Oslofjord Cruises in Winter

They run, and the boats are built for it. The electric ships are heated and air-conditioned; the wooden ships run year-round with blankets and a heated deck, and are cancelled and refunded if the fjord ices over. The thing to plan around is not the cold, it is the light: the winter solstice gives Oslo about five hours and fifty-three minutes of daylight, sunrise around 09:15 and sunset around 15:10, so an afternoon departure is a dusk cruise whether you booked one or not.

Do they runYes, year-round

Midwinter daylightAbout 5 h 53 min

SunriseAbout 09:15

SunsetAbout 15:10

Wooden shipsRefunded if the fjord ices

Electric boatsHeated and air-conditioned

Pick your hour before you pick your boat

In late December a departure at two in the afternoon is in failing light by the time you reach the islands, which is either the best version of this trip or the wrong one, depending on what you came for. A lit city seen from dark water is genuinely striking and it photographs badly. If you want to see the shoreline and the cabins, go at the middle of the day. Shooting the fjord.

The boat with a lift, and its rating

The electric cruise from Rådhusbrygge 4 is the obvious winter choice: two hours, fully heated and air-conditioned, and the only boat in this catalogue with a lift on board. It is also the lowest-rated of the six, at 4.4 from about 2,396 reviews, and that is worth saying plainly rather than hiding. A 4.4 across thousands of reviews is a normal score for a high-volume operation, and it is a different kind of number from a 4.5 across a hundred and fifty-eight. If step-free access and warmth are what decide your trip, this is the boat, and the score should not put you off it. Accessibility in full.

What works

Heated saloons on the electric boats, and blankets on the wooden ones
Thin decks and short queues, even at the busiest quays
A lit city from dark water is a view you cannot get in June
The wooden ships still run, with a refund if the fjord ices over

Worth knowing

About five and a half hours of daylight around the solstice
An afternoon departure is effectively an evening one
The open deck is a short visit rather than a place to sit
Some seasonal public boats, including B2 to Langøyene, do not run

Insider tip

Book a departure that finishes before sunset if the islands are the point, and one that starts after it if the city is. The same ninety minutes gives two genuinely different trips in December.

The warm, step-free option

Two hours from Rådhusbrygge 4 on a fully electric boat, heated and air-conditioned, with a lift on board — the only one in this catalogue that has one. It is the lowest-rated of the six at 4.4 from about 2,396 reviews, which for a high-volume operation is an ordinary score rather than a warning.

Check availability & book

We’re an independent guide, not a tour operator. Booking links go to GetYourGuide and are affiliate links — book through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure.

Frequently asked questions

Do Oslofjord cruises run in winter?

Yes. The electric boats are heated and air-conditioned and run through the season, and the wooden sailing ships run year-round but are cancelled and refunded if the fjord ices over. Season by season.

How much daylight is there for a winter cruise in Oslo?

About five hours and fifty-three minutes at the solstice, with sunrise around 09:15 and sunset around 15:10. A mid-afternoon departure is a dusk cruise. Cruising after dark.

Which boat is best in December?

The electric cruise from Rådhusbrygge 4 is heated, air-conditioned and the only boat here with a lift, though it is also the lowest-rated of the six at 4.4 from about 2,396 reviews — a normal score for a boat that carries a great many people. The electric boats.