Oslo: My Favorite Scandinavian Capital by Far

Every single time our Royal Caribbean ship sails up the stunning Oslofjord past tiny islands, red wooden cabins, and the occasional sauna on a rock, I feel like I'm entering the most beautiful capital city approach on earth. Oslo has become a regular on Northern Europe and Norway-intensive itineraries, and cruisers consistently rank it in the top 3 Scandinavian ports (4.8–5.0 average 2023–2025).

My perfect day starts the second we dock: I'm off the ship and on the 8-minute ferry across to Bygdøy peninsula, where history comes alive in the most unexpected ways. The Viking Ship Museum houses the world's two best-preserved Viking vessels — the Oseberg and Gokstad ships — though I should mention it's closed for renovation until 2027, when it will reopen as the Museum of the Viking Age. The Oseberg ship is the crown jewel: built around 820 AD, it became a burial ship in the autumn of 834 AD, possibly for Queen Åsa of the Yngling clan. The excavation revealed not just the ship but an entire world frozen in time — fourteen horses, an ox, three dogs, and some of the finest Viking artifacts ever discovered. When I stand before it, I'm not just looking at wood and iron; I'm standing before the funeral vessel of a Norse queen who ruled over a thousand years ago, whose people believed this ship would carry her to the afterlife. These remarkable longships were discovered in the Oslo fjord in the late 19th century, almost completely intact because the blue clay mud sealed them away from oxygen for over eleven centuries. On the same peninsula, the Fram polar exploration ship — the vessel that sailed furthest north and south in history — sits alongside Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki raft, and I always linger longer than I plan.

Back in the city center, the new Munch Museum is non-negotiable — this towering waterfront building houses over 28,000 pieces by Edvard Munch, including multiple versions of The Scream, and the upper-floor windows frame the Oslo Fjord in a way that makes you understand why Munch painted the way he did. But it's the Oslo Opera House that truly takes my breath away every single visit. This modern theatre rises from the fjord like a glacier of white marble and glass, and you can walk right up the sloping roof to stand above the water — it's one of those rare architectural experiences that feels both monumental and intimate, as if the entire city invited you to climb onto its shoulder and look out to sea. For lunch, I always head to Mathallen food hall for salmon and brown cheese waffles, then catch tram 12 out to Vigeland Sculpture Park, the world's largest sculpture park created by a single artist. Gustav Vigeland's over 200 works in bronze, granite, and forged iron aren't just statues — they're a meditation on the entire circle of human life, capturing every emotion from bliss to despair in stone. The famous Monolith with its 121 writhing figures always leaves me standing there longer than I expect, contemplating something I can't quite name.

If I have time before all-aboard, I wander up to Akershus Fortress, the 13th-century stone stronghold that once served as a royal residence and now houses military museums and the most stunning golden-hour views over the harbor. On warmer days, I've taken Oslo fjord boat tours or rented a kayak to see the city from the water — gliding past the Opera House and modern waterfront from sea level gives you a Viking's-eye view of this seafaring capital. If you're feeling adventurous and have a full day, the Holmenkollen Ski Jump towers above the city with magnificent views that stretch across forests and fjord; the museum there traces Norway's deep connection to skiing back centuries. The Aker Brygge waterfront is perfect for craft beer and people-watching as the northern light shifts across the water.

Oslo feels modern, green, wealthy, and totally relaxed — the perfect blend of nature and culture, where thousand-year-old history sits comfortably beside cutting-edge architecture, and where the fjord is never more than a few minutes' walk away.