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Travel and Tourism in Norway
Travel alerts, currency, climate, transit, health, and safety information for visitors to Norway.
Practical Information
Travel alert status, currency, climate, and transit details.
- Travel Alert Status
- Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
- Time Difference
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Currency
- Norwegian krone (NOK)
- Climate
- Many people expect Norway's climate to be bitterly cold. The latitude of the country certainly suggests this would be true. The Arctic Circle cuts through Norway about halfway up the length of the country. Oslo lies in the southern part of the country but is at the same latitude as Anchorage, Alaska. Hammerfest, on the northern tip of the Norwegian mainland, is the world's most northerly town. Still, the climate of cities along the Norwegian coast is much milder than might be expected at such northerly latitudes, even during midwinter, because of the warming effect of the Gulf Stream. Summer in the southern part of the country can last from early May to late August or, in a bad year, for only a week in late June. There are about 20 hours of daylight during June and July in Oslo. (Note: In northern Norway, the midnight sun shines for nearly two months during this period!) Summer days rarely get warmer than 80 F and can be quite cool in the 50s and 60s. Winter brings only about six hours of daylight in Oslo and none in areas north of the Arctic Circle. Snow brightens the landscape considerably, even during the shortest days. However, some people find the darkness oppressive. Norwegians seem to have found numerous ways to combat the depression of winter such as utilizing the many (often lit) cross-country trails and downhill slopes within the Oslo city limits or keeping things cozy and bright inside, using lots of candlelight for cheer and warmth.
- Ethnic Groups
- Norwegian, Sami 20,000
- National Holiday
- Constitution Day, 17 May (1814)
- Geographic Coordinates
- 62 00 N, 10 00 E
- Location
- Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden
- Airports
- 101
Destinations
Regions and cities, top sights, national parks, UNESCO sites, and festivals for visitors.
The Lofoten Islands
The Lofoten Islands are, by the consensus of photographers, travel writers, and ordinary visitors alike, one of the most beautiful places in the world. This chain of islands above the Arctic Circle, extending for roughly 160 kilometers off the northwest coast of Norway, presents a landscape of such visual drama that it is difficult to believe without seeing: jagged peaks of bare granite and quartzite rising abruptly from a sea of extraordinary color, the mountains reflected in sheltered lagoons of turquoise and green, clusters of red and yellow fishing cabins perched on rocks at the water's edge, and above it all, depending on the season, either the perpetual summer daylight of the midnight sun or the aurora borealis arcing across a dark winter sky.
The islands have been inhabited for at least a thousand years. Their waters are extraordinarily productive, warmed by the Gulf Stream and rich in fish, and the cod fishery that has operated in these waters since medieval times was one of the most important fisheries in the world.
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Health and Safety
Medical facilities, vaccinations, disease risk, and sanitation conditions.
Medical facilities are widely available and of high quality, but may be limited outside the larger urban areas. The remote and sparse populations in northern Norway and the dependency on ferries to cross fjords of western Norway may affect transportation and ready access to medical facilities. The U.S. Embassy in Oslo maintains a list of emergency medical and dental clinics in major cities.
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