Country guide · Norway
Best places to visit in Norway
3 destinations compared, so you can choose where to spend your time.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
For a first trip to Norway, start with Bergen: Hanseatic wharf houses, seven mountains and the gateway to the fjords. For beaches, look at Oslo and Tromsø. Bergen is the least expensive of the destinations in this guide.
Key facts
- Destinations in this guide
- 3
- Best months overall
- May–August
- Start with
- Bergen
- Least expensive here
- Bergen
3 places to visit in Norway
Best: May–August · 3 days
Bergen
Hanseatic wharf houses, seven mountains and the gateway to the fjords
Best: May–September · 3 days
Oslo
Fjord-side architecture, Munch and Viking-age history with forest on the doorstep
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Best: January–March and June–July · 4 days
Tromsø
Northern lights, polar nights, midnight sun and Arctic fjords
Compare the destinations
When to visit Norway
Across these destinations the most reliable months are May–August. Timing still varies by place: Bergen is best in May–August; Oslo is best in May–September; Tromsø is best in January–March and June–July.
Signature dishes across Norway
Events through the year in Norway
| Month | Events |
|---|---|
| January | Tromsø: Polar Night Half Marathon (usually early January) |
| February | Oslo: Winter school holiday week — Oslo-area families head to the slopes (usually late February); Tromsø: Sami Week, with reindeer racing on Storgata (usually early February, around 6 February) |
| March | Bergen: Borealis — experimental music festival (usually March); Oslo: Holmenkollen Ski Festival — World Cup ski jumping and cross-country races (usually early March) |
| April | Oslo: Easter holidays — shops close for several days and the city empties (March or April) |
| May | Bergen: Constitution Day parades (17 May); Oslo: Constitution Day — children's parades past the Royal Palace and national costume everywhere (17 May) |
| June | Bergen: Bergenfest music festival at Bergenhus Fortress (usually June); Oslo: Piknik i Parken music festival in Sofienberg Park (usually June) |
| July | Oslo: Fellesferie — Norway's main holiday period, when many local businesses slow down (July); Tromsø: Bukta — open-air music festival at Telegrafbukta (usually July) |
| August | Oslo: Øya Festival — large music festival in Tøyen Park (usually August) |
| September | Bergen: Bergen Food Festival (usually early September); Oslo: Oslo Marathon (usually September) |
| October | Tromsø: Insomnia — electronic music festival (usually October) |
| November | Bergen: Pepperkakebyen — a town built of gingerbread by local children (usually mid-November to late December); Oslo: Christmas in Winterland market at Spikersuppa, beside Karl Johans gate (usually from mid/late November) |
| December | Bergen: Christmas market at Festplassen (usually December); Oslo: Nobel Peace Prize ceremony at Oslo City Hall (10 December) |
How far apart they are
| From | To | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Bergen | Oslo | 305 km |
| Bergen | Tromsø | 1,206 km |
| Oslo | Tromsø | 1,148 km |
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I go on my first trip to Norway?
Bergen: Bergen is Norway's second city, wedged between the sea and seven mountains on the west coast, and the traditional gateway to the fjords. The colourful wooden merchants' houses of Bryggen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site…
+When is the best time to visit Norway?
Generally May–August, though it varies by region.