History tours · NORWAY HISTORY TOURS
A shortlist you could hand a friend: 9 norway history tours that repay the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the thing to check before you book.
Travel about 35 to 40 minutes from Tromsø to a Sami reindeer camp, where you feed a herd of up to 300 by hand. Warm up with hot chocolate, cookies, and reindeer or vegetable stew, then hear Sami stories and a traditional joik song from guides such as Johannes, Inga, or Daniel.
“The soup was delicious, very good vibes, every one was friendly!”
Travel from Tromsø to a Sámi camp for reindeer feeding, up to 30 minutes of sledding, a warm meal, and cultural stories. English-speaking Sámi guides, including guides named John, Michael, and Mikkel on different departures, lead the visit. The ride depends on snow and has a 110 kg weight limit.
“An absolutely exceptional experience! The reindeer sledding activity was simply magical from start to finish. Gliding silently through the snowy landscape, surrounded by nature, felt like stepping into a fairytale. The reindeer were beautiful and well cared for, and the guides were incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and passionate. This was not just an activity, but a truly emotional moment — peaceful, authentic, and unforgettable. It’s one of those rare experiences that stays with you forever and will be engraved in my memory for a lifetime. I cannot recommend this enough. If you’re hesitating, don’t — it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience ✨”
Meet your English-speaking guide by the swan fountain at Oslo City Hall for a two-hour evening walk through Christiania Torv, Akershus Fortress, Bankplassen, and nearby landmarks. Guides such as Maria and Anastasia bring Norse folklore, Viking beliefs, old punishments, prison stories, and audacious thefts to life. Expect history with humor, not a ghost hunt.
“Very informative guide. Was nice to learn about Oslo, and see things we wouldn’t normally have seen”
Ride from your Longyearbyen hotel to Gruve 3 for a three-hour guided visit. You’ll see abandoned machinery, wear a miner’s overall, walk nearly 800 meters underground, and crawl through a 60-centimeter-high production tunnel. Guides such as Anders, Camilla, and Caroline are known for bringing Svalbard’s mining past to life.
“We travelled from the west coast of Canada to experience Norway. If you get the opportunity to go to Svalbard you definetely won't want to miss the Longyearbyen coal miners Men & Women experience! To experience permafrost, heft the tools of the trade, hear the stories and see one of the international seed vault! Truly amazing and humbling!”
Set out from Börshopen Pier on the sightseeing boat Eric the Red, or Eric Bloodaxe as the meeting details call it, for a one-hour tour of Bergen Harbour. An English audio guide or live commentary covers Bryggen, Bergenhus Fortress, Skuteviken, Sandviken, Nordnes, and U-Boot Bunker Bruno. The boat has indoor seating, outdoor decks, a bar, and wheelchair access on the main deck.
“This was a very chill way to spend an hour. There were big parts of the hour without commentary, which I appreciate if there is no interesting historical item to look at. Maybe I was tired, but I can’t remember much of what he told us. The city wall from 1666, I remember that.”
Spend three hours walking from the Royal Palace through Oslo’s royal squares, historic streets, waterfront, Akershus Fortress, Opera House, and Deichman Library. Guides including Anders, Martin, Magnus, and Lester bring history, art, odd stories, and restaurant tips to life. Groups are limited to 10, with English, Spanish, Italian, and German tours.
“Lester was a very competent tour guide. We got a lot of historical and cultural backgrounds. We also liked the stop at the café in the middle of the tour and the small and nice international group.”
Spend one hour aboard Hermes II, a restored 1917 wooden boat, with views of Tromsø, Fjellheisen, Polaria, and Tromsø Bridge. English and Norwegian hosts share the boat’s story, while coffee, tea, hot chocolate, blankets, thermal suits, a heated lounge, and toilets make this a comfortable short cruise.
“Wonderful little cruise! The crew was very nice, joyful and told a lot of interesting stories about the ship and Tromso. They served coffee and patiently took pictures of us. We were able to enjoy stunning views of the city and surrounding snowy mountains. 1 hours was just the perfect amount of time. It was definitely one of the highlights of our trip, highly recommended!”
Spend five hours with a professional photographer guide exploring Svinøya, Kabelvåg, Henningsvær, and Gimsøy. You’ll hear about Lofoten’s fishing and Viking past, visit historic churches, learn about World War II, and stop for photos along the coast. The group is limited to eight, with pickup options in Svolvær.
“Eric was our guide for this tour and we had a wonderful day. Eric had lots of knowledge to share and great locations for us to explore and photograph. Also a wonderful place to stop for coffee and a bite to eat. We were picked up on time and the tour went for the advertised 5 hours. The little bus was clean and warm and it was easy to hear Eric's commentary from the back of the bus. thanks for a great tour Eric.”
Follow an English audio guide through central Bergen, from King Olav Kyrre to Ludvig Holberg. You’ll pass Festplassen, Bergen Cathedral, the National Theatre, Skotstredet, and statues of Grieg, Ole Bull, Ibsen, and Christian Michelsen. Offline maps let you walk at your own pace, but museum entry and transport are not included.
“A good way to explore the statues of Bergen. We would use these walks again in other cities. We only missed one statue we couldn’t find, think it was bring renovated”
Ancient, medieval, colonial, modern, and the cities that do each one best.
