Oslo, Norway - Cruise Port
The Basics
Oslo, Norway—a stylish city brimming with history, stunning parks, and countless museums. Oslo is the capital of Norway, located on the southeast side of the country, tucked inside the upper Oslofjord. The city offers a bit of everything: Viking history, seafaring culture, countless art museums, parks, and sports. From Viking ships to contemporary sculptures, Oslo keeps visitors engaged with its diverse range of attractions. As the tourist board puts it, you’ll never be bored here!
Key Districts of Interest
Oslo is a compact city with three main areas of interest for tourists:
The City Center: This area around the harbor is home to landmarks like the grand City Hall (where the Nobel Peace Prize is presented), the National Museum, the Opera House, the famous Karl Johans Gate shopping street, and the main train station, among many others.
Bygdøy District: Known as "Museum Island," Bygdøy is home to some of Oslo’s best museums, including the Norwegian Folk Museum, the Viking Ship Museum (reopening in 2026), the Fram Museum, the Kon-Tiki Museum, the Maritime Museum, and the Norwegian Holocaust Center.
Vigeland Park: A massive park featuring the dynamic and playful sculptures of Gustav Vigeland, set within the even larger Frogner Park. The area also includes a museum. A must-see for anyone visiting Oslo.
Getting Around Oslo
With so much to see, you may wonder if you need an organized tour. The answer is no—Oslo is easy to explore on your own. While there are guided tours available, we recommend going local over the cruise ship’s offerings. The city has four docks, and depending on the size of your ship, you may dock at one of these locations:
Filipstad Dock: The furthest from the city center, this area is near a new shopping and development zone.
Søndre Akershus and Vippetangen Docks: Just south of the City Hall.
Revierkai: Located opposite the Opera House.
From Søndre Akershus and Vippetangen Docks, it’s about a 15-minute walk to the City Hall and town center. The walk from Filipstad or Revierkai is a bit longer—around 20-25 minutes. However, if you’re headed to Vigeland Park or Bygdøy, walking isn’t practical, so let’s discuss transport options.
Docking at Filipstad
The Filipstad dock has a basic setup—no real terminal, just tents and a narrow parking lot where you can catch tour buses, taxis, or last-minute hop-on-hop-off (HOHO) buses. There’s a small souvenir shopping tent, but no public toilets. If you’re taking a taxi, it’s a good idea to ask the driver how much it costs to get to Vigeland Park.
Getting out of the port area takes about 5 minutes of walking, and you’ll pass some interesting architecture and modern developments. Along the way, you’ll also find a public toilet that accepts card payments (10 NOK or about 1 USD). The quirky public toilets around the city are worth checking out—they’re high-tech and require card payment.
We made our way to the Aker Brygge shopping concourse, which is a fun area to explore. Along the way, we stopped at a Narvesen store to grab transit cards and some snacks. A quick note for Uber users: you can get picked up at the roundabout in front of Asia Restaurant, facing the small ferry pier.
Public Transport vs Private Transport
Public transportation in Oslo—buses, trams, and ferries—is operated by the same company, Ruter, and uses a unified ticketing system. Tickets can be purchased at the main train station, at 7-Eleven, or Narvesen stores. The Ruter app is also an option, though it doesn’t always accept U.S. credit cards.
For a small group, using public transport can be economical, but for our group of three, we opted for private transport—taxis and Uber. The total cost for our group (one taxi and two Uber rides) was 566 NOK (about 52 USD). If we had used Ruter transit tickets, it would’ve cost us 381 NOK (about 35 USD). So we paid about 32% more for the convenience of private transport, and for us, it was well worth it. The Uber rides were even cheaper than the taxi, and we avoided the hassle of buying and coordinating transit tickets.
Public transport is great for one or two people, but for groups of three or more—especially if you have mobility concerns—it’s often more cost-effective and easier to use Uber or a taxi.
Exploring Oslo: Our Top Highlights
Despite it being a rainy Monday, we saw some amazing sights.
Vigeland Park: This was one of the highlights of our day. It’s free to enter, vast enough to absorb crowds, and filled with dynamic sculptures that celebrate the human body. The sculptures by Gustav Vigeland are truly remarkable, depicting figures in all stages of life—alive with energy and action. The park grounds are also beautiful, making it a must-see.
Bygdøy Museum Island: We took an Uber to Bygdøy, home to several incredible museums. We chose to visit the Fram Museum, which tells the story of Norwegian polar exploration. The museum’s centerpiece is the Fram ship, an iconic 19th-century explorer ship, largely intact and available for touring. The immersive experience—complete with surrounding context—was unexpectedly awesome and felt almost like a Disneyland-style experience. Don’t forget to check out the gift shop for some authentic souvenirs!
Back in the city, we attempted to visit the City Hall (where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded), but the security line was too long. If you plan to visit, make sure to arrive early! Unfortunately, the Nobel Prize Museum and National Museum were closed during our visit, but we’ll save those for our next trip.
Final Thoughts
Despite the rain, we had a fantastic time in Oslo. It’s a beautiful city, rich with history, culture, and outdoor spaces. With so much to explore, Oslo is a city you’ll want to return to—multiple times, in fact!