“Why I love being a tour guide in Oslo” by Patrick

With six years of experience as a Viking Biking and Hiking tour guide, I’ve learned that it is a mistake to think you’ve got your hometown or home country all figured out. When you dig a little deeper there are always new stories to learn and new experiences to discover. There are many charming and bustling places to explore off the beaten track, many vibrant hidden-gems worth visiting, and breathtaking sights to see from a new perspective. As a tour guide in Oslo, I get to discover all that the city has to offer! It doesn’t matter whether it is a bike tour around the city or a nature walk across the idyllic islands, guiding in Oslo is an endless pleasure.

But even more importantly, I have the great privilege of sharing this incredible city with visitors from all over the world. Norway has a long history of staying out of the spotlight. For many years that’s exactly how we liked it, just us against the elements at the edge of the world. The tourism industry has only recently started to boom here, and we Norwegians are still getting used to it. The growth of tourism has allowed Oslo to change from an industrial town to a thriving,multicultural city. The place seems to be abuzz with activity: a food festival, a medieval fair, a freestyle diving competition! One of the most popular festivals of the year these days has become the Turban Day, a celebration of the Sikh community where free homemade curry and paneer are handed out to passersby. As far as activities and attractions are concerned, there is always something going on in Oslo.

Oslo has you covered even if all you want is a little peace and quiet; one thing tourism hasn’t changed is our long-standing relationship with nature. Norwegians pride themselves on being a hardy, outdoorsy people: hiking in the forest, sailing on the fjords, and staying in cabins away from the city are some of our favourite pastimes. We have a strong connection to our country, “landet vårt”, which is reinforced by getting outside and enjoying nature. As a matter of fact, Oslo is an incredibly green city — 68% of the city’s public spaces consist of gardens, parks, and woodlands! There is always a quiet spot nearby, whether you like to hike in the wilds around the city, take a nature walk along the coast or to the islands, or simply relax in one of Oslo’s many parks.

I love this country and nothing makes me happier than to end a tour knowing that my tour group has come to love this country as well. So come join us on a bike tour or an island hopping tour and see this wonderful place I get to call my home!