Few hours in Oslo - any sightseeing ideas?

Question

I have 8 hours free in Oslo between flights (8 am to 4 pm). Any suggestions for sightseeing? Any must see things ? Thanks

Answer 1

If you're flying through OSL, the airport express train can shuttle you to the city center is just 20 minutes, but it costs 160 NOK each direction (less if you're a student/senior).  If you're flying through TRF (what RyanAir calls "Oslo-Torp" airport), it's a two-hour bus ride each direction.

The express train will drop you at the central train station, which is at the end of the main downtown pedestrian street of Karl Johans gate, which leads up to the Royal Palace past the Oslo Cathedral (which is currently covered up for restoration work),Stortinget (parliament), university, and National Theater.

With only 8 hours, it may not be worth buying the 24-hour Oslo Pass, and museum admission can be steep.  However, there are quite a few free and inexpensive things to do.  You can take a pseudo-cruise across the Oslofjord on the public ferry or catch a tram or subway up to Vigelands Sculpture Park, which is well worth seeing.  The park is home to a large collection of work by sculptor Gustav Vigeland, who specialized in the human form and illustrates people of all walks of life engaged in all kinds of activities and attitudes.

There are also a few worthwhile museums with free admission, including the National Gallery, which houses Edvard Munch's famous painting The Scream along with pieces by other notable Norwegian and international artists.  The Historical Museum has an extensive collection of Viking artifacts, but the displays are all in Norwegian.  In the summer, there's often a free English tour of the exhibit each day at noon.

Another free option is to explore the Akershus Fortress, which offers a great view over the fjord when there are no huge cruise ships in port.  While there is an admission fee to enter the castle, the grounds have free entry.

That's probably more than enough to keep you busy for 8 hours, so I would put at the top of the list a walk along Karl Johans gate and visiting Vigelands Park.  If the weather is nice, the ferry across the fjord to Bygdøy or a stroll around Akershus Fortress are quite nice.

If you're willing to shell out for the museums, the best are over on Bygdøy Peninsula:  The outdoor Norwegian Folk Museum with preserved homesteads and a representative wooden stave church; The popular Viking Ship museum with the archaeological remains of the famous Gokstad burial ship; The Kon-Tiki museum outlining the oceanic raft travels of Thor Heyerdahl; and The Fram Polar Ship Museum with a historic Arctic exploration ship.