Kon-Tiki Museum
Photo: Own work — CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Explore Thor Heyerdahl’s famous expeditions, including the original Kon-Tiki raft and Ra II reed boat, at this Oslo museum.
Planning your visit
In 1947 Thor Heyerdahl and five companions sailed a balsa raft 8,000 kilometres from Peru to Polynesia to demonstrate that pre-Columbian South Americans could have reached the Pacific islands. The voyage took 101 days, the book sold in the tens of millions, and the film won an Oscar. The original Kon-Tiki raft is in this museum, along with Ra II, the reed boat in which he later crossed the Atlantic from Morocco to Barbados, and material from Easter Island and the Galápagos.
Heyerdahl's specific migration theories have not survived — genetic and linguistic evidence firmly supports settlement of Polynesia from Asia, not South America, though recent DNA work does suggest some contact occurred. The museum handles this reasonably honestly, and the achievement of the voyages stands regardless of the hypothesis behind them.
The Easter Island section covers his excavations there, and an underwater installation runs beneath the raft.
It sits on Bygdøy peninsula alongside the Fram and maritime museums, reachable by ferry from the city hall in summer. Allow ninety minutes. The main booking is an entry ticket. Current availability is listed below.
Before you book
Where is Kon-Tiki Museum?
Kon-Tiki Museum is in Oslo, Norway. The map on this page marks its exact location.
How long should I allow for Kon-Tiki Museum?
Allow ninety minutes. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Do I need to book Kon-Tiki Museum in advance?
Tickets can be bought on the door at quiet times, but booking ahead fixes the date and avoids the queue at busy ones. Live availability is shown on this page.
