Many More Maps
  • Home
  • Blog Posts
  • Destinations
    • Australia
    • Austria
    • Belgium
    • Costa Rica
    • Croatia
    • Germany
    • Hungary
    • Norway
    • Poland
    • Portugal
    • South Africa
    • Spain
    • United Kingdom
  • Surfing
  • About Ella
    • About
    • Contact
Many More Maps
  • Home
  • Blog Posts
  • Destinations
    • Australia
    • Austria
    • Belgium
    • Costa Rica
    • Croatia
    • Germany
    • Hungary
    • Norway
    • Poland
    • Portugal
    • South Africa
    • Spain
    • United Kingdom
  • Surfing
  • About Ella
    • About
    • Contact
  • Norway

Is It Worth Buying the Oslo Pass?

  • February 24, 2020
Total
202
Shares
0
0
202

There is a good chance that this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. As ever, all opinions are my own.

Last Updated on February 15, 2022 by Ella

It’s no secret that Norway is hardly a budget destination.

In fact, it’s one of the most expensive countries in the world to live in and to visit. Any prospective visitor to Norway’s capital city, Oslo, will be looking for opportunities to keep costs down, and the Oslo Pass is a popular solution. Its reviews speak for themselves!

But is the Oslo pass worth it?

Available for either 24, 48 or 72 hours, the pass offers unlimited travel on public transport in Oslo and its immediate surrounds, and free entry to over 30 of the city’s attractions, plus discounts on tours and restaurants.

In this post, I’m going to crunch the numbers and spill all the tea on the Oslo Pass to help you decide whether or not it’s worth the money.

How Much Does the Oslo Pass Cost?

For an adult, the Oslo Pass costs NOK 445 (€43) for 24 hours. It’s also available for 48 hours at NOK 655 (€64) and 72 hours for NOK 820 (€80). Children under 18 can get their passes for approximately half price, and seniors and students get approximately 20% off.

Click here to check the exact prices.

Buying the Oslo Pass is definitely worth it.
The paper ticket Oslo Pass – not very high tech, but very budget-friendly!

My ticket came with a guidebook which included a list of all the attractions and museums included in the Oslo Pass. This is great for planning your itinerary and deciding which attractions are worth your time.

I headed to Oslo for two days in February, and was keen to see if the Oslo Pass really could save me money. I mean, every penny saved counts in Oslo! And guess what? For my entire trip, I spent just 1918 NOK (€185/£166.50).

I bought the 48 hour full-price Oslo Pass, which cost me NOK 655 (€63.55).

Using Public Transport with the Oslo Pass

Unfortunately, the Oslo Pass doesn’t cover transport to and from the airport, as it’s outside the pass’ geographical area.

Once in the city, you won’t need to use public transportation all that much. The biggest exception is getting to the Viking Ship Museum, Folksmuseum, Kon-Tiki Museum, Fram Museum and Maritime Museum.

These are all located in the same area called the Bygdøy Peninsula, approximately a 30-minute bus journey from the city centre.

The Oslo Harbour at sunset
The beautiful Oslo harbour at sunset. In summer, you can catch the ferry from Oslo city centre to the numerous ship museums.

You can use your Oslo Pass on public transport in Oslo, and it’s super easy – simply get on and off whenever you like. You won’t need to show your ticket to anybody or ‘validate’ your ticket.

If you get a ticket inspection, as I did, just show them your Oslo Pass and you’re good to go.

I used public transportation three times in Oslo: to get to the Bygdøy Peninsula and back, to get to the city centre from the Vigeland Park, and also to get to the Munch Museum. The cheapest option to cover these journeys if I hadn’t had the Oslo Pass would be a 24 hour public transport ticket costing NOK 111 (€10.75).

Total amount I would have spent on city transportation without the Oslo Pass = NOK 111 ($10.75).

Attractions

I’m a huuuuuge fan of museums, and Oslo sure has plenty of them! I loved the complete freedom the Oslo Pass gave me to visit whichever museums I wanted without having to recalculate my budget each time.

Sure, I definitely visited more museums than an average person would, but I also visited loads of free attractions such as the Vigeland Park and the stunning Oslo Opera House.

Folk Museum – NOK 120 (€11.50)

An ancient church at the Folksmuseum in Oslo. Visiting this museum with the Oslo Pass is totally worth it.
An ancient church at the Folksmuseum.

My first stop was Oslo’s famous Norwegian Museum of Cultural History, or the Folk Museum for short. This open-air museum displays full-size Norwegian houses and buildings from the middle ages until the 20th century. You can even go inside and explore some of the buildings.

Viking Ship Museum – NOK 120 (€11.50)

An unmissable attraction in Oslo, the Viking Ship Museum has three excavated Viking ships found in Norway on display, alongside the treasures buried with them.

A few times per hour, a video projection plays on the ceiling, telling the Vikings’ story from beginning to end. Getting to see these unbelievably old ships and relics was fascinating, and the museum really helped me to understand who the Vikings were.

Fram Museum – NOK 140 (€13.50)

Another 10/10 attraction in Oslo is the Fram Museum, which documents and teaches about arctic and antarctic exploration.

In the middle of the museum you’ll find the actual Fram ship used to explore both these regions! You can even go inside the ship to check out how it must have looked to its crew members. Only once I was inside did I realise just how unbearable it must have felt to be cooped up in there for years!

Fram Museum in Oslo, which is included in the Oslo Pass.

At regular intervals, the museum projects stormy seas on the roof, and you can stand on the deck of the Fram to watch, marvelling at the huge waves and the sound of the howling wind. The museum is super engaging and will take at least 2 hours to visit.

Kon-Tiki Museum – NOK 120 (€11.50)

I hadn’t heard about the Kon-Tiki expedition before I stepped foot in this museum, but it was a great and interactive way to learn all about it! The museum documents Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl’s famous voyages on the Kon-Tiki, Ra and Ra II rafts, and also educates about the famous Easter Island in Chile.

I didn’t feel like I was in Norway inside this museum, and escaping the cold for a tropical getaway sure was nice!

Maritime Museum – NOK 120 (€11.50)

Art exhibition outside the Oslo Maritime Museum.

To be honest, I’m really glad I didn’t pay full price for this museum. I spent around half an hour here, but by then I was already bored. Compared to the three other fantastic shipping museums right on its doorstep, the Maritime Museum is overpriced and not worth visiting.

This is a reason I loved using the Oslo Pass, as even if a museum sucked it didn’t matter, as the entry fee was already included in the price of the Pass.

Norwegian Resistance Museum – NOK 60 (€5.80)

Despite offering the cheapest ticket of any museum I visited, the Norwegian Resistance Museum packs a punch.

Informative and educational, the museum narrates the story of Norway’s resistance to its occupation in World War 2. When you hear about the Second World War, you very rarely hear about Norway, so learning about Noway’s wartime experience really opened my eyes.

Munch Museum – NOK 120 (€11.50)

The exterior of the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway.

The Munch Museum is currently only displaying a limited selection of pieces from its collection in anticipation of the grand opening of its new premises in autumn of 2020.

I was also gutted to find out that The Scream had been taken off display for preservation. The Scream aside, the museum was seriously lacking in the amount of art on display.

Unless you’re a huge art fan this museum is not a must-visit.

Total amount I would have spent on museum entry without the Oslo Pass = NOK 780 (€75.50).

Using the Oslo Pass at Restaurants

If I could offer one tip for using the Oslo Pass it’s this: CHECK WHICH RESTAURANTS OFFER DISCOUNTS WITH THE OSLO PASS!!!

The Oslo Pass offers discounts on numerous restaurants across the city, andn purchasing my Pass I had a quick scan of the website. One of the first restaurants on the list was the Hard Rock Cafe, so I rolled my eyes and clicked off the page. I assumed that the only discounted restaurants on offer would be ‘tourist’ restaurants.

Wrong.

I only realised when researching for this post that a restaurant I ate at TWICE offered 20% off for Oslo Pass holders. Damn…

Kaffistova Restaurant in Oslo, which offers discounts with the Oslo Pass.
Kaffistova, where I enjoyed delicious Norwegian Meatballs twice. I could have gotten 20% off with my pass.

Learn from my mistakes – DO YOUR RESEARCH!


Don’t forget to check out my other handy posts before your trip to Oslo!:
• 2 Days in Oslo Itinerary: How to See Oslo’s Highlights in 48 Hours
• How to visit Oslo on a Budget – Yes, it’s Possible!


So, Is the Oslo Pass worth It?

Alright *cracks knuckles* it’s time to do some maths…

48 hour adult Oslo Pass cost = NOK 655 (€63.55).

Costs if I hadn’t used the Oslo Pass:
Transport = NOK 111 (€10.75)
Museums/attractions = NOK 780 (€75.50)
Total cost if I hadn’t used the Oslo Pass = NOK 891 (€86.25)

Total savings through using the Oslo Pass = 236 NOK (€22.70).

So, there ya have it, folks. The numbers speak for themselves. The Oslo pass is definitely worth it. Even if I had visited two or three fewer museums I would have pretty much broken even with the pass.

If you’re only interested in a few museums, get the 24-hour pass and visit them all in one day to save money. You can then visit all of Oslo’s great free attractions on the following day.

Click here to get your Oslo Pass!

Monetary benefits aside, a great benefit of the Oslo Pass is how easy it is. The amount of time saved by scanning my pass instead of buying a new ticket at each museum made buying the Oslo Pass totally worth it. Plus, you don’t have to worry if your transport ticket is valid each time.

The Pass is also great for the flexibility it offers. See something that looks interesting? You can go check it out for free! Find yourself with extra time? You can fit in as many museums as you like for the same price!

In my opinion, the Oslo Pass is absolutely worth it and is one of my key recommendations if you’re wanting to visit Oslo on a budget.

What’s the best city pass you’ve used? Let me know in the comments!

Liked this post? Pin it!

Total
202
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 202
Related Topics
  • Europe
  • norway
  • oslo
Ella

Previous Article
cakes in a cafe in vienna
  • Austria

5 Cakes You Need To Try In Vienna

  • February 16, 2020
View Post
Next Article
Leeds city centre in Yorkshire, England
  • United Kingdom

1 Day in Leeds – the Perfect Itinerary

  • March 23, 2020
View Post
You May Also Like
Reasons Oslo is worth visiting
View Post
  • Norway

Is Oslo Worth Visiting? My Honest Opinion + Reasons!

  • Ella
  • January 16, 2022
Oslo a city in the fjord on a budget
View Post
  • Norway

How to Visit Oslo on a Budget (Yes, It’s Possible!)

  • Ella
  • January 11, 2021
View Post
  • Norway

2 Days In Oslo Itinerary: Oslo’s Highlights in 48 Hours

  • Ella
  • May 7, 2020
12 comments
  1. thegetawayjournals says:
    April 29, 2020 at 2:16 pm

    I didn’t realize Norway was so expensive! Definitely seems like the card is worth it!

    Reply
    1. ManyMoreMaps says:
      May 14, 2020 at 5:41 pm

      It can be done on a budget, but only if you’re super careful – it’s one of the most expensive countries in Europe!

      Reply
  2. Sage Scott says:
    April 27, 2020 at 5:02 am

    While I’ve been able to explore other Scandinavian countries, I haven’t visited Norway yet. I’m always curious about passes like these, and I appreciate your honest assessment, especially since the cost seems pretty steep (even compared to the pass I purchased for my daughter and I to visit New York — also NOT a budget destination).

    Reply
    1. ManyMoreMaps says:
      April 28, 2020 at 4:20 pm

      I liked that, even though it wasn’t cheap, it already included entry. I hate the types of passes where you have to pay a small fortune and all they offer you is like 20% off attractions – it makes no sense!

      Reply
  3. By Land and Sea says:
    April 26, 2020 at 1:53 pm

    I didn’t realize there were so many museums in Oslo! That alone makes it seem like the Oslo pass is a good value.

    Reply
    1. ManyMoreMaps says:
      April 28, 2020 at 4:09 pm

      I didn’t even get to half of them! If you’re a museum lover like me it’s definitely worth the money.

      Reply
  4. Carol Colborn says:
    April 25, 2020 at 1:21 pm

    Omg. We didn’t get the Pass when we were there,!

    Reply
    1. ManyMoreMaps says:
      April 28, 2020 at 4:10 pm

      What a shame! It sure helped me out on my trip.

      Reply
  5. pamelard says:
    April 23, 2020 at 3:10 pm

    I always wonder if these passes are worth it so thanks for doing the price comparison. I also probably would have exited the site for the restaurants if I saw Hard Rock on there, so I don’t blame you at all!

    Reply
    1. ManyMoreMaps says:
      April 28, 2020 at 4:18 pm

      Yeah, I normally steer clear as they seem like a bit of a rip off in general, but can vouch that the Oslo pass definitely saves money!

      Reply
  6. Michelle Segrest says:
    April 23, 2020 at 3:08 pm

    This is a very helpful and informative post! I’ve never been to Oslo (it’s definitely on my bucket list), but I always wrestle with whether to purchase passes like this. These are great tips and really useful insight!

    Reply
    1. ManyMoreMaps says:
      April 25, 2020 at 10:14 pm

      I always thought they were a scam but it truly worked out for me in Oslo! Glad you found my tips helpful Michelle 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Join the party & subscribe to my newsletter

My Upcoming Travels

December – Poland, UK (Lake District)

about
Welcome!
Hi, I'm Ella - a Londoner fitting a travel obsession around my 9-5. I love exploring the world on a backpacker budget and teaching others how they can do the same. On Many More Maps, you'll find my tried-and-tested, practical travel tips, destination resources, and the occasional hilarious travel fail!
Many More Maps
  • Home
  • Blog Posts
  • Destinations
  • Surfing
  • About Ella
World Travel on a Backpacker Budget

Input your search keywords and press Enter.