Oslo is such a vibrant and cool city! Make sure to follow this itinerary on how to spend 2 days in Oslo to maximise your time there!
How many days should i spend in oslo?
In my opinion two days is really enough for a first-time visit if your goal is to get a feeling for the city. With two days you’ll have time to visit some of the many museums and see all of the major landmarks. Personally, we felt like we saw everything we wanted in our two days.
If you are visiting in summer and you want to add some beach time, you might want to spread the sightseeing over 3-4 days. This will give you enough time to spend the afternoons just relaxing by or on the water.
Where to stay
City center
If you can afford it, I would highly recommend to stay in the city center directly! You’ll be within a close walking distance of all major attractions. It’s also the best way to catch a bus or tram if you wish to explore more distant areas.
Grünerløkka
If you are more on a budget, as us, you might need to opt for one of the surrounding neighborhoods just outside of the city center. We stayed in Grünerløkka, which is a really cool and hip area! From where we were staying, it took us 30-40 mins to reach the city center.
We stayed at Anker Apartment – Grünerløkka. This was the cheapest option that we could find which was still in an acceptable walking distance to the city center. It’s quite a basic room, but it has everything you could need. Including an in-room bathroom and a small kitchen.
How to get around
By foot
The city center of Oslo is very walkable. You will be able to reach the majority of the main attractions by foot. I would say simply wandering the city is a must do attraction in itself.
By bus / tram
Even though I love walking, I had to admit that in order to see as much as possible from Oslo you won’t come around using public transportation. We used the buses / trams to reach attractions like Vigelandsparken and to cross over to the peninsula of Bygdøy.
If you plan on using the public transport in Oslo, I highly recommend to download the Ruter App. This will allow you to check all the connections, as well as directly buy the tickets.
By train
The train is an excellent option for getting from the airport to the city center. There is a special “airport train”, but there is also a regular train. Please listen to me and opt for the regular train!!!
Both trains follow the same route. But the “airport train” is double the price of the regular train. Please check out this well written article from another blog for more details on subject.
Tickets for the regular train can also be purchased through the Ruter App.
2 days in oslo itinerary
Day 1
10 am – Breakfast at Backstube
As I’ve mentioned several times before, I personally like to keep breakfasts light and then splurge a little more on lunch / dinner. If this sounds like you, I can highly recommend checking out a local bakery called Backstube. They have a huge selection of pastries, some fresh juices and they also serve coffee.
11 am – Explore the city center
Now it’s time to really start sightseeing! Here are some sights that you definitely shouldn’t miss:
- Oslo Cathedral
- Shopping on Karl Johans Gata
- The Royal Palace and the surrounding gardens
- The Nobel Peace Center
- Aker Brygge harbour area
1 pm – Lunch or drinks at Aker Brygge
Aker Brygge is such a cool spot right by the water. Whatever your favourite cuisine, or whatever your vibe – you will definitely find a place you’ll love! We opted for some drinks at Lekter’n, a bar located on a floating platform right on the water.
2:30 pm – Explore the rest of the city center
Things you haven’t explored yet:
- Walk up to Akershus and enjoy the view
- Explore the Opera House
- Enjoy the saunas by the water
- Visit the Munch Museum
- Go on a Fjord Cruise (departure everyday at 4 pm)
6 pm – Dinner /drinks at the opera or Grünerløkka
Oslo has soooo many good restaurants to choose from! We personally decided to stay in the opera house area. We went to a really casual street-food style place called SALT, with views of the opera house and the munch museum.
Alternatively, you could also hit up the Grünerløkka neighbourhood. The area really comes to life in the evening. There is an abundance of all kinds of restaurants and casual / going-out bars. We’ve tried Eldhuset, if you like burgers you will enjoy this place!
Day 2
10 am – Breakfast in Vigelandsparken
I love Vigelandsparken! The park has such a calming atmosphere, which is why I highly recommend to start your day with a breakfast right in the park. You can either bring a picnic, or sit down and enjoy a light breakfast at Kafe Vigeland near the entrance.
After you’re fueled up for the day, start exploring the park and all the amazing sculptures at your own pace
12 pm – Visit Bygdøy
Once you’ve seen enough oft he parc, take the bus to the Bygdøy peninsula. You will find a lot of museums here, so you might need to pick and choose which ones to visit. Here are your options:
My boyfriend and I visited the Norsk Folkemuseum, which was a lovely open-air museum where you can admire traditional Norwegian houses brough here from all over the country. The second one we visited was The Fram. I’d definitely recommend this if you are interested in learning more about Arctic and Antarctic explorations.
Somewhere in between you’ll want to have lunch or a quick snack. All the museums have a café, but I would especially recommend the café at the Norwegian Maritime Museum. They have tables outside right by the water with views over the city center!
4 pm – optional: Fjord cruise
If you didn’t have time for the Fjord cruise on your first day, you can still manage to squeeze it in today if you are interested. We decided to take the boat back from Bygdøy to the city center, from where it’s only a 10 min walk to the departure place of the harbour cruises!
The last ferry back to the city departs at 18:10, and a one-way ticket costs around 6 CHF.
6 pm – Dinner at Aker Brygge
For your last evening in Oslo I highly recommend to come back to Aker Brygge again. The vibe here is just amazing and there are so many restaurants to choose from! We decided to have Sushi at Yokoso – 10/10 would recommend!
With this two-day itinerary you will have covered all the major attractions, and will hopefully have a good grasp of what Oslo as a city is like. If you’re interested in finding out how much money you need for such a trip, check out my post here.