Oslo November — dark early evening at Stortorget with bare trees and city lights

Oslo · Norway

November

The worst month — dark, cold, and before the Christmas atmosphere that makes December worthwhile.

Avoid

#12 of 12 months

There are better months for Oslo — see the full ranking below.

See when to go instead →

Climate

High

5°C

Low

-1°C

Rain

82mm

Sun

2hrs/day

30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5

How November scores in Oslo

Weather
Low
Value
Outstanding
Crowds
Outstanding
Events
Below average
Atmosphere
Below average

What you gain in November

  • November is genuinely Oslo's weakest month, but value is real: hotel rates at many properties drop to their annual lowest before December's Christmas surge. If a specific museum visit or business reason brings you to Oslo in November, the cost per night at quality hotels near Aker Brygge or Tjuvholmen can be 50% below July rates.
  • The Nobel Peace Prize shortlist is announced in November, generating cultural conversation and occasional associated events at the Nobel Peace Center at Brynjulf Bulls Plass — a beautifully designed institution regardless of the month.

What you sacrifice

  • November is the one month in Oslo that offers little to compensate for the cold and darkness: just 2 hours of pale, grey light per day, no snow yet for winter sports, no Christmas atmosphere (which arrives properly only in December), and no summer outdoor culture. The city is between seasons in the least pleasant way possible.
  • If you can choose any month other than November for an Oslo visit, choose it. January in Oslo at least has ski season; November has neither ski nor daylight.

How November compares to May (best month)

FactorNovemberMay
Weather
2
8
Value
9
6
Crowds
9
5

November in other destinations

Lisbon (16.8°C)Barcelona (16.5°C)Tokyo (16.6°C)Bali (30.8°C)Santorini (17.5°C)Paris (10.5°C)New York (11°C)Marrakech (21.3°C)Amsterdam (9.2°C)Maldives (30°C)Rome (15.5°C)Bangkok (30.2°C)Istanbul (13.8°C)Vienna (7.8°C)Seoul (10.4°C)Dubrovnik (15.4°C)Rio de Janeiro (28.8°C)Kyoto (16.9°C)Phuket (31.7°C)Cape Town (23.7°C)Prague (7°C)Amalfi Coast (16°C)Mexico City (22°C)Medellín (27°C)Fiji (29°C)London (11°C)Sydney (24°C)Iceland (4°C)Tulum (29°C)Dubai (29°C)Singapore (31°C)Hoi An (27°C)Chiang Mai (29°C)Miami (27.2°C)Florence (13.6°C)Queenstown (18.5°C)Madrid (13°C)Porto (17°C)Edinburgh (9°C)Copenhagen (8°C)Budapest (9°C)Kraków (6°C)Tbilisi (11°C)Palawan (30°C)Hanoi (25°C)Osaka (16°C)Goa (32°C)Cusco (21°C)Buenos Aires (26°C)Mykonos (17°C)Zanzibar (30°C)Sri Lanka (30°C)Costa Rica (25°C)Cancun (29°C)Krabi (32°C)Athens (18°C)Seville (18°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (29°C)Havana (27°C)Split (15°C)Taipei (23°C)Kuala Lumpur (32°C)Valletta (20°C)Ho Chi Minh City (32°C)Hawaii (28°C)Cappadocia (12°C)Dominican Republic (29°C)Jamaica (30°C)Tanzania (26°C)Seychelles (29°C)Nepal (21°C)Jordan (19°C)Azores (19°C)Bora Bora (29°C)Los Angeles (22.1°C)Cairo (25.3°C)Kenya (25.8°C)Jaipur (27.8°C)Las Vegas (20.5°C)San Francisco (16.5°C)Madeira (21.5°C)Vancouver (9.2°C)Muscat (31.2°C)Lima (21.5°C)Cinque Terre (15°C)Kotor (15°C)Tel Aviv (22°C)Santiago (26°C)Bogotá (18°C)Bruges (9.4°C)Penang (30.8°C)Lombok (31.2°C)Cape Verde (27.5°C)Fez (19.8°C)Kerala (31°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (23°C)Auckland (20°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Oslo, not across destinations. Methodology →