Oslo: Oslo Discovery Tour With 2 Museums Included

A guided bus tour of Oslo's main landmarks, including the Holmenkollen ski jump, the Vigeland sculpture park, the Fram Museum and either the Norwegian Folk Museum or the Kon-Tiki Museum.

Overview

Five and a half hours is enough to cover Oslo's downtown, a hilltop ski jump, a sculpture park and two museums. That is the deal here. You meet a local guide at Haakon VIIs gate 1, board an air-conditioned coach, and spend the first stretch rolling past the Royal Palace, the City Hall, the Parliament, Akershus Fortress, the Opera House and the Munch Museum while the guide fills in the history.

From the centre the bus climbs to Holmenkollen, the ski jump area, for a photo stop and views over the city and fjord. Next comes a guided walk through Vigeland Sculpture Park, where more than 200 bronze and granite sculpture groups by Gustav Vigeland line the paths. The final leg is the Bygdøy Peninsula, where the Fram Museum is always on the schedule and the second museum depends on the season: the Norwegian Folk Museum, with its outdoor collection of old houses and a stave church, in summer, and the Kon-Tiki Museum, home of the balsa raft that crossed the Pacific in 1947, in winter.

One reviewer, visiting Oslo on a cruise with limited time, said they could never have seen all of this unaided in the same stretch. Reviews repeatedly single out the guides as the reason the day works.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meet the guideThe tour starts at Haakon VIIs gate 1 in central Oslo. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included.
2. Downtown sightseeingFrom the coach you pass the Royal Palace, City Hall, Parliament, Akershus Fortress and Castle, the National Museum, Aker Brygge, the Opera House, the Munch Museum, Oslo Cathedral, the Nobel Institute and the Old Town, with commentary throughout.
3. Holmenkollen photo stopThe bus continues to the Holmenkollen area for a photo stop at the famous ski jump and panoramic views over the city and fjord.
4. Vigeland Sculpture ParkA guided walking tour through Frogner Park and its more than 200 Vigeland sculptures, cast in bronze or carved in granite.
5. Fram MuseumOn the Bygdøy Peninsula you visit the Fram Museum to see the original polar ship and learn about Norwegian polar expeditions. Entrance is included.
6. Seasonal second museumIn summer the tour includes the Norwegian Folk Museum with its open-air collection of old houses and stave church. From November through March, and on Mondays in April and October, the Kon-Tiki Museum is visited instead.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points will help you get the most from the day.

• Walking involved. The listing warns of a moderate amount of walking on steps and uneven terrain in Vigeland Sculpture Park and at the Folk Museum's open-air site. Wear shoes you are comfortable walking in.
• No food included. Lunch is not included, so eat beforehand or plan around the schedule. Tips are also not included.
• Weather matters. The ski jump stop and the sculpture park walk are outdoors, so check the forecast and bring a layer or rain gear. One reviewer wished the order could be reversed on a rainy morning, which is a fair point if the forecast looks poor.
• Tight museum time. One reviewer said they would have liked extra time at the museums and the sculpture park. Accept that this is a broad overview tour and you may want to return to favourites on your own afterwards.
• Good guides. Reviewers again and again describe the guides as knowledgeable, friendly and humorous, and one said the detailed explanation at the sculpture park gave real insight into the works.
• Getting there. You make your own way to the meeting point at Haakon VIIs gate 1, as hotel pickup is not included. Allow time to find the address before the departure.

Common issues. One reviewer felt the stops, especially the museums and the sculpture park, went by too quickly. The second museum depends on the season, so if you have your heart set on the Folk Museum's stave church or the Kon-Tiki raft, check which one runs on your date. Walking on steps and uneven terrain is required at the park and the open-air museum, which may limit some visitors. One reviewer reported a power outage at the Fram Museum during their visit, though they stressed the tour itself ran well.

Common Questions