A Norway Itinerary for Families – Part 1: Oslo and Akershus

Oslo Pretty Prudent
If you follow me on instagram (@prudentjaime), you saw Carleton, Scarlet, and I on our most recent adventure, touring the stunning country of Norway. Our itinerary took us across the lush, green springtime hills, up snowy mountain peaks, and deep into blue fjords.

From Oslo
akershus fortress

to Flam
Flam, Norway | Pretty Prudent

to Balestrand
Balestrand, Norway by Pretty Prudent

to Bergen
Bergen, Norway | Pretty Prudent

and so much more.
Flam, Norway | Pretty Prudent

I now understand why the vikings believed in Valhalla.

With a perfect itinerary mapped out by Visit Norway, we traveled by air, train, boat, and even funicular to learn just what Norway was all about. Bonus, our six-year-old daughter saw the real live inspiration behind her favorite film, Frozen.

Check out our Norway Itinerary for Families, Part 1: Akershus and Oslo after the jump…

Exploring Akershus

After landing in Oslo we headed right our of town to recover from our long journey, to Akershus county, which encircles downtown Oslo with lush beauty and laid back elegance.

Son, Norway Pretty Prudent

Where We Stayed:

Quality Resort & Spa in Son, Norway: This hotel is a retreat right on the sea, with an indoor-outdoor spa featuring five pools.

What to See & Do:

Fetsund Lenser: “Walk on water” along the 200-year-old floating timber processing plant at Fetsund Lenser. Make sure to visit the Wetland Center, were the kids will enjoy interactive exhibits while learning about local Norwegian wildlife. Run around the apple trees in bloom and make a wildflower crown.

Fetsund Lenser - Pretty Prudent

Bonus “Frozen” Info: Along the river at Fetsund Lenser you will see small black wood structures. These were used for storing ice before there was such a thing as a freezer. Ice would be coated in tree sap at the lumber plant, and shipped off to castles around Europe. Ice harvesting happened right in this spot, much like it is depicted in the first scenes of Frozen.

Walk along the beach in Son, Norway collecting shells and counting starfish. Definitely skip rocks, and if you have the skills, take a boat or kayak and go fishing. Take a walk into town, enjoying the view and the quaint seaside homes. The flowers in spring are so colorful.

son, norway

Oslofjord: Tour the largest fjord by boat with Rib tours. Stop at Oscarsborg for a tour of the fortress and a fascinating WWII history lesson.

Oscarsborg, Norway

Drobak: Stop for lunch in the waterfront town of Drobak. Visit the Christmas House and the local post office, where Father Christmas’ cousin collects and displays all of children’s letters to Santa from around the world.

Drobak, Norway
Drobak Post Office

Exploring Oslo

Oslo is a magical, vibrant city where 500 year old walls but up against modern sculpture gardens, lush parks, and countless museums, all easily accesible by the cleanest public transportation system I’ve ever encountered. Secure an Oslopass at the start of your visit, which will provide you with access to all museums and transport in the city. Then grab your guide and pick your favorites. My husband, our daughter, and I spent three fulls days in Oslo and adored it from beginning to end. Here’s our suggestions.

akershus fortress

Where We Stayed:

Thon Hotel Panorama: There are several Thon hotels around Oslo and I would recommend any of them. The Panorama is located walking distance from the major historical sites of Oslo and easily accessible to public transportation, and the hotel was clean and modern.

What to See & Do:

Akershus Fortress: Take a guided walking tour of Akershus Fortress to learn all the secrets and stories about this 500 year old castle. Frozen Bonus: Check out the exterior and interior walls of the castle for patterns in the woodwork and brick that recall the castle of Arrendelle in Frozen. This is the model for Elsa and Anna’s castle, though while we looked and looked, we never did see 8,000 salad plates.

Akershus Fortress

Tulips: Spot the spring tulips all over the city. Take a portrait of your kid. Let her take a portrait of you.

Pretty Prudent Norway Tulips

Viking Ship Museum:: Hop on the tram and head over to the Viking Ship Museum. See unearthed viking burial mounds and learn everything that could fit into one viking ship. Have a popsicle on the grass outside after you’re done.

Viking Ship Museum, Oslo

Oslo Reptil Park: This small museum is wonderful for any kid that loves things creepy, crawly, and cool. The keepers saw how much Scarlet knew about and adored snakes, they even took one out for her to play with! Oslo Reptil Park.

oslo reptil park

Ekebergparken: This stunning sculpture park overlooks the city of Oslo. Follow a map through the woods to find artworks from August Renoir to Salvador Dali to Louise Bourgeois. Afterward, kick back on a lounge chair while the kids dig for hidden treasure in the giant sand box before heading to Ekebergrestauranten for a cocktail. Have a delicious Norwegian dinner overlooking Oslo at Karlsborg, in a beautiful building from the mid 1800’s.

sculpture collage

GrΓΌnerlΓΈkka: Take an afternoon to wander around the GrΓΌnerlΓΈkka neighborhood shopping, grabbing a coffee, or relaxing in the park. This neighborhood reminds me of Williamsburg or Silver Lake. We paused for a child-directed photo shoot.
grunner

Norsk Teknisk Museum: My husband said that if aliens landed on Earth, he would just send them to this museum to understand everything about everything. The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology is a MUST if you have kids: It’s truly amazing. The display on the history of musical instruments and recording did make me feel a little old, but then playing with all the interactive displays made me feel young again so it was all good.
Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology

Nobel Peace Center: Don’t miss the Nobel Peace Center. Learn about past Nobel winners, contribute to the peace wall, and let the kids follow the trail to collect their Nobel laureate collector cards.

Nobel Peace Center Oslo

Oslo Opera House: Wake up early one morning, grab a coffee and some pastries, and climb to the top of the Oslo Opera House. Sit on the roof and watch the sunrise over the city with a little person you love.

Oslo Opera House

Next stop: The Fjords!

jaime Morrison Curtis - Norway

Update:
Discover the rest of our Norway Itinerary for Families here:
A Norway Itinerary for Families – Part 2: The Fjords
and here: A Norway Itinerary for Families – Part 3: Bergen

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10 Comments

Trine @ Creative Pink Butterfly

AWESOME! I cannot believe you actually were in Norway! Its where Im from! I currently live in Oslo. I really hope you had an amazing trip! I just wanted to add one little thing – you should have visited Frognerparken as well πŸ™‚

Reply
Drew

Breathtaking photos. Norway is definitely on the vacation consideration list now…

Reply
Guro Marie

I didn’t know you had been to Norway – and now it’s 13/14 weeks ago (according to your Instagram)! So happy that you wanted to see Norway πŸ™‚ You’ve actually done things and seen places I’ve never done/been to, and I live one hour away from Oslo πŸ˜‰ My mom was born and grew up in DrΓΈbak, and my grandma lived there my whole life until she died in 2006. It’s just a lovely place πŸ™‚ (My grandpa was working at Oscarsborg, but I’ve never been there before…!)

I’m glad you traveled out of Oslo too! Oslo isn’t the most amazing main city in Europe; Rome, London, Berlin, Prague, Paris, Athens… Norway’s speciality is the fjords, so I’m happy you were able to see that too! πŸ™‚

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