Oslo

2022

Cost: £££ – Norway is expensive, Oslo especially
Rating: 6/10 – cool city, but not my favourite
Trip length: 1 night – I feel like we did everything we wanted to in just over 24 hours, but if you want to party / do it properly, you’ll need more time
Trip video: including stops in Lillehammer and Bergen

Getting there…
We booked crazily cheap flights with Ryanair – 2 hour flight from London Stansted to Oslo for GBP 22.50 per person (check Skyscanner for best fares as rates will vary depending on when you travel).

Accommodation
The girls were on a budget for this trip and we knew we would literally just be in the hotel to sleep, so we booked a room for 3 at Anker – a cheap and cheerful place, not in the nicest area but only a short walk away from the action. The cost was NOK 1,795.50 / GBP 138 – GBP 46 per person inc. breakfast.

Getting around…
The city isn’t massive, so we walked everywhere (we also had 2 new friends from the wedding we went to in Lillehammer to make sure we got home ok). However, there are definitely some not so nice areas in Norway (including where our hotel was) so I would recommend ordering an Uber if you’re alone, or don’t have a local showing you around.

What we did…

Oslo Opera House
Really cool building in a nice area of Oslo, and home to the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet. You can walk to the roof for a stunning view and to soak up the sun, see a show, or get a guided tour.

The Royal Palace
Gorgeous palace, home to the current Norwegian monarch. The grounds were pretty (we went for a run around them) and we watched the changing of the guard.

There are a strip of restaurants / bars which lead up to the palace – nice, buzzy area to sit (we were probably in overpriced tourist trap places but they had a really good vibe).

Sørenga
A cool, hipster waterfront district with a ton of new apartments, upmarket restaurants, bars and shops. We were absolutely exhausted the night we were there, but somehow found a new lease of life after dinner, and explored Oslo (particularly this area) with our new friends – was so great having Marius telling us Norwegian folktales and getting us excited for our next stop, Bergen.

Looking back, we didn’t actually do that much but I suppose we were only there for 24 hours. Google recommends the following for sightseeing:

• Alershus Fortress (looks like a nice fortress)
• The Vigeland Park (sculpture museum)
• Ski Museum
• Viking Ship Museum (this looks cool)
• A number of other museums if that’s your vibe!

Food and drink…

Mamma Pizza
Super popular pizza restaurant in the centre of Oslo – apparently we were very lucky to get a table right away as there is normally a queue. Amazing pizza and nice atmosphere. Our waiter looked like Leonardo Di Caprio (genuinely thought it might have been him undercover for his next role).

I Baren
Gorgeous restaurant in the new, trendy area, with outdoor seating right next to the water. Food was tasty, service was good, setting was fantastic.

Trattoria Popolare
We ate here as we were starving, wanted pasta, and to sit outside. Bread and beer were delicious and pasta was nice, but I think I ordered the wrong thing. Not a super extensive menu and wouldn’t rush back.

If you’re a foody, I’m sure there are lots of wonderful places to eat – we didn’t plan / look too hard.

Overall, I liked Oslo and am glad we got to see it, but there’s not a massive amount to see, it’s expensive and not as clean / pretty as I thought it would be. Definitely worth a night there if you’re in Norway, but the countryside is much more beautiful in my opinion.