We visited Oslo in the middle of summer and fell in love with it’s charm. A sophisticated city that is colourful, vibrant, filled with culture, had impeccable fashion, and there’s so much to do. We visited for 3 nights, and could easily have stay another few days. This guide provides a snapshot of the Norwegian capital, and why we loved our stay so much!
The Norwegian capital of Oslo is a vibrant and emerging Scandinavian city that has so much to offer, both for tourists, and those considering a base to stay for awhile. Oslo is regularly ranked among the most livable cities in Europe, and oozes style and sophistication. We visited the nearby Copenhagen in 2022, and this small taste of Scandinavia had us craving more, leading to us locking in this recent visit to Norway. In this guide we will share our experience, and some of the best things to do when you arrive in Oslo. Read on for our recommendations of top do not miss activities, best coffee (you know we will find it!), good areas to stay and much more! As always, we love when you share your experiences and recommendations for others in the comments.
Our ‘Do Not Miss’ Oslo picks
- Experience sauna culture with an incredible view: This is one of our top picks in Oslo. Book a sauna in the heart of Oslo overlooking the iconic opera house. There are 4 different companies to choose from, but we chose KOK Saunas, and shared a small group sauna. We would easily say this experience was one of our best in Oslo.
- Enjoy some of the best coffee in Europe: The cafe’s and coffee culture in Norway is exceptional, and you can always trust us to find the best! Our top picks are Lille Oslo Kaffebrenneri, Supreme Roastworks, Kuro, and Tim Wendelboe.
- Explore Grunerlokka: The area of Grunerlokka is a vibrant, artsy, local-feel area filled with boutiques, cafes, bars and restaurants. The buildings are colourful, streets green, and multiple parks are present. It’s a great spot to explore in summer and was one of our favourite experiences in Oslo.
Other top things to do in Oslo
- Check out the Oslo Food Markets: There is a great multicultural food scene in Oslo, and locations like Mathallen, Oslo Street Food and Vippa all dish up excellent options. Mathallen is close to Grunerlokka, Oslo Street Food is in the heart of town, and Vippa is over the water in the harbour.
- Walk the Oslo city and climb the Oslo Opera House: The city is colourful, has beautiful architecture and the opera house is a must visit. The sleek white opera house sits on the harbour, and is designed so you can climb up to the top to get incredible views.
- See some of Oslo’s cutest streets: Head to the north of the city’s heart to find 2 of the most beautiful streets in Oslo, Telthusbakken and Damstredet. These picturesque streets are hundreds of years old and provide a step back in time.. and great photo opportunities.
- See the waterfall in the heart of Oslo: Head up to Voyenfallene, located on the edge of Grunerlokka, and find a rushing waterfall that you can check out. Definitely unique for a city!
Food & coffee in Oslo!
The best coffee in Oslo: There are so many options here! You could try 2 coffee’s a day and not get through them all. Our favourites we Lille Oslo Kaffebrenneri, Supreme Roastworks, Kuro, and Tim Wendelboe, and Fuglan Coffee Roasters. Plus we didn’t try but recommend you consider based upon reviews and our walk past – The Coffee Roaster (located in an old fire station) and Papegoye (FKA Neongrut).
Food & bars that we loved in Oslo: Oslo is an expensive city, so we didn’t really eat out much. However, if you are inclined, there’s a lot of top restaurants and bars (including Michelin star venues). A few of our top picks were the Oslo Food Markets (Mathallen, Oslo Street Food and Vippa), Bla (an institution of a bar in Grunerlokka), Babbo Collective Ovrefoss (coffee shop/bakery by day, a lively restaurant/wine bar by night), Apostrophe, Hrimnir Ramen and Smalhans.
How long should you stay in Oslo?
This really depends. We found Oslo to be a very ‘live-able city’, and it could easily be the place you visited or stayed the whole summer. However, if you’re just looking to visit for a short period, we would recommend at least 2 days to get a feel of the city, explore the different areas and try the great coffee.
Where else should you visit in Norway?
You are in luck! We have planned a full 3 week visit to the incredible Norway, and even 3 weeks isn’t enough. We will share a range of excellent guides over the coming weeks, so subscribe below to stay up to date. We have listed a few top spots to consider when you visit the country!
- Bergen – picturesque little harbour town that is the gateway to the fjords. See our guide here.
- Aurland – this region offers stunning views and is close to many cute towns. See our guide here
- Lofoten Islands – ready to tick off a bucket list location? Lofoten is truly spectacular. See our guide here.
- Trondheim – a vibrant student city that is worth exploring.
- Stavanger – a popular and colourful city near some of Norway’s best views.
Where to stay in Oslo?
After a lot of research, and our visit, we would highly recommend that you stay in Grunerlokka. This was home to excellent food, coffee and shops. It also had a great atmosphere, colourful streets and lots of cute parks and squares. It’s only a 20-30minute walk to the Opera House, or a 3 stop tram ride. A word of warning.. be prepared however that Oslo accommodation as a whole is relatively expensive.
A few top accommodation picks we researched in Oslo:
- Bunks at Rode – A well reviewed, excellent located, budget friendly option.
- Cozy Gunerlokka apartment with a car park.
- Well located apartment (however not in Grunerlokka)
- Hotel Filip – Well located, boutique hotel.
- See more hotels in Oslo here!
Don’t like what you see? Check out the map below for more great stays in Oslo!
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