Oslo
Discover Oslo
Oslo is Norway's capital and largest city, with 700,000 citizens in the city proper and about 1.5 million inhabitants in greater Oslo. It is in the East of the country in the Oslofjorden fjord, extending over an inlet of the Skagerrak strait. It is spaciously laid out and surrounded by green hills and mountains and includes 40 islands and 343 lakes. Oslo offers ski slopes for alpine skiing and ski trails for cross-country skiing in the winter. In the summer, the temperature in Oslo may make it comfortable to swim. There are several well-visited beach resorts. Oslo is one of the world's northernmost capitals and so gets only 6 hours of sunlight in the winter. In high summer, sunlight hours soar to 18, making its climate markedly different between seasons, with cold yet relatively dry winters. A relatively compact city squeezed into a thin strip of land along the shoreline, Oslo prides itself as one of the world's most sustainable cities. Central parts of the city are compact, but Oslo as a whole is relatively spacious. While it holds an array of historic monuments, Oslo is perhaps most famous for its modern architecture, including striking and daring projects launched at the turn of the millennium. Oslo's economy is powered by the maritime industry, high-tech and clean energy sectors. In 2010, Oslo was ranked as the world's most expensive city to live in by the Swiss wealth management company UBS AG, but has fallen to 27th place on Mercers ranking in 2022.
What to Experience in Oslo
Taste of Oslo...
There are a lot of both expensive and cheap places to eat in Oslo. The cheapest restaurants are Asian restaurants which, in many cases, serve good food at low prices. Check the menus on the door. Even though you should always use your eyes (and nose) in any food establishment, Norwegian Food and Health regulations are very strict and enforced effectively, so eating out in Oslo is safe. Street snacks are also available throughout the city, but they're usually more expensive than in comparable cities elsewhere. The locals use Vink from Aftenposten and the business daily DN for curated restaurant reviews – they're well worth a trial subscription that commonly is 1 NOK for the first month, provided you remember to cancel the subscription. Aker Brygge (tram 12, bus 21, 32, 33 or 54; stops Aker Brygge, Vika Atrium or Bryggetorget) is a waterfront located south of the city hall. During summer the area is very noisy and vibrant. There are outdoor restaurants and bars almost everywhere. Be sure to get some tasty seafood (or whatever else you like to eat) while you are there, or just enjoy your cold beer in the summer sea-breeze. This is the most expensive area in Oslo to dine or drink, so unless the weather is good, you can just as well stay indoors somewhere else. You are also close to most of the restaurants, bars, or nightclubs located within the city centre.
Location & Landscape
Oslo, with its approximately 453 km², is one of the largest capitals in the world by area, but most of it is forest, making Oslo a city in close contact with the nature surrounding it. If major suburbs outside city limits are included, metropolitan Oslo covers an area similar to Greater London but with only one tenth of London's population. The Oslo fjord extends northwards from the Skagerrak sea. Oslo has an impressive archipelago of islands, which in summer becomes the city's favoured playground. The Oslofjord has very little tide, about 50 cm only. Oslo is situated in an amphitheatre-like setting, with the city centre in the bottom close to the Oslo fjord, and residential areas stretching uphill from there in all directions. Central Oslo is relatively even and stretches from sea level to about 100 meters above sea level, but the settlement stretches to almost 500 meters above sea level.
Festivals & Events
Experience the vibrant festivals and cultural celebrations of Oslo.
Constitution Day, annually the 17th of May and therefore also known as syttende mai is a folk festival in Oslo. This is a day that is celebrated by the whole population and participation by foreigners is appreciated. Norwegians dress up in their finest clothes or various national dress costumes (bunad). Schoolchildren in Oslo have a parade that ends at the royal palace, where they wave, greeting the Royal Family on the balcony. Sellers of ice cream, kebabs, hot dogs and sausages have their best day. Adults without children continue the celebration. If you're looking for work check out the website of the governmental agency NAV or other sites like Manpower, Jobzone and the main classified ads company finn.no. Citizens from outside the EEA area need a residence permit in order to work in Norway. This should be applied for at the Norwegian mission in your country of residence. Oslo is one of the most expensive cities in the world.
Climate
Although well into the northern latitudes, Oslo's climate is fairly temperate thanks to warm air being wafted across the Atlantic from the Gulf Stream. Summer weather in Oslo is mild and pleasant, with average highs around 21 °C (70 °F) and lows of 12 °C (54 °F). The summer months do see frequent hot spells with daily highs around or above 26 °C (79 °F) with warmer nights around 15 °C (59 °F). There are plenty of long sunny days — at midsummer the sun rises at 04:00 and sets at 23:00. There is almost two hours twilight in summer so nights are hardly dark. There is moderate precipitation (about 800 mm), December to June is the driest period. December to February temperatures are on average just below freezing, while in November and March temperatures hover just above or below freezing. Temperatures are rarely below -10°C downtown and can occasionally drop to -20 °C.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsOslo is served by two airports: Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, Sandefjord Airport Torp. Oslo Airport is the largest of the two and is the main international gateway to Norway. Most internet flight booking sites will show flights to both airports when searching for Oslo Airport. Make sure to check the actual airport from the search results before booking. Sandefjord Torp is located far from the city centre, and ground transportation to Oslo takes more than one hour. You should be able to tell based on the IATA code: OSL for Gardermoen and TRF for Sandefjord. Oslo Airport, Gardermoen (OSL) is Norway's largest airport, in Gardermoen, 37 km north-northeast of Oslo. Direct flights are available to 107 airports, including 24 airports in Norway. The largest airlines in Norway, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) and Norwegian Air Shuttle, operate direct flights to many foreign destinations from Oslo Airport, and have large domestic networks....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
There is a comprehensive public transport system in Oslo, consisting of buses, trams, local trains, metro (T-bane) and boats. The public transport is planned and coordinated by Ruter. The five metro lines have numbers 1 through 5, the six tram lines have numbers 11 through 19, buses have labels from 20, while boats (ferries) are B1, B2 and so forth. Local trains operated by Vy are covered by Ruter ticket system. The local public transport of Oslo also covers the suburbs in Akershus, notably Bærum in the west, where the tram and metro cross the county line. Ruter Service Center (formerly known as Trafikanten) is the information centre for public transport in Oslo. It is found at Jernbanetorget, just outside Oslo Central Station, by the foot of the clock tower, as well as at Aker Brygge and at Oslo Airport (Gardermoen). They hand out free maps, give information and sell all kinds of tickets.
Where to Stay
There are several hotels, hostels in Oslo. Normally it is okay to find a room, but can be difficult when it is peak time during conferences, concerts, sports events etc. There are also a few youth hostels to stay at or you can consider staying with the locals via Airbnb. Affordable/budget accommodation is available outside the inner city center (Sentrum) but upscale hotels in the city centre can also be reasonably affordable during off-peak times of the year such as the summer. Campings are available at year round Bogstad Camping and at Ekeberg Camping. Most of Oslo is covered by 5G. Most of the hotels, cafes and pubs offer free Wi-Fi. Oslo is generally a safe city, but as in any metropolitan area, some caution is warranted. Violent crime is rare, but not unheard of. Avoid getting in to quarrels in taxi queues after closing hours of bars. Avoid groups of drunk young men. The police advise that the area along the Akerselva river from Grønland to Cuba is best avoided after dark.
Money & Budget
Oslo is one of the most expensive cities in the world. Still, there are possibilities for getting bargains in Oslo during the big sales. The prices on famous brands are not higher in Oslo than in London or Paris, often lower even if they are not on sale. The big sales are in January and August, sometimes in between. The Norwegian word for reduced price is "Salg" or "Tilbud". In a number of shops you can get a VAT refund cheque when leaving the country. Most of these shops carry a Tax Free logo displayed in the shop window or on their counter, but you are advised to ask the sales assistant whether tax free shopping applies to the shop in question, as not all shops carry the tax free logo.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Oslo is generally a safe city, but as in any metropolitan area, some caution is warranted. Violent crime is rare, but not unheard of. Avoid getting in to quarrels in taxi queues after closing hours of bars. Avoid groups of drunk young men. The police advise that the area along the Akerselva river from Grønland to Cuba is best avoided after dark. It is known for instances of rape, muggings and drug dealing. Though Oslo isn't as dangerous as many places around the world, there are a few working-class areas that many locals would advise people not to visit at night, some of which are: Stovner, Holmlia, and Grønland/Tøyen. The chances of your getting mugged or robbed in these areas aren't extremely high, but it's not worth taking the risk. Women should remain vigilant at night and when clubs and pubs are closing. Avoid walking alone through parks and poorly lit areas of the city. Do not, under any circumstances, use “pirate taxis” or other unofficial transportation.
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Oslo
cityscape by water during golden hour
body of water near city buildings during daytime
people gathering outside building
Oslo Opera | Oslo
The goal was to show activity on an around the beautiful opera house in Oslo, and to show how beautiful the Opera is in itself.
city buildings under white clouds and blue sky during daytime
Business quarter in Oslo.
people walking on park during daytime
white bridge over river near city buildings during daytime
Cycling in Oslo, Norway
cityscape by water during golden hour
body of water near city buildings during daytime
people gathering outside building