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Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Oslo and Southern Norway, Norway
Photo: Ivo Schrijer
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Oslo, the fjord islands, Holmenkollen and the south coast to Kristiansand

Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Oslo and Southern Norway

Norway

53 dog-friendly luxury hotels.

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Where can my dog actually go?

Oslo is one of the easiest capitals in Europe to be a dog in. Dogs ride every Ruter bus, tram, metro and fjord ferry for nothing, on a lead, on the floor or in your lap, so the islands off Aker Brygge, the forest above Holmenkollen and Vigeland Park are all a ticket-free ride away. Restaurants and cafés are allowed to admit dogs indoors and out, and it's the owner's call rather than the law's. Fifty-three hotels on our list take dogs, from THE THIEF on the Tjuvholmen waterfront down the south coast to Arendal and Kristiansand, and every one of them is a four-star or better.

Where the dog is allowed to be is what separates them, and in Oslo itself the honest answer is mostly the room. The Grand Hotel on Karl Johan keeps dogs out of the bar, the restaurant and the spa and otherwise in the room. Scandic Holmenkollen Park, Scandic Holberg, Scandic Vulkan and Scandic Victoria all publish a no for breakfast, bar and restaurant. The Radisson Blu Scandinavia adds a no to leaving the dog alone in the room. The access stories are on the coast. Scandic Kristiansand Bystranda sits on the city beach, puts a small welcome gift in the room and seats dog owners for breakfast in a designated area rather than the main room. Clarion Hotel Tyholmen in Arendal serves breakfast on its quayside terrace with the dog beside you. Hurdalsjøen Hotell & Spa has its own lakeshore beach and puts bowls in the room. Amerikalinjen by Oslo S is the one city hotel with a real extra, a dog walker you can book a day ahead, but it caps at 10 kg.

Fees are in kroner and mostly modest. NOK 100 a night at the Best Western Plus Gyldenløve in Kongsberg, NOK 150 a stay at Strand Hotel Fevik, NOK 200 a night at nearly every Scandic, NOK 250 to 300 at the Clarions, Lysebu and Home Hotel Gabelshus, NOK 350 a night at THE THIEF and Clarion Hotel Oslo, NOK 400 a stay at Sommerro, the Grand and the Thon hotels, and NOK 500 a night at the Radisson Blu Alna. Dalen Hotel in Telemark is the outlier at NOK 625 a stay plus a NOK 300 cleaning fee. Weight caps are rare here. Amerikalinjen stops at 10 kg and Home Hotel Bastion and Quality Hotel 33 take small dogs only, while Hurdalsjøen takes dogs of any size, which makes it the pick for a big dog, and the Radisson Blu Alna will take three.

Two things to know before you book. From 1 April to 20 August every dog in Norway must be on a lead, and Oslo applies that in the city, the parks, the Marka forest and on the fjord islands, with the fenced municipal dog parks the only exception. And getting there with a dog in the cabin is only possible from Ireland, not from Britain. Neither Norwegian nor SAS carries pets in the cabin or the hold on UK flights, so from the UK it's the Dutch or German ferries and a long drive, or a routing through the continent. Every dog also needs a vet-administered tapeworm treatment between 24 and 120 hours before arrival, and you go through the red channel at the airport.

Daisy's picks

Where Daisy would book

  1. Scandic Kristiansand Bystranda, dog-friendly hotel in Oslo and Southern Norway01
    Scandic Kristiansand Bystranda

    Straight onto Bystranda city beach from the door, a small welcome gift for the dog in the room, and a designated area where dog owners take breakfast. Odderøya's trails are a short walk. NOK 200 per dog per night, up to two dogs, no weight cap published.

    NOK 200

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  2. Clarion Hotel Tyholmen Arendal, dog-friendly hotel in Oslo and Southern Norway02
    Clarion Hotel Tyholmen Arendal

    Breakfast on the quayside terrace with the dog at your feet, which no Oslo hotel on the list offers. The Pollen harbour is right outside and the Hove coastal trails on Tromøy are a short drive. NOK 300 a stay, in designated pet rooms.

    NOK 300

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  3. Hurdalsjøen Hotell & Spa, dog-friendly hotel in Oslo and Southern Norway03
    Hurdalsjøen Hotell & Spa

    Its own lakeshore beach and marina on Hurdalssjøen, food and water bowls in the room, and dogs of any size in standard doubles. The spa and pool are not for dogs. NOK 390 per dog per night, north of Oslo on the Gardermoen side.

    NOK 390

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Before you go

What happens when you get there

Leash season
From 1 April to 20 August inclusive, every dog in Norway must be on a lead or securely enclosed. In Oslo that means the city streets, every park including Vigeland, the Marka forest and the islands in the fjord. The only exceptions are the municipal fenced dog parks. Kavringen and Kaffeskjær nature reserves in the fjord require a lead all year.
Getting in
A dog needs an ISO microchip, a valid rabies vaccination given at least 21 days before travel if it's the first one, and an EU pet passport or, from Great Britain, an animal health certificate issued within 10 days. Every dog also needs a tapeworm treatment given by a vet in the country you leave from, between 24 and 120 hours before arriving, recorded in the passport or certificate. Only dogs coming directly from Ireland, Finland or Malta are exempt. Arriving by air you go through the red channel whatever country you came from.
Flying
Neither Norwegian nor SAS carries pets in the cabin or the hold on flights to or from the UK, so Gatwick, Manchester and Edinburgh are out. From Dublin, Norwegian and SAS both allow a pet in the cabin on EU and Schengen routes, up to 8 kg with the carrier. Oslo Gardermoen is the main airport, Torp Sandefjord serves the coast south of Oslo and Kristiansand Kjevik the south coast.
Public transport
Dogs travel free on every Ruter bus, tram, metro line and boat in Oslo and Akershus. They must be on a lead, on the floor or in your lap, never on the seat. That includes the B1 island boat from Aker Brygge to Hovedøya, Lindøya, Gressholmen, Bleikøya and Nakkholmen. On Vy trains to Drammen, Kristiansand and the coast, a dog under 40 cm at the shoulder travels free on the floor, and a bigger dog pays half an adult fare. Dogs are kept out of the sleeper, Plus and family carriages and the café car.
Sights
Vigeland Park is a public park, open around the clock, with the dog on a lead. The Opera House roof, Akershus Fortress grounds and the Bjørvika and Aker Brygge promenades are all open ground. At Holmenkollen the dog can come into the foyer and café but not into the Ski Museum. The Botanical Garden at Tøyen has banned dogs since March 2025. Kristiansand Zoo refuses all dogs, guide dogs included. MUNCH, the Fram and the National Museum don't publish a pet policy, so assume the dog waits outside.
Dogs at breakfast
A clear no at the Grand, Scandic Holberg, Scandic Vulkan, Scandic Victoria, Scandic Holmenkollen Park, Scandic Lillestrøm, Scandic Oslo Airport, Scandic Fornebu, Scandic Ambassadeur Drammen, the Radisson Blu Scandinavia, the Radisson Blu Caledonien and Son Spa. Scandic Kristiansand Bystranda seats dog owners in a separate area. Clarion Tyholmen serves breakfast on its quayside terrace with the dog. Everywhere else publishes nothing, so ask by name.
Fees
NOK 100 a night at the Gyldenløve in Kongsberg. NOK 150 a stay at Strand Hotel Fevik. NOK 200 a night at most Scandics and per stay at Quality Hotel 33. NOK 250 a stay at Clarion Collection Savoy and Farris Bad. NOK 300 at Clarion Tyholmen, Home Hotel Bastion and Lysebu. NOK 350 a night at THE THIEF and Clarion Hotel Oslo. NOK 400 a stay at Sommerro, the Grand and all the Thon hotels, and per night at Amerikalinjen. NOK 500 at Lily Country Club and per night at the Radisson Blu Alna. Dalen Hotel charges NOK 625 plus a NOK 300 cleaning fee. Hotel Riviera, Hotel Wassilioff, Refsnes Gods, Losby Gods and Clarion The Hub don't publish a figure.
Weight and numbers
Amerikalinjen takes one dog up to about 10 kg. Home Hotel Bastion and Quality Hotel 33 say small dogs only. Hurdalsjøen takes any size. The Radisson Blu Alna takes three dogs, and Clarion Hotel Ernst, Home Hotel Gabelshus, Quality Hotel Expo, Quality Hotel Hasle Linie, Lily Country Club, Scandic Kristiansand Bystranda, Scandic Asker, Scandic Ambassadeur Drammen, the Radisson Blu Airport and Strand Hotel Fevik take two.
Vets
Evidensia Oslo Dyresykehus at Ole Deviks vei 10 in Alna is open around the clock every day, on 22 68 35 00, and says to come straight in if you can't get through by phone. AniCura Dyresykehus Oslo at Hoffsveien 70c in Skøyen runs an emergency service on the west side of the city.
Best walks
The Bjørvika promenade from the Opera House roof round to Sørenga, then Akershus Fortress and the Aker Brygge and Tjuvholmen waterfront. Vigeland Park in Frogner for lawns and the Monolith. The B1 boat from Aker Brygge to Hovedøya for the monastery ruins and forest paths. The metro up to Frognerseteren and the Nordmarka forest trails down past Holmenkollen, which start at the door of Lysebu and Scandic Holmenkollen Park. On the coast, Bystranda and the Strandpromenaden to Odderøya in Kristiansand, the Hove trails on Tromøy outside Arendal, the Stavern coastal path by Hotel Wassilioff, Batteristranda and the Bøkeskogen beech wood at Larvik, and the Hurdalssjøen shoreline from the hotel beach.
When to go
June to early September for the islands, the beaches and the long evenings, and be ready for the lead rule until 20 August. Late August and September are the sweet spot, with the leash season over, the boats still running and the water at its warmest. May and early June are green and quiet. Winter is a real winter, with snow in the city from December to March, salted pavements that need a paw rinse, and Nordmarka turning into ski trails where a dog on a lead is welcome but a loose one isn't.

Dog-friendly hotels in Oslo and Southern Norway

Questions we get asked

Dogs in Oslo and Southern Norway

Is Oslo dog friendly?+

Yes, and more than most capitals. Dogs ride every Ruter bus, tram, metro and fjord boat free on a lead, Vigeland Park and the islands are open ground, and cafés are free to seat dogs indoors. The catch is the hotels. Fifty-three on our list take dogs, but in the city itself the Scandics, the Grand and the Radisson Blu Scandinavia keep them out of breakfast, the bar and the restaurant, so pick by what the hotel actually allows.

Which Oslo hotels let dogs into the restaurant or to breakfast?+

None in Oslo publishes a yes. The Grand, the Radisson Blu Scandinavia and every central Scandic publish a no. The two hotels on the list where the dog joins you at breakfast are on the coast, Clarion Hotel Tyholmen in Arendal on its quayside terrace, and Scandic Kristiansand Bystranda in a designated area away from the main room.

How much do hotels in Oslo charge for a dog?+

Most Scandics charge NOK 200 a night. Lysebu, Home Hotel Bastion and Hotel Christiania Teater are NOK 300. THE THIEF and Clarion Hotel Oslo charge NOK 350 a night. Sommerro and the Grand charge NOK 400 a stay, Amerikalinjen NOK 400 a night, and the Radisson Blu Alna NOK 500 a night.

Where should I stay in Norway with a big dog?+

Hurdalsjøen Hotell & Spa takes dogs of any size and has its own beach. Most hotels on the list publish no cap at all. Avoid Amerikalinjen, which stops at 10 kg, and Home Hotel Bastion and Quality Hotel 33, which take small dogs only.

Can I fly my dog to Oslo from the UK?+

Not with Norwegian or SAS. Both refuse pets in the cabin and in the hold on flights to and from the UK. From Dublin both airlines take a pet in the cabin up to 8 kg with the carrier, and the same applies from Amsterdam, Copenhagen and other EU and Schengen airports. From Britain the realistic routes are a ferry to the Netherlands or Denmark and onward by car or the Copenhagen to Oslo ferry.

Does my dog need a tapeworm treatment for Norway?+

Yes, unless it comes directly from Ireland, Finland or Malta. A vet in the country you're leaving from has to give a praziquantel treatment between 24 and 120 hours before you arrive and record it in the pet passport or animal health certificate. Without it the dog is refused entry or boarded at your cost. Arriving by air you go through the red channel every time.

Do dogs have to be on a lead in Norway?+

From 1 April to 20 August, yes, everywhere, by national law. Oslo applies it in the streets, the parks, the Marka forest and on the fjord islands. Outside those dates a dog can be loose under control except in a few nature reserves that require a lead all year. Fenced municipal dog parks are the exception in season.

Can I take my dog on the ferry to the Oslo islands?+

Yes. The B1 boat from Aker Brygge to Hovedøya, Lindøya, Gressholmen, Bleikøya and Nakkholmen is an ordinary Ruter route, so the dog rides free on a lead with your normal ticket. Hovedøya has forest paths and the monastery ruins. Keep the lead on between 1 April and 20 August.

Which breeds are banned in Norway?+

Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Fila Brasileiro, Tosa Inu, Dogo Argentino and the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog, plus any cross of them and any wolf hybrid. These can't be brought into the country at all.

Where should I stay on the south coast with a dog?+

Scandic Kristiansand Bystranda for the beach at the door and a welcome gift. Clarion Hotel Tyholmen in Arendal for breakfast on the quay with the dog. Strand Hotel Fevik near Grimstad is two minutes from Hauslandsanden beach at NOK 150 a stay, but dogs go only in the annex rooms with their own car park entrance and no sea view. Kristiansand Zoo refuses dogs, guide dogs included, so plan a day out somewhere else.

Research updated 2026-09-26. Policies change, always confirm with the hotel.