After couple of months without traveling we just needed to set off somewhere. Although Norway is a very expensive direction we decided to go there for one day and sightsee the capital city – Oslo. We definitely managed to make the most of this trip and did it the cheapest possible. Now we want to share with you our experience and present you Oslo attractions we’ve visited. Enjoy!
Oslo attractions in one day
City Center
We arrived at Oslo Sandefjord-Torp airport early in the morning. As it’s far from the city, we took a bus to the center of Oslo and after almost 2 hours we finally got there. At that moment, it was still very early and there were not many people around on the streets. We were walking through the streets to get to know the city better.
Royal Palace
Our walk took us to the Royal Palace next. We were taking photos of it already from the distance as it looked very impressive. It’s only a shame we couldn’t go inside as it’s possible only in summer. Luckily the weather was perfect for sightseeing in the fresh air so we could fully enjoy our time. Besides just after we came, there was changing of the guards and we could observe it at close range as the palace isn’t surrounded with any fences.
National Gallery
Our next stop was National Gallery and it was also reachable within walking distance. This gallery attracted us especially because of the collection of famous paintings including the most important – The Scream by Edvard Munch. In general, the museum wasn’t crowded but everyone gathered in front on this paintings and everyone wanted to have photo with it. Of course, we found more paintings that attracted our attention like for example paintings by Chrisitian Krohg and other paintings by Edvard Munch or by Pablo Picasso.
City Center
Later we spent a lot of time in the city center as the weather was wonderful and people celebrated some kind of international day – there were many people from different countries on the streets and they were presenting their culture so we had an extra attraction :) the city was bustling and we just love such atmosphere!
Fiskeriet Restaurant
It was afternoon when we got very hungry :) We saw a lot but still had some more attractions ahead of us. While preparing for our trip we’ve read opinions about Fiskeriet restaurant and felt encouraged to give it a try. The interesting thing about it is that when you take away, you pay less than eat in. As we are budget travelers, guess what we chose :D Besides, takeaway was a great option because when we came inside there was no free place to eat, so we’d have to wait for a table.
But the weather was nice and there was a little fountain in front of the restaurant. Many people were also eating outside and it created nice, casual vibes.
We ordered fish and chips and we have to admit that the food was delicious. We can definitely recommend this place!
Bygdøy Peninsula
Now we were full so we could head to our next stop – Bygdøy Peninsula. We took a boat to get there and it was awesome. We love boat cruises and the views were just wonderful. It’s also possible to get there by bus but it’s much better to take a boat and get an extra attraction this way. You can enjoy the views and feel the wind in your hair :)
Viking Ship Museum
The boat had two stops and we got off on the first one – Dronningen and headed to the Viking Ship Museum. It’s not a long way (about 10 minutes) and it was easy to get there.
The museum isn’t big and it doesn’t take much time to see everything but it’s very interesting. We learned important facts about Vikings, saw restored ships and artefacts.
Later we took a walk around Bydgøy, which was fantastic – we saw beautiful and very peaceful neighborhoods with houses painted on white. This part of the city was nothing like the city center, it had a unique atmosphere and we’d actually say that the architecture was very Scandinavian with marine vibes – something like a village in the city.
Kon-Tiki Museum
We chose the way that took us to the Kon-Tiki museum. It’s also very small and we knew it won’t take much time so we wanted to go round to it as well. We’ve learned about the expeditions of Thor Heyerdahl and saw the small boat that the crew used to cross the Pacific Ocean with. It’s worth to go there when visiting Bygdøy Peninsula because of the fascinating history that this place presents.
The Kon-Tiki museum is located very close to the second stop Bygdøynes that the boat from the Oslo city center stops. We went there to take a boat cruise again and luckily didn’t have to wait long for the boat.
Oslo Opera House
Our last stop in Oslo was Oslo Opera House, which we also reached on foot. We loved the architecture of this building as it’s very unique and we could easily go at the top of it to admire the views to the city and the Oslofjord. At the time we got there, the place was already full of people but no wonder! It’s a fantastic place to spend your free time and wait for the sunset. Of all the Oslo attractions we’ve visited this one is definitely a must-see :)
In the evening, we did the shopping at the local supermarket and prices were just crazy. Norway is a very expensive destination but we think we managed to make this trip the cheapest possible as we spent there about $150 per person. If you want to know more details about our costs and exact plans, check out our note What To See In Oslo | Travel Itinerary.