When should you visit Norway? What month is the best month? When is it warm and sun? When can I see the Northern Lights?
These are commonly asked questions when travellers are planning to come to Norway. And there are hundreds of articles online giving you various answers, though they all typically say the same thing: July! Warmth! Sun! Pleasant! I read through dozens of these articles and typically read the same advice. However, it doesn’t really coincide with what I’ve experienced actually travelling in Norway.
I take groups around Norway throughout the year for different purposes, and I’ve found that there is no special month to visit. No month is the ‘best’ month. No season is the ‘best season’. It depends on what you want to experience. Don’t like crowds? July isn’t for you. Don’t like rain? Maybe skip November (but seriously, you have to love the rain if you’re coming to Norway!)
Choosing which month is best really depends on what you want to get out of Norway. So, in my guide, rather than tell you the ‘best’ month, I’ve put together an overview of what Norway is like each month. That way, you can understand what you can expect and choose your time of year from there.
I’ve provided a general overview of Norway in each month, but focus also on Bergen. I mean, this blog is called ‘I Love Bergen’ after all! Also I live in Bergen, so I deal with the weather every day. For temperature averages, I focused on the three most commonly visited cities: Oslo, Bergen and Tromsø. But, of course, the weather varies dramatically across the country. If you think I should add a city, let me know.
I’ve also focused on the most recent data for each month. It’s easy to get overall averages, but the weather in Norway is changing: it’s warming up. So I think the recent data is much more realistic than averages built up over time.
If you think I’ve skipped over anything, or if there’s anything you think I should add, let me know!
A Quick Summary
- Northern Lights: I’ve had the most success in March, though any time between October and March works as long as you put in the effort
- Winter Activities: Come between December and March, though if you can push it to January do that.
- Cool Weather: April, May, September, October
- Nature Lovers: May or October. Spring or Autumn
- No Crowds, Open Attractions: May
- Hot Weather: July. But don’t expect it to be hot like elsewhere in Europe
- Snow: February/March. March is the month with the deepest snow