The Oslo Pass: Is it Worth it? (Tips for 2024)
If you’re planning a visit to Oslo, you may have heard of the Oslo Pass and are wondering, is it worth it? This guide is meant to help you decide if the Oslo Pass is something you want to purchase while visiting Norway’s capital city in 2024!
Table of Contents
What is the Oslo Pass?
The Oslo Pass gives you free entrance to many of the museums in Oslo and allows you to use Oslo public transportation (zone 1) for the length of the Pass.
Some museums that are included:
- Akershus Castle
- The Armed Forces Museum
- The Astrup Fearnley Museet
- The Fram Museum
- The Henie Onstad Kunstsenter
- The Historical Museum
- Holmenkollen Ski Museum & Tower
- The Holocaust Center
- Kunsternes Hus
- MUNCH
- The Museum of Oslo
- The Museum of Science & Technology
- The National Museum
- The Natural History Museum
- The Nobel Peace Center
- The Nordic Bible Museum
- Norsk Folkemuseum
- Norway’s Resistance Museum
- The Norwegian Maritime Museum
- The Oslo Jewish Museum
- Oslo Reptile Park
- Popsenteret
- The Kon-Tiki Museum
- Roseslottet
- The Vigeland Museum
- The Oslo Transport Museum
The Pass also includes a walking tour of Oslo city and provides discounts on select restaurants and activities around Oslo, such as ski rentals at Oslo Vinterpark.
A full list of the museums and activities that are included in the Pass can be found in this flyer.
Does the Oslo Pass cover airport transportation?
No, the Oslo Pass does not include transportation to and from Oslo Gardermoen Airport.
For info about getting to Oslo from Garedemoen Airport, see my post How to Get from Gardemoen Airport to Oslo City Center.
Oslo Pass prices
| 24h | 48h | 72h | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | 520 NOK | 760 NOK | 895 NOK |
| Child | 260 NOK | 380 NOK | 450 NOK |
| Senior | 415 NOK | 605 NOK | 720 NOK |
Is there a student discount?
University students under 30 with a valid student ID are eligible for a 20% student discount, but this discount is only available if the Pass is purchased in person at the Oslo Visitor Center (that is, not on the Oslo Pass app).
Is the Oslo Pass worth it?
First, unless you are only planning on seeing the immediate area around your hotel, you probably want access to public transportation. Oslo’s public transportation is run by Ruter. For adults, a 24-hour ticket for transportation within Oslo costs 127 NOK, and a 7-day ticket (the next-longest time frame) costs 352 NOK. You can also get single tickets for 42 NOK.
Second, most museums in Oslo cost between 100 and 200 NOK (about $10 to $20 US). This means that you can make up the cost of a 24-hour Oslo Pass by visiting 2-3 museums via public transportation. In a city with as many museums as Oslo, this isn’t too hard to do!
One place where you can easily see several fascinating museums in a relatively small area is at Bygdøy, Oslo’s “museum island.” This is a great place to get the most value out of your Oslo Pass without running all over the city, and it’s also a very pretty area! It is home to the Folk Museum, the Fram Museum, the Kon-Tiki Museum, and the Maritime Museum, all of which are covered by the Oslo Pass.
I highly recommend buying the Oslo Pass if you’re planning to visit these museums, as entry to each one individually costs at least 140 NOK. The Oslo Pass also covers the ferries that run between Bygdøy and downtown Oslo, so you can do some sightseeing on the way there, too!
If you’re planning on heading to Bygdøy, you can check out my post on the area here! You can also find a list of other top Oslo museums on this page.
If you’re planning on being in Oslo for multiple days, you might want to consider buying the Oslo Pass for one of these days and using another day to enjoy some of the free activities Oslo has to offer. A list of these can be found here.
When should you not buy the Oslo Pass?
One day you might not want to buy the Oslo Pass is on a Monday, as many museums are closed on this day. Make sure that you double-check the opening times of the museums you plan to visit before you buy a Pass to avoid surprises!
Where can you buy the Oslo Pass?
Option #1: Buy it in the Oslo Pass app
The easiest way to get the Oslo Pass is to buy it on the Oslo Pass app. You can activate your Pass any time after you buy it, so you can buy it in advance and start using it once you arrive in the city. The Oslo Pass app is available for both iPhone and Android.
Option #2: Buy it in person in Oslo
If you want to buy the Oslo Pass in person, it is available year-round at the Oslo Visitor Center. It is also available at some hotels and museums around the city, but these may be seasonal and subject to availability, so you may want to confirm availability by phone if you are planning on getting it at one of these outlets.
Note that in order to get the 20% student discount (for university students under 30 with a valid student ID and semester card), you must buy the Pass at the Oslo Visitor Center.
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