What to Wear on an Oslofjord Cruise

Dress for standing still in wind, not for the temperature on your phone. A sightseeing cruise is a sedentary activity done outdoors on moving water, which is colder than the same air on land by a margin that surprises people every single month of the year. Layers, something windproof on the outside, and something on your head. The wooden boats hand out blankets; the electric ones have heated saloons you can retreat into. Neither fact helps if you are on deck in a t-shirt.

The real variableWind, not air temperature

Activity levelSitting and standing

On the open boatsBlankets provided

On the electric boatsHeated saloons

Head and handsWorth it even in June

FootwearGrip, for a wet deck

The moment everybody finds out

The wind comes across the deck the moment you clear Akershus, and everybody who chose the open boat finds out at once. Up to that point you are in the lee of the city and it is pleasant. Then the boat turns out into open water and the deck empties by half. This happens in August as well as in February; what changes is how quickly.

Summer

A warm Oslo afternoon on land is a cool one on the fjord. Bring a windproof layer even when it feels absurd to carry it, and something for your head if you burn — the light in June runs to roughly eighteen hours and fifty minutes at the solstice and there is no shade on an open deck. The seasons compared.

Winter

Proper layers, gloves, a hat, and the expectation that you will spend most of the trip inside. The electric boats are heated and air-conditioned and that is where you will be. The wooden ships run through the winter with blankets and a heated deck, and are cancelled and refunded if the fjord ices over. Cruising in winter.

Insider tip

Take the layer you would only wear if it turned unpleasant. It will be in a bag for the whole trip or it will be the reason you stayed on deck for the islands, and both outcomes are better than the third one.

The boat where clothing matters most

Two hours on a traditional wooden sailing ship from Rådhusbrygge 3, with a heated deck, blankets and a bar, 4.5 from about 6,150 reviews. Boarding is open and no seat is guaranteed, so arrive early if you want to choose where you sit — and it includes a Bygdøy ferry ticket for a separate trip.

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Frequently asked questions

What should I wear on an Oslofjord cruise in summer?

A windproof layer over whatever you had on in the city. The fjord is several degrees cooler than the street and you will be sitting still in moving air. Add something for your head — there is no shade on an open deck and midsummer daylight in Oslo runs to about eighteen hours and fifty minutes. Which month to pick.

Is it cold on an Oslofjord cruise in winter?

On deck, yes. Inside, no: the electric boats are heated and air-conditioned, and the wooden ships have a heated deck and hand out blankets. Dress so that you can stand outside for the islands and then go back in. Winter cruising.

Do I need waterproofs?

A windproof shell that also sheds rain is the single most useful thing to bring, in any month. An umbrella is not, because you will be holding it in wind on a moving deck. Weather on the fjord.