The Oslo Pass: Is It Worth It In 2022?

The Oslo Pass is a type of all-in-one ticket that give you free access to use the public transpiration system and most museums and attractions in Oslo and its surrounding areas.

Tourists who visit Oslo might be tempted to buy the Oslo pass to make life a bit easier. However, the steep cost makes a lot of people questions if it’s worth it.

So, should you buy the Oslo pass when visiting Oslo, or is it better to just buy single tickets? And will you really save money by buying the Oslo Pass?

The Oslo Pass is worth it if you visit at least two of the free attractions or museums that are included, as well as use the public transportation system at least 3 – 4 times during the 24 hour period. If not, you might as well get single tickets.

The Oslo Pass is great for those of you that wants to pop by a few museums in a matter of hours, or for people who likes to get on and off the public transport regularly during the stay.

On the other hand, it’s a complete waste of money if you don’t intend to visit at least one of the museums, and you won’t even save money if you only visit two museums.

Some examples where the Oslo Pass makes sense

Let’s say you want to ride the public ferry (included) to Bygdø, then spend an hour at Fram Museum, another hour at the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History (which has a stave church), then stop by at Akershus Castle on the way back.

At this point single tickets would have cost more than the Oslo Pass has, and you still have plenty of hours left on it. Maybe you have the time to stop by the newly build MUNCH Museum or the Museum of Natural History? Now remember to use the 20 % discount rate when eating dinner, and you’ve got yourself a good deal.

Keep in mind that you will save some money if you visit 3 museums, but it’s not going to be that much of a saving. However, at 4 – 5 museums, you have saved a decent amount of money.

Another good point that makes the Oslo Pass worth it, is the fact that you can try out some museums that you would otherwise not bother to visit. Maybe you end up having a blast at Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art even though you didn’t expect it? If you had to pay the entrance ticket to get it, the chances of finding these surprise experiences is much lower.

And when you have the pass, why not just jump on the buses or trams to get between even small distances in Oslo? These depart all the time with little waiting, and it’s a nice and cozy way to see the city. I advise everyone to ride the tram when they are in Oslo, just because it’s such a nice experience.

The Oslo Pass will give you unlimited access to the buses, trams and subway in Oslo and its surrounding area, and you can jump on and off as often as you like within the time limit.

Some examples where the Oslo Pass is a waste of money

Some people might be tempted to buy the Oslo pass as a method of just getting unlimited use of the public transportation, but that’s actually a waste of money. You can buy 24 hour passes or 7 day passes directly from Ruter. These give access to unlimited use of public transportation, and are far cheaper than the Oslo Pass. The “2 Soner” Pass is the equivalent of what’s included in the Oslo Pass.

Another example where the Oslo Pass is a waste of money is if you mainly walk when in Oslo, and only use it to enter a single museum. For example, entering the Fram Museum cost 140 NOK for adults, making it far cheaper than a single Oslo Pass. Most of the museums in Oslo are located fairly close to the city center, and it’s perfectly fine to walk to most of them on days with OK weather.

I often find myself spending 3 – 4 hours in a single museum, and I’m not really up for another museum visit that same day, so in these cases the Oslo Pass is not really worth it.

All parks and nature is free to access in Oslo, independently of the Oslo Pass. So don’t bother spending money on the Oslo Pass if you want to spend most of your time going on hikes or walks in the forest.

Prices for the Oslo Pass (2022)

The Oslo Pass is pretty expensive, and you can see the prices for different groups in the table below. You can choose to buy the Oslo Pass for either one, two or three days.

	24 hours	48 hours	72 hours
Adults	445 NOK	655 NOK	820 NOK
Children	235 NOK	325 NOK	410 NOK
Senior citizens	355 NOK	520 NOK	655 NOK

It can get pretty expensive for a family of four (2 adults and 2 children) who wants it for a few days. An Oslo Pass for then entire family for 48 hours will cost just under 2000 NOK, so it’s absolutely a noticeable expense!

You will save some money if you buy the 72 hour passes, but are you really up for visiting 2 or 3 museums for three days in a row? Sounds a bit exhausting to me to be honest, but it might be enjoyable for others.

Some of the attractions that are included in the Oslo Pass

Oslo Pass includes free entry to plenty of different museums and attractions, including places like:

• Fram Museum (polar expedition museum).
• Natural History Museum (zoological museum).
• Akershus Castle.
• Norwegian Museum of Cultural History.
• The Kon-Tiki Museum.
• MUNCH museum.
• Nobel Peace Center.
• Oslo Reptilpark.
• Vigeland Museum.
• The Museum of the Viking Age, previously called the Viking Ship Museum (closed for maintenance until 2026).
• Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art.
• Holmenkollen Ski Museum & Tower.

And plenty of other museums and attractions. Most of the museums in Oslo are included in the pass, so it’s unlikely that you have to pay to enter any museum if you have the Oslo Pass.

You can see a full list of all included museums and attractions at this link.

Each of these museums typically charge around 100 to 150 NOK for adult tickets. So you need to buy a few of these before breaking even on the Oslo Pass cost.

How to buy the Oslo Pass

You can buy the Oslo Pass digitally at this link. Just click on it, choose your preferred length, the number of passes you are getting, and an e-mail address to send them to.

They will need to be activated before you can begin to use the passes. You will probably want to do that just before you board the first bus or tram, or entering the first museum.

To activate the pass, download the Oslo Pass app on your mobile phone, and redeem the voucher that got sent to your e-mail address. It’s also possible to buy the pass directly in the app.

Another option is to buy a physical Oslo Pass after arriving in Oslo. Stop by Oslo Visitor Center (inside the main train station Oslo Sentralbanestasjon) to buy it. It’s also sold at some of the museums and hotels, or from places that sell physical Ruter tickets (but not on the buses themselves).

Frequently asked questions about the Oslo Pass