In the first few hours of your Oslo vacation, you will walk on top of an opera house. You will ride the subway up a mountain to a giant ski jump. You will stand in front of Edvard Munch’s iconic The Scream and try not to scream (you will scream). You will bake in a sauna floating in a cold fjord. Then you will leap into said cold fjord.
Yes, early on in your trip to Oslo, you will wonder, What kind of a city is this? Truth
is, even Oslo isn’t sure.
Visit Oslo: get started
What to do in Oslo beyond the Oslo Opera House, Holmenkollen and MUNCH museum? Let’s map out your day. Morning stroll through Vigeland Sculpture Park, where you’ll meet 200 naked statues. Afternoon at Fram Museum, where you’ll discover what happens when your ship gets trapped in Arctic ice. Evening on the fjord-front Aker Brygge, tucking into salmon and cinnamon buns. Very koselig.
Oslo travel guide
Destination facts
Language
Norwegian, but don’t panic if your Norwegian vocabulary consists entirely of “koselig”; English is also widely spoken.
When to visit
Summer, when sunlight sticks around long past your bedtime.
What to bring back
A cheese slicer: proudly invented by a Norwegian and the only acceptable way to shave your brunost. Also, cozy Norwegian knitwear to tackle not-so-cozy Canadian winters.
What to eat
Brunost brown cheese looks like caramel, tastes like dulce de leche, and you will love it. Or hate it. No in-betweens. Slice it thinly and lay it onto another Norwegian fave: waffles. Which you should also top with cloudberry jam.
Fun fact
The Oslo City Hall clock has 49 bells. They ring out every hour from 7AM to midnight, playing everything from David Bowie to Motörhead to Super Mario.
Important info
For more information on all necessary travel documents and more, check Air Canada’s Travel Requirements page and the Government of Canada’s Travel and Tourism website.
