24 Hours in Oslo: Waffles, Waterfronts, and Wonderful Architecture

I had just 24 hours in Oslo. I had no grand itinerary, and wasn’t going to attempt to see everything. I just wanted a day to walk, eat, and discover as much of Norway’s capital as possible.

Getting There

Oslo is the main transport hub of Norway. You can arrive there by boat, plane, train, and bus. On this particular journey, I made my way to Oslo from Flåm via the Flåmsbana and the Bergen Line. At the start of my tour of Norway, I arrived overnight by boat from Copenhagen.

If arriving by train, Oslo Central Station is in right in the middle of the city, making it extremely convenient for reaching your accommodation or exploring the city for the day. And for those day trippers, luggage storage lockers are available at the station.

Oslo Central Station has connections to destinations across Norway and beyond, including trains to Oslo Airport. The station is located at Jernbanetorget, one of the city’s main public transport hubs. From there, you can hop on the metro from Jernbanetorget station, while Oslo Bus Terminal is only a short walk away. There are also tram and bus stops right outside the station.

Where I Stayed

Oslo is where my love affair with Bob W started.

Bob W (which stands for Best Of Both Worlds) is very tech-driven. Traditional reception and staff-heavy operations are replaced with an app-based mobile experience. Contact with Bob W staff is via WhatsApp, and they are very responsive. Whenever I’ve had to contact them, I usually received a response within 20 minutes. I understand this may not be for everyone, but for this socially anxious solo traveller, it was perfect. I’ve now stayed in about four Bob W’s and have never experienced any issues with their technology.

Check-in is contactless, using your smartphone as a digital key to access the building and your room. There is laundry room and luggage storage facilities (which you need a code to access), both free to use during your stay. You can access the luggage room from 5am on your check-in day until 11pm on check-out day.

I stayed in their Oslo Sentralen property (Kirkegata 30, 0153 Oslo), which was perfectly located for exploring central Oslo. The central station was only a five-minute walk away, and most attractions I visited were within a 20-minute walk. I typically find Bob W’s rates to be reasonable, and Oslo Sentraten was one of the cheapest properties I stayed at during my trip.

I booked a compact single room, which was exactly what it said on the tin: compact, with a single bed. The bathroom was small and clean, with a wonderful powerful rainfall shower. But for a two-night stay, when I was out all day exploring, it was perfect. My room was very Scandi minimalist, which I loved. Everything I needed to make my stay comfortable was included; Smart TV, toiletries, coffee-making facilities, and a hairdryer.

My experience with each Bob W has been different, so what is available in your room at one property may not be available at another. Now with that clear, my room came with a lovely welcome note and gift of a chocolate. There was also a cafetière with a packet of ground coffee and a fancy teapot with tea. I could also borrow a water bottle, Fujifilm Instax camera, and a tote bag during my stay. While you can’t keep the camera, you can keep the photos.

Exploring Olso

With only 24 hours in Oslo, and I had to make the most of my time. I knew I couldn’t fit everything in, but I wanted to see as much as I possibly could. I only had three must-dos on my list; waffles with brown cheese, the Opera House, and a bolle from BolleBar.

Upon pulling back the curtains and being greeted by sunny blue skies, I decided to walk along the harbour promenade, which would not only allow me to tick off my must-dos, but would take me past some of Oslo’s most iconic sights.

Eat Waffles Norwegian Style

Norwegians love their waffles! You’ll find them on menus in cafés and restaurants, and even served as part of breakfast at your hotel (much to my delight). Norwegian waffles are different from your typical American and Belgian waffles. They are thinner, softer, heart-shaped, and flavoured with cardamom

Waffles come with all types of toppings, savoury and sweet, but the classic Norwegian waffle topping combination is jam, sour cream, and brunost (brown cheese). Brunost is a sweet, caramel-like Norwegian whey cheese made by boiling down a mixture of whey, milk, and cream until the milk sugars caramelise.

To me, the combination didn’t sound too appetising, but Scandinavian food has never done me wrong. I brought my first Norwegian-style waffle at the Vaffelvogna food truck (Karl Johans gate 8) and I was immediately hooked. Brown cheese waffles were firmly part of my holiday staple diet from that point onwards.

The Royal Palace and Park

This was a lovely way to start my day; a walk through the Royal Park with a coffee in hand, clearly away the cobwebs from the previous day’s travel.

The Royal Palace is only open to the public for around two months of the year, from late June to mid-August, and tickets sell quickly. I was there in late August, so sadly missed out on visiting inside of the palace. The Changing of the Guard takes place daily at 1:30pm and is free to watch.

The beautiful Slottsparken which surrounds the Royal Palace, is free and open to everyone year-round. A gentle uphill walk from the National Theatre to the palace brings you into a 22-hectare park populated with oak, lime, and chestnut trees, colourful flower beds, ponds, majestic fountains, and statues of important figures from Norwegian history.

My favourite area was Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s Sculpture Park. The sculptures are based on drawings made by Norwegian schoolchildren, by what initially drew my attention was its entrance; a beautiful, vibrant rainbow created by Emile Forsmo Bratberg and Kaisa Øksdahl. The park was designed for children to enjoy, but I’m a big kid at heart, so it was the perfect place for me.

Oslo City Hall (Rådhuset)

Overlooking the harbour, this striking red-brick building is home to Oslo’s city council and, more excitingly, the annual Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. Built between 1931 and 1950, with construction interrupted by World War II, it was designed by Norwegian architects Arnstein Arneberg and Magnus Poulsson. The eastern of its two towers has a carillon of 49 bells, the largest in the Nordic region.

Inside and out, Rådhuset tells a story of Norwegian history and culture through art. The exterior is covered with sculptures and reliefs, while the rather stark brick façade hides a surprisingly colourful interior. In the main hall you’ll find Alf Rolfsen’s enormous fresco depicting Norwegian history and everyday life, while works by artists including Edvard Munch and Henik Sørensen can be found elsewhere inside.

There are free tours of the City Hall during July and August. Beyond that, City Hall is normally open to visitors every day between 9am and 4pm. It does close to the public when special events are taking place, and even during normal opening hours, access to certain rooms may be restricted.

You do need to go through security before entering, so allow extra time for your visit. I decided not to venture inside for that reason. I was on a mission to see as much of Oslo as I possibly could in one day!

Explore Aker Brygge

From Rådhuset, I made my way to the Aker Brygge, stopping at the now-closed Bolle Bar for a bolle (bun) and coffee. I’m gutted that Bolle Bar has closed, it was definitely a place to add to your must-visit list.

You could easily spend a morning or afternoon exploring Aker Brygge, visiting the museums and art galleries, shopping, dining in one of the many restaurants, or even just strolling along the promenade.

For the museum and art lovers, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Here you’ll find the National Museum, Nobel Peace Centre, Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, and Tjuvholmen Sculpture Park.

Hunt Down Oslo’s Famous Bolle

Bolle is a sweet cardamom bun which can be traced to the Middle Ages. As time moved on and the trade routes expanded, bakers began experimenting with new flavours and fillings, which gives us the modern day bolle, which comes in all sorts of variations.

I sampled one of Oslo’s famous filled boller at BolleBar, which has now, sadly, closed permanently. It’s a shame, as their take on the traditional bolle was unique, with an array of fillings to try. Perhaps they’ll pop up somewhere else one day. I tried their passionfruit bolle, which was delicious.

I didn’t have the time to hunt down bolle from other bakeries, and I wish I had. There are plenty of alternatives in Oslo, including Åpent Bakeri (Inkognito Terrasse 1), Farine (Normannsgata 44), Kveitemjøl (Fjordalléen 10) or W B Samson (Karl Johans gt. 20). For something closer to the filled boller I tried at BolleBar, Baker Hansen (Stortingsgata 20) sell buns filled with vanilla cream.

Akershus Fortress

After indulging in a delicious bun and coffee, I decided to get some history in and take the 12-minute walk to Akershus Fortress, perched on a hill overlooking the Aker Brygge and the Oslofjord.

Akerhus Fortress was built to protect Oslo and provide a royal residence. Its location overlooking the Oslofjord was vital for military defence, as the majority of Norwegian commerce took place by the sea. It became a royal residence shortly after its completion around 1300, with King Håkon V gradually moving in, which also signalled Oslo taking over as the capital from Bergen.

Today, the fortress is still used as a military base and government centre but is open to the general public daily between 6am and 9pm. Entrance to the fortress grounds is free, but admission to the castle costs NOK 160 for an adult. This gives you access to the dungeons, grand halls still used today for official government business, medieval ruins, rooms which once hosted royalty, and the Royal Mausoleum (which I loved).

Also located within the grounds are the Armed Forces Museum and the Resistance Museum.

The fortress grounds offer amazing views across the fjord. I sat there for a good while, watching the boats come and go from the harbour. Where are my photos of this beautiful view and fortress? Long departed with the Great Delete of 2026, in their own mausoleum in the cloud.

I highly recommend a visit to the Akershus Fortress.

Visit One of Oslo’s Many Food Halls

One thing I love to do when travelling is to hunt down the local food halls. In Oslo, you’re spoilt for choice.

On my recommended list was Vippa, a lovely 15 minute walk along the waterfront from the fortress. Vippa is not only a food hall, but also cultural centre, hosting various event throughout the year. Alas, I arrived to discover that it only opens Thursday – Sunday.

Not to worry, just 10 minutes further along the waterfront is SALT. Like Vippa, SALT is also a cultural centre, with six different stages hosting cultural events every day. Unlike Vippa, SALT also has 12 different saunas. As of October 2026, SALT is temporarily closed by Oslo Council and it’s yet to be seen whether it will reopen. But if it does, visit!

For dinner I decided to explore Mathallen and Oslo Street Food. Mathallen is the ultimate foodie destination, with speciality shops, cafés, restaurants, and food-related events. It seemed to be popular with the after-work office crowd. I walked around and around, trying to find something which took my fancy, but amongst all the mouthwatering food stalls I couldn’t find anything vegetarian that called out to me. I did look lovingly at the sweet offerings at Cupcake & Pie Co and the Korean dishes at KornDoKKi, but I simply wasn’t feeling it.

I opted for Oslo Street Food, which had more of a relaxed street food vibe (hence the name, I suppose). Oslo’s largest food hall was once an indoor swimming pool. I was spoilt for choice, umming and ahhing between Hawaiian, Vietnamese, and Mexican. In the end, I chose tacos from La Mexicana, which were flavourful and delicious.

When I first arrived in Oslo, desperately in need of coffee and breakfast, I found myself in Østbanehallen, a food hall located inside the old railway hall attached to Oslo Central Station.

My breakfast was from Kanelsnurren, where fresh buns are baked on-site. Their coffee is made using beans roasted in their own roastery, which, I must say, resulted in the perfect cup of coffee.

Oslo Opera House

After a refreshing IPA from Stavanger craft brewery Lervig, I wandered further along the waterfront to the Opera House.

I was quite excited about the prospect of visiting the Opera House. Not only had everyone I spoken to prior to my trip said, “You must visit the Opera House”, but at the time I was working for the Royal Opera House in London and was excited to see how the two buildings compared.

The Oslo Opera House is home to the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet. Open in April 2008, the building was designed by architects Snøhetta to look as though it is arising from the waters of the Oslofjord; like a big iceberg. The roof was designed to be accessible to all, allowing the public to walk up from ground level and enjoy the surrounding beauty of the fjord and city.

As you enter the building (and you must entered the building, don’t just climb the roof!), you are greeted by a huge circular oak wall. Behind this wall are the performance halls. It is said that the woodwork has transformed the main stage into a large wooden instrument. I really wanted to go beyond these walls to experience how music would sound in this architectural marvel, but alas, I left it too late to purchase tickets, and all performances were sold out.

The Opera House isn’t just an opera house, it also an art gallery! There are eight arts projects located throughout the building, some of which are incorporated into the architecture itself. Metafoil by Pae White forms the stage curtain, while light installation The Other Wall by Olafur Eliasson forms part of the wardrobe area.

Which opera house do I prefer? The Oslo Opera House. Sorry, ROH, but compared to Oslo you’re a bit boring. Plus you did make me redundant, and Oslo had a roof for me to climb.

Have a Mooch Around MUNCH

I have to admit, I didn’t step inside this impressive art gallery. I had spent too much time roaming around fortresses and climbing opera house roofs, and by the time I reached MUNCH, it was about to close. As I always say, any excuse to return to a city.

MUNCH is spread across 13 floors, where you’ll find contemporary art, modernism, and performances, all interwoven with artworks by Munch himself. It’s home to the largest collection of Munch’s art in the world!

Edvard Munch bequeathed his entire estate to the City of Oslo, including 28,000 of his artworks. The original museum, located in Tøyen, was built especially to house Munch’s works and opened in 1963. In 2008, Oslo City Council decided in was time to move the museum to new premises.

The current building was designed by Spanish architectural firm Estudio Herreros and opened in 2021. Like its neighbour, the Opera House, the building was designed so visitors could not only discover the art within but also experience Oslo itself.

Reflections

There is so much more to do in Oslo than what I’ve written about in this post.

For me, Oslo was simply a stopover, a chance to refresh before I jumped back on a train, which is what this journey was all about! It wasn’t about the big cities. It was about seeing Norway through a train window, stopping at places which I wouldn’t typically consider.

But Oslo is more than a stopover city. It’s really is a beautiful city, and you need to give it more space and time. Walking around on a sunny Norwegian day was idyllic. I’d give anything to repeat that experience, but this time see a performance at the Opera House, explore more of the foodie scene (give Mathallen another chance), head inside MUNCH, visit Vigeland Sculpture Park, go beyond the harbour and explore the suburbs … and eat more bolle!

Oslo is already pencilled in for Christmas 2027. I’ve even checked if the Christmas Market is open on Christmas Day (it is!).

Don’t do what I did and speed through Oslo. Take your time and get to know the city.

Happy & safe travels

L x 🩴