Oslo, the Capital of Norway, is a beautiful city perfect for a weekend away. Whether you like art and design, architecture, history, or nature, there is something for everyone to explore! In the summer, you can spend 2 days in Oslo enjoying the archipelago, hiking in the nearby forests, and swimming in the fjords. In the winter Oslo comes alive with Christmas markets. It’s the perfect time to visit the museums and galleries, enjoy a sauna, or head into a cosy cafe. In this guide for 2 days in Oslo I will focus on all the best things to do in the city itself so you can use it for a weekend itinerary all year round!
Make sure to check out this guide for more tips if you’re spending the weekend in Oslo during the winter!
I was a hosted guest of Revier Oslo but all thoughts and opinions in this post are genuine. Please note that this post contains affiliate links meaning that if you make a purchase through the link, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I make sure to only ever promote products and brands I have used and like, and that all links are to trusted websites.
2 Days in Oslo: Everything you need to know
Where to stay in Oslo
There are so many nice hotels in Oslo it can be hard to choose where to stay. I do recommend looking for somewhere central as it makes it much easier to explore, especially when you only have 48 hours in Oslo!
We stayed at Revier. This is a beautiful, easy going hotel right in the heart of Oslo. They have really tried to make the hotel an experience, and a place not just for visitors but also locals to hang out. They have a really easy digital check in system which means you can arrive at any time and let yourself in. However, they do also have a desk in the lobby with a really cosy bar. This is where they serve their à la carte breakfast every morning!
There are also two amazing restaurants worth a try! This was one of the best things about staying at Revier – to spend all day out exploring (in the cold as we visited Oslo in Winter) and then come home to an amazing meal and just be able to roll into bed afterwards!
If you want to know more about Revier you can find the details here!
How to get to Oslo
There are several ways to get to Oslo. If you are traveling from further away, you can fly into Oslo Airport. From here it is a 20minute train to the city centre. Most major airlines fly to Oslo and there are connections all through Europe.
If you are traveling from closer to Norway, then I recommend taking the train or bus! Trains run from Oslo to Stockholm and Gothenburg in Sweden, as well as Copenhagen in Denmark. These trips run with SJ or Vy! I find the best way to find which option works best is to search through Omio as you can see the trips from all the different transport agencies.
Alternatively, you can take the bus from Copenhagen or Gothenburg! We took the 3 hour FlixBus from Gothenburg to Oslo and it was a very easy, comfortable and cheap trip which I can recommend!
Is 2 days in Oslo enough?
2 days in Oslo is definitely enough to get a good impression of the city. With 48 hours in Oslo you can spend time visiting the attractions and still have a bit left over for more of the local experiences. This is especially true if you visit on the weekend where there are lots more activities and events happening!
The Oslo Pass: Is it worth it?
The Oslo pass is definitely worth it if you plan on visiting any of the museums, attractions or taking public transport. The 48hour pass is enough when you are spending two days in Oslo. It gives you access to most museums and free public transport. I think the best part about this is you can just pop into a museum or gallery but not feel the pressure to spend the whole day there.
We used the Oslo pass for:
- The Munch Museum – 160 NOK
- The Norwegian Folk Museum – 180 NOK
- Akershus Castle – 100 NOK
- The National Museum – 200 NOK
- The Norwegian Resistance Museum – 100 NOK
- The Astrid Fearnley Museum – 150 NOK
- Public Transport
If you are visiting Oslo in the summer the pass also gives discounts to some of the best fjord sight-seeing tours!
The 48hour pass is 720 NOK for adults and 360 NOK for children.
2 Days in Oslo Itinerary: Itinerary
In this itinerary for 2 days in Oslo I have included everything we did during the 48 hours we were in the city (which was actually over 3 days/ a weekend.
Day 1. Exploring Central Oslo
We started our 48 hours in Oslo arriving by bus from Gothenburg at around 4pm. Visiting Oslo in winter, it was already dark by this time so after checking into Revier, we first spent a few hours walking down the major streets looking at the Christmas lights! This is definitely something you should do all year round as roads like Karl Johans Gate and Prinsens Gate are two of the most bustling shopping streets in the city!
These roads are just a few minutes’ walk from the central station, the main bus terminal, and hotel Revier, so it’s the perfect place to start!
If you want to learn even more about the city, try a city walking tour that will not only take you around the most important sights but also give you the opportunity to learn about the city! There are a few different walking tours you can take depending on what you want to learn; a historical myths and legends tour, a city walking tour, or an immersive street food tour.
The Munch Museum
We then headed to the Munch Museum. This is open until 9pm every night so it’s the perfect way to spend your first evening in Oslo. The museum is dedicated to Norwegian artist Edward Munch, most known for The Scream. The building itself is amazing, a 13floor skyscraper designed by Estudio Herreros. From the upper levels of the museum you get an amazing view over the Oslo skyline.
The Munch museum takes 1-2 hours to see everything properly. It’s much less busy in the evenings which is lovely. The museum has free entry on Wednesdays from 18-21. Otherwise tickets cost 160kr (but are included in the Oslo Pass for free).
Dinner at Null Null
The first night of our two days in Oslo we went back to our hotel Revier and ate in their Italian restaurant Null Null. This I couldn’t recommend more – the good was amazing and it was a really calm atmosphere perfect for our first evening in the city!
Day 2. Exploring Oslo
The Oslo Opera House
After breakfast we started day 2 in Oslo with a visit to the Oslo Opera House. This is a really beautiful piece of architecture that you can’t miss while you are in the city! The coolest thing about the opera house is that you can walk up and along the roof which gives a great view over the Oslo archipelago!
I recommend leaving at least an hour for your visit here if you really want to take it slow and take in the views.
Deichman Bjørvika, Oslo Public Library
Next we head to the Deichman Library, which is again, a really cool piece of architecture. We didn’t spend long here but enough time to explore a few levels and see some of the interesting art installations that were hanging from the ceilings.
SALT Langhuset
SALT is a really cool art project/ food market/ sauna/ event space right on the water by the Oslo Opera House. Throughout the year they hold loads of different events and have a bar and outdoor food stalls. We head here for lunch and had amazing shrimp tacos before looking around the Christmas market they were holding at the time.
If you are interested in taking a sauna, this is one of the best places to go! They have six saunas as well as a bar (in the sauna), a cold pool and showers! It’s a really cool vibe here and definitely worth a visit if you want a really unique sauna experience.
The Norwegian Folk Museum
After lunch we head straight to the Norwegian Folk Museum. If you are visiting Oslo around Christmas time I cannot recommend and the Christmas Market is on, I cannot recommend any more! You can read more about our visit in this blog post about visiting Oslo in winter.
If you are not in Oslo at Christmas, the Norwegian Folk Museum is still worth a visit. As well as a whole village of traditional buildings and a stave church, they have some great exhibitions about Norwegian culture, folk dress and different traditions. It’s a bit outside the city but really easy to reach by bus so didn’t feel too out of the way. If you want to learn a bit about the culture and history of Oslo when you visit, along with Akershus Castle this is a really good way to do that!
This museum is included in the Oslo Pass, but if you decided not to purchase this you could instead go on this great tour which takes you to the Norwegian Folk Museum, the Fram Museum and the Kon-tiki museum by boat trip through the fjord.
The National Museum
In the afternoon, we decided to stop by the National Museum just for a quick drop in to see what it was like as it was included in the Oslo pass. The new National Museum has just opened in a beautiful new building by the water, so it was nice to be able to walk around and this is definitely a place I would like to spend more time in next time we visit Oslo.
The Astrup Fernley Museum
We spent the early evening walking around the Aker Brygge and Tjuvholmen areas of Oslo. While it is a bit more residential here, it was beautiful to wander around the different canals as the sun was beginning to set.
As we had the Oslo Pass we decided to make a quick stop at the Astrup Fearnley Museum on our way past. This is a beautiful contemporary art museum with a sculpture park outside. Unfortunately, the museum closes at 5pm so we didn’t have much time to walk around but it was definitely worth a pop in!
Spikersuppa Christmas Market
We visited Oslo in December when the Christmas markets were in full swing. So, after our long day of sightseeing we spent the evening wondering around Spikersuppa Christmas Market, snacking on the delicacies being sold at the market stalls and sipping on Gløgg (Norwegian Mulled Wine).
Day 3. Hiking Oslo
The Lysaker River Walk with Hiking Oslo
Norway is of course known for its incredible nature (such as the Lofoten Islands and the Besseggen Ridge) so we decided to spend our last morning exploring the nature surrounding Oslo. We started off early and met up with a lovely guide from Oslo Hiking who took us to the Lysaker River for a fairly easy hike through the forest there.
The walk itself was beautiful, especially as we were visiting Oslo in winter. The waterfalls and river were half frozen and it snowed during the whole walk making it feel like a real fairy tale landscape. The best part of this experience was getting to meet other travellers and learning to know our Norwegian guide. She gave us some great tips for exploring the city and it was the perfect end to the trip!
If you want a unique experience you can find all of Hiking Oslo’s tours here!
Akershus Fortress
We arrived back in central Oslo just before lunch and after grabbing a quick snack lunch at Backstube Bakery, we went straight to Akershus Fortress. This is another activity that is covered by the Oslo Pass!
Akershus Fortress is the Medieval castle located right in the centre of Oslo looking out over the fjord. Built in the 13th century and used for so many different purposes over the years, it has such an interesting and rich history! It’s definitely worth a visit.
If you don’t have too much time, I recommend just heading into the castle itself and taking the self-guided tour which guides you around the old prison and state rooms. If you have a bit more time, I’d recommend also heading to the visitor’s centre where there is a small museum which tells you about the original royalty who built the castle and about its’ use as a prison.
The Norwegian Resistance Museum
If I could recommend one museum in Oslo it would be the Norwegian Resistance museum. Not only is this because the history surrounding Norway’s involvement in the Second World War is fascinating, but the museum itself has the most beautiful exhibits. The first floor of the museum is made up of little Dioramas of different landscapes, all made with such character. The museum is not very big but the exhibits are all quite detailed so I would suggest leaving a few hours to walk around and see everything.
This museum is also included in the Oslo pass and is located inside the grounds of Akershus Fortress so is a perfect follow up activity!
Additional activities worth considering:
- Take a sauna
- Day trip out into the archipelago
- The Kontiki Museum
Two days in Oslo: An Overview
Two days in Oslo was the perfect taster of the city. In 48hours we managed to visit most of the museums (although there are several we want to go back to), and explore some of the areas in the city. Of course, visiting Oslo in winter was a very different experience to visiting in the summer so next time we spend the weekend in Oslo there are a few other things I would like to add to the list!
Are you traveling more around Norway after Oslo? Here’s a few posts you might be interested in:
