Welcome to Fjord Diaries, your Oslo travel blog for firsthand advice on living and exploring Norway. Oslo up close, not from postcards, but from everyday life. This blog comes from firsthand experience. I spent six months learning how the city works, figuring out transport, neighbourhoods, food and a whole different culture. Here you will find practical advice for anyone arriving in Oslo for the first time, stories from Nordic life, and everything you wish you had known before leaving home.
Where to start
Fjord Diaries covers Oslo from the inside. This is the kind of information that takes months to figure out on your own. The blog covers a few main areas.
If you just landed or are about to, Landed in Norway is the place to start. It covers the airport, the first hours in the city and what to expect before you have found your bearings.
Once you are settled, Oslo on a Budget breaks down the real cost of living here; groceries, eating out and public transport, with specific numbers and practical alternatives. Norway is expensive, but there are ways to make it work.
For time spent without spending much, Free Things to Do in Oslo covers the museums, parks and outdoor spots that cost nothing. Some of the best the city has to offer falls into this category.
When you are ready to explore beyond the centre, Best Neighbourhoods in Oslo goes through Grünerløkka, Majorstuen, Gamle Oslo and Bjørvika: what each one feels like and what to do there.
More articles are on the way. The blog is updated regularly with new posts on food, culture, student life and what it actually means to spend an extended period of time in Norway as an outsider.
Stay updated
I update this Oslo travel blog regularly with new posts on food, culture, student life and what it actually means to spend extended time in Norway as an outsider. You can find me on Instagram and TikTok for daily updates and photos. Links are in the menu above. If something here is useful to you or you have a question about Oslo, feel free to reach out. I am always happy to hear from people who are curious about Norway.