1 Day in Oslo: The Perfect 24-Hour Itinerary
Are you planning on spending 1 day in Oslo? If you’re after the perfect Norwegian city break, here’s exactly how to spend 24 hours in Oslo, Norway.
Oslo was the first place I ever visited in Norway before I got seriously addicted to the country. Yet, many people skip Oslo entirely and head straight to the Norwegian fjords.
Now, don’t get me wrong, Norway is gorgeous, and I love the fjords and the mountainous regions. However, there’s something about the city that I just love. Oslo is the perfect gateway to Norway. You’ve got the city’s charm, paired with the fjords, and countryside surroundings.
So, if you’re spending a day in Oslo, here’s exactly how to spend your time.
My Favourite Travel Resources For Oslo
✅ Here’s the hotel we stayed at during our time there
✅ Don’t miss this Oslofjord boat cruise
✅ Don’t forget your travel insurance.
9:00 – Wander Through Gamle Oslo
Start your time in Oslo by exploring the old town. I love Norwegian Old Towns as they always seem like they’re plucked out of a storybook. Despite being a capital city, Oslo is no different.
This place also really reminded me of the old town of Stavanger, another of Norway’s most beautiful cuties.
You’ll find a collection of colourful buildings, wooden walls, cobbled streets, and street art along with a selection of cute cafes and restaurants. It’s a great place to go for a wander and soak in the culture of Oslo.
Be sure to visit Oslo Cathedral, and I also recommend grabbing a coffee at Papegøye.
10:00 – Admire the Oslo Opera House
Next, head to the waterfront to see one of the most famous buildings in the city. The Oslo Opera House is nothing short of stunning.
It’s a huge structure with a striking white frame and reflective glass walls and is made primarily of marble and granite. The design is meant to resemble an iceberg emerging from the water and I think this captures it perfectly.
It’s a fairly new building, having only opened in 2008, and it’s the home of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet.
You can walk on the roof and enjoy the panoramic views of the city and the Oslofjord or venture inside, where you’ll find a beautiful auditorium known for its excellent acoustics.
10:45 – Visit Akershus Fortress
After you’ve explored the Opera House, head along the waterfront for about 15 minutes and you’ll reach the Akershus Fortress. This is one of the best historical buildings in Oslo and a great example of the country’s mediaeval heritage.
It was originally constructed in the 13th century and has undergone numerous renovations over the years. You can climb the tower, explore the network of bastions, and learn all about the history of the military base inside the museum.
Plus, you can once again see stunning views over Oslo and the fjord from the top.
13:00 – Visit a Museum
If there’s one thing Oslo is famous for, it’s museums. The city, like many other fantastic cities in Europe, has some great museums. However, if you only have one day in Oslo, unfortunately, you’re not going to have time to see them all.
All of these museums are located in the same part of Oslo, the Bygdøy Peninsula.
The easiest way to get there from the Akershus Fortress is to take the bus from Wessels Plass to Vikingskipene. This will take around 27 minutes and it stops outside the Viking Ship Museum.
I recommend picking one of these museums and exploring it. These are a few of my favourites below:
Viking Ship Museum
We absolutely loved this place in Oslo. It’s a remarkable museum showing some of the best-preserved Viking artefacts in all of the country (and the world).
Easily the best thing to see here is the iconic Viking ships. The Oseberg, Gokstad, and Tune ships were discovered in burial mounds where they had been used as tombs! They all date back to the 9th century.
You can get up close to these ships and see how they were crafted. The museum shows a lot about Viking culture and their seafaring ways and you can also see a range of artefacts including tools, clothing, and everyday items from the Viking era.
Kon-Tiki Museum
We also had a fantastic time at this museum and, once again, the ships are the highlight! The Kon-Tiki Museum is dedicated to the famous explorer Thor Heyerdahl and focuses mainly on his expedition across the Pacific Ocean in 1947.
The museum tells the story of his voyage and you can see the original Kon-Tiki raft. This is a wooden raft and Heyerdahl and his crew sailed all the way from Peru to the Polynesian islands in it, a feat which I think is completely bonkers!
Nonetheless, he was trying to prove that anyone can make long sea voyages and certainly succeeded! The museum also talks about many of his other expeditions and you can find a combination of artefacts, replicas of scenery, and short films.
Fram Museum
Where the Kon-Tiki Museum is dedicated to the exploration of Heyerdahl, the Fram Museum is dedicated to the history of polar exploration. It once again focuses on a ship, the Fram, which set off on several record-breaking expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
Built in 1892, the Fram was designed to withstand extreme polar conditions. It’s possibly one of the strongest wooden ships ever constructed.
Within the museum, you can learn about the ship’s remarkable journeys including an attempt to reach the North Pole and the first successful trip to the South Pole in 1911.
Out of all the museums I’ve mentioned, this is the only one where you can actually walk through the ship itself, and it’s well worth a visit.
The Norwegian Museum of Culture
If ships and seafaring aren’t your thing, you can also take a trip to the Norwegian Museum of Culture. This is one of Europe’s largest open-air museums and if you’ve ever wanted to feel like you’re walking through 13th-century Norway, this is the place to visit.
The museum features over 160 buildings including traditional farmhouses, an impressive stave church, and historic houses that represent different eras in Norway.
You can wander the cobbled streets, and explore a range of artefacts from traditional clothing to Sami culture. It’s a great way to learn about Norway’s rich traditions, customs, and history.
15:30 – Wander Around Vigeland Park
After you’ve visited a museum, head to a slightly greener part of Oslo, Vigeland Sculpture Park. This is a unique thing to do in Oslo and a very interesting place to explore. It’s a combination of a park and an open-air museum and is also the world’s largest sculpture park.
Featuring the works of Gustav Vigeland the park, also known as Frogner Park, spans over 80 acres and contains more than 200 sculptures. These sculptures are crafted from bronze, granite, or wrought iron and all depict some form of human experience.
Some of the sculptures were weird as well. There’s a huge totem pole made up of squished-together human bodies which symbolises the circle of life.
There’s also a sculpture of a little boy stamping his foot which has become one of the city’s most recognisable symbols. Many people believe that touching this sculpture will bring good luck.
Well worth a visit, the park is open all year round and is completely free to visit.
Once again, the easiest way to get here if you only have 1 day in Oslo is to take the bus. If you hop back on the same bus you used to reach the museums, you can get off at Olav Kyrres Plass. From there, it’s about an 18-minute walk to the park.
16:30 – Visit the Royal Palace of Oslo
Once you’ve explored the path, take the bus back into the city centre and visit the Royal Palace of Oslo. This is the official residence of the Norwegian Monarch and a part of Norway’s history.
The building is impressive with striking columns, statues, and a huge garden. Outside the palace, you can even watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony that’s held daily in front of the palace.
During the summer months, the palace is open to the public, however, you may not have time to explore the inside if you’re following this itinerary. However, if you have 2 days in Oslo or longer, I definitely recommend this.
17:00 – See Oslo City Hall
Just a short 10-minute walk from the Royal Palace of Oslo, you’ll find the City Hall.
Also known as Rådhus, this iconic landmark is the political hub of the country. It’s a deep russet-coloured building with twin red brick towers and a large central courtyard.
Inside, you’ll find elaborate murals and artworks showing scenes from Norwegian history, culture, and everyday life. It doesn’t take long to see this place, but it’s definitely worth a quick visit if you’re in the capital.
17:30 – Relax in the Floating Sauna
Last but not least, find your day in Oslo by heading back towards the waterfront to visit the famous floating sauna. Sauna is such an important part of Norwegian culture and this is definitely worth adding to any Oslo itinerary.
There are several floating saunas in Oslo. KOK Oslo Sauna and Sauna Freya are some of the best saunas in the city. It’s the perfect wellness experience, combining a traditional Nordic sauna culture with the scenic beauty of the natural landscapes along the waterfront.
These saunas are situated on floating platforms and the views are magnificent. But one of the most unique parts of the experience is that you can go for a refreshing dip in the freezing cold fjord afterwards.
The combination of hot sauna and cold fjord water is meant to be really good for the body. Plus, it’s a Norwegian tradition, so you’ve got to try it during 1 day in Oslo, right?
✅ This is an unforgettable way to finish your one day in Oslo
How to get around Oslo?
Oslo is a fairly walkable city, however, certain attractions (like the museums) are located a little further from the city centre than you may want to walk.
Several of these stops would take over 40 minutes to reach on foot, whereas you can almost half that time with public transport. This is why I suggest using a combination of walking and public transport for this itinerary.
Luckily, the public transport in Oslo is really easy to use. There are buses, trams, subways, and even ferries that you can use to get around the city and the outskirts.
The public transport is managed primarily by Ruter, which coordinates schedules and ticketing. You can purchase a ticket either via the ticket machines that are available at most stations or the Ruter app, which allows you to easily manage tickets on your phone.
A single journey within Zone 1 will cost you 42 NOK, which is around £3 and is valid for 60 minutes. You can alternately purchase a day ticket for 127 NOK which is around £9. Check out the public transport prices here.
Is 1 day in Oslo enough?
The short answer to this is no, 1 day in Oslo isn’t really enough. Ideally, you’ll want at least two days in Oslo to see all of the city’s top sights and visit more than one museum.
Ideally, I recommend spending 3 days in the city as this will also allow you to visit attractions slightly further out like the ski jump and go on a fjord cruise.
However, if you are short on time or just want to see the highlights of the capital, then you can see a lot of Oslo in a day. It’s a great way to get a better understanding of the cultural history of Norway and a really beautiful city.
No matter how long you spend in Oslo, I hope this itinerary has given you plenty of inspiration for your trip to Norway!
👉 Debating spending more time in Norway‘s capital? Check out my 48-hour itinerary for Oslo here!
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