The 10 best things to do in Oslo

28.06.2024 - 07:37 / lonelyplanet.com / Edvard Munch

Jun 27, 2024 • 11 min read

Surrounded by pristine nature and buzzing with award-winning cultural attractions, Oslo is perfect for a varied city break all year round.

Norway’s capital has had a major makeover in the past few decades, and there’s more to experience than ever before. The harborfront has been completely reimagined, switching the focus from industry to recreation and the good life. There’s now a clutch of world-class cultural institutions, striking modern architecture and a slew of places to swim, cycle and stroll.

Two long-awaited museums have also opened their doors to the public in recent years – the National Museum and Munch. A third, the Museum of the Viking Age, is due to open in 2027, when the 1000-year-old riches from the outstanding Vikingskipshuset (now closed) will be on display once more.

Until then, here are 10 of the best activities to add to your Oslo itinerary.

Don’t let the understated, low-profile exterior of Norway’s National Museum fool you – inside you’ll discover a luminous treasure chest of art and design spanning millennia. The permanent collection brings to life over 6500 objects and artworks across 86 chronologically arranged rooms. Displays on the first (ground) floor explore design in the context of major societal themes, pondering questions such as “Can machines make beautiful things?”.

The collection continues one floor up, where you’ll find the works of famous Norwegian and international artists from 1500 to the present day. There’s a small collection of paintings by Edvard Munch, including a vibrant version of The Scream (three other versions are on display in the Munch Museum), as well as pieces by other familiar names including Monet and van Gogh. Look out for a fossil in the limestone floor as you make your way up the stairs to the top-floor Light Hall (where you'll find temporary exhibitions by mostly contemporary artists).

Planning tip: The excellent National Museum app has additional audio and video guides for selected artworks (including specially designed content for children), plus suggested tours to help you find some of the museum’s highlights.

Home to the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, the Oslo Opera House is where the city’s transformation to Nordic culture capital all began. Gleaming on the waterfront at Bjørvika since 2008, the white marble masterpiece was designed by award-winning Norwegian architects Snøhetta to resemble a glacier gracefully rising from the fjord. 

As you’d expect, it houses state-of-the-art rehearsal rooms and performance halls, which you can see on one of the excellent guided tours. But outside, the entire building is effectively an extension of the harborfront public realm, inviting everyone to walk up on the sloping roof