The best time to visit Norway

Best months by destination

Norway month by month

What the seasons are like

• Oslo: Oslo has cold, snowy winters with very short days and mild, bright summers with long evenings.
• Bergen: Bergen has a mild but very wet maritime climate, warmed by the Gulf Stream: winters are much milder than inland Norway and rarely very cold, summers are cool, and rain falls on more than half the days of the year.
• Tromsø: Thanks to the Gulf Stream, Tromsø is much milder than its latitude suggests: winters average just below freezing on the coast, with plenty of snow, and summers are cool.

Crowds and hotel prices

Relative levels from our destination research: when each place is busiest, and when rooms usually cost least.

Events worth timing a trip around

Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.

• Oslo, February: Winter school holiday week — Oslo-area families head to the slopes (usually late February)
• Oslo, March: Holmenkollen Ski Festival — World Cup ski jumping and cross-country races (usually early March)
• Bergen, March: Borealis — experimental music festival (usually March)
• Bergen, May: Constitution Day parades (17 May)
• Tromsø, January: Polar Night Half Marathon (usually early January)
• Tromsø, January: Tromsø International Film Festival (usually mid-January)

Questions travellers ask