If you want to see authentic Viking ships, there's no better place to go than the Viking Ship Museum. The Viking Ship Museum houses three 9th century Viking ships which were once ocean going vessels before being hauled onto land to be used in burial rituals for their wealthy owners.
Another interesting museum to visit in Bygdøy is the Kon-Tiki Museum. It houses the Kon-Tiki, a balsawood raft, which was used to cross the Pacific Ocean.
Getting to Viking Ship Museum (similiar as Norsk Fokemuseum):
1) By bus - Bus 30 from NationalTheatret station to Vikingskipene station
2) By ferry - from Radhusplassen/Town Hall pier to Dronningen pier (April - October)
3) If you're visiting Norsk Fokemuseum, suggest that you walk to Viking Ship Museum which is just few minutes walk away.
Viking Ship Museum is open daily. 1 Oct - 30 April: 10am - 4pm, 1 May to 30 Sept: 9am - 6pm.
Normal priced admission ticket is as below:
Adults: NOK 100
Students/Seniors: NOK 80
Children under 18: Free
Staff and students at UiO: Free
Refugees/asylum seekers: Free
Season ticket, adult: NOK 400
* Note that you can use your ticket from the Viking Ship Museum to get free entry to Historical Museum within 48 hours.
* Entrance is free for Oslo pass holders.
The Viking Ship Museum houses four Viking ship burials from the Oslo Fjord area. All four were excavated between 1852 and 1904. Three of the graves contained ships that have survived to this day: the Oserberg ship (AD 820), the Gokstad ship (shortly before 900) and the Tune ship (c. 900). From the ship in the Borre grave (c. 900), only iron nails remain today.
These burial ships were buried with generous supplies of food and drink, various animal and a large number of objects. The dead were placed in burial chambers built on board the ships.
The Oserberg ship was used as a grave ship for two women, while the Gokstad and Tune served as grave ships for men.
About Oserberg ship:
The Oserberg ship is the most lavishly decorated Viking ship ever found.
Discovery of Oserberg ship:
In the autumn of 1903, a farmer had dug into a large burial mound on his property and had come across the remains of a ship. While the excavation itself took only five months, it would take 21 years to complete the conservation and restoration of the ship and its grave finds.
The ship was complete but was crushed when it was found. The many pieces had to be slowly dried before being pieced back together. The ship we see today consist of over 90% of the original wood.
About Gokstad ship:
The Gokstad ship was a fast ship which was suitable for high sea voyages. It could be sailed or rowed.
Discovery of Gokstad ship:
The Gokstad ship was found by two bored teenage boys who dug into a large burial mound at the farm of Gokstad.
The ship was exceptionally well preserved except the two upper strakes and both bows and stern posts were completely destroyed. Some original timber was in too poor condition to be restored and was replaced by new timber.
About Tune ship:
The Tune ship has strong mast but lack of cargo capacity. It was well suited to moving people quickly, a quality that might indicate that it was used as a warship.
Discovery of Tune ship:
The Tune ship was the first Viking ship to be excavated in 1867. The excavation of the ship only lasted about two weeks. Due to the heavy-handed excavation, there are marks in several places on the ship from the spades that were used.
The cart from Oserberg is the one of its kind from the Norwegian Viking Age. It has intricate carvings.
The sled was laid in front of the Oserberg.
Five unique animal heads carved in wood were found in the Oserberg burial. Four of these are on display in the museum, while the fifth one is damaged and kept in the museum's storerooms.
Souvenirs sold in the museum shop includes wood handicraft, replicas of original jewelry from the Viking era and some cute Viking ships with dolls.
Getting to Kon-Tiki Museum:
1) By bus - Bus 30 from NationalTheatret station to Bygdøynes station
2) By ferry - from Radhusplassen/Town Hall pier to Bygdøynes pier (April - October)
Normal priced admission ticket is as below:
Adults: NOK 120
Senior: NOK 90
Children under 16 / Student: NOK 50
Family ticket (2+5): NOK 240
Group (min. 10+ p.p.): NOK 80
Children under 6: Free
* Entrance is free for Oslo pass holders.
Opening hours:
Nov - Feb: 10am - 4pm
Mar - May: 10am - 5pm
Jun - Aug: 9.30am - 6pm
Sep - Oct: 10am - 5pm
The famous quote from Thor Heyerdahl, Norwegian adventurer, which I like very much.
Map of the museum.
The original Kon-Tiki raft.
The Kon-Tiki raft carried Thor Heyerdahl and his crew of 5 men across the Pacific Ocean from Peru to Polynesia in 1947. Thus it was shown that people from early South American civilazation could have reached Polynesia with seafaring vessels.
This was his first expedition to be captured on film, and was later awarded Academy Award for best documentary in 1951. This award winning original Kon-Tiki documentary in English (67 min) is screened everyday at 12 noon in the cinema on the lower level.
Expedition to Easter Island.
The museum also exhibit Heyerdahl's subsequent expedition with the reed boats Ra, Ra II and Tigris.
Around 3,000 years ago, Egypt culture and Peru culture had a number of similarities. Heyerdahl thought there had to be a connection that once there must have been contact between the two cultures. With Ra, Thor wanted to find out whether it was possible to cross 6,000 km wide Atlantic Ocean with a reed boat built according to the ancient Egyptian design.
Another boat in the museum is Ra II. Heyerdahl sailed Ra II from North Africa to Caribbean after the previous attempt to sail with Ra failed.
Going through a 30-meter long cave which exhibits some of the artifacts from the expedition.
A model of whale shark in the underwater exhibit section.
This was how Thor Heyerdahl looked like in person.
Nearby Kon-Tiki Museum is two other museums: Norwegian Maritime Museum and the Fram Museum. You can buy joint tickets of these three museums which offers a 10% discount.
After visiting Kon-tiki Museum, I took the ferry to head back to city center.
Viking Ship Museum
Official website: https://www.khm.uio.no/english/visit-us/viking-ship-museum/index.html
Kon-Tiki Museum
Official website: https://www.kon-tiki.no/
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