24 Hours In Oslo, Norway: What To See & Do

This post will share details on how to spend 24 hours in Oslo.

For my 22nd country, I headed down to Oslo, the capital of Norway.

So far, I’ve been to two Scandinavian countries, Copenhagen, Denmark, and Malmo, Sweden.

I’ll probably go to Stockholm if I can get a cheap return day trip flight.

I’m also looking forward to taking a trip from Helsinki, Finland, to Riga, Estonia, and to Reykjavik, Iceland.

This trip to Oslo was one of those that wasn’t planned well.

I was disappointed in myself because I’d planned a few day trips, which always went well regardless of how many hours I could spend in the city.

Once again, this reiterates how important flight times are for day trips.

Besides the flight times I chose, which gave me limited time to explore the city, it was a decent trip overall.

Similar to my trip to Prague, while I felt slightly uncomfortable wandering around the streets of Oslo as a Black woman, I’ve learnt to avoid this by always taking public transportation.

This could be preferably a tour bus, tram or even a bus.

As long as I’m moving from point A to B, there are fewer chances of being stared at.

Now. let’s get into the details of this trip.

Here’s How To Spend 24 Hours In Oslo

Similar to the other Scandinavian countries, Oslo is always blithering cold.

I did not enjoy my trip to Copenhagen, so I swore never to return to any Scandinavian country during the cold months.

So when I saw a chance to visit in May, and the temperature was in the 20s, I grabbed it and ran with it.

Oslo is the capital city of Norway and the hub for maritime trade in Europe.

Some of the world’s largest shipping companies and brokers are in the city.

Like his sister countries, the city is also known for having a great quality of life, which I don’t doubt; you could feel it in the air as you stepped out of the plane.

Flights

Cost: £178.52

I flew with Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) at 9:20 a.m. and then flew out with Norwegian Airlines on a 19:20 flight.

The flight costs could have been cheaper, but I stalled in buying the tickets and bought them later for a higher price; I was being unnecessarily indecisive, which eventually cost me.

Both airlines operate from Oslo-Gardermoen airport, the main airport twenty minutes from the city centre.

The alternative was to take a cheap Ryanair flight to and from Oslo Trop, which took 1hr 45 mins to get to the city centre.

This was what I was considering when buying those flight tickets.

There was no way I would spend almost two hours commuting to and fro.

I could have flown back home through Oslo Torp to keep the cost down, but I’m glad I didn’t.

You must choose your Oslo airport accordingly, depending on the length of your trip.

Again, despite spending limited time in Oslo, I’ll consider flying on these two airlines for the first time as part of the experience.

Airport Transfer

Cost: £36 – return

Getting to the city centre from the Oslo-Gardermoen airport was super easy.

You need to follow the directions to the Oslo Lufthavn train station attached to the airport.

There are two main ways to get to the Oslo Central Station, where you stop to continue your journey if it is not along the train route:

• The Flytoget AirPort Express: This was fast and convenient, with trains running every 15 minutes, but it cost a whopping NOK 480/£36/€42. I did not realise how expensive it was until I got home and my bank converted the currency. It is not worth it, especially when there is a cheaper alternative.
• The Norwegian Railways: This runs every 30 minutes, and the journey is roughly the same as the Flytoget AirPort Express. A one-way ticket costs around NOK 124/£9/€10, which is much cheaper and affordable.

When travelling, always consider all public transportation options before making a choice.

Oslo Public Transport

Similar to any other modern society, public transportation is seamless.

However, as a tourist on a day trip, I did not need to use any form of transportation because the Airport Express train took me directly to the metro station closest to my intended water activity.

Instead of stopping at the Oslo Central Station, I stopped at the next stop and walked for the rest of the journey.

The same applied on my way back.

I tried not to venture too far from the National Theatre station and returned to the airport on the same Airport Express train with the same return ticket.

If you need to move around, here are all the details on Oslo Public transport.

Essential Experiences In Oslo

There were two major activities I planned to do on this trip:

• A cruise along the Oslofjord and
• A sightseeing bus tour.

Unfortunately, I could only do one, which I still feel bad about.

I want to see as much as possible, so I might return to Oslo soon.

Lately, I’ve been exploring more water activities, so when I looked up what experiences to do in Oslo, I was estatic to see that I could take a scenic cruise along the Oslofjord.

The Oslofjord is the scenic waterway of Oslo, which is 100km long.

Compared to other cruises I’ve been on, including Lake Como, Lake Lugano and the Danube River in Budapest, I found the Oslofjord slightly underwhelming.

Nevertheless, riding on a Viking ship was a great experience, which made up for the lack of charm.

If you’re spending 24 hours in Oslo, the two must-do activities I would recommend are:

• Oslo Fjord Sightseeing Cruise by Sailing Ship
• Oslo 24 or 48-Hour Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus.

This way, you can cover both grounds on water and land.

Must-See Attractions In Oslo

While you can see a few attractions along the Oslofjord, you most likely won’t be able to see all of them on water.

Here are some you need to see:

• Norwegian National Theatre: An 18th-century building which is Norway’s largest performance venue.
• Royal Palace, Oslo: This is the official residence of the Norwegian monarch, constructed in the 18th century.
• Karl Johans Gate: This is a major street in Oslo lined with a few landmarks, including the Oslo Astrological clock
• Frogner Park: This is Oslo’s largest public park. It also houses the Vigeland Sculpture Park, which has over 200 sculptures.
• Akershus Fortress: Originally built as a 12th-century medieval fortress, it has been used as a military base and prison but is now the temporary office of the prime minister.
• Oslo Opera House: The spectacular building, completed in 2017, is home to the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet and the National Opera House.

This is probably a lot to cover in 24 hours, so you should hop on a sightseeing bus to see all the sights.

In Conclusion,

As I mentioned, this is one of those trips where I wish I had more time.

If you only have 24 hours in Oslo, don’t miss it. There’s so much history and culture to learn about.