I only planned to be in Oslo, Norway for 2 nights. Then my COVID-19 test remained positive and 2-nights turned into 5!
I had to find things to do that were not only predominantly outdoors and socially distant but also low budget—just in case my travel insurance didn’t come through for me on this occasion (it did!).
Anyway, what I learned is that Oslo is a small, fairly quiet city and it has some really special features and experiences that make it stand out.
I had an awesome time exploring everything from its outdoor sculptures to parks and waterways. Check out this post for my list of low-budget highlights in the beautiful city of Oslo!
1. Walk Karl Johans Gate To The Royal Palace
Cost: FREE
Oslo’s most popular street stretches through the city from the Royal Palace to the downtown train station.
Royal Johans Gate is free and open to the public to stroll at any time of day. There are plenty of cafes, nightclubs, stores, and bars to wander into or window shop. I recommend people watching around midday, best done from Studenterlunden Park or one of the many cafes with outdoor seating.
At the top of the street, a park surrounds the palace where you’ll find a 1875 equestrian statue of King Charles III John, the king the street was named after.
Looking back from the palace, you will get a clear line of sight all the way down the street.
It’s an iconic spot to visit in Oslo any time of year. I was there in summer but in winter you can try skating at the outdoor Spikersuppa Ice Skating Rink.
2. Try A Waffle With Brown Cheese
Cost: 59 NOK (~$5)
I stopped at the United Bakery along Karl Johans Gate to try some quintessential Norwegian snacks. One of these snacks is traditional Norwedian brunost which is a brown whey cheese boiled until caramelized from goat milk. They particularly enjoy serving it on top of a vafler, or waffle, made thin with cardamom and a side of berry jam.
Brunost tasted kind of like a savory salted caramel but a little less appetizing than that actually sounds! The aftertaste was not entirely to my liking. I imagine its an acquired taste that comes with childhood nostalgia for most Norwegians!
3. Go To The National Museum
Cost: 200 NOK (~$18)
Nasjonalmuseet or the National Museum is located along Oslo’s waterfront next to the Nobel Peace Center. It’s considered the largest art museum in the Nordic region. The museum includes older and modern art, contemporary art, architecture and design. They have many ongoing exhibitions as well as special, short-term exhibitions that pop up.
While I only admired it from the outside, museum lovers may consider this the museum of choice to visit during their time in Oslo.
4. Check Out The Waterfront Promenade
Cost: FREE
The people watching and sights to see along Oslo’s waterfront are numerous, various, and free! I walked up and down and all around this whole this area at least every evening if not multiple times a day. In my opinion, it is the most interesting part of Oslo city.
Of course one of the major things to do from here is take a cruise out into the fjord. These cruises go to see the various islands in the area or explore other parts of the fjord. But I don’t think it’s necessary to do that. There was plenty to do and see around the harbor itself.
Aside from the people watching, there’s beautiful flower gardens, outdoor exhibits, sculptures, and urban art to see and sometimes engage with.
One engagement in particular is a bit more hidden. There is a bell hanging high overhead with a foot pedal you can tap to ring it!
The 1.4-ton bell, cast in 1949 used to hang in Oslo City Hall with 48 other bells but it was deemed out of tune. Removed from the tower, it was separated and silenced for years until the city placed it between two plinths here to ring true to itself for all to appreciate—an ode to being uniquely yourself!
There are plenty of other little joys and wonders to be found here. You just have to go and explore to find them!
5. Explore The Sculpture Park At The Astrup Fearnley Museum
Cost: FREE - 100 NOK (~$9)
Reach the Astrup Fearnley Museum of modern art at the end of the waterfront promenade. Enter for a fee or walk toward the green lawn to explore a small, free sculpture park outside.
I enjoyed especially interpreting the various sculptures, like the one called “Eyes” that I very much did not initially think were eyes…
“Eyes” by Louise Bourgeois
Modern art has always equally both perplexed me and intrigued me.
“White Snow Cake” by Paul McCarthy
“Untitled” by Anish Kapoor
“Unititled (Totem)” by Ellsworth Kelly
6. Visit Frogner Park
Cost: FREE
Oslo is definitely not short of its sculptures to view all over the city. But a short bus ride will get you to possibly one of the most famous sculpture parks in the world at Frognerparken or Frogner Park.
The best part? It’s completely open and free to the public.
I took the 31 bus and got off at Olav Kyrres plass then walked over to the park. There I found a beautifully manicured urban park with pathways, gardens, and benches. The main attraction was at the center of the park across the Frogner pond.
This park has some really whacky sculptures depicting the lifespan from birth to death created by Gustav Vigeland between 1924 and 1943. The Vigeland installation includes 212 bronze and granite sculptures. The center culminates in the Monolight with 121 figures struggling to reach its top-most point.
This place was so unique and special that I’ve decided to write a separate blog post about it with all of the photos I took. But the following are a sneak peek.
Definitely do not miss this park and these sculptures. It was whimsical, curious, and so fun. There’s truly nothing like it I have seen anywhere in the world!
7. Hike To Grefsenkollen
Cost: FREE - 55NOK (~$5 for roundtrip bus fare)
Grefsenkollen is a restaurant popular for its city and fjordland views. You can get a bus directly to Grefsenkollen or you can go the scenic route, like I did, by hiking there through beautiful Norwegian forest.
A 30 minute ride on the 31 bus stopping at Tonsenhagen led me to the trailheads for an expansive forest behind Oslo city.
My goal was to make it to the ski resort at Linderudkollen but stop for the views at Årvollåsen. Then I would double back and make it to the restaurant for those final peak views.
Along the way, I saw so much beautiful flora and fauna including deer, mushrooms, huge ant hills, and tall pines.
Blurry shot of a deer running through the Norwegian forest!
I also saw a few historic sites and some fun, magical forest whimsy that only the Nordic region can offer.
I may also do a separate post on this hike since it was so varied and unique! So look out for that.
8. Stand-Up-Paddleboard The Oslo Fjords
Cost: 299 NOK (~$27)
I pretty much exhausted all the outdoor things I could do in Oslo by my 4th day there recovering from COVID-19. So it was, in fact, time to put some money into an activity to change things up.
Stand up paddleboarding the harbor around Oslo gave me a whole new perspective from which to see the city. I went at almost sunset to enjoy the effects of the lighting on all the buildings.
I went with Mad Goats. They give you a code to unlock and retrieve your board and a life vest from the end of the Harbor Promenade in front of the Opera house. I brought only some essentials in a dry bag I could strap to the board.
They shared through email a map of the areas I was allowed to paddle:
I got to observe people swimming in fjord and enjoying their evening sitting along the edge of the waterways as I paddled around the designated area.
9. Spend Time In The Saunas
Cost: 340 NOK (~$31) - Shared sauna for 2 hours
From my board, I was able to appreciate and observe other aspects of the city that make up this list, including the saunas!
Oslo city features many different styles of sauna, floating in the fjord. Some are attached to the harbor docks while others are only accessible by a small rowboat or other craft.
Regardless, this is something totally unique and I feel a worthwhile experience to spend some coin.
I didn’t since I still was getting over my COVID-19 symptoms. I didn’t have the money to spend on a private sauna so I had to let go of the idea of going in a shared one on this occasion! But it looked so fun and I encourage anyone visiting Oslo to put it on their list of activities to do.
10. Appreciate The City Architecture
Cost: FREE
One of my favorite parts about Oslo was seeing the uniquely designed modern architecture. Of course, this is totally free to observe as you walk around.
The best light of the day is early morning or late at night when the sun is low in the sky. In Oslo in July, the sun rises as early as 4am and as late as 11pm!
11. Ride A Scooter (Carefully!)
Cost: 50 NOK (~$4.50) - 15 minute ride
Another activity I could do on my own was take a scooter ride around the city. Seriously though, this is not for the faint of heart!
I really had no idea taking a scooter around the city was going to be such a thrill ride and adventure. Navigating the cobblestone, identifying pathways that didn’t involve stairs, and so many other obstacles made this an adventure in itself.
What I wasn’t anticipating, however, was how scary these things are!!! They can go quite fast and you’re entirely exposed. I was appreciative that they have a helmet wearing agreement as part of the app used to get it going.
There are a few different companies to choose from and all are pretty much the same—same cost and same sort of ride.
There is definitely a learning curve with these things, though! From figuring out how to pay and start the scooter using the app to coordinating how to maneuver the thing and even park it are all part of the experience.
I only rode it one evening to one destination and back about 15 minutes each ride. After that, I had to go lie down and let my nerves calm down! Definitely ride carefully!
12. Try A Hot Dog From Syverkiosken
Cost: 42 NOK (~$3.80) - 1 hot dog (pølse) in a potato tortilla (lompe)
Considered an Oslo hallmark, Syverkiosken sells pølser which is Norwegian hot dogs. This was the destination I rode my scooter to one evening. You see, I heard they serve the best pølser in town for dirt cheap and they even have a great vegetarian version.
I had to check it out but it was a little too far to walk and I was trying to minimize being on public transportation with others as I got over COVID-19 symptoms. So the scooter was my best bet at getting to their location!
Owner Erlend Dahlbo has high culinary standards. His family have acquired the pølser meat from the same butcher for 40 years.
I had their acclaimed vegetarian version. The recommendation is to have it in lompe, a potato tortilla with caramelized onions as the only topping. It was definitely worth my heart-stopping scooter ride to try it!
13. Watch Sunset From The Oslo Opera House
Cost: FREE
You’ll have to stay up late to catch the sunset since it isn’t until past 10pm in Oslo summers. It’s definitely worth it to see, however, especially from Oslo’s beautiful Opera House.
This building, its shape, and the way it catches the light adds to the natural show. Just take a look at these fun photographs I got across several different nights from there.
Everyone goes here for sunset, locals and tourists alike. So you’ll probably bump into a friend or two, whether human or bird!
In Conclusion
Oslo has some really cool experiences and features that make it unique from other cities I’ve been to. It’s quite small and easy to get around, so it can feel like you’ve seen and covered a lot of ground in a short amount of time. But there is still much to explore and discover that is quite special and you do not have to spend much to experience it.
My list above is not exhaustive, because in addition to being low budget it’s also mostly outdoor experiences since I was trying my best to be socially distant. I’m sure you could explore even more on a shoestring and get the most out of a few days in Oslo!
Check back for future spin-off posts where I go in depth into some of the experiences on this list!
