If you do all of the things on this list you will spend about $50 USD a person and it will take about 2 days. You can cut it down and still see a significant amount of the city in 1 day.
- Get a daily pass for the public transit system. This will not only help you navigate the city but it gets you on board the ferries – I’ll explain why this is so cool later – $12
- Climb on the roof of the Oslo Opera House – FREE
- Hop on a ferry and go to Hovedoya to see the monastery ruins. It’s also fun just to hike this island. You will see some amazing views of the fjord – FREE (included with your daily public transit pass)
- Akershus Fortress– FREE These medieval ruins are fun to explore on your own or with a guide. It’s amazing so much is still standing since this castle was built in the year 1300.
- Frogner Park – FREE The sculptures are so unique and the park itself is beautiful to just walk around.
- Viking Ship Museum – $12 I learned so much about the culture of the Vikings. I found it surprising how many customs were similar to that of ancient Egyptians. Accessible by ferry or bus (included in the public transit ticket)
- Aker Brygge is a must. This area is right in central Oslo. There are several nice restaurants right on the water. It’s also just a nice area to walk around and grab an ice cream (no matter the weather Norwegians like their ice cream). When the weather is nice (and honestly even when it’s not) you can sit outside and take in the beautiful view along the boardwalk. Most of the restaurants have heat lamps outside so you can still be comfortable even when the weather isn’t ideal.
- Noble Peace Center $14 – This is something you want to be able to set 1-2 hours aside for
- The changing of the guards at the Royal Palace happens at 1:30pm daily
Monastery ruins at Hovedoya