s a great castle and the most stunning view.
Oslo trip : sunset at the top of the Akerhus Fortress 
Oslo trip : sunset at the top of the Akerhus Fortress
Here’s an Oslo Travel tip : As the sun sets at around 4:30pm during winter time, we first had in mind to do the excursions during the day and keep the museums for the night. The thing we didn’t know is that most museums and attractions actually close at sunset or even before. Check their opening hours in advance. About Oslo Norway weather, the temperatures rise to 25° in summer to -5° in winter.
You can visit the Oslo National Museum, open until 6pm and near the city center. Between all the stunning paintings, you will run into the not so known “The Scream” by Munch.
The first restaurant I would recommend for dinner is not far from the museum and it’s called Peppes Pizza. You can share a huge size pizza for 2,3 and even 4 people for a decent price.
Oslo trip : second day visit
On this second day, you can go on a picnic and visit a little island in front of Oslo, called Hovedøya. With your Oslo pass, the ferry at Akker Brygge will take you around the Oslo fjord and the Nakholmen islands. Even though it’s not the kind of fjord we all have in mind with cinematic views, it’s still very impressive ! So there’s no need to take an extra sightseeing tour when the Oslo Pass « offers » you something similar.
After this, you can take the bus 12 towards Viegelandsparken, known for its eccentric Sculptures, made by Gustav Vigeland. We also did a quick stop of the Hartvig Nissens Skole, which happens to be the high school where the known tv show SKAM takes place.
Oslo Trip : Viegelandsparken Sculpture Park 
Oslo trip : the Hartvig Nissens Skole in SKAM
To finish your second day properly, I recommend visiting the Grünerløkka neighborhood, near the city center. It is a kind of alternative place with restaurants, thrift shops and art galleries. It led us to a little park with a river, and then to a very cool area at Ingens Gate, which is THE alternative place of Oslo with loads of street art, original buildings and decorations.
Oslo trip : Grünerløkka and Ingens gate 
Oslo trip : Ingens gate 
SKAM Oslo : SYNG karaoke SKAM bar
My pictures don’t give justice to the real colors because it was getting dark, but it’s definitely a place to check out ! On top of that, there’s also the “SYNG” bar, which happens to be the karaoke bar in SKAM.
Oslo trip : third day of visit
In the morning, you can visit the Viking Ship Museum. It’s quite far from the city center and you’ll need to take the bus 30. It’s an exposition of old vikings ships, some objects they made and their journey in the North Sea as well as all over the « North world ».
You could then stay in this area to visit other museums ; we personally chose to go back to the city center to eat at Peppes Pizza one last time as it only exists in Norway.
The highlight of our three days in Oslo comes after this : Sognsvann, a stunning lake surrounded by a forest named Marka. You cannot leave Oslo without going there. It’s only twenty minutes away from the city center of the capital, with the westbound subway number 5. It is absolutely insane when you think about it because it’ll make you feel in total harmony with nature. Lots of locals come here to run, enjoy a barbecue, a nice walk of 40 minutes around the lake, or even a swim in the lake during the summer.
Last but not least, you can go shopping to find souvenirs and gifts for your loved ones, or even chill a bit at a coffee to write down all the amazing experiences you just had in your Oslo travel diary. As said in the gold book of our airbnb :
Oslo trip to fjords
When you travel to Oslo Norway for a bit longer, you cannot miss what Norway is most known for : its mind blowing fjords. Hiking or kayaking in such cinematic sceneries must be an extraordinary experience. The 4 big fjords zones are in the West so you will need to rent a car. Among the most known, there are Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland and Rogaland.
Oslo Norway northern lights
A trip to Oslo Norway always comes with the hopes of seeing the northern lights. The more you’re heading north or in the countryside, the closer you’ll get to seeing them. The peak season is winter, between November and March. There are a lot of seekers of this natural wonder and it’s totally understandable : a once in a lifetime experience.
You now know everything you need for your upcoming trip to Oslo ! If you have any other recommendations of things to add to this Oslo travel guide, let me know. For more articles about Scandinavia, you can read this Copenhagen travel guide and the things to do in Malmo Sweden in one day.
