Where to stay · Oslo · Norway
Where to stay in Oslo
7 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Gislus, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Sentrum and Karl Johans gate. The main pedestrian street from Oslo Central Station to the Royal Palace, with Parliament and the National Theatre. Best alternatives — budget: Grünerløkka; nightlife: Grünerløkka.
Key facts
- First visit
- Sentrum and Karl Johans gate
- Families
- Sentrum and Karl Johans gate
- Budget
- Grünerløkka
- Nightlife
- Grünerløkka
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Sentrum and Karl Johans gate | The main pedestrian street from Oslo Central Station to the Royal Palace, with Parliament and the National Theatre |
| Families | Sentrum and Karl Johans gate | The main pedestrian street from Oslo Central Station to the Royal Palace, with Parliament and the National Theatre |
| Couples | Bjørvika and Sørenga | New waterfront quarter of the Opera House, MUNCH, the Deichman library and a seawater pool |
| Budget | Grünerløkka | Old workers' district by the Akerselva river with cafés, vintage shops and bars around Olaf Ryes plass |
| Luxury | Aker Brygge and Tjuvholmen | Former shipyard turned glassy waterfront of restaurants, galleries and fjord ferries |
| Nightlife | Grünerløkka | Old workers' district by the Akerselva river with cafés, vintage shops and bars around Olaf Ryes plass |
| Food lovers | Aker Brygge and Tjuvholmen | Former shipyard turned glassy waterfront of restaurants, galleries and fjord ferries |
| Solo travellers | Grünerløkka | Old workers' district by the Akerselva river with cafés, vintage shops and bars around Olaf Ryes plass |
| Shopping | Sentrum and Karl Johans gate | The main pedestrian street from Oslo Central Station to the Royal Palace, with Parliament and the National Theatre |
| Quiet stays | Frogner and Majorstuen | Elegant west-end apartment streets, Vigeland Park and the Bogstadveien shopping street |
Oslo neighbourhoods in detail
$$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping and families
Sentrum and Karl Johans gate
Karl Johans gate is Oslo's spine, lined with shops and hotels and passing the Storting (Parliament), the University's old buildings and the National Theatre before rising to the Royal Palace. Staying here puts the Opera House, the harbour and most museums within a 15-minute walk, and Oslo Central Station, with the airport trains, at the eastern end.
- Good
- Walking distance to almost every central sight; Direct airport trains from Oslo S; Wide choice of chain hotels
- Watch out
- Commercial and busy with shoppers; Area around the station can feel rough late at night
- Nearby
- Royal Palace, Oslo City Hall, National Theatre, Oslo Central Station
$$$ · Best for first-timers, culture and couples
Bjørvika and Sørenga
Bjørvika was a container port and motorway junction until the 2000s; today it holds the Opera House, the MUNCH museum and the Deichman Bjørvika library, backed by the 'Barcode' row of office towers. Across a footbridge, the Sørenga apartment blocks front a free seawater swimming area and a row of fjord-side restaurants. Hotels are modern and close to Oslo S.
- Good
- Next to the main station and airport trains; Fjord views and waterfront walks; Modern hotels
- Watch out
- Feels new and corporate in places; Few traditional restaurants
- Nearby
- Oslo Opera House, MUNCH, Deichman Bjørvika, Sørenga seawater pool
$$$$ · Best for couples, luxury and food lovers
Aker Brygge and Tjuvholmen
The Akers Mekaniske Verksted shipyard closed in the 1980s and its quays became Aker Brygge, a promenade of restaurants and bars facing the fjord. Tjuvholmen, at the western tip, adds the Renzo Piano-designed Astrup Fearnley Museum, a small sculpture park and a pocket beach. Ferries to Nesodden and the islands leave from the piers here, and the National Museum is next door.
- Good
- Fjord-front sunsets and outdoor terraces; Boats to the islands and Nesodden leave on the doorstep; Polished design hotels
- Watch out
- Among the most expensive places to eat and stay in Oslo; Restaurants aimed at visitors and business travellers
- Nearby
- National Museum, Astrup Fearnley Museum, Oslo City Hall, Akershus Fortress
$$ · Best for food lovers, nightlife, solo travellers and budget
Grünerløkka
North of the centre along the Akerselva, Grünerløkka grew up around 19th-century textile mills and is now Oslo's favourite area for coffee, secondhand shopping and evenings out. Thorvald Meyers gate and Markveien hold most of the cafés and boutiques, Birkelunden park hosts a Sunday flea market, and the Mathallen food hall sits by the river at Vulkan. Trams 11, 12 and 13 run to the centre in about ten minutes.
- Good
- Strong local café and bar scene; More apartments and smaller hotels at lower prices; Riverside walks to the centre
- Watch out
- Few major sights within the neighbourhood; Weekend noise around the bar streets
- Nearby
- Mathallen Oslo, Akerselva river walk, Birkelunden, Sofienberg Park
$$$$ · Best for families, quiet stays, shopping and luxury
Frogner and Majorstuen
Frogner is Oslo's grand residential west end, with embassies, 19th-century apartment blocks and Frogner Park, home to the Vigeland sculptures. Majorstuen, just north, is a transport hub where the metro lines to Holmenkollen and Sognsvann meet, and Bogstadveien runs downhill with a long line of shops and cafés. It is quieter than the centre and well suited to families.
- Good
- Leafy, calm streets; Fast metro access to Holmenkollen and the forest; Vigeland Park on the doorstep
- Watch out
- Expensive and mostly residential; Limited nightlife
- Nearby
- Vigeland Park, Bogstadveien, Majorstuen metro station, Oslo Museum at Frogner Manor
$ · Best for budget, solo travellers and food lovers
Grønland and Tøyen
Just east of Oslo Central Station, Grønland has the city's widest choice of inexpensive food, from Turkish and Pakistani grills to Vietnamese bakeries and halal butchers. Tøyen, one metro stop further, has the University Botanical Garden and the Natural History Museum. Hostels and budget hotels cluster here, and the metro links every part of the city.
- Good
- Lowest-priced food and lodging close to the centre; Several metro lines; Botanical Garden is free
- Watch out
- Grittier streets around Grønland; Fewer polished hotels
- Nearby
- Oslo Central Station, Botanical Garden, Natural History Museum, Grønland metro station
$$ · Best for quiet stays, couples and solo travellers
St. Hanshaugen
Built around a hilly park with a lookout tower and a pond, St. Hanshaugen is a calm, residential area with neighbourhood restaurants along Ullevålsveien and Waldemar Thranes gate. It is about 15 minutes' walk from Karl Johans gate and close to the Akerselva and Grünerløkka, making it a good-value base for repeat visitors who want a local feel.
- Good
- Residential and peaceful; Park views over the city; Walkable to both the centre and Grünerløkka
- Watch out
- Few hotels, mostly apartments; Uphill walks from the centre
- Nearby
- St. Hanshaugen park, Vår Frelsers cemetery, Grünerløkka, Akerselva
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Sentrum and Karl Johans gate | $$$ | Royal Palace, Oslo City Hall, National Theatre, Oslo Central Station |
| Bjørvika and Sørenga | $$$ | Oslo Opera House, MUNCH, Deichman Bjørvika, Sørenga seawater pool |
| Aker Brygge and Tjuvholmen | $$$$ | National Museum, Astrup Fearnley Museum, Oslo City Hall, Akershus Fortress |
| Grünerløkka | $$ | Mathallen Oslo, Akerselva river walk, Birkelunden, Sofienberg Park |
| Frogner and Majorstuen | $$$$ | Vigeland Park, Bogstadveien, Majorstuen metro station, Oslo Museum at Frogner Manor |
| Grønland and Tøyen | $ | Oslo Central Station, Botanical Garden, Natural History Museum, Grønland metro station |
| St. Hanshaugen | $$ | St. Hanshaugen park, Vår Frelsers cemetery, Grünerløkka, Akerselva |
Getting to your hotel
Oslo Airport Gardermoen is about 50 km north of the city. The Flytoget airport express reaches Oslo Central Station in about 20 minutes, and regional Vy trains on the same route take a few minutes longer at a lower price. Sandefjord Airport Torp, used by some low-cost airlines, is about 110 km south and linked by connecting bus and train or the Torp Express coach in roughly 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Oslo for first-time visitors?
Sentrum and Karl Johans gate. Karl Johans gate is Oslo's spine, lined with shops and hotels and passing the Storting (Parliament), the University's old buildings and the National Theatre before rising to the Royal Palace.
+Where should families stay in Oslo?
Sentrum and Karl Johans gate: Walking distance to almost every central sight.
+Which area of Oslo is best for a budget stay?
Grünerløkka ($$): Old workers' district by the Akerselva river with cafés, vintage shops and bars around Olaf Ryes plass.