There’s no denying the costs of visiting the Norwegian capital, and more people are looking for ways to visit Oslo on a budget. I have lived in Oslo as a student for years – and there’s nothing students are better at than finding ways to save money and traveling on the cheap!
Oslo is a great city for a weekend getaway, as a base for a longer Norwegian adventure, or as a destination to explore on its own.
In Norway, and particularly in Oslo, a beer will cost you a good $10, depending on where you go, and most bar tabs will leave you in shock. As in, $22 cocktails in shock..
Time and time again Norway has been named one of the world’s most expensive countries, which is slightly frustrating if you live here on a Norwegian salary, let alone when visiting and hoping to see the most of the country.
I’ve put together a few tips on visiting Oslo on a budget, and hope that you’ll be able to pull something useful out of this guide. You’ll be happy to hear that there are loads of things to do in Oslo if you are trying to avoid breaking the bank.
Table of Contents
Quick Oslo Travel Guide
Where to stay: Most people stay in the city center, near the train station (Oslo S) or along the street called Karl Johan (the main pedestrian and shopping street of the city). My favorite hotel in Oslo is Amerikalinjen, dedicated to those crossing the Atlantic to emigrate to America from Norway). Budget options are Citybox and the Anker Hostel, and the Comfort Hotel Grand Central is a good mid-range hotel. Those looking to splurge should stay at the historic Grand Hotel, another one of my personal favorites.
Top activities and tours in Oslo:
- Akershus Fortress (free entry, tours at a cost)
- Oslo Highlights Bike Tour ($46)
- The Fram Museum
- Fjord Cruise on the Oslo fjord ($58)
- Taste of Oslo Food Tour ($131)
Packing for Oslo: In the winter months, Oslo is very cold – so I highly recommend checking out my complete packing guide for winter in Norway. In the summer, Oslo is usually sunny and comfortable, but as always when it comes to packing for Norway; bring layers. Whilst the days are warm, evenings can still be chilly, so a light puffer jacket like this one is key year-round in Norway.
Airport transfer: The most efficient way to get from Oslo to the city center is to travel by train. The airport express Flytoget has an app, and gets you straight to the main train station (Oslo S) in around 20 minutes. There are private transfer services available, perfect for those who want the luxury and convenience of heading straight to a car when arriving – but the drive to the city is actually longer than the train ride.
Before you go: Booking cheaper flights and accommodation
Before you go, make sure you find the best deals for hotels and flights. I always use Booking.com when booking a hotel, and search SkyScanner for flights.
That way you get an overview of what days it’s cheaper to visit. After checking SkyScanner I also use the airline’s own websites to make sure the price matches, sometimes it’s cheaper booking directly through them!
Norwegian is a low fare airline flying in and out of most Norwegian airports. Make sure you sign up for their rewards program, as they just relaunched it and made it a whole lot better than before. Other major airlines flying into Norway are SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) and British Airways.
Once your flights are booked, you’ll need to find somewhere to stay. I’ve compiled a post with some of the best hotels in Oslo, and have included both budget and luxury options.
When checking out these flights, and also when looking at trains and bus options, you’ll quickly find that travelling around Europe on a budget is completely doable!

Oslo on a budget: Things to do for free (and cheap)
There is always something to do in a capital like Oslo that won’t cost you a dime.
Visiting the museums is a natural choice for low-cost activities, and there is also the Nobel Peace Centre. Visiting the Peace Centre costs 160 NOK for adults, and 100 kroner for students (I’m a huge sucker for student discounts). It’s definitely worth a visit, and there is always a relevant exhibition on display.
However, there is a way to get it even cheaper! I have covered the Oslo Card and whether it’s worth it below.
If you want to try for an activity that’s completely free, I suggest grabbing a coffee and visiting the Frognerpark and the Vigeland Park (a sculpture park and one of the top Oslo attractions).
The latter is very popular amongst tourists and locals alike, and make sure you bring your camera for some fun snaps of the statues!
Seeing the Royal Palace (Norwegian: Slottet) is a must, and you’ll find it just at the end of the main street of Oslo; Karl Johan. In the summer they offer guided tours (that must be booked in advance on this website), but walking around the castle is free for all. At 1.30pm you can see the Changing of the Guards, another free activity.
The Norwegian Parliament (Norwegian: Stortinget) is located in the building in the photo above; Stortinget. It is only a stone throw from the Palace, and well worth a visit. They offer free guided tours throughout the year, usually in both Norwegian and English.
The tours are booked on a first come, first served basis, so make sure you arrive early! The start of the tour is at the guest entrance of the building, just around the left corner from the main door.
Another great, free activity in Oslo is to head on a walk along Akerselva, the river that pretty much splits Oslo in half. This walking trail is several kilometres long, so you can walk for hours if you wish it. You’ll get to see several areas of Oslo, and it’s a great way to discover the city without spending a dime!
Read my post about the beautiful Akerselva trail here!
Is The Oslo Card Worth it?
The Nobel Peace Center is free to enter with the Oslo Card, and so are many other activities in the city.
Some call it. the Oslo Pass, but it’s the same thing.
You can buy the Oslo Card/Pass on the app called “Oslo Pass – Official City Card”, and it currently costs 520 kroner for 24 hours and 760 kroner for 48 hours.
Note: this is only worth it if you are planning on visiting several of the activities where you get in for free with the Oslo Card. If you have 24 hours in Oslo and only plan to visit one museum, plus use public transportation, it is not worth it.

Oslo on a budget: A Local’s Hacks
Having been a student living in Oslo, I have a trick or two up my sleeve for saving some cold hard cash on your trip. Even though I’m not a student anymore, these are still hacks and tricks I use to save money when traveling to Oslo.
Of course, some of these can also help you travel Norway on a budget, as they are not all Oslo-specific.
#1 Getting free coffee in Oslo
Before you go, make sure to download the free Narvesen and 7Eleven apps. Both are chains of kiosk/corner shops where they sell coffee, baked goods and sweets, and you’ll see them all over Norway, but particularly in Oslo.
On the apps, you can register whenever you buy a coffee or a frozen yoghurt or a magazine, and after a certain amount of purchases, you get one free. Both stores have different offers on different snacks and merchandise, but the coffee stamp card is a token for both.
So make sure you join forces with your friends and buy your coffee together, that way you can collect ‘stamps’ on one app and get free goodies to share!
Another (and the main) reason I told you to download the apps before leaving home is that you need working WiFi and a phone signal in order to complete registration. When downloading you are asked to register your birthday because when the day arrives you’ll be treated to a free coffee and some baked treats!
Now for the travel hack; tell the apps that your birthday happens to fall on one of the days you are visiting Oslo, and you’ll be able to enjoy a cookie and a coffee from both 7-Eleven and Narvesen without paying! Great for when you are going for that free walk, am I right?
#2 Getting free things for the cinema
If you are anything like me, you enjoy going to the cinema. Norway is one of those countries that won’t dub English-speaking movies, so if you don’t mind ignoring the Norwegian subtitles, you can easily entertain yourself for a few hours in Oslo by going to the cinema!
If you are thinking of hitting the movies on an evening in Oslo, make sure to sign up to KinoPluss – the rewards program for all Oslo cinemas. This can be done online, and they actually give you points for signing up and a huge amount of bonus points for buying your first ticket.
Additionally, all members get a 10% discount on all tickets bought online.
If I remember correctly, the points you get through signing up and buying one ticket (just the first one, from then on the points are ‘regular’) is enough to buy another! So, if there’s two of you, buy your tickets online but separately, and voila! You’ve saved 120 NOK!
Another super important tip for cinema-goers: buy your sweets at a grocery store! The popcorn and sweets at the cinema are incredibly expensive, and not worth the points you get on your KinoPluss card.
#3 Cheaper Travel to/from the airport
Another tip is for those of you who are flying into Oslo’s main airport; Gardermoen. You’ll reach for the Airport Express (Norwegian: Flytoget) tickets immediately, but what if I tell you that it is possible to get into the centre of Oslo for half the price?
Vy (Norway’s public trains) has routes going from Gardermoen to Oslo and back on a regular basis. Not as frequent as Flytoget, but still twice or three times an hour! So make sure you buy your tickets on one of the counters/booths labelled #Ruter or Vy, and not Airport Express/Flytoget.
I may also inform you now that #Ruter is Oslo’s public transport company, and that you can get a ticket for Zone 1 (central Oslo) right at the airport. Get either a 24-hour or a 7-day ticket, depending on the length of your stay.
Gardermoen is in Zone 4, but once you have the Zone 1 ticket, all you have to do is buy a one-time additional ticket for the remaining 3 zones! It is so clever, because the system actually recognizes that you have already paid to travel through Zone 1, and won’t make you spend money on doing that again. You can also buy your tickets on the free #Ruter app!
#4 Consider Public Transportation vs Walking
Now that I have mentioned #Ruter and their app, I also want to point out how walkable Oslo is. Most places of interest can be reached by foot, and the ones I have mentioned above (the Palace, the Parliament and even the Akerselva River walk) are all within walking distance from each other.
So check the map before you buy your transportation ticket, to make sure you really need it before you buy it.
#5 Do a Self-Guided Walking Tour
I love these wherever I go, and recently went on one on my trip to Tenerife.
Basically, you can save a lot of money by skipping the hop on hop off bus and the expensive food tour, by downloading a self-guided walking tour to your phone!
As the biggest city in Norway, Oslo actually has several to choose from, and they all cost less than $10. That works out even cheaper if you are travelling with other people, as you only need one phone and one download for it to work.
Browse Oslo’s self guided walking tours below. My personal favorite is the Classic Oslo walking tour.
Activities in Oslo for less than $20
The walking tours above are, as mentioned, less than $10 no matter how big your group is. That’s pretty affordable, and perfect for anyone not wanting to spend too much money when visiting Oslo.
However, you can’t get around the fact that Oslo is expensive. Therefore, I have rounded up some of the more affordable activities in the city below – all for less than $20!
Viking-themed Outdoor Escape Game ($11)
This outdoor escape game is perfect for anyone visiting Oslo with children, or anyone who is a fan of the famous Norwegian vikings and Nordic symbolism/mythology. At just over $10, it works similarly to a self-guided walking tour, where you download the game to your phone and start playing!
The Kon-Tiki Museum ($12)
The Kon-Tiki Museum is one of the must-visit museums in Oslo. Dedicated to Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdal and his famous vessel, the Kon-Tiki. Heyerdal gained worldwide fame for his incredible expeditions, most notably the Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947 – hence the name of the museum.
The Fram Museum ($12)
Another great museum is the Fram Museum. It is dedicated the incredible story of the polar exploration ship, Fram, and its daring expeditions to both the Arctic and the Antarctic. “Fram” literally means forward in Norwegian. With its interactive exhibits and captivating displays, the Fram Museum offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of polar exploration.
2,5-hour walking tour of the city ($19)
For just under $20 you can join a 2,5-hour walking tour of Oslo, covering the main highlights of the city. If you are thinking of doing this, I recommend booking it for your first day in the city – just to get a lay of the land. That way, you might not need to pay for public transportation for the rest of your trip, as you’ll know where everything is. As mentioned, walking around Oslo is super easy.
So there you have it; how to visit Oslo on a budget! I hope you have found some of these tips helpful!
9 comments
Love this! Love Norwegian too! Always had great experience with them! 🙂
Lloyd & Yaya xx
I’m so glad! Loads of people seem negative as it’s low fare, but it’s nowhere near some of the ‘really’ low fare airlines, haha 🙂 Thanks, guys! x
Exactly, honestly it’s one of our favourite airlines in Europe. Really comfortable flights, low fares and we’ve never had a delay. That’s perfect for us… Plus they have a pretty large base in London Gatwick airport… BONUS! 😉
xx
Completely agree! And they were the first airline in Europe to offer free Wi-Fi on the plane 🙂 agreed, Gatwick is my favourite London airport! Xx
Exactly!!! Can you imagine other low cost carriers doing that! xx
Nope, not at all! Imagine anything free With RyanAir, haha! xx
Oslo seems like a really cool city. Great post:)
Thank you! Oslo is a great city, but unfortunately very expensive.
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