Private Charter vs the Electric Sightseeing Cruise on the Oslofjord

Two very different products get sold under the same heading in Oslo. One is a seat on a scheduled electric ship. The other is a whole boat for a day you plan yourself. Party size, the month you are visiting, and how much of the day you want on the water settle it between them.

The electric ship

Brim Explorer runs a fully electric vessel out of Aker Brygge with indoor and outdoor seating and a guide aboard, twice daily and all year round. It is quiet in a way a diesel boat never manages, which changes what you hear on deck more than people expect. For one or two people who want an hour or two on the water at the lowest price, this is the right booking. Fares and departure times are on the operator's page and move with the season.

The constraints come with the seat. The route is set, the timetable is set, and the deck belongs to everyone who booked that departure. Nobody stops to swim. The ship has to be back for the next sailing, so the outer fjord stays out of range.

The whole boat

A charter with us is the Cormate T28 and one captain: seven guests at most, no strangers, and a plan made on the day around your group and the weather. Three hours covers the inner fjord, the islands, the Opera House from the water and a swim stop. A full day gets as far as Drøbak and the narrows past Håøya, and our island guide has ferry times and practical notes for Håøya if you would rather go out there on your own another day.

Pricing is for the boat, not the seat: 16,688 to 33,488, VAT included, whatever the group size up to seven. The three-hour trip divided by four guests is NOK 4,172 each. Do that sum against the adult fare on the operator's booking page before you decide, because the answer changes completely between two people and six.

Side by side

Two cases where we tell people to take the electric boat

Come in winter and the choice makes itself. Our boat comes out of the water in October and does not go back in until spring, so from October to April the electric ship is the only one of the two that sails. The fjord in low winter light is worth seeing from a heated cabin.

The other case is a party of two on a budget. Splitting a whole boat between two people is an expensive way to see the harbour. Take the seat, keep the difference, and spend it on the part of the trip you actually came for.

We lay the numbers out in full, with the per-person-per-hour maths, on the tours-compared page. If you already know you want the boat to yourselves, the private cruises are here.

Our prices include VAT and were current in July 2026. Competitor fares, departure times and seasons are the operator's own and change through the year, so check their page before booking. Last reviewed: July 2026.