Is the Oslo Pass Worth It? An Honest Review of the Oslo Card / Oslo City Pass. Details About the Oslo Pass Cost, Plus Details of How We Saved $146 with the Oslo Pass.
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We have a love-hate relationship with city cards. Sometimes, they are a no brainer, and seem to be actually aimed at providing great value, and saving visitors money. The Berlin Welcome Card and the Copenhagen Card are two examples of great city cards!
But often, we just end up shaking our heads at the sheer gaul of the tourism board or city (or, sometimes, private business) that put it all together…frequently, they honestly come across as money grabs rather than services.
When we were planning our recent trip to Norway, which included 12 days in Oslo, we were definitely concerned about cost. Norway is painfully expensive, and we wanted to minimize the damage as much as possible. So of course we looked at the Oslo Card as an option.
Assuming other people will also have this question at some point, we figured we’d put together an honest review, and try to answer the question…
Is The Oslo Pass Worth It?
Oslo Pass Review – Table of Contents:
- What is the Oslo Card? An overview of the Oslo Pass program, and the different options available for Oslo visitors.
- What is included in the Oslo Pass? Details about what’s included if you buy an Oslo Pass.
- What is NOT included in the Oslo Pass? A list of museums and attractions that aren’t included in the pass.
- How much money did we save with the Oslo Pass? Details of our own Oslo sightseeing experience, and how much we saved with the Oslo Pass.
- How much is the Oslo Pass? Oslo Card prices for adults and concessions, for 24, 48, and 72 hour cards.
- Where can you buy the Oslo Pass? Details about where you can buy the Oslo Pass, including online options.
- Is the Oslo Pass Worth It? Our conclusion
Already Convinced? You can buy the Oslo Card via Get Your Guide
What is the Oslo Card?
An introduction to the Oslo Pass program
The Oslo Pass is the city’s answer to an Oslo city card / Oslo museum pass, allowing visitors to pay one flat price for the pass, that then gives access to some of the most popular attractions and most relevant services (i.e. public transport) around the city for free (or at the very least at a discounted rate).
The Oslo Pass comes in either 24/48/72 hour options, depending on how long you plan to stay in Oslo for. They are available as either physical cards or through the Oslo Pass app.
What is included in the Oslo Card?
A list of benefits included in Oslo Pass program
As with any city card program, the devil is in the details with the Oslo pass. Happily, the pass includes FREE access to most of the most popular tourist attractions in Oslo – almost all of the places you’ll actually want to go are included in the pass. It also includes free public transportation, as well as discounts on other tours.
Note, the table below only includes museums that have an entry fee. If it’s free anyway, you don’t really get a discount with the Oslo Card, so I haven’t included it.
Also worth noting, at the time of writing 100 NOK is around $13 US or €11.
| FREE Museum Entries Oslo Pass | SAVINGS PER ADULT (NOK) | SIGHTSEEING & RESTAURANT BENEFITS | SAVINGS PER ADULT (NOK) |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Gallery | 100 | TusenFryd Amusement Park | 20% Discount |
| Museum of Architecture | 50 | The Scotsman Pub | 20% Discount on Food |
| Munch Museum | 100 | Rorbua | 20% Discount on Food |
| Maritime Museum | 100 | Kaffistova | 20% Discount on Food |
| Holmenkollen Ski Museum & Tower | 130 | Hop-on-Hop-off City Cruise | Free with 72-hour Pass (215 savings) / Discounted with 24/48-hour Pass (32 Savings) |
| Kon-Tiki Musuem | 100 | Hard Rock Cafe Oslo | 20% Discount on Food |
| Astrup Fearnley Museum | 120 | Free Walking Tour: Oslo Promenade (Summer Only) | 200 |
| Henie Onstad Kunstsenter | 100 | Free Walking Tour: Historic River Walk (Sundays) | 200 |
| Fram Museum | 100 | Free Walking Tour: City of Contrasts (Mondays) | 200 |
| Akershus Castle | 100 | Free Public Transort (Zones A and B) | 90 (24 hour pass) |
| Historical Museum | 100 | Discounted Walking Tour: Discover the Charming Westside of Oslo | 100 Discount |
| Holocaust Center | 50 | Discounted Viking Biking (Apr. to Oct.) | 145 (DISCOUNTED - Oslo Highlights Tour - other discounts available) |
| Ibsen Museum | 115 | Discounted Båtservice Sightseeing Cruises | 15% Discount |
| Jewish Museum | 50 | Café Christiania | 20% Discount on Food |
| International Museum of Children's Art | 75 | Brasserie Paleo | 20% Discount on Food |
| Natural History Museum | 80 | ||
| Nobel Peace Center | 100 | ||
| Viking Ship Museum | 100 | ||
| Popsenteret | 100 | ||
| Reptile Park | 115 | ||
| Resistance Museum | 60 | ||
| Science & Technology Museum | 150 | ||
| Vigeland Museum | 60 | ||
| Norwegian Folk Museum | 130 |
What is NOT included in the Oslo Card?
Not everything is included in the Oslo Pass – here’s a few of the attractions and sites you’ll still have to pay for, if you want to visit!
Overall, the Oslo Card is pretty darn good – most of the things you’ll probably want to see and do in Oslo are included in the pass.
However, it’s not perfect. In my opinion, the main thing that’s missing from the Oslo Pass is the Guided Tour of the Royal Palace (135 NOK). There are also some more obscure/niche museums and attractions that are excluded from the Oslo Pass.
- Blaafarveværket: Museums and cultural space located on a former cobalt mining site.
- Holmenkollen zipline: We would have loved to try this, but at 730NOK, it’s not cheap.Unfortunately, there are no discounts included in the Oslo Pass.
- Armed Forces Aircraft Museum: A collection of 40 planes and helicopters from the Norwegian military, with the oldest dating back more than 100 years.
- Oslo Opera House Performances: The Opera House is free to enter, and of course you can walk around on the rooftop without opening your wallet, but if you want to see a performance, be prepared to pay. The cheapest option is a standing room ticket for 100 NOK. I’d love to see a discount of some sort with the Oslo Card, even if it’s just for a drink at the bar during intermission!
- Exhibitions at the Botanical Garden: Admission to the Botanical Garden is free, but you’ll have to pay 80 NOK if you want to check out the exhibitions.
- Emanuel Vigeland Museum: The mausoleum of sculptor Gustav Vigeland’s brother.
- Frogner Manor House: Only open for tours in the summer, the Manor House in Frogner Park costs 60 NOK to visit.
- Norwegian Museum of Magic: Only open on Sundays, the museum is 70 NOK for adults.
- Royal Summer Palace / Oscarshall: Neo-Gothic palace on the Bygdøy peninsula, only open in summers. 70 NOK to visit.
- Oslo Transport Museum: Vintage trams and buses. 40 NOK entrance for adults.
- The Mini Bottle Gallery: The world’s largest collection of miniature bottles (53,000 of them!). 85 NOK for adults.
- Ice Skating Museum: Focused on speed skating; 20 NOK to enter.
- Tjuvholmen Lookout Tower (The Sneak Peak): 20 NOK to go up and enjoy the views!
How much money did we save with the Oslo Pass?
A summary of our own Oslo sightseeing, and how much we saved with the Oslo Pass.
We spent 12 days in Oslo and had a 72-hour Oslo Pass each to use when visiting paid attractions around the city. We planned our first day of sightseeing really well to hit up museums in close proximity to one another. On our second and third days, we weren’t quite as organized, but still managed to pack in a lot!
Here’s what we used our Oslo Cards for each day, and how much we saved per adult.
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norwegian Folk Museum: 130 | Boat trip around Oslo Fjord on the public ferries | Nobel Peace Center: 100 | |
| Viking Ship Museum: 100 | Munch Museum: 100 | Astrup Fearnley Museum: 120 | |
| Kon-Tiki Museum: 100 | National Gallery: 100 | Vigeland Sculpture Park: Free | |
| Fram Museum: 100 | Ski Jump and Ski Museum: 130 | ||
| Private ferry from the Bygdøy peninsula back to downtown (60 NOK) | |||
| TOTAL SAVINGS PER ADULT (including public transit savings) | 580 NOK (About $75 US / €63 at time of writing) | 420 NOK (About $54 US / €45 at time of writing) | 310 NOK (About $40 US / €34 at time of writing) |
Without the Oslo Pass, the above itinerary would have cost us 1310 NOK. With the 72-hour Oslo Pass, the total cost for the above activities was the cost of the pass: 745 NOK.
How much is the Oslo Pass?
Oslo Card price options for adults and concession, and different lengths of stay
The cost of your Oslo Pass depends on how long you need to use it for, and whether you’re paying full-price or a discounted rate. The official prices are listed below, with approximate currency conversations based on exchange rates at the time of writing.
Oslo Pass for Adults
24 hours: 395 NOK (~$51 US / 43 EUR)
48 hours: 595 NOK (~$77 US / 64 EUR)
72 hours: 745 NOK (~$96 US / 80 EUR)
Oslo Pass for Children Ages 4 to 15
24 hours: 210 NOK (~$27 US / 23 EUR)
48 hours: 295 NOK (~$38 US / 32 EUR)
72 hours: 370 NOK (~$48 US / 40 EUR)
Oslo Pass for Seniors (67 & Up)
24 hours: 315 NOK (~$41 US / 34 EUR)
48 hours: 475 NOK (~$61 US / 51 EUR)
72 hours: 595 NOK (~$77 US / 64 EUR)
Where can you buy the Oslo Pass?
Options for purchasing your Oslo Pass
You can order your Oslo Card ahead of time via Get Your Guide, and then pick it up at the Oslo Visitors Centre at Central Station. Doing it this way, you’ll pay a small surcharge of between 5 and 10 NOK (approximately) for the convenience – less than $1.50 US.
If you’d prefer to wait, you can purchase the card at the Visitors Centre on arrival.
You can also purchase via the Oslo OsloPass app. Note, if you go with this option, you’ll be required to use mobile data for the app to work, and you’ll have to ensure your battery doesn’t die. We both have battery charging cases for our phones, plus an additional external battery for emergencies, which allowed us to keep our phones charged during our Oslo explorations! We also buy local SIM cards as we have unlocked phones, which makes using mobile data fairly painless. If you don’t have extra battery power or mobile data, we’d suggest you use the physical card, rather than the mobile app.
Based on our own experiences and the information we gathered during this Oslo City Pass Review, we think the Oslo Pass is worth it for anyone who plans to visit the top museums in Oslo.
While You’re Here…
Read More About Norway & Plan Your Trip with These Links
- See all our Norway content on our Norway Home Page! If you’re heading to Denmark, Finland, or Sweden next, we have some great stuff about those countries, too :)
- Highlights from Oslo: What We Loved About Norway’s Capital — In our opinion, Oslo is underrated and under appreciated as a destination to visit in Norway. In this post, we break down what we did, and why we think people should spend more time in Oslo.
- 7 Random Reasons to Fall in Love with Oslo — We took the Free Oslo Walking Tour while in the capital, and discovered some quirky facts about Oslo and Norway that endeared us even further to both. Check out what we learned before your own trip!
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