Oslo, Norway
Different than the rest of Norway—known for spectacular nature views—Oslo has the feel of a fun and cultured city coming to life.
The Grunerlokka neighborhood is the “hip” area filled with walkable streets lined with cafes & shops. There is a concentration of stylish and delicious coffee destinations that will delight the senses.
Running through the city, the Akerselva provides green space and plenty of walking paths to enjoy.
With everything from cool food halls to fine dining restaurants serving fresh takes on Norwegian cuisine, the food scene is small but surprisingly impressive.
Cozy bars serving wine and gin summon you with their warm light as evening and cold sets in.
A reflection of the modern and urban side of the city, the Opera House is a stark and dramatic structure on the water waiting to be explored up-close on foot.
Oslo may be small, but it is mighty and filled with a sense of reinvention.
STAY
Air Bnb - Our AirBnb was beautiful, well furnished and in a great location!
Grunerlokka Neighborhood - Our neighborhood was very cute, easy to walk around with lots of shops and restaurants.
COFFEE, TEA & JUICE
Tim Wendelboe - Incredible coffee, great little cozy spot
Supreme Roastworks - More incredible coffee, more seated room
Solberg & Hansen - Great coffee, beautiful packaging.
FOOD
Drivhuset Deli - healthy little cafe downstairs from our AirBnb. The owner and employees are so nice and helpful and their food was delish! Great spot to get fresh veggie juices.
Mathallen - Big warehouse food hall full of different vendors and common seating area.
Noodles Vulkan - Our fave food vendor in Mathallen--tasty noodle bowls!
Funky Fresh Foods - A vegan cafe in a cool architectural firm building.
Arakataka - incredible dinner spot focusing on creative expressions of Norwegian fare.
DRINKS
Bortenfor - Awesome little bar along the river. Great cozy vibes and tasty drinks.
Territoriet - Small bar serving wine and gin (they have a gin & tonic menu!). Great spot to stop in for a drink.
Himkok - Gin & Vodka distillery serving up creative renditions with their booze. We got a tour of the massive space from our super nice bar tender.
ACTIVITIES
Opera House - The design of this building is beautiful and fun to run around on.
Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art - Super interesting building and location with rotating modern art exhibits.
Aker Brygge - Great little neighborhood on the water with shops, restaurants, and fancy new build housing.
Akerselva - The river that flows through Oslo. Has nice walking paths and parks along it in the Grunerlokka area.
JOY Yoga - Hot yoga studio that was kind enough to teach our class in english.
TRAVEL
DFDS Seaways - We took an overnight ferry from Oslo to Copenhagen, and while it felt a little cruise-y (old people, dated boat), it was still really fun to sip champagne as we cruised through the islands off of the coast of Oslo.
From the airport: take the express train to City Central, trams from there are easy
Bold - Highly Recommend