Oslo Travel Guide - 2 Nights, 1 Day - Norway Tour

Our exploration of Norway continued. You could say Oslo enchanted us from the train station onwards! It has a charm quite unlike any other city. We arrived at the station around 10 pm and almost everything was closed, but somehow, with no people around, we noticed the details of each place even more. If you're curious about the Flåm trip, our Flåm Railway post is here!

We'll go into the station in detail later, but we walk past French cafés, bistros and an elegant, impressive row of restaurants. The East Station Hall is known as Østbanehallen. It is more luxurious and refined than any other train station in Europe. Finding so many kinds of restaurant right in the centre of the city makes it popular too. The fully glazed roof makes it much more than a train station, which is usually just a waiting room. I guess we're in Norway! The most expensive country in Europe, right?

At the station exit towards the city centre we're greeted by a big white Ferris wheel! Wow! Walking fast, we can't wait for tomorrow. On the way to our Couchsurfing host's home in Bislett, one of the first things that catches my eye is three chicken bottoms on the square opposite the big cathedral! Oslo is already a lot of fun…

How Many Days for Oslo?

When we arrived in Oslo we were met by the hottest weather in 70 years. So long walks during the day were quite tiring. Still, we comfortably passed 20 kilometres. You can't explore without walking, can you? :) Almost everything is within walking distance.

We spent 2 nights and 1 day in Oslo. We got up early on our one day and made the most of it until 11 pm, thanks to the late sunset. Two days might be a bit much and one day might be too little. You can mix something in between depending on your plans.

When to Go to Oslo?

Don't go by us: we planned our Oslo trip for June, to combine it with the Eid holiday. But the best time for Oslo and the north is late May and early June. The city that sees -30s in winter gave us such lovely weather! It's not supposed to happen, but the temperature almost hit 30 while we were there.

When we were travelling around Adana and Mersin, we had also caught the first snow there in 13 years :) We're lucky like that! We didn't see Norway in its typical season, but we were quite pleased to bring it the warmest weather it had seen since 1941!

If you go in winter, you can ski, snowboard or go sledging. You can rent the gear you need at Oslo Winter Park in the city, and there are places to take lessons if it's your first time. Then it's skiing at the northernmost edge of the Alps! The whole country turns into one big ski resort in winter, so there are plenty of options.

And summer? Nearly 19 hours of daylight a day and lots to do. It's also the best time to enjoy the fjords! You can choose swimming pools or beaches close to the city, follow the trails in the climbing park or fly down a zipline. You can even jump from 230 metres! The TusenFryd amusement park, boat tours, or, like on our route, exploring the city centre on foot or by bike.

Where to Stay in Oslo?

A quick calculation: 100 NOK was, in June 2018, 58₺. Even at the hostels we looked at, a night cost around 1000 NOK. For us, accommodation should be the smallest expense of a holiday, and for the sake of this trip we sadly have no hotel to recommend in Norway :( So where were we going to spend the night?

You could arrive on an early train and leave late, but we couldn't see the whole city even in 1.5 days. Then Couchsurfing came to the rescue, and we met Erling, one of the most interesting people we will ever meet! Looking at his profile we had seen "There will be more people", but even we couldn't believe how many. :)

OK, we're new to this Couchsurfing thing, but people kept appearing from everywhere. We weren't expecting 5 more guests besides our host :) And in a tiny studio flat! Anıl and I look at each other and laugh. Deep down I'm very happy: how else could life have brought us together with such different, fun people! Let's see what we had to learn here. Leaving our comfort zone for one night wouldn't hurt, and we would take so much away from it. After all these experiences, we decided to open our own home to Couchsurfing guests too.

Getting Around Oslo

Ugh, this was very expensive too! Metro tickets... Luckily we came with our Interrail pass, and you can walk everywhere in the city. If you decide on cycling before you set off, Viking Biking is the city's bike rental option.

Because of our time limit we couldn't take the Bygdøy ferry either, but we highly recommend it. We would have loved to explore the museum area by ferry. The museum entry fees put us off, and our tight schedule told us to just enjoy the city this time!

The Flytoget Airport Express, with trains every 10 minutes between the airport and the city centre, is the best way to get into town from the airport. You can board at the central train station, in front of the Royal Palace and at Skøyen station.

Finally, one more alternative: running! For running fans we recommend the Oslo Running Tours group and their routes. How about exploring a city on the run?

What Comes to Mind When You Think of Norway

• For us, the first thing that comes to mind with Norway has to be the fjords! Open a map right now and look how jagged and indented the country is. You'll be amazed!
• Some love it and some don't, but salmon makes everyone think of Norway!
• A winter favourite that brings people to Norway from the other side of the world: the Northern Lights - Aurora Borealis
• Not just Norway but an important part of all of Scandinavia: the Vikings!
• The part we liked most, and what now comes to mind when we think of Norway: peace & civility!
• And finally, saying the high cost of living wouldn't be far off. By the way, the minimum hourly wage is 198 NOK, and with at least 26 hours of work a week, the monthly minimum wage comes to 20,000 NOK, which is about 10.000₺.

Places to Visit in Oslo

You could write and wander about Oslo's sights forever. We've covered as much as we managed to see.

Oslo Central Station

The most beautiful train station we have seen so far; we both agree. Interrail gives you such a great habit: before we even leave the station we get an overall impression of the city. You get glimpses of its size, what people like and don't like, its prices and its people.

And this place enchanted us right at the entrance! Walking through one lovely café after another, we reached the Oslo tourist information office. The cafés are beautifully designed, boutique and stylish. As I said above, it's much more than a train station!

Oslo Tourist Information - Visitor Center

The tourist office is the best we've seen, too: not just maps and a tiny shop. From the entrance there are illustrated, infographic boards. You can find everything: what's where in the city, which events to go to, things to do and places to see. You can also drop in for surprise events and free daily tours.

The iPads on the tables show the Oslo city map and beautifully categorised routes. Don't miss them; you're sure to like at least one.

Karl Johans Gate

The city's main street, which we walked all the way along from the station, is always colourful, busy, bright and touristy. Cafés, shops, street performers and the sound of water in the fountain! Of course, as in every city centre, you can spend a pleasant time in this area full of greenery. The street continues all the way to the Royal Palace and its gardens. Along the way we pass the Cathedral, the Parliament Building, the Old University Building and the National Theatre in turn.

Akershus Fortress

Akershus Fortress is a great place to discover the city's history and enjoy a summer's day. A look at its history:

Construction of Akershus Fortress began in 1299. Completed in the 1300s, this magnificent medieval fortress had a strategic location. In the 16th and 17th centuries it was turned into a Renaissance castle.

The fortress grounds are used for important events such as concerts, national holiday celebrations and ceremonies.

Oslo Cathedral - Cathedral

Right in the middle of Karl Johans Gate, this grand cathedral is a notch bigger than the ones we're used to seeing in northern European countries. Almost all of its visitors are tourists. For us, its location made it both a landmark and very central :)

Oslo Parliament Building - Parliament

A parliament building in the middle of the city! The Storting is the official building used by Norway's representatives since 1866. Guided tours are offered in both English and Norwegian, though the dates change from time to time. Entry is free. You can also take a break to cool off in the park right next to it.

Old University Building - UiO Sentrum

The lovely university building in the centre reminded us of ITU's Maçka campus! How nice it is to have universities in the heart of the city. On the day we went there was going to be a jazz concert in its garden at 7 pm. We recommend following the Oslo City Guide events. You never know what will pop up :)

National Theatre Building - National Theater

Along this street you pass almost every element at the heart of a city. Now we're in front of the National Theatre; ever since Helsinki, every city centre has had its National Theatre. What can we say, we'd like one too :)

Norwegian Museum of History and the National Gallery

As we said, a little of everything; it's a real stroke of luck to see almost all the tourist attractions in one place. For those who are interested, here they are...

The Royal Palace

Red, white and blue! A magnificent entrance decorated in the lovely colours of the Norwegian flag. Even if it's crowded, you should make time for this huge park, whose entrance alone is impressive. The Royal Palace is open to the public in summer and offers guided tours for visitors. Tours last about an hour.

Oslo City Hall - Rådhuset

This grand building, which greets every hour with a different chosen melody, opened as Oslo City Hall in 1950. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded here on 10 December.

Perhaps because it depicts figures from Norwegian history, culture and working life, it's also a favourite stop on sightseeing tours. Open every day from 9:00 to 16:00.

Oslo Opera House - The Norwegian National Opera & Ballet

The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet is Norway's largest centre for music and performing arts. It has 3 large halls for opera, ballet and concerts. Its best feature is the roof, which you can walk all the way up to the top. The architecture is very simple but just as exciting.

Following the recommendations, we end the day here. You must try it: this is the place to watch the sunset.

To visit the building, you can drop by 10:00–19:00 on weekdays, 11:00–18:00 on Saturdays and 12:00–18:00 on Sundays.

Oslo SALT

The wooden structures on the opposite shore, winking at the Opera House, are by the modern architect Sami Rintala. Design aside, with its restaurant, bar and sauna it's one of the most talked-about places in the city! It's full of art too, constantly hosting different exhibitions and musicians.

You heard right: we sat facing the view and cooled off a bit, but you can spend time in the sauna and stay warm all year round :)

We had a very enjoyable, packed one night and two days in Oslo. Of course, there's more. For more, give Oslo's excellent city guide some time. We loved their top 10 categories, but you can also create your own list there to suit your mood.