UPDATED MAR 2020. Oslo has a little of everything. For the thinkers, there is a wide array of museums to spend time in. Outdoor lovers will enjoy the many hiking and cycling trails to offer as well as parks and other outdoor activities. City slickers will enjoy the busy center of town has unique stores as well as trendy bars, restaurants, and cafes. There is a lot to see. My biggest suggestion would be to allow more than 24 hours to get through it all, I’d say at least 3 days, but if you only have 24 hours in Oslo then check out these suggestions to help you plan your trip.
24 Hours In Oslo – What To Do If You Only Have A Day In Oslo
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Have breakfast at the hotel
I stayed at Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz it has a huge breakfast spread to get you ready for the day.
You can get everything from fresh bread, pastries, meats, eggs, smoked salmon, pancakes, cheeses, and you can even try the dried fish which is a traditional food of the Nordic regions.
Wash it down with a coffee or one of their fresh-made juices and you are good to go. The hotel is located centrally, walking distance to many of the main attractions and public transport stations.
Breakfast at Thon Rosenkrantz Hotel
See the Viking Ship Museum
The Viking Ship Museum is a must-see.
Here you can stand in front of the large, impressive vessels that once transported warriors across the seas. They are now safeguarded and preserved in this fascinating museum where you can marvel at them and learn more about their construction and history.
At the museum, you can also learn about the Viking life in other exhibits, get a snack at the cafe, and pick up a unique souvenir from the gift shop.
How to get there: Take bus 30 to Vikingskipene from Oslo Central (or whichever stop is near your hotel.)
Entrance fee: 100 NOK (about 11 USD) and includes entry to the Historical Museum.
More information: Visit the website
If you only have 24 hours in Oslo, the Viking Ship Museum is the one you don’t want to miss.
Visit the Norsk Folkemuseum
At this museum, you can learn about Norwegian culture.
There are exhibits about art, weapons, dress and Sami culture and even a unique open-air museum. In this you can walk through a replica of a town and countryside, showcasing the different historical architecture and elements of daily life.
How to get there: About 5-10 minute walk from the Viking Ship Museum.
Entrance fee: 160 NOK (about 18 USD)
 More information: Visit the website
Other museum options
If those museums aren’t your style, then there are plenty more to choose from.
Visit Oslo is a great resource for looking into the attractions of the area to help find the things you are most interested in.
They have even created an official city app for Oslo which you can use, without using your data, to find events, maps and other useful information about the city and the activities on offer.
Armed Forces Museum.
Get a convenience store or gas station hot dog
One thing you just have to try while you are visiting Oslo is a hot dog from a convenience store or gas station.
It sounds like an odd recommendation but I think they are an underrated treasure of Norway. You can get them regular, bacon-wrapped, or even chorizo and there are always a lot of sauces and toppings like fried onions.
They’re just fun to try, taste good, and don’t cost a fortune.
Visit the Palace Park
After the morning of visiting museums, I recommend going to the center of town and getting a feel for the city.
Walk up to Palace Park where you can see the impressive Royal Palace. If you want to see the changing of the guards, be there by 1:30pm and there are also guided tours run during the summer.
I also recommend taking a stroll through the Palace Park where you can see interesting sculptures and also walk through the peaceful park setting.
Walking to the Palace will take you through the city where there are a lot of stores to shop at if you are looking for souvenirs (or just like shopping.)
Stop for an afternoon tea
After all that, it’s time to stop at the Espresso House for a coffee and cake. I went to the one at Aker Brygge, Stranden 1.
There is a lot to choose from and it’s similar to a Starbucks in the sense that you can choose from seasonal flavors. They also had a generous selection of sweet treats – I tried a Hazelnut Cheesecake and it was delish!
Finish the day with a walk along the waterfront and city
The trendy waterfront area is a great place to stroll and take photos.
I went towards Tjuvholmen skulpturpark and walked around that area to check out the sea views and interesting sculptures.
You could also walk to the Ekebergparken Skulpturpark for more unique sculptures and even go for a swim at Sørenga Sjøbad.
Where to have dinner in Oslo
If you are hungry, there are a lot of restaurants to choose from. Or, if you are staying at Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz, they offer a complimentary dinner.
It’s a basic home-cooked meat and vegetable type of dish buffet style with a side salad, fresh bread, and cold meat and cheese.
It was nothing extravagant but it had everything you need and helps to save a little extra money.
Get a drink at the Ice Bar
Finish off your 24 hours in Oslo by having a cocktail out of an ice glass, in an ice bar.
Magic Ice is a really cool, pun intended, place to visit and a fun way to finish the day.
Entrance: 195 NOK (about 21 USD)
Includes: Entrance, welcome drink, poncho, gloves
How to get there: 2-minute walk from Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz
Other guides to help you plan a trip to Norway
Northern Lights In Norway – Skip The Tours For An EPIC Cabin Experience
How To Do A King Crab Safari In Kirkenes, Norway (And Why You Should)
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The Viking Museum looks so awesome! I have yet to make it to any Nordic countries so will definitely need to add all of these places to my Oslo list!
Yayyyy! I hope you get to visit and can’t wait to see your pics 🙂
Oslo looks so beautiful and I would love to visit the Viking museum. Beautiful article, thank you for sharing! Angela
I was in Oslo for 3 days about a year ago and I have to say it wasn’t enough time to see the city! You could easily spend a week there or quite a bit more if you’re working while traveling. The waterfront was really lovely! It’s a great city to spend time in.
Oh yes, 100% agree it wasn’t enough! There’s so much to see there, I feel like I could be busy there for ages!
I’ve only been to Norway once, but we stayed in Bergen. I’d love to see Oslo! The Viking Museum looks like fun, and I bet I could get lost in the Norsk Folkemuseum. And, of course, I wouldn’t mind a walk along that waterfront — gorgeous picture!! Clearly, I need to go back sooner rather than later!
I need to see Bergen too so we need to swap tips 🙂 I hope you get to visit Oslo soon and hope you love it! Cant wait to see your pics!
The history of this area has always fascinated me – I would love to visit the viking ship museum. This sounds like a great city – will have to add it to our itinerary!
I hope you get to visit because it’s such a cool place! Enjoy 🙂
Hot dogs are a really big thing in Scandinavia! Who would’ve thought?? I remember they were super popular in Iceland too! I loved Oslo so much when I visited! I wish I had known about the Vikings Ship Museum but I got to see Vigeland Park which was amazing and those sculptures still stay in my mind to this day!
That’s so interesting, I had no idea they were so popular. I’m going to Iceland soon so I guess I can get some more hot dogs! I have to add Vigeland Park to my list!
Oh I really like that quick details graphic! It’s easy to take in vital information at once. I’ve never heard of a complimentary dinner before! That’s so awesome. I’d definitely take advantage of that one night. Thanks for sharing!
Right?! I hadn’t heard of it either but it was such a good add on to a hotel visit!
I will actually be in Oslo this summer! I will have more than 48 hours there, so that should be enough time to see things. I would definitely like to visit the Viking and Folkemuseum and eat a yummy hot dog!
Yayyyy! How exciting! Cant wait to see your pics!
Great post! I really love the formatting with the quick facts right at the beginning. The Norse Folkemuseum is on my list of museums I’ve wanted to visit for a while. I love Espresso House, I had it several times when I spent a month in Sweden. So good! Thanks for a great quick guide – Norway is still on my must-see list.
I have been wanting to visit Oslo for quite awhile. Maybe its my fascination with Vikings .. maybe not 😉 – so glad you took full advantage of short time there. I keep telling people that you can explore cities with little time – you just have to take advantage of the time you have.
Yes so true, it’s not how much time you have it’s what you make of it! I hope you get to see Oslo, I’d love to see your pics and travels there!
That viking museum does look cool – have you been to the Vasa museum in Stockholm? They have a full size galleon there, it’s fascinating to see how people lived in the seas!
Ohhh I haven’t but thank you so much for the suggestion because it is going on my list! I am so fascinated by all this stuff!
This looks like a great little itinerary; love the grub suggestions, haha. Thanks for posting!
Thanks so much Cez!
Oslo is a place we really want to visit and have had it on our wish list for a few years now. I would love to visit in the winter time.
Hi Tamason, I hope you get to visit because it is such a cool city! Stay in touch so I can follow along with your travels <3
Wow great place to be in. I agree with Cez of eTramping, perfect itinerary! I just want to ask you that is there any time to visit this place, considering weather or festivals?
Hi Arif, good question & unfortunately I’m not too sure about the best festivals to see so I can’t help too much with that. I visited in December & the weather was fine – cold but not too cold to get out & explore. There were not too many crowds too which was great! I’d love to go back in the warmer months though to check out the midnight sun & some hiking!