Some of the most spectacular natural landscapes are in Norway and being the critical point and capital of this beautiful country, Oslo is definitely the perfect place to travel out and around the city for hiking, road tripping or camping. However, Norway is not necessarily the most accessible, with its land spread out and wide and there is a need to drive out from Oslo to reach the countryside and other scenic spots.
This is why road trips are the best in Norway and if you are considering exploring the country more from Oslo, here are some of the best adventures to go!
Short day trips around Oslo
Bygdoy Peninsula
Only four miles from Oslo lies one of its most treasured and beautiful local attractions: the Bygdoy Peninsula. Here, you’ll find a high concentration of some of the area’s most intriguing points of interest, not to mention gorgeous parks, beaches and forests.
Some of the exciting activities you can do is to go on a museum spree and marvel at artefacts depicting the country’s fascinating history, or pay a visit to the Royal Manor; a fully functional 200-acre organic farm.
The numerous cultural attractions in the Bygdoy Peninsula make for an intriguing visit, but if you simply want to unwind and get back to nature, you’ll find this the perfect place to do it, with various peaceful trails you can follow to explore by foot.
During the summer months, you might want to consider taking a boat here. The boat ride only takes about 15 minutes at most, and they can be easily boarded near City Hall. Since there is so much to see over here, you might want to dedicate an entire day just to spend a day trip at!
Lake Mjosa
Lake Mjøsa stretches across the regions of Hedmark and Oppland, northeast of Norway’s capital city Oslo. It has quite an iconic place in the minds of the Norwegians and is actually the biggest lake in the whole of Norway! Its name stems from the Old Norse word mer; meaning twinkle or shine
The lake is both long and wide, and is actually an ancient valley, created by the ice covering the land through several ice-ages, like an inland fjord filled with freshwater. The main inflow enters from the north, via the river Gudbrandsdalslågen, which carries water from the thawing snow in the mountains and valleys along its route.
It is a good idea to park your car by one of Skibladner’s docks and return after the day is done, or a day trip option without a car is to take a two-hour train trip from Oslo to the small town of Gjøvik. Spend an afternoon or two just basking in the beauty of this mesmerising lake landscape, and this is a great trip to escape from the bustling noise of the city!
Lillehammer
Located on the northern tip of Lake Mjosa lies the lush farmland of Lillehammer. A destination that's scenic in summer, and romantic in winter, this region spans up to 140 miles across the valley to Gudbrandsdalen in the north and connects with seven national parks. You can also drive to Lillehammer by simply following the E6 highway and it is a two-hour trip from Oslo.
Besides its small size that accommodates just 26,000 people here, it is known to have hosted the 1994 Winter Olympics, which is how the majority of the people get to know Lillehammer. Travel back in time and explore the Garmo stave church from the 13th century at the open-air museum Maihaugen. The church is only one of many beautiful sights here, as the museum is home to around 200 restored buildings.
Long Road Trips
From Oslo to Tour de Dovre
The Oslo to Tour de Dovre journey is known to be Norway’s best biking ride but it can be enjoyed with a road trip as well!
From Oslo to Bergen
Known as one of the most popular and highly-traveled roadways in all of Norway, the Oslo to Bergen 4-day Road trip is another adventure you can consider! This stretch of road covers many different micro-climates including alpine terrain, valleys, flatlands and coastline shores so every landscape that you have dreamt of seeing could be packaged in just one road trip!
There are in total 4 locations to rest and spend your day at, and the approximate driving distance between two locations are about 1hr 30min to 2hours, which is not too bad compared to hours of driving in other places.
