Best places to visit in Norway in 2026

Norway at a glance

1. Oslo — better than its reputation, and check what is open

Oslo has quietly rebuilt its museum quarter. The new Munch Museum (280 NOK) holds versions of The Scream and far more besides; the Fram Museum (180 NOK) puts you inside the actual ship that carried Nansen and Amundsen into the ice; Holmenkollen (185 NOK) is the ski jump with a museum and a view over the whole fjord.

One thing to plan around: **the Viking Ship Museum is closed**, under full reconstruction as the Museum of the Viking Age, with no confirmed reopening date. Older guidebooks still list it as Oslo’s headline attraction. Vigeland Sculpture Park, the Opera House roof and Akershus grounds are all free.

• Best for: museums, the fjord on the doorstep, a comfortable start or end to a Norway trip.
• Less ideal if: you came for landscape — that is west and north of here.

• Oslo — things to do and 2026 prices

2–5. Bergen, Tromsø, Stavanger and Trondheim

Bergen is the fjord capital: the Bryggen wharf’s wooden trading houses are UNESCO-listed, the funicular gets you above the rain, and the Sognefjord and Hardangerfjord both start here. Tromsø is 350 km inside the Arctic Circle and the best-connected place in Europe for northern lights and midnight sun. Stavanger is the base for Preikestolen — the Pulpit Rock hike, free and about four hours return, is the most photographed thing in Norway. Trondheim has Nidaros, the northernmost medieval cathedral in the world, and a young city around it.

• Bergen
• Tromsø
• Stavanger
• Trondheim

FAQ

Is the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo open?

No. It is closed for a full rebuild into the Museum of the Viking Age. The Oseberg and Gokstad ships remain on the site but there is no public access, and no reopening date has been confirmed — a target of around 2027 has been discussed. Plan Oslo without it.

What is the best way to see the Norwegian fjords?

The Oslo–Bergen railway, then a fjord cruise from Bergen or the Flåm branch line. Doing it as a rail-and-boat combination rather than driving means you spend the time looking out of the window instead of at the road, and the trains run year-round.

Does Norway use the euro?

No — the currency is the Norwegian krone (NOK), and Norway is not in the EU. Card payment works essentially everywhere, including on ferries and in mountain huts.

Is Norway expensive?

Yes, notably so for food, alcohol and transport. Attractions are more reasonable than you would expect, and the best of the country — the Pulpit Rock hike, Vigeland park, the fjord views — is free. Self-catering and a rail pass are where the savings actually are.