Norway · CITY TOURS
This is the shortlist you would send a friend: 15 city tours worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.
Walk central Bergen with a local guide such as Martin, Mark, or Neal, tracing the harbor, Fish Market, historic landmarks, and Bryggen’s Hanseatic lanes. Expect clear English or German commentary, local food tips, musical stories, and a gentle pace for $30 over two hours.
“Martin was FANTASTIC. Very informative, engaging and knowledgeable. He knows a lot more than the tour offers so ask away!”
Use Oslo’s open-top City Sightseeing bus to link the Royal Palace, Vigeland Sculpture Park, Bygdøy museums, cruise terminals, Oslo Opera House, and MUNCH Museum. Your 24 or 48-hour pass includes multilingual audio, Wi-Fi, and flexible boarding at any stop, though museum admission costs extra.
“We enjoyed this very much but were a bit disappointed when we arrived at 9:40am and although there was a bus at the stop, we had to wait for another. Not sure why, but it caused us to depart the tour early at the end of the day. A bit too much waiting at stops. Drivers were OK but not as friendly as I expected! Oh well, still a wonderful way to see the city!!!”
Spend 7.5 hours touring Oslo by air-conditioned coach and fjord boat. Visit Holmenkollen, Vigeland Sculpture Park, the Fram Museum, and either the Folk Museum or Kon-Tiki Museum. Guides such as Elena, Rita, and Chris add clear stories, humor, and useful local context.
“Boarding a comfortable clean bus on time at a clearly signed meeting point. Driver gave clear message outlining the protocols for behaviour on bus. Guide Christopher introduced himself and outlined the program for the day. Although the full trip was 7.5 hours in duration there was great variety and plenty of rest stops. Christopher was amazingly relaxed and informative. The visits were great.”
You’ll tour Oslo with an English-speaking guide, stopping at Vigeland Park, Holmenkollen, the Fram Museum, and a seasonal second museum before a 90-minute Oslo Fjord cruise. Guides such as Elena, Luis, Chris, Christopher, and Rita have been praised for clear storytelling and good humor. Bring lunch and expect plenty of walking.
“Good way to go about Oslo on your first trek. Learned a lot about the city, thw country and it's history. Oslo is big and spread out. You can always go back to specific places to have a more intimate experience. Well organized. Did bus and boat combo.”
Ride an open-top City Sightseeing bus from Geiranger’s cruise terminal to the Norwegian Fjord Centre, Westerås Farm, and Flydalsjuvet Viewpoint. Your one-day ticket includes eight-language audio commentary, headphones, Wi-Fi, and the freedom to hop off for photos, farm animals, or a mountain walk.
“Very quick tour, but take you to a fantastic viewing point.”
See Bergen’s main sights on a 55-minute City Sightseeing loop with 13 stops, including Bryggen, the Aquarium, Fish Market, and funicular station. Board at the cruise terminal or any stop, use the audio guide in eight languages, and ride for 24 or 48 hours.
“Für 43 € bei GYG pro Person im Vorverkauf ziemlich teuer. Tour ist nicht lang. Tickets vom Schiff hätten 41 € pro Person gekostet!!!”
Ride an open-top double-decker around Oslo for about 90 minutes, then hop off at sights such as Vigeland Park, Bygdøy museums, Akershus Fortress, and the Opera House. Your 24 or 48-hour pass includes eight-language audio, Wi-Fi, and flexible boarding at 13 stops.
“Recorded voice hard to hear and wi-fi does not work. The tour is less than two-hour long. It covers the most important points and seems to cater to cruise ship passengers.”
Spend about two hours walking central Bergen and Bryggen with an English-speaking guide such as Martin or Neal. Hear stories about cod, the Hanseatic League, Grieg, Ibsen, wartime Norway, and modern Bergen. The group is limited to 16 people, with stops at the Fish Market and St. Mary’s Church.
“Martin's tour was the best walking tour I have ever been on. He was knowledgable, organized, friendly, and humorous all at the same time. I would definitely recommend Martin's tour!”
See Alesund from an open-top double-decker bus with an 80-minute route, eight stops, free Wi-Fi, headphones, and audio commentary in eight languages. Use the one-day ticket for Fjellstua, Sunnmøre Museum, Art Nouveau sights, Alesund Church, and city discounts.
“This was a very comprehensivit tour covering quite a lot of territory. there were a number of stops that I would have explored further but with limited time in port on a cruise ship it was really only a matter of choosing one or two stops so we stopped for the look out and then at the city prot area.”
Meet Authentic North at Vervet in central Tromsø for a safety briefing, then spend about 90 minutes floating in the harbour in a professional rescue suit. Guides such as Mathieu, Sarah, and Ingvar are known for calm instruction and photos. Choose peaceful floating or a 2 to 3 meter dock jump.
“We went as a family of three and didn’t really know what to expect. The description of this activity sounded really interesting. When we went there, we were the only ones. We got dressed in these funny suits and during the entire program our guide was super friendly. The feeling of floating in the water is very relaxing and peaceful. We were lucky to have such a great guide! Would definitely recommend.”
Walk from the Nobel Peace Center past Akershus Fortress, Christiania Torv, Kvadraturen, the Opera House, Karl Johan Street, the Cathedral, Parliament, and the Royal Palace view. German-speaking guides such as Emily, Anna Marie, and Olav bring Oslo’s history and daily life into focus.
“We had an excellent guide who shared lots of information about the City and its history, culture and government. It's a great introduction to the City.”
Use Stavanger’s open-top double-decker to get your bearings, then hop off for the cathedral, Old Town, Petroleum Museum, art museum, and Ledaal Royal Residence. The 50-minute loop runs every 30 minutes, with audio in eight languages and free WiFi. It operates mainly for cruise passengers from June through September.
“The Hop On Hop Off bus was excellent. The only feedback is that we were in Stavanger for the day on a cruise ship with 3500 passengers and the buses weren’t frequent enough. We prepaid our tickets with the expectation not to have to join a queue behind people paying on the day and had to wait 1/2 hour for next bus to depart. Maybe frequency should have been every 15 minutes”
Start at 10:00 with an English-speaking guide and modern coach. See Oslo’s main sights, walk through Vigeland Park, stop at Holmenkollen, then take a silent electric-boat cruise among Oslofjord’s islands. Guides such as Harold, Randi, Christian, and Christoffer have been praised for lively local stories.
“Great walking tour before boat ride.. guide was very knowledgeable.. Beautiful boat, very spacious and roomy.. food was good.. only downside was the audio needing to be on your own devices.. killed the battery”
Start at Tromsø’s tourist information office and walk about 2.5 kilometers through the city with a certified local guide. You’ll visit the Polar Museum, hear about Roald Amundsen and Arctic hunting, and get practical food and shopping tips. English tours host no more than 15 people.
“It’s well worth the money. A good choice when you have limited time. The guide was very knowledgeable about Tromsø”
See Oslo from an open-top double-decker bus with a 24-hour ticket, 17 stops, audio commentary in eight languages, and free Wi-Fi. The route links the cruise terminals, Royal Palace, Vigeland Sculpture Park, Bygdøy museums, Akershus Fortress, the Opera House, and MUNCH. English is offered.
“Easy pick up right at the port. We had limited time as we were visiting Oslo as a port of call on the beautiful Emerald Princess and it was forecast to rain in the afternoon so we wanted to see as much as possible while we had sunshine. Bust stops were convenient and ran about every 30 minutess”
Pick a fjord, a sky or a sled.
