Best Time to Visit Norway

Norway’s a cold country, so unless you’re very keen on skiing or on getting a glimpse of the elusive Aurora Borealis, visiting the country in the winter is really not recommended. The best time to tour Norway is during the summer, starting May and extending up to September. This is the time when the weather’s pleasant and all the tourist attractions are open. Late spring, when the fruit trees are in full bloom, is a good time too, especially if you want to see the country at its scenic best, but some sights may not be open at this time.

Climate

Barring southern coastal areas, which get pleasantly warm because of the passage of the warm Gulf Stream, most of Norway is downright chilly through much of the year. Temperatures reach their highest between May and September, but even during this time, a sweater is often necessary; and in winters, particularly between November and March, subzero temperatures are the norm. The extreme north of the country, which falls within the Arctic Circle, is biting cold all through the year. One of the most interesting features of Norway’s climate is the 'midnight sun’. In the Lofoten Islands, at the height of summer, the sun never sets and even in southern Norway, nights at this time are usually only five hours long. At the other extreme, in the far north of the country, the winter sun never rises- which means 24 hours of darkness for about two months in the year.