Tønsberg wasn't really somewhere that had been on my radar before we visited, but after spending a weekend there, I'm surprised it isn't better known as a short break from the UK.
It's considered Norway's oldest city and has a huge amount of Viking history, but that isn't the only reason to visit. There's a lovely harbour packed with restaurants and bars, a compact town centre, museums, shops and some beautiful views from Slottsfjellet.
We visited Tønsberg for a weekend in September, flying into Oslo Torp Airport from Manchester. Rather than automatically heading towards Oslo, we took the train in the opposite direction and were in Tønsberg around 20 minutes later.
We managed to fit a surprising amount into a short trip. We joined a Walk with a Viking tour, visited the Viking ships at Vikingodden, climbed Slottsfjellet, ate and drank around Brygga, went shopping and even managed to squeeze in some time in our hotel's heated rooftop pool.
In this guide, I've included the things we did ourselves, along with a few more things to do in Tønsberg if you have longer than we did.
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Our visit to Tønsberg was supported by Visit Tønsberg/Visit Vestfold. There was no obligation for us to write this guide or feature any of the places we visited, and as always, all opinions are completely our own.
Best for: Viking history, waterfront restaurants, a relaxed weekend and an easy alternative to Oslo
Nearest airport: Oslo Torp Airport (TRF)
Torp to Tønsberg: Around 25 minutes by shuttle and train
How long to stay: 1–2 nights
Getting around: Tønsberg is compact and easy to explore on foot
Don't miss: Slottsfjellet, Vikingodden, Walk with a Viking and Brygga
Best for food & drinks: Brygga waterfront
Something different: Rooftop swimming at the Pool Club or thrift shopping in the town centre
Good without a car? Yes, we did our whole weekend using public transport and walking
Our verdict: A really easy choice for a short Norway break, particularly if you find cheap flights into Oslo Torp.
One of the first places I'd recommend visiting in Tønsberg is Slottsfjellet, or Castle Rock, which sits above the town and is very easy to reach on foot from the centre.
We walked up during our weekend and it's well worth the short climb. There's actually quite a bit to see on the way up too, so don't rush straight to the tower.
One of the things you'll pass is a statue of Princess Kristina, an important figure in Tønsberg's history. She was the daughter of King Håkon IV and left Tønsberg for Spain in 1257, where she later married Prince Felipe of Castile.
She died in Spain when she was only 28, but her story still connects Tønsberg with the Spanish town of Covarrubias, where she was buried. There's even another version of the Kristina statue in Covarrubias.
Continue up the hill and you'll reach the ruins of Tønsberg's medieval fortress along with Slottsfjell Tower, which you can see from various places around the town.
The tower itself was built in 1888, but the history of the hill goes back much further. This was once one of the most important medieval sites in Norway.
Even if you're not particularly interested in history, I'd still come up here for the views. You can look out across Tønsberg and the surrounding area, and when we visited in September we had gorgeous blue skies which made it one of my favourite places for photos.
It doesn't take a huge chunk out of your day either, so it's very easy to include on a short weekend in Tønsberg. We combined it with exploring the town on foot and our Walk with a Viking tour.
If you want to learn more about the history while you're here, Slottsfjell Museum is nearby and could easily be combined with your visit.
If you're interested in Tønsberg's Viking history, I'd definitely recommend joining a Walk with a Viking tour.
We did this during our weekend and it was fascinating. The tour lasts around two hours and takes you on foot through Tønsberg while your Viking guide tells you about the city's history, Norse mythology, sagas and some of the people who lived here hundreds of years ago.
What I liked about doing the tour was that it gave some context to places we'd otherwise have just walked straight past. Tønsberg has so much history beneath the modern town you see today, and having someone actually explain what happened in the places you're standing makes a huge difference.
The tour also tied in really well with our visit to Vikingodden, where you can see the replica Viking ships down by the harbour.
I'd try to book this towards the beginning of your stay if possible. We came away knowing far more about Tønsberg and its Viking past, which made exploring the rest of the town much more interesting.
And walking around Norway's oldest city with an actual Viking isn't a bad way to spend a couple of hours either.
Down by Tønsberg harbour you'll find Vikingodden, and if you're interested in Viking history, this is definitely somewhere I'd make time for.
It was right beside our hotel, so we visited while exploring the waterfront. Here you'll find full-size reconstructions of Viking ships, including Saga Oseberg, a reconstruction of the famous Oseberg ship.
The original Oseberg ship was discovered in a burial mound just outside Tønsberg in 1904. It had been buried for more than 1,000 years alongside two women and an incredible collection of Viking artefacts.
What makes Saga Oseberg particularly interesting is that it wasn't simply built to look like the original. Traditional tools and Viking-age building methods were used to create the reconstruction.
Something I wasn't expecting when we visited was to also see another Viking ship actually being built.
Work is currently underway on Saga Gokstad, an archaeological reconstruction of the Gokstad ship.
You can see the construction taking place at Vikingodden, where they're using traditional techniques and replicas of Viking-age tools to recreate the ship.
The story behind the original Gokstad ship is fascinating too. It was discovered in a burial mound in 1880 with the remains of a man, thought to have been around 40 to 50 years old.
His burial also contained an incredible collection of grave goods, including 12 horses, eight dogs, three smaller boats and even two peacocks, along with shields, beds, a sleigh and riding equipment.
Being able to see the ship part-way through its construction made Vikingodden even more interesting for us. It's not just somewhere displaying finished Viking ship replicas. You can actually see the work involved in recreating one using methods inspired by the Viking Age.
Vikingodden is right by the harbour, so it's really easy to include while you're exploring Brygga. We also learned more about the ships during our Walk with a Viking tour, so the two experiences worked really well together.
Even if you only have a day in Tønsberg, I wouldn't miss this. Seeing the Viking ships beside the harbour, and watching another one being constructed, feels very fitting when you're visiting Norway's oldest city.
Brygga, Tønsberg's waterfront, was probably the area we spent the most time in during our weekend. It's lined with restaurants and bars, with boats in the harbour and plenty of outdoor seating overlooking the water.
It's a lovely area just to wander around, but it really comes to life when you stop for something to eat or drink. We ate and had drinks here during our stay, and there were so many places within a few minutes' walk of each other that we were spoilt for choice.
One of the things I liked about Tønsberg was how compact everything felt.
You can walk along Brygga, see the Viking ships at Vikingodden, head into the town centre or walk up towards Slottsfjellet without needing to think too much about transport.
Our hotel, Quality Hotel Tønsberg, was right on the waterfront too, so we could simply walk out of the hotel and be straight into Brygga.
I'd definitely make time to come back here in the evening as well as during the day. Sitting by the harbour with a drink was a really nice way to finish the day, particularly after we'd spent hours walking around Tønsberg.
Tønsberg isn't just about the harbour and Viking history. The town centre is also really nice for a wander, with plenty of shops, cafés and pedestrianised streets to explore.
We spent some time shopping during our weekend and I was surprised by how much there was for such a compact town. You'll find familiar Scandinavian and high-street brands alongside smaller independent shops, and everything is within easy walking distance of Brygga.
We also happened to be in Tønsberg for Korpsenes Dag, or Marching Bands' Day, so the town centre was particularly lively. There were marching bands making their way through the streets and lots of people out watching. Obviously that's not something you'll find every weekend, but it was lovely to stumble across a local event we hadn't planned for.
One thing I particularly enjoyed was the second-hand shopping. There are several charity, vintage and thrift-style shops around Tønsberg, and they're definitely worth looking out for if, like me, you can never resist having a rummage when you're away.
The town centre leads naturally down towards Brygga, so you don't really need to plan this as a separate part of your day. We just wandered between the shops, harbour and historic sights as we explored.
Something a little different you can do in Tønsberg is go for a swim overlooking the town.
We stayed at Quality Hotel Tønsberg, which has its own rooftop Pool Club on the fifth floor. There's a heated outdoor pool at around 32°C, along with a sauna, bar and views across Tønsberg and the harbour.
We managed to fit in a swim on the Saturday and it was such a nice way to break up a busy day of sightseeing. There's something quite lovely about being outside in a warm pool in Norway while looking out over the town.
You don't necessarily need to be staying at the hotel either, as the Pool Club offers admission separately when available. I'd check opening times before planning your visit though, particularly at weekends. It was closed on the Sunday of our stay, so we were glad we'd gone up the day before.
If you're deciding where to stay, I've also written a full guide to where to stay in Tønsberg, including our experience at Quality Hotel Tønsberg and some other central options.
We only had a weekend in Tønsberg, so there were quite a few things we didn't manage to fit in. If you have a little longer, here are some more things you could add to your itinerary.
If you're visiting Tønsberg for a short break, I'd definitely recommend staying somewhere central. Most of the things in this guide are within walking distance of each other, so once we'd arrived, we didn't need to think about transport at all.
We stayed at Quality Hotel Tønsberg, right beside the harbour and Vikingodden. The location was brilliant for us, with Brygga, the town centre and Slottsfjellet all easy to reach on foot.
The hotel also has the rooftop Pool Club mentioned above, and the breakfast was genuinely one of the best hotel breakfasts I've had.
I've put together a separate Where to Stay in Tønsberg guide, where you can read our full experience at Quality Hotel Tønsberg along with some other central hotel options.
Tønsberg is surprisingly easy to reach from the UK, particularly if you can find cheap flights into Oslo Torp Airport (TRF).
We flew direct from Manchester to Torp and then travelled to Tønsberg using the airport shuttle and train. The shuttle takes around five minutes to Torp Train Station, followed by a train journey of around 20 minutes to Tønsberg.
One thing that's worth knowing is that Tønsberg is in the opposite direction to Oslo, so there's absolutely no need to travel into Oslo first.
We found the whole journey really straightforward and I've written a separate step-by-step guide to getting from Oslo Torp Airport to Tønsberg, including where to find the shuttle, which train to catch, what we paid and how to make the return journey.
I think one or two nights is ideal for a first visit to Tønsberg.
We visited for a weekend and managed to fit in all of our main things, including Slottsfjellet, our Walk with a Viking tour, Vikingodden, shopping, plenty of time around Brygga and a swim at our hotel.
The big advantage is that Tønsberg is so compact. Once you're in the centre, most of the main sights are within walking distance, so you don't lose lots of your weekend travelling between places.
If you only have one night, you can still see a surprising amount. With two or three nights, you'd have more time for museums and could start adding some of the places outside the centre, such as Færder National Park or Verdens Ende.
For the type of short, affordable Norway break we were looking for, a weekend felt just right.
We really enjoyed our weekend in Tønsberg and managed to pack a surprising amount into such a short trip. If you're flying into Oslo Torp, it's definitely worth looking in the opposite direction to Oslo and seeing what you can find in Tønsberg instead. We did, and I'm very glad we did.
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