When people think about Norway, they often picture fjords, mountains, and Oslo. The Norwegian capital stands out for its Viking history, high-end architecture, and eco-conscious lifestyle. Situated on Norway’s southern coast, Oslo offers easy access to mountains, lakes, and the iconic Oslofjord. Whether you’re spending a week, a few days, or only 24 hours in Oslo, there is always something to explore.

Like many other travelers, I used Oslo as a stopover on the way back to my (temporary) home of Trondheim. Direct flights to Trondheim are rather scarce. This is why I thought I would use the opportunity to get a glimpse into Oslo. One full day is not enough to see everything that makes Oslo special. I decided to skip nearly all tourist attractions to try to experience the city as a local would. Thankfully, I know a few people who grew up in Oslo. They were able to give me tips and pointers as to how I should spend my limited time there. This is how, even after only one day, I feel like I’ve at least somewhat gotten to know the real Oslo that isn’t catered towards tourists.

Maybe this 24 hour itinerary will help you experience Oslo in a different way, too 🙂

The perfect 24 hours in Oslo

Morning

Start your 24 hours in Oslo by making your way from your accommodation to the harbour promenade. Chances are, you just got into the city the night before and this is your first look of Norway’s capital. I was immediately impressed by the modern architecture and the view of the Oslofjord. This is also where you’ll find the famous opera house. Before you do any sightseeing, you’re probably hungry and need some coffee to feel alive and ready for the day. At least, this is how I always feel. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, so I always make sure to find nice and trendy food spots.

Breakfast

Not too far from the opera and the Munch museum is KUMI Oslobukta which is a popular breakfast spot right now. There’s also another location called KUMI Gamlebyen, but I went for the one in the harbour for the beautiful view of the fjord. Maybe I was lucky, or maybe Norwegians have breakfast way earlier (something I’ve noticed during my semester abroad in Trondheim.
Either way, there was no waiting time for a table when we got there at around 11am. The interior is kept in minimalistic style with bright wooden tables and stools, and plants in terracotta pots. The coffee, juice, and avocado toast were really great. However only the toppings made up for the dryness of the vegan pancakes. All in all, though, it was a great experience, if a little expensive. But that is to be expected from Oslo.

Oslo Opera House

After breakfast, walk along the water until you get to Oslo’s opera house which was designed by the famous Snøhetta architect firm. The building has two ramp like structures on both sides that you can climb to get the top. There are two levels with observation decks that give you an amazing view over one of Norway’s biggest fjords, and the city surrounded by hills.

The inside of the opera house is also worth checking out. The foyer is designed in an open and bright way with impressive oakwood lining the walls. There are daily guided tours through the opera (in English and Norwegian, on Sundays also in German) that let you visit the backstage area and the main stage. If you want, you can even check out if there is an opera happening in the evening and if there’s still available seats. I’m not really into operas, but I couldn’t miss the chance of witnessing the opera house in action. Also, people under 30 only pay half price!

If you feel like having a bit of a spa day, you can go to one of the many floating saunas around the harbour. Pretty much right next to the opera house is a big association called Oslo Badstuforening. It includes many individually styled saunas, and if you’re feeling brave you can jump into the icy cold fjord. They have drop-ins but the shared saunas are oftentimes fully booked. You can book your tickets up to 21 days in advance, though.

Noon

My friend who grew up in Oslo recommended that I check out Grünerløkka. It’s one of the most trendy areas of Oslo, which many students and artists flock to. It’s full of design and vintage stores, parks, and cafés. Here you can really get to know the heart of the city! If the weather is nice enough for a walk, make your way to the Akerselva river. You can just follow the water up north and after around 30 minutes you’ll end up with Grünerløkka to your right.

If you’re into second-hand, there are vintage shops peppered throughout the whole area. Most can be found on Markveien. My favorite stores were Fretex Arkivet, Robot, and ACES!. You can spend the whole day going from one vintage shop to the next and find treasure after treasure. There’s also many other unique stores worth checking out. Just keep your eyes open and you’ll fine some unique jewels along the way.

Mathallen Oslo

If you’re hungry again you can cross the river to get to the left side of the water. There, you’ll find Mathallen Oslo, which is a big building inspired by European food courts. You can get everything from a fish bar to arepas, pizza, and cupcakes. We decided to go for Breddos Tacos, which was a good choice because the food was some of the best I’ve had in Norway so far. For dessert, we got pistacchio donuts from The Cupcake & Pie Co that were to die for.

Coffee Stop

There are many café to choose from if you’re in need of short coffee break. We got some cappuchinos to go from Kaffebrenneriet Markveien, which is actually a coffee shop chain. The drinks are great and you can either sit outside in front of the café. Alternatively, jump across the street and chill on one of the wooden benches shaped liked an amphi theatre right next to the river. Other highly recommend cafés are Kuro or Cocoa.

Evening

Have you managed to get tickets to the opera in the evening? Great, then make your way back to your hotel or accommodation to maybe have a quick nap and get changed! There is no dress code at all, but I always like to make at least a little bit of an effort. Don’t get to the opera too late because it’s already super nice to have a pre-show drink and enjoy the design and architecture that is the opera house.

BLÅ Event Location

If you didn’t get tickets or just don’t want to sit through 2 hours of opera singing (not blaming you at all), you can check for events at BLÅ. It’s a location right by the Akerselva river and used to be storage warehouse before it became a bar, club, and concert location. You can enjoy a beer by the water, experience indie or international acts, and later dance to the music of Norway’s best DJs. It’s an area so full of art and life that it reminds me a little bit of Berlin’s scene.

Dinner

Before I left for Oslo, I asked my friends who grew up there if they had any restaurant recommendations. The first one that was mentioned to me is an Italian place called Baltazar Ristorante & Enoteca. It’s located in an old brick building right next to the Oslo Domkirke. Since it’s even mentioned in the Michelin Guide, you can expect some higher prices. The interior is a mixture of wood and metal with exposed brick walls and distinct Italian decorations.

Other places that my friends recommended are Mamma Pizza (the Norwegians love their pizza), The Golden Chimp (a dumpling restaurant), and Babbo Collective Øvrefoss (”Bakery and Italian inspired whole day eatery”).

Night

Make the best out of your 24 hours in Oslo and explore the city’s nightlife! We ended up having drinks in the rooftop bar of our hotel called The Top. From up there, you have an amazing view over the whole city that’s sparkling with lights in the dark Norwegian night.

If you’re more into wine, you can enjoy a sip at a wine bar that my friend loves to hang out at called Becco. They also host various live events many times per month, so you might be lucky and get to enjoy some music along with your wine.
Other options that are also right next to each other, are Håndslag and Kulturhuset. As you can see, there are plenty of night life options to choose from and I’m sure you’ll find something that is right up your alley.

How to get around

If you are able to, try to walk as much as you can! Oslo is not that big for a capital city and it only took us around 30-40 minutes to get from the harbour to Grünerløkka. This way you see as much as possible of Oslo in your 24 hours there. You can also rent one of the many shared bikes (Oslo City Bike) or scooters (Bolt, TIER, Voi) that are available throughout the whole city. If you don’t feel like moving or want to get to certain tourist attraction outside of the city center, there is an excellent public transportation system in Oslo. All of the buses, trains, trams, and metros are organized by a company called “Ruter”. I would suggest downloading their app to get route recommendations and to buy the tickets.

Where to stay

Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel

For our two nights in Oslo, we stayed at the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel. It was situated conveniently next to the central station and close to the harbour, as well as the city center. Due to the close proximity to the station, the immediate area was unfortunately not particularly pretty (and maybe the only area falling into that category from what I’ve seen in Oslo). The hotel itself was a standard four star hotel with a spa, and a rooftop bar and restaurant. The rooms were nice, even if a little dated. All in all, the Radisson Blu Plaza was a solid choice considering the spontaneity of our trip. Especially for our late night flight into early morning flight out of Oslo. However, I would probably go for something with more character next time.

The Grand Hotel

The Grand Hotel holds exactly what its name promises – it looks grand. The white neoclassical building was first opened in 1874 but it has undergone a few transformations since then. The hotel is located right in the center of Oslo and only a 500 meter walk away from the Royal Palace. You can enjoy a panoramic view of the city from the hotel’s rooftop bar, and enjoy dinner at the on-site restaurant. Reviewers have particularly like the location, the breakfast options, clean rooms, and modern facilities. However, according to the reviews, the rooms seem to be on the smaller side, and people have complained about them being poorly soundproofed.

Sommerro Hotel

Located in one of Oslo’s oldest neighbourhoods, Frogner, lies the Sommerro Hotel. On their website, they describe themselves as a “timeless oasis with warm surroundings”. The building is from the 1930s, and used to be the headquarter of Oslo’s electrical company Oslo Lysverk. There are 231 rooms and suites designed with art deco design from the 30s, a rooftop terrace with a heated pool, and a restaurant that offers British, Japanese, and Spanish cuisines. Furthermore, the Sommerro organizes jazz nights, yoga sessions, and movie experiences. Guests are raving about the breakfast and facilities, as well as the beautiful interior. The only downside, according to reviews, is that you have to pay to use the rooftop pool and the sauna.

Citybox Oslo

The more budget friendly, but still beautiful, alternative is Citybox Oslo which is located right in the center of the city. It offers self-service check-in and brightly designed rooms. If you’re in the mood to socialize, you can hang out in the TV lounge or enjoy a game of ping-pong. The hotel is even on Booking.coms’s Sustainable Level 3 which means that it’s taken significant steps in making your stay more sustainable. Guests liked the location, automatic check-in, and comfortable rooms.

Where are you off to Next?

Malaysia

Corfu

Dominica