Island Hopping on Oslo's Public Ferries: The Free Day Trip

Ruter, Oslo’s public-transport operator, runs ferries to six islands in the inner Oslofjord. A 24-hour day pass costs NOK 137 and covers all buses, trams, the metro, and every island ferry. Lines B1 and B4 run year-round to Hovedøya, Bleikøya, Lindøya, Nakholmen, and Gressholmen. Line B2 runs summer-only (May to September) to Langøyene. Free camping is permitted on Langøyene for up to two consecutive nights.

This ride costs the same as a bus to Grünerløkka. A standard Ruter day pass (NOK 137, roughly $12) gives you unlimited rides on every bus, tram, metro, and ferry in Zone 1 for 24 hours. That includes the island ferries. You can hop off at a 12th-century monastery ruin, catch the next boat to an island with Norway’s first airport, swim at a third, and be back in the city for dinner. All on one ticket.

For a full overview of every island, see our complete Oslofjord islands guide. What follows here is the practical side: how to actually do it, island by island, ferry by ferry, with sample itineraries and the stuff guidebooks skip.

The ferry network: four lines, one ticket

All the inner Oslofjord island ferries are run by Ruter, the same company behind Oslo’s buses and trams. They depart from Rådhusbrygge (the City Hall pier) at Aker Brygge. If you are standing at the Nobel Peace Center, the piers are directly in front of you. Look for the small white ferries, not the big Nesodden commuter boats.

Four lines serve the islands:

Line B1 (year-round): The main island ferry. It runs a circular route: Rådhusbrygge → Hovedøya → Lindøya øst → Gressholmen → Bleikøya → Nakholmen → Lindøya vest → back to Hovedøya. In summer, a boat leaves roughly every 15–20 minutes, from 5:40 AM until past 1:00 AM. In winter the frequency drops to roughly hourly, but the line runs all year.

Line B2 (summer only, May–September): The Langøyene ferry. The only regular service to the camping and beach island. About 30 minutes from City Hall pier.

Lines B3 and B4: Additional summer routes that expand island access. Schedules vary by year, so check the Ruter app for current timetables.

All four lines accept the same tickets: Ruter single tickets, day passes, weekly passes, monthly passes, and the Oslo Pass. Buy via the Ruter app (recommended, since you can check real-time departures at the same time), at any Narvesen or 7-Eleven, or on board the ferry. No separate “island ferry ticket” exists. If you have a valid Ruter ticket, you walk straight on.

Are the Oslo island ferries really free?

Technically, no. You need a Ruter ticket. But the cost is so low that it works like free public transport in practice. A single ticket covers the ferry plus every bus, tram, and metro ride for the next 75 minutes. A 24-hour day pass (NOK 137, roughly $12 or €11) gives unlimited travel on everything, all day. If you are visiting Oslo for even a single day, you almost certainly need a Ruter pass anyway to get around. The ferries just come included.

The Oslo Pass, which many visitors buy for museum access, also covers all Ruter transport. If you have one, your island ferries are already paid for.

Island by island: what to expect

Hovedøya — history and swimming (2–3 hours)

Seven minutes from the pier, and it feels like a different century. The main draw is the Cistercian monastery, founded in 1147 by English monks from Kirkstead Abbey in Lincolnshire. The Romanesque church foundations and Gothic cloister walls are open, free, and remarkably intact for something nearly 900 years old. Get there before 10 AM and you will probably have the ruins to yourself.

Beyond the monastery: two Napoleonic-era cannon batteries from 1808, a big central meadow that’s perfect for picnics, wildflower displays in June that are striking for such a small island, and swimming from the flat rocks on the western shore. Water reaches 17–20°C in July and August. Klosterkroa, a seasonal café near the ruins, serves drinks and light meals in summer. We have sailed past Hovedøya hundreds of times and there is almost always someone swimming off those rocks, even on days that feel too cold for it.

A walking trail circles the island in about 45 minutes. Views of the Oslo skyline from the western side are excellent. A resident fox appears regularly on the paths, so keep your eyes open.

Gressholmen — nature reserve and a very old tavern (2–3 hours)

Most people who visit Gressholmen do not realise they are visiting three islands. Narrow causeways connect Gressholmen to Rambergøya and Heggholmen, creating a surprisingly big walking network through wildflower meadows, rocky coastline, and sheltered bays. Budget two to three hours if you want to cover all three.

The surprise: this was the site of Norway’s first civilian airport. Gressholmen Seaplane Port opened in 1927 and ran until Fornebu took over in 1939. Traces of the seaplane infrastructure survive. Ask at the kro if you want to find them.

Gressholmen Kro, the island’s seasonal tavern, has been serving cold drinks with a fjord view since 1930. Outdoor tables, beer, wine, ice cream, light meals. It fills up on warm weekends but weekdays are far more relaxed. On the outer island, Heggholmen, a small lighthouse sits at the water’s edge. Most of the island cluster is a designated nature reserve: stay on marked trails, do not pick flowers.

Langøyene — the beach, the camping, the reason people come back (half day or overnight)

Langøyene (LANG-oy-en-eh) is the southernmost inner island and the one that gets people talking. It has the best sandy beach in the inner Oslofjord, recently renovated, west-facing, with shallows that reach 23–24°C on hot days in July. It also has free camping. Free. On a fjord island. Thirty minutes from a European capital. I still think this is one of the most underrated budget travel options anywhere in Scandinavia.

Camping rules are straightforward. Tents only, in the designated area on the north side of the island. Maximum two consecutive nights. Minimum three metres between tents. No campfires anywhere (fire risk is taken seriously in Norway). Quiet hours from 11 PM to 7 AM. The island has renovated shower and toilet blocks with clean drinking water.

Beyond the beach: a volleyball court, a football pitch, a kiosk with basic provisions in peak summer (do not rely on it, bring food from the mainland), walking trails across the island’s interior, and a separate naturist beach at the southern tip, well-screened by terrain.

The B2 ferry runs summer only, roughly May to September. On a hot Saturday in July, expect standing room on the ferry and a busy camping area by early afternoon. On a Tuesday in June, you will have space to spare.

Bleikøya, Nakholmen, and Lindøya — the cabin islands (1–2 hours each)

These three islands share something unusual: roughly 600 summer cabins, painted in mandated colours (red, blue, green, yellow) on municipality-owned land with hereditary leases. Many were built over a century ago as retreats for working-class Oslo families. The waiting lists today stretch decades. This is a living neighbourhood, not a tourist attraction, and visitors should act accordingly. Stay on public paths. Keep noise down. Do not photograph people’s homes close-up.

Nakholmen is the most visitor-friendly of the three. A small beach on the southwestern side has a bathing jetty, a diving board, and a swimming raft offshore. The southern rocky shore offers one of the best views in the inner fjord: Oslo’s skyline to the north, open water to the south.

Bleikøya is for walking, not swimming. The shoreline is rocky and exposed, but the trails through old fruit orchards and colourful cabin neighbourhoods are some of the most charming on the fjord. Rich birdlife on the western shore, especially in spring.

Lindøya is the largest, with roughly 300 cabins and the strongest sense of community. Swimming is only safe at two spots (Kjøkkenodden and Badestadion) because the rest of the shoreline has soft, sinking ground. A small seasonal shop near the ferry landing sells basics.

Sample itineraries

Half-day: two islands, four hours

Take the B1 ferry to Hovedøya. Spend 90 minutes exploring the monastery ruins and walking the island loop trail. Swim from the western rocks if the weather cooperates. Catch the next B1 onward to Gressholmen. Have a drink or a meal at the kro, walk the causeways to Rambergøya and Heggholmen, and take the B1 back to Aker Brygge. Total time from city centre to city centre: roughly four hours, including the crossings.

Full day: three or four islands, seven to eight hours

Start early. Catch the first ferry to Hovedøya (before 9 AM for the quietest monastery visit). Move to Gressholmen for a mid-morning walk and lunch at the kro. After lunch, hop to Nakholmen for an afternoon swim from the jetty. If energy remains, take the B1 to Bleikøya for a walking circuit through the cabin landscape before the last ferry home. Or skip Bleikøya and take the B2 to Langøyene for the beach in the afternoon, returning on the last summer ferry.

Overnight: Langøyene camping

Take the B2 ferry to Langøyene in the afternoon. Set up camp in the north-side designated area. Swim. Watch the sunset from the western beach. In June, it does not set until nearly 11 PM. Sleep in a tent on a fjord island, thirty minutes from a European capital, for the price of a transit pass. Take the morning ferry back.

When to go

June through August is the full season. All ferry routes running, cafés and kiosks open, water warm enough to swim comfortably, and nearly 19 hours of daylight in late June. The trade-off is crowds, especially on warm weekends. My recommendation: a weekday in June. Long days, full ferry schedules, and a fraction of the Saturday crowd.

May and September are excellent for walking and quieter visits. Ferry schedules are reduced but still frequent enough for island hopping on the B1. The B2 to Langøyene may not be running yet in early May or after mid-September, so check the Ruter app. Water is cold for swimming but the atmosphere is at its best. Hovedøya’s monastery in September morning light, with no one around, is worth the trip alone.

October through April: The B1 to Hovedøya runs year-round on a reduced schedule. The other islands are accessible but quiet. No cafés, no kiosks. Bring everything you need. The reward is solitude and a kind of stripped-down winter beauty: snow on the monastery walls, pine trees against grey water, the city skyline sharp in cold air.

What to bring

The islands are close to the city, but they are not the city. Pack as if you are spending the day outdoors, because you are.

Always: The Ruter app (for real-time ferry departures), water, sun cream, a light layer for the ferry crossings. The wind on the water is cooler than on land, even in July. And food. Not every island has a café, and those that do have limited hours and menus. A picnic is the better plan.

For swimming: A towel, swimsuit, and water shoes. Most island swimming is from rocks, not sand, so water shoes make the entry much more pleasant. Langøyene is the exception with its sandy beach.

For camping on Langøyene: Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, all your food and water. The island kiosk has limited stock and hours. A headlamp for late-night trips to the toilet block. No open flames allowed, so bring a camping stove if you want to cook.

For shoulder season: A proper jacket. The fjord wind does not bluff. Sturdy shoes for trails that may be slippery after rain. Binoculars if you care about birds (Gressholmen and Bleikøya reward patience in spring).

Toilet facilities are limited on most islands. Use them at ferry terminals and cafés when available. Carry out all your rubbish. Bins are scarce on the smaller islands.

Quick reference

Tips the guidebooks leave out

Download the Ruter app before you go. It shows real-time departures for every ferry, which matters when you are standing on a pier on Nakholmen wondering how long until the next boat. The printed timetables at the piers are accurate but do not update for delays or cancellations.

The B1 runs a loop. This is the single most useful thing to know. You do not need to retrace your route. Take the B1 to Hovedøya, then continue around the loop to Gressholmen, then Bleikøya, then Nakholmen, getting off and back on as you like. The loop runs in one direction, so check which way the current service is going before planning a complex itinerary.

Have your camera ready on the ferry. The approaches to the islands, especially the colourful cabin rows on Lindøya and Bleikøya seen from the water, are some of the best photo opportunities in the inner fjord. The city skyline shrinking behind you as the ferry pulls away is worth a shot too.

No cars, no bikes (mostly). The inner islands are completely car-free. Everything is on foot. Distances are short. You can walk across any of them in 20 minutes.

Weekday mornings are the quiet window. Weekend afternoons in July are the busiest any of these islands get. If you want monastery ruins without crowds or a beach with room to lie down, go on a Tuesday.

Weather backup plan. If the weather turns, Hovedøya and Gressholmen have the most shelter. The monastery ruins are partially covered, and the kro has indoor seating. Langøyene offers very little shelter. Check the forecast before heading to the beach island.

What the ferry gives you, and what it does not

The public ferry network is excellent. For the price of a transit pass, you can visit six islands, swim, camp overnight, explore medieval ruins, and eat at a waterside tavern that opened before the Second World War. One of the best-value day trips in northern Europe, and one of Oslo’s most underused attractions.

But the ferry has limits, and being honest about them is more useful than pretending it does everything.

The ferry follows a fixed route and schedule. You go where the boat goes, when the boat goes there. If you want to linger an extra hour on Nakholmen, you wait for the next departure. If you want to stop at a cove on the back side of Gressholmen that the ferry passes but does not serve, you cannot.

The ferry does not reach the outer islands. The Steilene archipelago, where harbour seals haul out on the rocks and an atmospheric lighthouse stands on Fyrsteilene, is only accessible by private boat or experienced kayaker. The ferry covers the inner six islands. The fjord has dozens more.

Perspective matters. From the ferry deck, you see the front face of each island: the pier, the path, the view everyone gets. From a private boat, you see the back sides. The hidden swimming coves. The flat rocks south of Hovedøya where no trail leads. The narrow channels between islands where the water goes still and the light changes completely. We spend most of our time in those back channels, and after years on the fjord we still find new spots. A private cruise can, because there is no schedule to keep.

You can also swim from a boat. Anchoring in a sheltered cove, stepping off a swim ladder into deep clear water, and having the cove to yourself is a very different experience from the ferry pier beaches. Not better or worse. Just a different relationship with the same water.

The honest recommendation: take the public ferry first. Explore Hovedøya, swim at Langøyene, have a beer at Gressholmen Kro. See what the inner islands offer on a transit ticket. Then, if you want to see what lies beyond the ferry routes (the seals, the outer islands, the coves that most Oslo residents have never visited), that is what a private tour is for. The two experiences are complementary, not competing.

NOK 137 and the whole archipelago

Most visitors to Oslo walk Karl Johan, visit the Opera House, and eat well. They do not realise that a seven-minute ferry ride, on a transit ticket they probably already own, leads to monastery ruins, sandy beaches, free camping, and islands where no car has ever driven. The inner Oslofjord has been here since the glaciers retreated roughly 10,000 years ago. The ferries have been running for over a century.

Just walk down to the pier and get on a boat. You do not need a plan. The B1 loops, so you will end up back where you started.

The B1 ferry runs in a loop. Catch it from Rådhusbrygge, hop off at Hovedøya, walk the monastery loop, hop on, swim at Langøyene in summer, hop on, end at Aker Brygge. Standard Ruter day pass covers the whole circuit.