An Oslo Weekend: Day Trips
Two days of Oslo day trips, no rental car and no advance booking: a public ferry to a 12th-century monastery island on day one, then a forest loop by T-bane on day two. Both run on the same NOK 44-46 Ruter ticket. See the extended 3 day plan if you can add Drammen, or the full 7 day version for the whole gateway family. Prefer the city itself first? Start with our 2 day Oslo itinerary .
| Day | Day trip | Travel time from Oslo |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oslofjord islands (Hovedoya, Lindoya) | 7-15 min by ferry |
| 2 | Nordmarka forest (Frognerseteren, Sognsvann) | 30-35 min by T-bane |
Book these before you go
- Compare hotel rates near Oslo S , the easiest base for the ferry pier and the T-bane platform
- Book a narrated Oslofjord cruise as a backup for day one if the forecast turns; the DIY ferry below doesn’t run in genuinely bad weather
Day 1: the ferry hack to a ruined monastery
Skip the paid cruise line at Aker Brygge and walk instead to Radhusbrygge, where the Ruter B1 ferry leaves for Hovedoya every few minutes on a standard NOK 44-46 Zone 1 ticket, the same fare that covers the T-bane. The crossing takes 7 minutes. Cistercian monks from Kirkstead Abbey in England founded an abbey on the island on 18 May 1147; it became one of Norway’s richest institutions before being burned in 1532, and the stone was later hauled back to build Akershus Fortress. Walk the ruins (background on visitoslo.com ), swim off the rocks if it’s warm enough, and stay on the same ticket to continue to Lindoya for a second island before heading back for dinner in Sentrum.
Do you need to book the Oslofjord ferry in advance?
No. It’s a scheduled public transit route, not a tour product, so there’s nothing to reserve. Buy the Zone 1 ticket in the RuterBillett app before you board, since there’s no ticket machine on Hovedoya itself, and confirm the current fare and schedule on ruter.no if you’re travelling outside summer, when sailings thin out.
Day 2: the forest loop by T-bane
Ride T-bane line 1 to Frognerseteren, its final stop above the city, where a lodge and restaurant mark the edge of Nordmarka’s forest. A marked trail leads down to Sognsvann, a lake Oslo locals actually swim in come summer, and you can loop back into the centre on lines 4 or 5 from the Sognsvann side instead of retracing the same path. It’s all one Zone 1 fare, the same ticket from day one. In winter, swap the hike for skis: Nordmarka’s groomed trail network runs to roughly 2,600km, with floodlit sections for after-dark laps.
Is 2 days enough to see Oslo itself too?
Not really, and that’s the point of keeping this a day-trip-only plan. Vigeland Park, the Munch Museum, and Akershus Fortress each deserve real time on their own, so stacking them onto these two days rushes both. If the city is the priority this trip, start with our 2 day Oslo itinerary instead and treat these day trips as the extension once the marquee sights are done.
Pack real shoes for Frognerseteren regardless of season; the trail down to Sognsvann is rooted and uneven well before it turns to snow.