Brim Explorer Oslo: fjord cruises, combos and prices

Where Brim Explorer sails from in Oslo

Every Brim Explorer departure in Oslo uses the same pier: Rådhusbrygge 2, in front of Oslo City Hall and just before the PIREN restaurant. One meeting point for the whole programme keeps the timetable simple, because you are not working out which dock belongs to which tour.

The boat is MS Brisen, a 25.3-metre electric catamaran licensed for 145 guests, with two indoor saloons, a rooftop viewing deck and a licensed bar and café. It has an accessible toilet on the main deck and the vessel is wheelchair accessible.

The cheapest cruise and the priciest booking

The cheapest paid sailing Brim Explorer runs in Oslo is the Silent Oslo Fjord Cruise at 690 NOK per adult: two and a half hours, departures at 10:00 and 13:30, running all year. Students and 12 to 17s pay 518 NOK, children aged 3 to 11 pay 345 NOK, and under-threes go free.

The route passes Dyna Lighthouse, the Opera House and MUNCH, then out among the islands and the Nesodden boathouses, and you can ask to be dropped at Bygdøy Museum Island rather than sail back to the pier. At the other end of the price range is the three-hour Norwegian food tour at 1,620 NOK per adult, run with OsloNature: five dishes across three restaurants, a walk along the Akerselva, and departures at 12:00. Vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian and gluten-free versions are available on request.

The six-hour combos: bus, walking tour or forest hike

Three Oslo tours run about six hours and all cost 1,500 NOK per adult, but they are not interchangeable. The City-Bus Tour & Fjord Cruise runs all year: an electric coach at 10:00 to Holmenkollen and the Vigeland Sculpture Park, entry to the Fram Museum, and either the Norwegian Folk Museum from April to October or the Kon-Tiki Museum from November to March, followed by the 2.5-hour fjord cruise at 13:30.

The other two are winter products, November to April only. The Walking Tour & Fjord Cruise pairs a guided city walk with the same boat. The Forest Hike version keeps the group to 20 or fewer and puts the morning in the woods with a local guide and her dog, including a campfire break by a lake before the cruise. Between May and October, the bus combo is the only one of the three running.

Dinner on the fjord, and the free after-work cruise

The Oslo Dinner Cruise is the evening option: 1,490 NOK per adult for two and a half hours, departing 18:00 daily except Tuesday, all year. The three-course menu comes from the chefs of Restaurant Einer, a pianist plays a baby grand through the evening, and the boat takes between 8 and 80 guests. Book before noon on the day you want to sail.

Electric After Work is the outlier, because it costs nothing. It runs on selected days and asks only that you buy a drink from the bar. Availability is limited and the cruise has been listed as closed at times, so check the date before you plan an evening around it.

What changes between a winter and a summer sailing

The fjord cruises sail all year, so the winter question is not whether they run but what you wear. The saloons on MS Brisen are heated and glazed floor to ceiling, which means the whole route can be watched from indoors; the rooftop and outdoor decks are where the photographs are, and they are cold. Layers and a windproof outer jacket work better than committing to a seat outside.

Oslo's climate swings hard between seasons: hot summers, and winters cold enough for snow in the mountains. From late June to early August the nights never get properly dark, so a midsummer evening cruise sails in daylight rather than dusk. Rain is a packing problem rather than a booking one, because the saloons are indoors and the departures keep to the year-round schedule.

New Year's Eve, julebord and chartering the boat

Two Oslo departures exist only on 31 December, and both cost 1,250 NOK per adult. The activity version runs three hours from a 23:00 departure, with boarding at 22:00. The events version runs 22:00 to 01:00 with a glass of bubbles included, a live DJ, three levels for watching the fireworks and a group size of 8 to 120. Both are single departures on one night of the year, so early booking matters.

MS Brisen is also chartered for julebord, weddings, client receptions and team building. Julebord takes 10 guests up to 145, with a buffet recommended for 100 to 120 and catering by Restaurant Einer. Weddings and corporate events start at a three-hour minimum on quote-based pricing, and there are four charter formats: the whole ship, a chambre séparée on the upper deck during a scheduled sailing, seats on the public dinner cruise for groups up to 40, or a dockside event without leaving the pier. Cancellation is refunded in full up to three months out and slides to nothing under 14 days.

Ofte stillede spørgsmål

Is Brim Explorer Oslo worth it?

The fjord cruise is the cheapest paid sailing Brim Explorer runs in Oslo, at 690 NOK, and it covers the islands, the Opera House and MUNCH from the water. The boat is electric and silent, which matters on a fjord where engine noise carries, and the same sailing runs in January and July. If you want a full day rather than an afternoon on the water, the bus-and-boat combo adds Holmenkollen, Vigeland and a museum.

How much is the Brim Explorer Oslo cruise?

The standard fjord cruise is 690 NOK per adult. Students and 12 to 17s pay 518 NOK, children aged 3 to 11 pay 345 NOK, and under-threes are free. The dinner cruise is 1,490 NOK, the six-hour bus and walking combos are 1,500 NOK, and the Norwegian food tour is the most expensive at 1,620 NOK.

How long is the Brim Explorer Oslo fjord cruise?

Two and a half hours, and it runs every day of the year. The three combo tours take about six hours, and the dinner cruise is also two and a half hours, in the evening.

What does the Brim Explorer Oslo cruise include?

The ticket covers the sailing, guided commentary, and access to both the indoor saloons and the outdoor decks. The route takes in Dyna Lighthouse, the Opera House and MUNCH, and you can ask to be dropped at Bygdøy Museum Island instead of returning to Rådhusbrygge 2.

Where does Brim Explorer leave from in Oslo?

Rådhusbrygge 2, 0160 Oslo, in front of Oslo City Hall and just before the PIREN restaurant. Every Oslo departure uses this pier, including the dinner cruise and the combo tours.

What time does Brim Explorer depart in Oslo?

The fjord cruise leaves at 10:00 and 13:30 daily. The dinner cruise departs at 18:00 every day except Tuesday, the food tour at 12:00, the bus and walking combos at 10:00, and the New Year's Eve cruise at 23:00 with boarding from 22:00.

Is Brim Explorer Oslo heated inside?

Yes. MS Brisen has heated indoor saloons with floor-to-ceiling windows, so you can watch the whole route from inside in any season. The outdoor decks and rooftop are not heated.

Is Brim Explorer Oslo good for kids?

The fjord cruise is the one to pick with young children, because it is the shortest of the daytime sailings and the heated saloons mean you are never stuck out in the wind. The dinner cruise is an evening sitting with a set menu and a live pianist, which suits older children better than toddlers.

Is there food or drinks on Brim Explorer Oslo?

Yes, there is a licensed bar and café on the boat. On the fjord cruise it serves waffles and Norwegian cheese platters, and until March 2027 the ticket includes a free hot drink. The dinner cruise serves a three-course menu from the chefs of Restaurant Einer.

Is Brim Explorer Oslo wheelchair accessible?

MS Brisen is wheelchair accessible and has an accessible toilet on the main deck, alongside a second bathroom.