When you think of Norway, what comes to mind? Majestic fjords, the dazzling Northern Lights, serene forests, and endless hiking trails?
Those were definitely my thoughts!
I was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights in May 2024 here in the UK—a breathtaking experience that ticked one major item off my bucket list. So, although it wasn’t essential for our Norway trip, I still wanted to experience this country’s incredible beauty. And Norway certainly delivers on that front.
The Itinerary: Our plan was simple yet exciting. We’d fly into Oslo for three nights, then take the scenic 7.5-hour train ride from Oslo to Bergen, where we’d spend another four nights before flying home.
Arrival and First Impressions
After landing at Torp Sandefjord Airport, we breezed through passport control and hopped on the Torp Express bus to Oslo City Centre, a ride of about 1 hour and 35 minutes. The bus schedule accommodates delayed flights, so there’s no need to stress about missing your transfer.
We were really lucky with our accommodation, with a gorgeous apartment in the Bar Code District, just 10 minutes walk to the Opera House. This is a vibrant, cosmopolitan area just a 10-minute walk from the iconic Opera House. This lively part of town was bustling with commuters, diners, and art installations scattered around, creating a dynamic and engaging atmosphere.
First Morning in Oslo
Our first morning was all about finding Oslo’s famed kanelboller (cinnamon bun). We ended up at a cozy café, Papegøye on Urtegata 48, where we enjoyed a delicious coffee and the most mouth-watering kanelboller. Despite a drizzle, we explored Oslo’s Opera House, then set out to find Vippa, a highly recommended food market. Unfortunately, we overlooked the fact it was closed on Tuesdays! Still, the walk was enjoyable and led us to Akershus Fortress, where we admired the vibrant Autumn foliage and historic scenery.
Lunch at Sentralen Cafeteria
Back into the city and we found a great place for lunch at Sentralen cafeteria on Øvre Slottsgate 3. This was an imposing building from the outside, just as well as it was Norway’s oldest Savings Bank back in the day and is now a cultural hub. But it was the café we had come for and so we wondered through the bar and out the back into an oasis of plants and smells of pizzas. We opted to share the Krønsj Pizza. It was a good size, although I was still full from the Kanelboller earlier that morning, as soon as the pizza arrived, I seemed to find my appetite again. This was a great place for vegan food too, there were a few options and lots of vegan friendly sweet treats too.
Afternoon Stroll and Vigeland Park
Our afternoon walk took us past the Royal Palace, through the scenic Frogner district, and into Vigeland Sculpture Park. The park itself was busy with runners, tourists and locals taking an early evening walk, there’s so much to see here with over 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland. The craftsmanship is undeniable, though the sculptures themselves can feel a bit dark and thought-provoking—proof of art’s power to elicit strong emotions.
Evening Lights at Tullinløkka and Bite to Eat
As evening settled, we wandered to Tullinløkka to catch its impressive LED light display. It’s pretty aweome once it gets dark. You can wind your way through the streets and little alleyways following these lights embedded in the road, mirrored in the glass windows of the tall buildings, I thought it was all pretty impressive.
We then found Eat Happy Vegan (Fredensborgveien 29) after navigating Oslo’s roadworks. The cozy eatery serves a variety of flavourful vegan dishes, and we shared the Spring Rolls, XO Spicy Udon and Pho—all packed with taste and well worth the search!
Nighttime Views from the Opera House Roof
After dinner, we walked back to the harbour area and watched the city twinkle against the water and night sky, then we walked up onto the roof of the Opera House, which is an experience in itself, you actually do walk on the roof and I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like in winter and if the snow would transform the roof into a sleek, icy slide.
Day 2: Ekebergparken Sculpture Park and The Viking Planet
We kicked the morning off with a hike up to Ekebergparken Sculpture Park. Although it was a wet day, the walk up to the park was so scenic with great views out over the city when you got to the top. With so many art installations to see, it’s nice to take the time to meander through the park and take it all in. It’s not everyday you’ll see works from the likes of Salvador Dali, Renoir, Rodin and Damien Hirst, one of the park’s most iconic statue is by Sean Henry (Walking Woman) and the stunning and captivating Nordic Pixel Forest by Pipilotti Rist which was by far my favourite. If you do happen to have the time, I definitely recommend visiting and experiencing this.
As the rain continued, we switched to indoor activities, heading to The Viking Planet (Fridtjof Nansens plass 4). This interactive museum dives deep into Viking history with a mix of cinematography and holograms, making it a must-visit for fans of Norse culture.
Evening at the Munch Museum
I had found out that on Wednesdays it was free entry to the Munch Museum after 6pm, so we decided that we would go and have a look. As you would expect, there was a massive line of people waiting to get their photo taken with The Scream, which is obviously the most recognisable of Munch’s work, but, just round the corner from the Scream, you’ll find Starry Night (no not that one, Munch has his own Starry Night that came 4 years after Gogh’s). The Monumental collection, with its large-scale paintings, was another highlight.
Now. Since we were in the museum anyways, it seemed rude not to visit the Sky bar for a little refreshment. So we took the escalator up to the top and then the elevator the final floor and in no time at all I was sipping on a gorgeous glass of prosecco on the very top of Munch Museum, with some lazy tunes in the background and the buzz of conversations from the other patrons, it was so relaxing and after a day of exploring outdoors and in, it seemed like the perfect way to finish off our stay in Oslo.
Final Dinner at Barcode Street Food
Oh wait, not quite! I don’t want to forget dinner! We looked out Barcode Street Food, it has a great range of food stations to choose from it was a no brainer for me, Dirty Vegan. An enormously delicious burger with fries! The Tasty Clucker was my pick of the day and wow, taste sensation and on the way home we stopped to take in the Bike Racks art installation, a quirky monument dedicated to bicycle parking.
Next Up: Oslo to Bergen
An early morning marked the start of our 7.5-hour train ride from Oslo to Bergen, a journey through Norway’s jaw-dropping landscapes.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of our Norwegian Adventure!
