We left the Cunard Queen Elizabeth this morning at 10:20 am and the City Sightseeing Oslo Hop-On Hop-Off Bus (HOHO Bus) was waiting for us quietly at the pier. Our berth was at Color Line pier just a small walk from the city center. Three other ships were in the port on this day from the following cruise lines: Silver Sea, Saga, and Color Line.
We wanted to make the Vigeland Sculpture Park our first visit of the day, but sadly, the HOHO Bus followed a standard loop system roaming through the city in reverse order from what we expected. Though we saw the fascinating style and composition of many buildings in the city, it took 1-1/2 hours to reach the Vigeland Sculpture Park.
Once at the park, we crossed over a bridge that sported peculiar, human-form statues before reaching The Fountain. Unfortunately, the monumental bronze fountain was not running due to an ongoing renovation project.
Continuing on our quest, we came upon the famous Monolith Obelisk with even more human forms all around. These sculptures were visually attractive to observe and photograph. The Vigeland Sculpture Park does not require a lengthy visit unless you are seriously into art or attitudes, so after a short time, we exited the park for our next destination.
At the entrance to the park we picked up the next HOHO bus for the quick ride to the Viking Ship Museum arriving at 12:40 pm. While purchasing our admission to the museum at 80 Krona each, we learned that the Norweigan money we exchanged in the US was no longer legal tender in the country. Our credit card had to do for the day.
The museum had two complete and one partial Viking ships: The Oseberg, the Gokstad, and the Tune. The ships were challenging to capture until we noticed the small viewing platforms at each end that allowed for a higher viewpoint.
The museum held numerous relics from the era and three well-preserved sleighs with very intricate carvings. The artifacts were all displayed on one floor and therefore did not take long to see everything. We left the Viking Ship Museum just after 1 pm.
Not knowing what to do next, we chose to visit the Norsk Folke Museum which was only a 5-minute walk from our current location. I learned about the open-air museum a few months before our vacation began.
What we observed was a marvel, and unquestionably the highlight of our day. The museum encompasses a myriad of preserved and transplanted buildings ranging from the 1500s through to the late 1960s.
Each base was numbered and stamped with an account of its original location and included a photo from its previous setting. There were easily 80–100 structures available for examining, some that you could go inside of and others viewable from the outside.
We had an enjoyable time taking in the scenery, photographing the buildings, and just meandering throughout the grounds. By 2:30 pm we had wandered through most of the structures and decided to head back to the city center to try to change out our expired money.
Cruise Port: Oslo, Norway
Tour Name: Hop-On Hop-Off Oslo
Cruise Ship: Queen Elizabeth
Tour Guide: Self Guided
