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Best time to visit Norway

The best time to visit Norway is July to August when you’ll enjoy long, light days and warmer temperatures – perfect for activities such as cycling and walking. However, the best time to go to Norway also depends on what you want to do. May and September offer gorgeous colours in nature, while March is fab for snow, cross country skiing and hunting for the Northern Lights.

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Best time to visit Norway

Norway loves extremes – summer weeks of eternal light, winter months of darkness, with all shades in-between.

June, July and August are the best months to go to Norway for warmer temperatures and longer days. The warmest month in Norway is July, when there’s the fabled midnight sun – ideal for hiking, cycling, kayaking and berry picking. Prices will be at a premium and midges buzz (and bite) around the marshlands. June-August is also the best time to cruise the Norwegian fjords, while Spitsbergen is amazing at midsummer when polar bears are on the hunt. May and September offer mild temperatures and uncrowded, colourful landscapes. Norwegian winters can be bitter, but dress properly and it’s a nirvana of snowshoeing and cross country skiing. The best time to visit Norway for the Northern Lights is November-February.

Call us for the best time to go to Norway

A month by month guide on when to go to Norway

January in Norway

Northern Lights

Long nights and short days

Snow and freezing temperatures

Very low temperatures, short daylight hours (think 9am-3pm), and beautiful snowy scenery are the norm for Norway in January. Activities such as husky sledding and cross country skiing are popular, but you won’t regret packing a few layers of thermal clothing because January is the coldest month in Norway, and the darkest too. However, that does mean more chances to spot the spectacular Northern Lights dancing across the sky.

January is great for our cross country skiing holiday in Venabu

February in Norway

Northern Lights

Cross country skiing

Sámi Week

Temperatures remain freezing, but Norway in February is a winter wonderland. Snow drapes the landscapes creating ideal terrain for cross country skiers in national parks such as Rondane and Jotunheimen. The Northern Lights continue to delight as they illuminate the skies, and February also heralds Sámi Week in Tromso, celebrating the culture and history of northern Scandinavia’s Indigenous peoples.

March in Norway

Arctic birdlife

Cross country skiing

Wildflowers amid the snow

Norway in March welcomes the onset of spring, snow melting away to reveal meadows of wildflowers. Expect changeable weather (rain is likely on the coast) and low temperatures ranging from -4°C to 5°C. Clear skies mean there’s still a good chance of spotting the Northern Lights. Arctic birds come to breed in March, making this an excellent month for photography holidays in areas such as the remote Varanger Peninsula.

April in Norway

Fjord fun

Warmer and lighter

Time for utepils – the first drink outdoors

Come to Norway in April and you’ll find a country shaking off the snow to embrace the freedom brought by warmer weather and longer days. This is a popular time for cruises along the fjords, as the banks are brilliant with blossoming fruit trees and waterfalls gush with snowmelt. Norwegians celebrate the ability to enjoy a drink outside again by raising a glass or two – known as utepils.

May in Norway

Midnight sun

Walking and cycling

Scenic rail journeys

May can be the best time for hiking. Landscapes are lush and green, the weather is sunny and dry, and summer crowds are still some weeks off. Norway in May is also lovely when seen from a train carriage – the Flam is one of the world’s steepest and most scenic railway lines. Northern Norway enjoys midnight sun from now until late August – pack sunglasses and eye masks for sleeping.

May and June are great months for our Arctic cruises to Spitsbergen

June in Norway

Midnight sun

Self guided cycling

Warm, sunny weather

From June, Norway basks in pleasant temperatures – up to around 20°C in the capital, Oslo. Weather-wise, this is the best time of year to go to Norway whether you’re getting around on foot, by train, or on a scenic fjord cruise. Norway in June is also lovely for cycling, with some popular self guided routes taking you along the Arctic coast and fjords.

June to July it’s light 24/7, so normally someone from the bridge will first spot the polar bear because they know what to look for

– Simon Rowland of our partner Wildfoot Travel

July in Norway

Long, sunny days

Outdoor activities

Riddu Riddu Festival

July is the hottest month in Norway, and a delightful time of year to be there. Long days and short nights are perfect for those who love to be out in nature, whether it be for cycling, or walking (gondolas and funiculars get you up high). Norway in July also sees the Riddu Riddu Festival taking place, a major Sámi cultural event showcasing Indigenous literature, music, film and handicrafts.

August in Norway

Warm weather

Fjord cruises

Scandinavia tours

August is another great time to be in Norway, with sunny weather reaching highs of around 20°C inland. You can enjoy a wealth of activities in Norway in August, from cycling to cruising along the narrow, deep fjords that cleave the coastline. With hotels, restaurants and tourism activities all open across the region, August is also a good month for Scandinavia tours that also take in Denmark and Sweden.

August is a great time for our Lofoten Islands cycling holiday

September in Norway

Less crowded

Autumnal scenery

Temperatures drop

Norway in September is quieter after the school holidays have ended. This can be an affordable time to visit as well as a very pleasant one, with mild weather and autumnal shades in the landscapes. It’s several degrees cooler in the north of Norway though, closer to the Arctic Circle. For a different perspective, pop on a windbreaker for a brisk and beautiful week of sailing around the coast and fjords.

October in Norway

City touring

Harvest season

Changeable weather

Expect four seasons in one day when travelling in Norway in October as the country moves deeper into autumn. October is harvest season so fresh produce abounds in local restaurants, from game to fruit and vegetables – look out for homemade berry jams. If you catch good weather, you can still enjoy hiking and cycling during October, but this is also the perfect month for sightseeing around cities like Oslo, Bergen and Tromso.

November in Norway

Whale watching

Northern Lights

Cold, damp weather

If your thoughts are only of weather, then Norway in November may seem a bit of a grim prospect – cold and wet, with nights starting to get longer (the sun doesn’t even rise from mid-November in northern Norway). Yet as snow clouds gather, peak season begins for seeing the Northern Lights, and whale watching – fin and humpback whales, along with orcas, forage for herring in the fjords near Tromso.

November is perfect for our whale watching and Northern Lights cruise

December in Norway

Ski season

Cold, snowy weather

Saint Lucy’s Day

Norway in December is pretty, with snow flurries, frozen lakes, and Christmas festivities lighting up the country. The aforementioned snow ushers in the ski season, with our cross country ski holidays providing a more environmentally friendly option than downhill skiing. Meanwhile, Saint Lucy’s Day on 13 December is a festival of lights and singing that announces the Christmas period.

Bergen Weather Chart

MIN °C

MAX °C

RAIN (mm)

JAN

-1

222

FEB

-1

170

MAR

183

APR

122

MAY

111

JUN

139

JUL

156

AUG

192

SEP

306

OCT

304

NOV

279

DEC

265

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Best times to visit Norway for festivals & events

Northern Lights Festival (late January)

Despite the name, the Northern Lights Festival is more of an audio spectacular than a visual one. With its roots in classical music, the Tromso festival has expanded to encompass many different genres, including jazz and dance, with a diverse programme of both local and international performers making this one of Scandinavia’s most renowned music events.

Sámi Week (February)

Taking place around the Sámi National Day of 6 February, Sámi Week – as the name suggests – is a celebration of all things Sámi, the Indigenous people of Sápmi – or northern Scandinavia. The festival is held in Tromso and features everything from reindeer racing to lasso championships, along with concerts, discussions and performances of joik, traditional Sámi singing. February is one of the coldest months in Norway, and a bowl of bidos (reindeer stew) is a tasty way to warm up.

Holmenkollen Ski Festival (late February or March)

Watching a Nordic ski jump championship is a very special thing. Hold your breath and cover your eyes as the daring skiers take off from the ramp; the cheers and frantic shaking of the cowbells alert you to a successful landing. The jumps, in front of a wildly passionate crowd all waving their Norwegian flags, are a thrilling part of the Holmenkollen Ski Festival, which also showcases biathlon (cross country skiing and rifle shooting) events.

Extreme Sports Week (June)

Are you a BASE jumper? Skydiver? A lover of white water kayaking or rappelling down waterfalls? Or do you find all that stuff super exciting but prefer the idea of watching other people take the risks? Then the Extreme Sports Festival in Voss is for you. This is the largest festival of its kind in the world, and one that is committed to sustainability and environmental protection by slashing waste and seeking to reduce emissions. So expect lots of high fives, wraparound sunglasses and clearly marked recycling bins.

Midnight Sun Marathon (June)

The Midnight Sun Marathon in Tromso takes place in the middle of the night, but because you’re in the Arctic Circle in summer, you’ll be able to enjoy the Arctic scenery all the way round, as it will be light. The hard part, then, is convincing your body that it should be running rather than sleeping. Actually, that’s not true, is it – the hard part is all the running.

Matstreif Food Festival (September)

Held across two days in the capital, Oslo, every October, Norway’s largest food festival sees dozens of local producers congregate to set up stalls and offer tastings, and visitors can also watch demonstrations or take part in food competitions. Elk, salmon and deer burgers are popular, and you’ll find arrays of colourful organic vegetables and fresh seafood. One delicacy to look out for and perhaps avoid is rakfisk, which is fermented trout, often eaten with sour cream, onions and flatbread.

Our travellers also ask…

What is the rainiest month in Norway?

The rainiest month in Norway is either August or October, depending on where you are. Norway is a long, thin country where the weather can vary dramatically between north and south. Typically, the west coast and southern Norway see the most rain, with October to January the wettest period. Frigid Lapland, far in the north, is comparatively dry, seeing most of its rain between the summer months of June and August.

What is the cheapest month to visit Norway?

The cheapest time to visit Norway tends to be the low season between January and April. Spanning winter activities and the beauty of spring, these months are chilly, with unsettled weather, but are excellent for spotting the Northern Lights. Like much of Scandinavia, Norway is seen as an expensive country to visit, so travelling in low season and booking flights early are useful ways to keep costs down.