Before we arrived, we chatted about timings, our interests, and what we wanted to see. Our brief was:

• Art, History and Architecture
• Local life away from tourist crowds
• Good coffee
• Great food

Due to our tight time slot and Diana’s busy schedule, we had just less than five hours together, which was ideal, leaving our afternoon free to eat and wander back to the ship.

First Stop: Opera House & Art

Our ship docked right in the city centre, so our first stop was the home of Norwegian National Opera and Ballet. Setting off early meant the building and its surroundings were almost empty, a sharp contrast to the crowds we found later in the day. The Opera House is designed so you can walk up its gentle slopes and stand on the roof, looking out over the harbour. When we returned later, every step was filled with people enjoying the sunshine. Diana explained that in summer, the sloping roof becomes a popular picnic spot, with floating stages and screens bringing performances to the water.

During our visit, the Norwegian Opera House was also hosting Moving Still, an art installation by Jiří Kylián showcasing digitally scanned sculptures of dancers integrated into the building’s façade. It was a really unique concept, with the models looking as though they were diving into water or travelling through the air. It was a perfect introduction to Oslo’s strong art and design culture, where creativity seems to spill into every corner of the city.

Munch and Warhol in Oslo

Oslo’s creative spirit is perhaps most famously tied to Edvard Munch, whose work still shapes the city’s cultural identity. The Munch Museum is the main place to explore his legacy, although we didn’t have time to visit on this trip. Instead, Diana took us to one of her hidden gems, the lobby of the Clarion Hotel Oslo. Here we found Andy Warhol’s interpretations of Munch’s most recognisable works. Alongside his bold reimagining of The Scream, there were vibrant versions of Madonna and Self-Portrait. As a former art student, who used Warhol as inspiration for one of my own projects, this felt like such a gem!

The ‘Other’ Sculpture Park in Oslo

Most people visiting Oslo have heard of Vigeland Park, but Ekeberg Sculpture Park offers a quieter alternative, tucked away from the usual tourist routes. From the Clarion Hotel, we caught a tram from Bjørvika and rode up the hill to Ekebergparken, served by lines 13 and 19. As Diana advised, I purchased a pass through the Ruter app for unlimited tram travel for one hour, which cost just over £3 each.

Set on a hillside with sweeping views over the city and fjord, Ekeberg blends art and nature beautifully. One highlight for us was spotting a Salvador Dalí statue, a firm family favourite. We couldn’t believe we had just stumbled across an original Dalí masterpiece. The park also features works by artists such as Lynn Chadwick and Niki de Saint Phalle, giving the place a rich mix of styles.

My personal favourite was the Nordic Pixel Forest. A mesmerising installation of thousands of hanging LED lights encased in transparent shells, seven metres long. With a blend of woodland and digital sounds surrounding the lights, it creates a real juxtaposition I just didn’t expect to work so well. The LED light levels and colours change with the sunlight. The installation is open from 7am to 11pm throughout the year.

A Library with a Difference

After our quick tram ride back to the city centre, we stopped for the coffee break we’d been waiting for at Mendel’s Paris,with a pastry display unlike anything I’d ever seen. To tick off our wish to live like locals, Diana led us to Deichman Bjørvika. This isn’t just any public library; it’s an utterly modern cultural hub. The building stretches across six floors, with a café and restaurant on the first floor, a cinema and auditorium downstairs, and a children’s floor full of playful reading nooks.

Head upstairs and you’ll find a creative workshop floor filled with 3D printers, sewing machines, audio and podcast studios. Further up, quiet reading and study rooms give way to spectacular views of the Oslo Fjord. The highlight was The Future Library, a specially built wooden cove with preserved manuscripts embedded in the wood. One thousand trees have been planted in Nordmarka, a forest just outside of Oslo. These trees have provided the wood for the structure and paper for the manuscripts. Each year a writer is invited to contribute their own manuscript, all of which will be printed in 2114. 

Final Stops in Oslo

We continued our tour through the city. All the while, a medieval festival was taking place, so the city was busy but filled with beautiful sunlight and a fresh breeze. Our final stops included City Hall, the venue for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony each year. Its walls are covered in murals depicting the history of Norway during the 20th century. Entry is free and well worth a visit.

To round off our tour of Oslo, we visited the Nasjonalmuseet (The National Musuem) to see the Edvard Munch collection, including The Scream, Madonna, The Girls on the Pier, The Dance of Life, and The Sick Child.

Here, we bid farewell and many thanks to Diana for an excellent city tour and headed to one of her restaurant recommendations, The Salmon on the busy harbour side of Tjuvholmen. Here you’ll find plenty of food spots and the perfect place to enjoy an ice cream for your sweet finish.

The Perfect Day in Oslo

As a group, we had such a great time in Oslo that we would revisit in a heartbeat. Our tailor-made tour with Diana was ideal, fitting perfectly into our tight schedule and allowing us to venture further off the beaten track than we would have on our own. The Ekeberg Park was a clear favourite for us all, and we simply wouldn’t have found it without a local guide to show us the way.

At Magnetic North Travel we can tailor make your very own Norway adventure, with Oslo at the start, end or even somewhere in the middle. If you’d like to build Oslo into a Multi-Centre City break, take a look at our Signature Cities Tour, with Copenhagen and Bergen for some inspiration.