Visiting Norway’s capital city on a cruise or a weekend break? Want to see the best of Oslo in just 3 hours? Carry on reading to find out how!
Every minute counts when you only have a small window of time to explore a city, and this is definitely true if you’re arriving in to Oslo via cruise ship. In a city as unique as this, you really want to immerse yourself in the culture as well as seeing the sites themselves, and that is why I truly believe the only way to take it all in is on two wheels! That’s right – we’re going cycling!
Key Sights & Highlights in Oslo, Norway
Our recommended itinerary consisted of the following:
- Akershus Festning (Medieval fortress with fascinating history & wonderful views)
- City Hall (landmark where the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony takes place each year)
- Karl Johans Gate (main shopping street in Oslo)
- The Royal Palace & Gardens (official residence of the current monarch)
- Vigeland Sculpture Park (historic and impressive in equal measure)
- Frogner (picturesque neighbourhood where the 19th-century architecture is beautifully framed with flora and fauna)
- Tjuvholmen & Aker Brygge (modern & trendy, this coastal neighbourhood is a sea of sophisticated shops & swanky restaurants)
All of the above were featured on our tour. Other popular points of interest include; MUNCH museum, Norsk Folkemuseum, Norwegian Maritime Museum, Nobel Peace Centre, Holmenkollen Ski Tower & walking on the roof of the Oslo Opera House. Had we arrived in to Oslo earlier than 13:00, we would have gladly explored a few of these, however time was not in abundance on this visit.
Why Choose A Bike Tour?
Known as the Green Capital of Europe, Oslo is the most gorgeous city to cycle around owing to a number of factors:
- It’s how the locals do it! There are cycle lanes everywhere as this eco-friendly method of transport is highly encouraged. You will see many people cycling to work or school on your trip.
- The rules of the road mean that bicycles are often prioritised over other traffic, so you don’t feel like you will be run off the road at any moment (unlike most other European cities, including London!)
- There is so little traffic on the roads generally, you have the opportunity to actually look up and take in your surroundings.
Cycling the city gave us the best opportunity to visit the key sites in just a few hours, including a number of short stops for exploring, learning and photo-taking. Our guides stayed with our bikes, so there was no need to think about locking up equipment or parking a vehicle – we would simply dismount and go take a look around!
Why Viking Biking?
Before visiting any city, I read a lot of reviews and blog posts from like-minded travellers. The idea of a bike tour was first suggested on a blog I found after searching ‘Oslo with kids’. After researching a number of companies and reading reviews, Viking Biking really stood out to me as a good match for our family, as we are 3 generations with varied abilities on a bike. My mother was not exactly enthused by the idea of cycling for 3 hours, but when I said she could have an e-bike and the fitness level was listed as “Easy”, she was fairly satisfied! The tour we chose to do is called “Public Bike Tour: Oslo Highlights”, though they also offer a few other itineraries including “Authentic Oslo” and “Winter Highlights” seasonally. They are also listed as the #1 bike tour in Oslo on TripAdvisor, with 5/5 previous customer rating, free cancellation and competitive prices when booking direct.
What Is Included?
Bicycle or e-bike, helmet (optional for adults, compulsory for children) and knowledgable tour guide. They offer the tour in a number of languages, and much to our delight, English was one of them. Our guides were both British ex-pats, one English, one Scottish, though both have lived in Norway for some time and are well versed in the local history, landmarks and lifestyle. Free paper maps of Oslo are offered at the end of the tour, as well as the opportunity to ask the experts anything about logistics or recommendations for what to do next. Just remember to bring your own water – you’ll need it as cycling is thirsty work! If there is anything in particular you want to know or experience, the guides will do their best to make it happen. We asked about whether there would be somewhere to get an ice cream (we have a 4 year old who needs sustenance and motivation on a hot day), and they directed us to the most charming little cafe in Vigeland Sculpture Park which did a wonderful whippy!
Let’s Talk Logistics
The hardest part of the tour for us was actually getting to the starting point. It was easy enough to find with the help of Google Maps, but our cruise ship docked in a different terminal to what we were expecting, meaning our 10 minute walk turned in to a 45 minute walk… in 27 degree heat… with a tired 4 year old! You could always hail a taxi to the meeting point, but remember this is Norway and things don’t come cheap! That being said, it is well worth the walk from any point, and we changed up the route on the way back so we could see more of the city on foot too.
Choosing A Bike
When you book, you will need to select your bicycles or e-bikes and any add-ons that you require, as all equipment is prepared and ready to go at the starting point when you arrive. Although the tour is listed as family friendly, you must take in to account your child’s age and ability so not to be disappointed or hold up the group. As our son was under 5 years of age, he was able to sit comfortably on the back of Joe’s bike in a child seat. If he was 5+ years old, we wouldn’t have been able to use this option and we would have to wait a number of years to do this tour, until he was competent and confident enough to ride a bike some distance on his own and on the road.
Push bike or e-bike?
The Oslo Highlights tour is classed as ‘easy’ – for all riders and no specific fitness level required. The website specifies that the riding is mostly flat except for a couple of short inclines and a 2-minute hill leading up to the Royal Palace. The total distance covered is about 12km (7 miles). I am not afraid to admit that I had to walk the last hundred yards up the hill to the Royal Palace, as did a few others, however my Mother happily sailed passed me on her e-bike without breaking a sweat! I personally did not wish for an e-bike at any point, however I can understand that for some (like my Mother) this would be a perfect choice. The distance was not an issue as it was in short 10-15 minute increments and predominantly downhill on the longest leg.
Is it Expensive?
Actually, this was one of the most affordable way of seeing the sites, mainly because we booked it directly with Viking Biking and NOT with the cruise line or via a third party. There are no entry fees at any of the points of interest featured on the tour, and the ‘right to roam’ rules in Norway mean you can get to where you want to go without any administrative hurdles.
To give you an idea of the price, when we booked and travelled in May 2024, the prices we paid are as follows:
Child: 400 NOK (£28.98 GBP*)
Adult: 480 NOK (£34.77 GBP*)
Electric bike: 680 NOK (£49.27 GBP*)
*based on approximate exchange rate of 13.8 NOK to 1 GBP as of May 2024
Other discounts and ticket types are available. Check out the Viking Biking & Hiking website for current prices, departure times, availability and to book. You must book in advance for these tours, though they do offer a full refund up to 24 hours before departure, giving you peace of mind and flexibility up to the day before.
For price comparison, Princess Cruises offered the exact same Oslo City Highlights Tour cruise excursion on our voyage (same duration, transportation, inclusions and points of interest) for a vastly inflated sum, which would have cost our family of 4 an extra £360 – that’s more than 3 times what we actually paid!
In Summary
The guides at Viking Biking are welcoming, inclusive, knowledgable and understanding of everyone’s needs. The tour itself provides a perfect overview of what Oslo has to offer, with the safety of travelling in a group, but with the freedom to make our own memories whilst immersed in the ‘friluftsliv‘ culture of Norway. If you are ever in Oslo and are able bodied enough to sit on an e-bike, I would urge you to take a ride on the street side with Viking Biking & Hiking! Alternatively, this is a wonderful city with enough to see and do, you could easily amble around the sights without paying a kroner.
What is Friluftsliv?
‘Friluftsliv‘ is a Norwegian philosophy first referenced in literature in the 1850s. Literally translating to “free air life”, this way of living is deeply embedded in nordic culture today, and their love of the great ourdoors is evident in both their abundance of green spaces, sustainable practices and ‘right to roam’ laws which are both respected and appreciated in equal measure.
Useful Links:
TripAdvisor: tripadvisor.co.uk
Viking Biking & Viking Hiking: vikingbikingoslo.com
Visit Norway: visitnorway.com
Visit Oslo: visitoslo.com
Have you been to Oslo, Norway? Did you indulge in a little friluftsliv activity? Share your experience in the comments – we love to hear from you!
If you enjoy this kind of content, don’t forget to subscribe! You’ll receive an email every time a new post goes live on the blog (usually once a week).
Our Whimsical World 