SHORE EXCURSIONS

OVERVIEW

Discover how two extraordinarily modern buildings have transformed Oslo’s skyline and pushed the boundaries of design. A knowledgeable guide will elaborate on the buildings’ advanced technologies and present a rare insider’s perspective of their construction. The iconic Equinor office building consists of five separate rectangular modules stacked on top of each other at different angles, all in an effort to optimize daylight and views. You may also learn fascinating details about how the atrium’s propeller-shaped glass roof was designed to withstand months of extra weight from snow. Similarly, climate conditions influenced the design of the Munchmusset, a 13-story museum dedicated to the works of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. It is constructed with low-carbon concrete and aluminum cladding that reflects harsh sunlight and is cooled with seawater. You will notice that there are no parking spaces to encourage visitors to use public transportation. The top of the building intentionally tips forward as if bowing to Oslo in homage.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Follow your guide through two cutting-edge buildings for an insider’s perspective.
• Discover how architects overcame the design challenges in a building with five stacked modules.
• Learn the design secrets behind a towering, aluminum-clad art museum.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Snap selfies at the most photogenic spots in and around Oslo, many of them iconic attractions that define the city. To ensure the best possible results, a selfie tutor will offer tips so you can capture just the right angle, lighting and composition for every shot. Your pictures will be ideal for posting on social media and sharing in other ways.

As you walk and ride through Oslo, you will pause at designated selfie stops that include:
• Vigeland Park
• Royal Palace
• City Hall
• Akershus Castle
• Opera House

HIGHLIGHTS

• Take inspiring selfies at the most photogenic attractions in Oslo.
• Follow tips from your selfie tutor to ensure the very best pictures.
• Learn the historical significance of the locales while enjoying their dramatic settings.
• Stroll through the world’s largest sculpture park by a single artist, featuring iconic works like the Monolith and the Wheel of Life, offering a unique glimpse into human emotions and experiences.
• Stop at landmarks such as the Royal Palace and the medieval Akershus Castle.
• Spend free time around City Hall, which was inaugurated for Oslo’s 900th anniversary.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.
• Be sure your phone or camera is fully charged.

OVERVIEW

Walk through Oslo with an author that is an authority on Nazi Germany’s occupation of the capital city during World War II and see landmarks that played pivotal roles in those tragic and uncertain times. While standing in the square outside the Royal Palace, you will hear how King Haakon and the royal family went into exile shortly before the Germans invaded in April 1940. You will see a statue of the king in the June 7 Square, which commemorates his return from exile after Norway was liberated in May 1945. The author will provide a unique insider’s perspective of those events and others and recount poignant stories about the bravery and resilience of the citizens that openly and secretly defied the Nazis. You will also pause at the University of Oslo, which the Nazis closed, but not before arresting more than 1,200 students, half of whom were sent to concentration camps for SS military training.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Meet an author that is an expert in the Nazi occupation of Oslo during World War II.
• Hear horrifying stories of the Nazi occupation while following the author through Oslo.
• Stand at landmarks such as the Parliament where watershed wartime events took place.
• Learn about the royal family’s exile and how Oslo’s citizens resisted the Nazis.
• Receive a copy of the author’s booklet “Unretouched History. Oslo Under Occupation.”

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Drive through the city of Oslo passing the Akershus Fortress, the Opera House and the Royal Palace, on your way to the Vigeland Sculpture Park. Centrally placed in the park is a 55-foot-high monolith featuring 121 stone figures of men, women, and children in their struggle for life. There are more than 200 sculptures, all symbolizing the different stages in the life of mankind. Your guide will explain the different sculptures and monuments. Your scenic drive takes you to the Bygdoy Peninsula for a visit to the Open-Air Folk Museum. Here, you can get a glimpse of traditional Norwegian culture and history. Among the 150 wooden buildings constituting the museum, is one of Norway’s unique Stave churches, dating back to around the year 1200. You’ll also visit the Kon Tiki Museum, housing a range of boats and artifacts from Thor Heyerdahl’s expeditions. See the original balsawood raft, Kon Tiki, used to cross the Pacific Ocean in 1947. The museum also contains the reed boat RA II and an exciting collection of archaeological finds from Peru, Polynesia and Easter Island.

OVERVIEW

Enjoy a rare and enlightening tour of the Royal Palace and Oscarshall, the royal family’s summer palace on the peninsula of Bygdøy. Built in the mid-19th century, the Royal Palace – commonly called Slottet, its Norwegian name – is the royal family’s main residence and is only open to the public two months each year. You will view many of its most magnificent rooms, including the grand ballroom, banqueting hall and the Bird Room, an antechamber decorated with an avian flair. As you browse two floors of the palace, the guide will describe the architecture and how the royal family’s role has evolved over time. You will also have the opportunity to meander about the lush grounds before heading to nearby Oscarshall, the royal summer palace named for King Oscar I. It will be closed to the public, but you will enjoy an exclusive after-hours tour of this neo-Gothic masterpiece, including its vestibule, lounge and dining room.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Tour the Royal Palace, where the royal family lives all but two months of the year.
• Explore two floors of palace, including its unusual Bird Room and grand ballroom.
• Enjoy an exclusive after-hours tour of Oscarshall, the royal family’s summer palace.
• Hear fascinating commentary about Norwegian royal families past and present.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

This excursion is dedicated to the passionate of the museums. Drive from the pier to the Peninsula of BygdO¸y, also known as “museum island”. Here you will visit the Maritime Museum, housing the smaller Viking boat and a wide range of Norwegian maritime cultural heritage including the country's oldest vessel (2200 years old). Later we will visit the Kon-Tiki Museum housing the original balsa-raft used by Thor Heyerdahl and his five companions in 1947 during their voyage from Peru to Polynesia, across 3000 kilometres of ocean. A good selection of documentary material is also on display. Further, the museum houses the papyrus-boat RA II with which Thor Heyerdahl and his companions crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1970. From the Kon-Tiki Museum we continue to the Fram Polarmuseum - housing the famous polar vessel "Fram" which is still the surface vessel that has sailed both furthest North - reaching 85° 57'n latitude with Nansens expedition from 1893-1896 - and furthest South reaching 78° 41's latitude with Amundsens expedition to the South Pole from 1910-1912.

Follow your guide on a walk through the city center with its historic buildings, cozy cafes and art galleries. Walk through the older part of town "Kvadraturen" and see how the city was rebuilt after the big fire in 1624. In the city’s ‘golden center,’ you’ll see monuments and buildings around Karl Johan Street - the Parliament Building, the University, the National Theater, and the Royal Palace. Continue past the City Hall Square before walking into the grounds of the Akershus Fortress, built in 1299. The site offers wonderful photo opportunities of the harbor.

Visit the Maritime Museum, housing the smaller Viking boat from the largest Viking ship findings and a wide range of Norwegian maritime cultural heritage including the country's oldest vessel (2200 years old). Stop at Vigeland Sculpture Park, featuring an amazing assemblage of over 150 sculptures in stone, iron and bronze. Created by Gustav Vigeland, they represent the various stages of life. As you stroll along the paths, your guide will discuss this incredible park and its art. Drive through the beautiful residential areas of Oslo past Holmenkollen Ski Jump and stop at a viewpoint for a fantastic view of the city and the fjord far below.

This mostly panoramic tour takes you through some of the most iconic parts of the city of Oslo, with a couple of photo stops along the way. See Akershus Fortress, the Opera House and the Royal Palace. Pass by Vigeland Sculpture Park and continue through beautiful residential areas past the Holmenkollen Ski Jump. Stop at a viewpoint for a fantastic view of the city and the fjord. Your scenic drive continues on to the Bydgoy peninsula, pass the Open-Air Norwegian Folk Museum and the Viking ship museum before arriving at Bygdoynes for a beautiful view of Oslo and the Oslofjord.

OVERVIEW

Explore Norway’s enchanting capital from two contrasting perspectives – motorcoach and sailboat – and see why both are perfect ways to experience Oslo. Begin with a panoramic drive through the cosmopolitan city center, taking in striking landmarks such as the marble-and-glass Oslo Opera House and the modern Bjøvika neighborhood. For breathtaking views of the city and surrounding fjord, ascend to the ski jump venue atop Holmenkollen Hill. The site has been in use for over a century, and its world-class steel tower, built in 2010, hosts international ski jumping competitions. Capture postcard-perfect photos from this iconic vantage point before heading to the edge of the Bygdøy Peninsula. Board a historic motor sailboat for an unforgettable cruise through the Oslofjord. From the deck, enjoy scenic views of the historic island Hovedøya, inhabited by British munks from between the 12th century and 16th century, the tidy white Dyna Lighthouse perched on a fjord reef, and picturesque island with colorful sommerhouses. Before returning to the cruise pier, you’ll pass the twin brick towers of Oslo City Hall and the city’s signature medieval landmark, Akershus Castle, completing a truly immersive tour of Norway’s capital by land and water.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Travel through central Oslo by panoramic coach, pausing for photos and awe at key landmarks like the Oslo Opera House and Holmenkollen Ski Jump.
• Take to the waters of Oslo’s beautiful fjord aboard an open-deck motor sailor for a whole other perspective on the city.
• Glide past evocative sights like the ancient monastery ruins on Hovedøya island, charming wooden Dyna lighthouse, and Akershus Castle – stronghold of Norway’s rulers for centuries.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.