The 7 Historical Tours in Oslo That Earn Their Price

1.Historic Myths & Legends Evening Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 408 reviews · 2 hours · from $42Our pick

Start by Oslo City Hall with an English-speaking guide such as Maria or Anastasia, then walk to Christiania Torv, Akershus Fortress, and Bankplassen. Expect Norse myths, trolls, nisse, huldra, Viking beliefs, prison stories, old punishments, and famous thefts. It is educational, lightly spooky, and best for confident walkers aged 13 and up.

“Very lovely guide. She showed us many sides of Oslo . Recommend it as an intro to the area. Lots of little stories about myths and legends too”

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2.History, Art and Secrets Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 62 reviews · from $41

Walk central Oslo with a local guide such as Anders, Radu, Magnus, Luis, or Michael. In 3 to 4 hours, you’ll visit the Royal Palace, Aker Brygge, City Hall, Karl Johans Street, Akershus Fortress, the Opera House, and the Munch Museum. Expect stories, viewpoints, photo stops, and practical food tips.

“I had so much fun with this tour!!! Thank you Anders!!! I learnt a lot in less than 3 hours!!!!”

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3.Oslo City Walks – Historic River Walk

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 31 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $53Top rated

Follow a guide from Oslo Visitor Center along the Akerselva River, Oslo’s former industrial artery and present-day green corridor. You’ll hear how factories became cafés and galleries, pause at Mathallen food hall, then finish by the waterfall at Beierbrua. The two-hour walk is in English and limited to 20 people.

“A short and very nice walk along the river while learning about Oslos industrial past and how the buildings have been transformed for today’s modern life.”

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4.A Well Balanced History and Food Tour with Focus on the Scandinavian Kitchen

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 29 reviews · 3 hours (approx.)

Join a local guide such as Tanya-Lisa for a three-hour walk through central Oslo, pairing Norwegian history with food stops. You’ll see the Opera House, Aker Brygge, City Hall and Akershus Fortress, then sample foods such as salmon, fish soup, meats and local beer. Tastings cost extra, and Sunday options are limited.

“The tour was moderately interesting but we had hoped to get a little more history with the walking tour. Although we didn’t love the food, I do believe we got a small sampling of authentic Norwegian cuisine. However it wasn’t nearly as expansive as the advertisement would lead one to believe. We had several tastes of smoked salmon, some mackerel and lamb sausage, and a chicken sausage from what felt like a 7-11 type venue. While our guide was very personable, we had hoped to get a broader historical overview of the area. The guide pointed out a lot of places that we “should visit,” but didn’t give us much…”

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5.Jewish Heritage Tour in Oslo

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · 2 hours (approx.)

Join Rami Kafarov for a private, English-language walk through Oslo’s Jewish past and present. Over two hours, you’ll visit central landmarks, hear about Jewish life during the 1940 to 1945 occupation, and finish near Norway’s first synagogue. A synagogue visit may not always be possible.

“We had a wonderful tour with Rami! He customized our tour to fit our needs and interests and gave such a nicely balanced history of Norway for our first visit. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone interested!”

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6.Downtown Oslo: Self-Guided Highlights and History Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 10 reviews · 40 minutes (approx.) · from $9Best value

Use the VoiceMap app to walk independently from Rådhusplassen through central Oslo, hearing English commentary on Aker Brygge, the Nobel Peace Center, the Royal Palace park, Karl Johan Avenue, and Østbanehallen. You get offline audio, maps, and lifetime access, but you must provide your own smartphone and pay separately for any museum entry.

“The best part was turning of your completely out of date information and just walking and reading the signs. Waste of time and money.”

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7.Oslo City Walks: Historic River Walk

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 2 hours · from $52

Join an authorized Oslo guide at Oslo S for a two-hour walk beside Akerselva. You’ll pass Grønland, Beier Bridge waterfall, Fairytale Bridge, leafy river paths, and Mathallen food hall while learning how a polluted industrial river became a living part of modern Oslo. English and Norwegian tours start at 14:00.

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