Our trip: September 2017, with a 4-year-old and a toddler · updated September 2026
Most “Norway with kids” guides send you straight to the fjords: long drives, ferries, and a lot of hours in a car seat. We did Norway with kids differently. We spent one week in the east with a 4-year-old and a toddler: two days in Oslo, a day trip to Lillehammer, and six nights on a dairy farm 30 minutes from the city. There were no fjords and no overnight ferries, and it turned out to be one of the easiest trips we’ve done with small children.
This page brings together everything we’ve written about that week, with the itinerary I’d follow today and the 2026 prices.
Quick answers
- Is Norway good with kids? Very. It’s safe and clean, children get into many museums free, and it’s easy to get around.
- One week is enough for: Oslo (2 days), Lillehammer (1–2 days) and a countryside base.
- Is Norway expensive for families? Eating out and hotels, yes. Sightseeing, often not: under-18s are free at Norsk Folkemuseum, the Maritime Museum, the Historical Museum and MUNCH.
- Best time with young kids: June to September. We went in September: quieter, cheaper, and cool, rainy days.
Short on time? Our top 3 picks in Oslo
Citybox Oslo – 5 minutes from Oslo S, with family rooms, self check-in and a guest kitchen. Breakfast isn’t included, which is how it keeps prices down.
Thon Hotel Opera – 25 m from Oslo S and a short walk to the Opera House roof. Breakfast buffet included, rooms for up to four.
Sommerro – Frogner, with Oslo’s first rooftop pool and 45 m² family rooms. The tram stops outside.
Affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. On our trip we stayed with friends outside Oslo, not in a hotel.
Our 1-week Norway itinerary with kids
| Day | What we did | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive, settle in on the farm near Oslo | Farm stay |
| 2 | Oslo centre on foot: Opera House roof, City Hall, Palace Park ducks | Oslo in 2 days |
| 3 | Bygdøy museums with an Oslo Pass, then the island ferry | Bygdøy museums |
| 4 | Farm day: cows, outdoor play, rest | Farm stay |
| 5 | Day trip to Lillehammer along Lake Mjøsa | Lillehammer |
| 6–7 | Farm and slow days before flying home |
The version I’d plan now
- Days 1–3, Oslo: stay in the city. Day 1 on foot (free), day 2 at the Bygdøy museums, day 3 at Holmenkollen or MUNCH, or an island ferry.
- Day 4: train or drive to Lillehammer (about 2 hours).
- Days 5–6, Lillehammer: the Olympic ski jump chairlift, Maihaugen and, in summer, Hunderfossen fairy-tale park.
- Day 7: back via Oslo Airport, which is on the Lillehammer train line.
Want the farm part too? Swap one Oslo hotel night and the Lillehammer nights for a farm stay (see below), and do both as day trips like we did.
Oslo with kids: 2 days is right
Oslo is small, flat and walkable with a stroller. Our first day cost us nothing. We walked up the white roof of the Opera House, got happily lost on the way to Parliament, watched the boats at City Hall and fed the ducks in the Palace Park, which our boys loved more than anything else in the city. Day two was the Bygdøy museum peninsula by ferry.
The Bygdøy museums and the Viking Ship Museum
Bygdøy is where Oslo’s best museums for kids sit side by side: the Fram polar ship you can walk on, Kon-Tiki, the Norsk Folkemuseum open-air museum, and the Maritime Museum. We did five in a rainy day. With small kids, four is the maximum.
The fifth, the Viking Ship Museum, has been closed since 2021 and reopens as the Museum of the Viking Age, currently targeted for late 2027. We have photos from 2017, and a guide to what to see instead with kids.
- Bygdøy museums with kids: order, prices, getting there
- Viking Ship Museum closed: what to see instead
Is the Oslo Pass worth it for families?
Usually for the adults and rarely for the kids. Children under 18 already get into Norsk Folkemuseum, the Maritime Museum, the Historical Museum and MUNCH free, and under-6s ride Oslo public transport free. For our Bygdøy day as a family of four, two adult passes beat four passes by up to NOK 340.
Full 2026 maths for 24h and 48h, with and without under-6s →
Lillehammer with kids: the day trip
Lillehammer, the 1994 Winter Olympics town, is about 2 hours north of Oslo by car or train. The drive along Lake Mjøsa was the first two-hour drive that didn’t tire us out. In town there are the Olympic ski jumps (chairlift up in summer), Maihaugen open-air museum with the Olympic Museum on the same ticket, and Hunderfossen fairy-tale park for summer visits.
Lillehammer with kids: what to do, drive vs train, where to stay →
Short on time? Our top 3 picks in Lillehammer
Birkebeineren Hotel & Apartments – 60 m² apartments with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a full kitchen, walking distance to town. Cooking your own dinners is the biggest saving in Norway.
Home Hotel Hammer – on the pedestrian Storgata, with breakfast, afternoon fika and dinner included in the room rate. Family rooms available.
Scandic Lillehammer Hotel – 1.1 km from Maihaugen, indoor pool, kids’ playroom and 23 m² family rooms for four.
Affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. We visited Lillehammer as a day trip and didn’t stay overnight.
A farm stay in Norway with toddlers
We spent six nights with friends who live beside a dairy farm about 30 minutes from Oslo. Our boys were scared of the cows for half an hour and then fed them all week. The kids played outside every evening, and for the first time in my life as a mother I didn’t need to watch every second. Our toddler slept nine hours straight for the first time.
Ours wasn’t bookable because we stayed with friends. For a real one, HANEN, Norway’s rural tourism network, lists farms that offer rooms, food and activities.
Our six days on a Norwegian dairy farm →
Is Norway expensive with kids?
Yes and no. Hotels, restaurants and alcohol are some of the most expensive in Europe. But Norway is unusually generous to children in the places tourists go:
- Free for under-18s: Norsk Folkemuseum, Norwegian Maritime Museum, Historical Museum, MUNCH.
- Free on public transport: all under-6s in Oslo, and children 6–17 on an adult’s ticket at weekends and on public holidays.
- Family discounts: Fram and Kon-Tiki family tickets. At Maihaugen you pay for the adults and one child, and up to three more go free.
Where we saved most: supermarket picnics (REMA 1000 and Kiwi are the budget chains), free sights on day one in Oslo, and staying outside the city.
Best time to visit Norway with kids
For eastern Norway with young children, June to September. Summer has the long days, the Bygdøy ferry and the Skibladner paddle steamer on Mjøsa. We went in September: fewer people, lower prices, and cool, often rainy weather. That’s why our Oslo day 2 became a museum day, which the kids loved anyway. Pack waterproofs whatever the month.
Winter is a different trip: skiing, sledding and Hunderfossen’s winter park in Lillehammer. Our trip was in September, so we can’t speak about winter from experience.
What I’d tell a family planning Norway
- Skip the fjords with a toddler unless you love long drives. Oslo and Lillehammer give you Norway without the car-seat marathon.
- Pick one base and do day trips. Moving hotels every night with small kids costs more energy than it saves in driving.
- Check child prices before buying any pass. Kids often get in free anyway.
- Plan a rainy-day museum for every city. You’ll need it.
All our posts from Norway are on our Norway page.
Frequently asked questions about Norway with kids
Is Norway good for a family holiday with young kids?
Yes. Norway is safe, clean and easy to get around, many Oslo museums are free for under-18s, and places like Oslo and Lillehammer work well with toddlers without long fjord drives.
How many days do you need in Norway with kids?
One week covers Oslo for two or three days, Lillehammer for one or two, and a slower countryside base. The fjords need a second week.
Is Norway expensive for families?
Hotels and restaurants are expensive, but sightseeing often isn’t: children under 18 get into Norsk Folkemuseum, the Maritime Museum, the Historical Museum and MUNCH free, and under-6s ride Oslo public transport free.
What is the best time to visit Norway with kids?
June to September is best for young children. Summer has the longest days and all ferries running, and September is quieter and cheaper but cooler and often rainy.
Can you visit Norway with kids without seeing the fjords?
Yes. Eastern Norway, meaning Oslo, Lillehammer and the farmland around Lake Mjøsa, makes a full family week with short travel times.
