The 15 Best Historical Tours in Norway

1.Reindeer Camp and Sami Cultural Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 3,326 reviews · 4 hours · from $141Our pick

Travel about 35 to 40 minutes from Tromsø to a Sami reindeer camp, where you feed a herd of roughly 250 to 300 animals, warm up with hot drinks and stew, and hear traditional stories and joik singing. Guides such as Inga, Daniel, and Johannes have led especially engaging cultural talks.

“Absolutely wonderful experience with beautiful animals and warm friends guides. Sami culturally talk was very informative and interesting and the food was also excellent.”

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2.Historic Myths & Legends Evening Walking Tour

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

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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3.Fjord History Cruise with Snack and Drinks

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 364 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $156

Sail Tromsø Sound and nearby fjords aboard Hermes II, a restored 1917 vessel. Norwegian and English-speaking hosts share the boat’s past and local coastal stories while you watch for eagles, seals, reindeer, and seabirds. Warm fish cake, hot drinks, blankets, thermal suits, heated salons, and captain’s-cabin access make this a comfortable 2.5-hour outing.

“really good trip, great guides, easy location on the port, good chance to see some wildlife while at sea and learn about the Norwegian marine culture. Food was good and refreshments are available.”

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4.Sightseeing Cruise of Bergen’s Historic Landmarks

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 194 reviews · from $28

Set out from central Bergen aboard the 92-seat Eric the Red for a one-hour harbor cruise with English commentary. You will pass Bergenhus Fortress, Bryggen, Skuteviken, Sandviken, Nordnes, and the U-Boot Bunker Bruno. Choose the outdoor deck or panoramic lounge, with drinks and snacks available onboard.

“A very informative and relaxing mini-cruise around Bergen Harbour. Lovely to see the city from the perspective of the water.”

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5.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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6.Fjord & History Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 62 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $149Top rated

Sail Tromsø’s harbor and nearby islands aboard Hermes II, a beautifully restored 108-year-old wooden boat. An English-speaking crew shares the vessel’s story and points out local sights, including the Arctic Cathedral and Tromsø Bridge. The 2.5-hour cruise has room for 18 people, hot drinks, snacks, and thermal suits for cold weather.

“Stunning views of the fjords! The ship was wonderful and has a great story. Friendly and helpful crew. Would have loved more history, and still enjoyed the experience very much.”

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7.1 Hour Photo & History Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 57 reviews · 1 hour · from $93

Spend one hour aboard Hermes II, a restored 1917 wooden boat, with English or Norwegian hosts, warm drinks, blankets, and a heated lounge. See Tromsø from the water, including Fjellheisen, Polaria, surrounding mountains, and Tromsø Bridge. The crew shares the boat’s working history and may let children try the wheel.

“There had originally been an error with this booking but was quickly sorted out and placed onto another, it turned out absolutely brilliant. My son and I had a great time and the guides were brilliant. We will definitely book again when we come back.”

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8.Oslo City Walks – Historic River Walk

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

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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9.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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10.The Tromsø Food Walk, Taste your way through local history

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 23 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $166

Start at 11:30 by Tromsø’s Arctic Hunter monument and walk through the city with a guide such as David or Daniel. Taste local fish, Norwegian snacks, meats, cheeses, and other regional foods before finishing with a full lunch in a private dining room. The English tour lasts about three hours and is limited to 12 people.

“This is one of the best food tours I have ever taken! It was a wonderful experience to sample so many foods from the region. Daniel does an outstanding job engaging the foodies. I loved it!”

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11.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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12.Svolvær and Henningsvær Sightseeing and History Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 15 reviews · from $121

Travel in a small group of up to eight with an English-speaking photographer guide, including Dave, through Svinøya, Kabelvåg, Henningsvær, and Gimsøy. Expect fishing lore, Viking and WWII stories, dramatic Arctic scenery, photo stops, and free time for lunch or coffee in Henningsvær.

“It was a very good experience to learn some history of the lofoten fishermen life. All stop points got beautiful scenary, views from bunker, beach, n viewpoints top looking at the ocean and town. We saw big stockfish hung for drying. Our guide is mr Dave and he showed us the lovely scenary. we highly recommended this tour. thank you, Dave.”

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13.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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14.Trondheim’s Regalia Self-Guided Tour of Norway’s Historic Centre

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $9

Use your phone as a private guide on this one-hour Trondheim walk, beginning at Clarion Hotel Trondheim and ending at Kristiansten Fortress. Audio stories lead you past Rockheim, the Nidelva River, Stiftsgården, Nidaros Cathedral, Bakklandet, and more. Download the tour before you go, then pause, detour, and replay it at your own pace.

“I especially appreciated the transcript to clarify what I hear when the guide’s accent came through.”

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15.History Fjordcruise Around The Isle Of Tromso – Luxury Catamaran

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $140

Leave central Tromsø at 2 pm aboard a luxury catamaran for a two-hour cruise around Tromsøya and toward Kvaløya. Captain Håken combines local history with sailing, while you enjoy hot drinks, snacks, a heated cabin, toilet, safety briefing, and outdoor viewing areas. The boat carries no more than 12 people and returns to Kaigata 3.

“A thoroughly enjoyable experience. The boat was well equipped and comfortable. We were provided with hot drinks and snacks. There was a heated indoor seating area with a toilet. There was plenty of opportunity to go outside on the boat to soak up the sea breeze and get a better view of the interesting scenery. We were even able to sit in the helm to enjoy the outside views when it rained. The boat was equipped with plenty of safety features, and we were given a thorough safety briefing before setting off. Our guide was very knowledgeable about Tromsø, local history, sailing and travel as a whole. He was incredibly…”

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