Best Time to Travel to Norway

Norway is at its greatest and brightest from May to September. Late spring is an exceptionally pleasing time this is when the fruit trees are in bloom, daylight hours are long, the weather is warm and most hostels and sights are open but not crowded. Summers is known for the extraordinary midnight sun, particularly north of the Artic Circle. At Nordkapp, in the far north, the sun stays out from May 13th to July 29th, but nowhere in the country, even the far south, encounters true darkness between late May and late July.

Normally from November through March is when the average temperatures are below freezing and unless you are a serious and avid winter skiing or looking for the Aurora Borealis of the polar evenings. Norway's freezing, bleak winters are not the peak time to visit, and many hostels and campgrounds outside of major cities are closed.

HOLIDAYS

January - New Year's Day

March - Good Friday

March - Easter

March - Easter Monday

May - May Day

May - Ascension

May - Whit Sunday (Pentecost)

May - Whit Monday

May - Constitution Day

December - Christmas Eve (Half day from 12 noon)

December - Christmas Day

December - Boxing Day

December - New Year's Eve (Half day from 12 noon)

1The Constitution was signed at Eidsvoll in 1814 (Norway remained united with Sweden until 1905)

Non-Holiday Observances

February - Mother’s Day

February - Birthday of King Harald V

May - Liberation day (Liberation from Germany after WW2)

June - Union Dissolution (Norway gains independence from Sweden, 1905)

June - Midsummer's Eve

July - Birthday of Queen Sonja

July - Birthday of Crown Prince Haakon

July - St.Olav's Day

September - Birthday of Princess Martha Louise

November - Fathers' Day

You should know:

Many Norwegians take holidays during the week from Palm Sunday to Easter Monday, so it may be difficult to do business during that time.

Weekend - Saturday, Sunday