Destination: Norway

LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL GUIDEBOOK INFORMATION

When to Go

Norway is at its best and brightest from May to September. Late May is particularly pleasant – flowers are blooming, fruit trees blossoming, daylight hours are growing longer and most hostels and tourist sites are open but uncrowded. North of the Arctic Circle, the true midnight sun is visible at least one day a year, and at Nordkapp it stays out from 13 May to 29 July. In Lofoten, it’s visible from 28 May to 14 July.

In general, the mountainous inland areas experience warmer summers and colder winters than the typically milder coastal areas, and temperatures over 30°C in summer and below -30°C in winter aren’t uncommon. At any time of the year, be aware that extremes of temperature are always possible.

In addition to climatic factors, visitors should also consider the tourist season, which coincides with European school holidays and runs roughly from mid-June to mid-August. During this period, public transport runs frequently; tourist offices, hostels, summer hotels and tourist sites are open their longest hours; and most upmarket hotels offer better summer rates. There’s also a ‘shoulder’ season, running from mid-May to mid-June and mid-August to early September, when these places are open shorter hours. Unless you’re an avid skier or hope to glimpse the aurora borealis, Norway’s cold dark winters can be trying for visitors – public transport runs infrequently; most hostels and camping grounds are closed; and tourist sites, museums and tourist offices open only limited hours, if at all.

Travelling to Norway?
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