Munch Museum, National Museum and Opera House: Oslo's Big Waterfront Houses

If you have time for one art museum in Oslo, the National Museum is the one to book ahead. The entry ticket costs €20.86, has 4.7 out of 5 and 226 reviews. Oslo’s three big cultural buildings are the Munch Museum, the National Museum and the Opera House. They are all on or near the waterfront, and each works differently when it comes to tickets.

The National Museum

According to the booking page, the museum opened in its waterfront building in 2022, has 13,000 square metres of exhibition space and shows around 6,500 works across art, design and architecture. The page highlights the earliest version of “The Scream” from 1893, a Munch room, a Fairy Tale Room with the work of Theodor Kittelsen, royal costume collections and temporary exhibitions in the Light Hall on the third floor. The rooftop terrace with fjord views is open in the summer season only.

What the ticket covers, as listed: entry to the collection exhibitions and to all temporary exhibitions, valid on the date you choose, with entry any time during operating hours, plus drop-in guided tours depending on availability. The booking page lists food and drinks, bags, backpacks and umbrellas under “not allowed”. The page carries a wheelchair-accessible label; confirm the details with the museum if you need them. The address is Brynjulf Bulls plass 3. This week the museum’s website lists Monday as closed, Tuesday and Wednesday 10 am–8 pm and Thursday to Sunday 10 am–5 pm, with exceptions on holidays, so plan your visit for Tuesday to Sunday.

The Munch Museum

The Munch Museum is a separate museum, and we do not link an entry ticket for it, so buy directly from the museum. Its website lists opening hours of Sunday to Tuesday 10 am–6 pm and Wednesday to Saturday 10 am–9 pm, with different hours on some holidays. Check the page before you go. Several of the fjord cruises we compare name the museum among the sights they pass; see which fjord boat to book.

The Opera House

The Opera House roof was designed as a platform open to everyone, and Visit Oslo describes it as open for visitors to climb all year round, with views over the city and the fjord. Weather and ice can change how pleasant that is in winter; look at the conditions before you go. Inside, the Opera House runs its own guided tours in English on weekends, booked through the Opera’s website. The guided walking tour with Opera House and library lists the Opera House as an outside visit, so it does not take you into the building. It lasts 3 hours and starts at the Deichman library in Bjørvika. It is offered in English and Spanish, as a private tour or for small groups, from €142.25 per person.

A guided walk between the houses

The 90-minute walk in the footsteps of Edvard Munch starts at the University’s Universitetets aula on Karl Johans gate and ends at the National Museum. The listing says the group is limited to 8 participants and the guide speaks English or Norwegian. It is listed as not suitable for people with mobility impairments. The booking page excludes museum entry tickets, so for the National Museum buy the ticket above. If you want to go in afterwards, avoid Mondays, when the museum is closed.

The options at a glance

Option	What it is	Length	Starts at
National Museum entry ticket	Collection and all temporary exhibitions, entry during opening hours	Explore at your own pace	Brynjulf Bulls plass 3
Walk in the footsteps of Edvard Munch	Guided walk ending at the National Museum	1.5 hours	Universitetets aula, Karl Johans gate 47
Guided walking tour with Opera House and library	City walk that passes the Opera House outside	3 hours	Deichman Bjørvika

Our recommendation

Book the National Museum ticket for a wide look at Norwegian art, and add the Munch walk if you want the story of the artist before you walk in. Go to the Munch Museum directly if Munch is the reason for your trip, and treat the Opera House roof as a free stop that fits between museums. More tickets and museums are on the tickets and museums page.