Worth remembering
- The electric fjord cruise to Lysefjord and Preikestolen is the pick here: 3.5 hours, from US$75, wheelchair accessible, with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.[1]
- A RIB safari covers the same fjord in 2 hours, from US$126, with an audio guide and a skip-the-line ticket.[2]
- The low-emission cruise carries an audio guide in English, French, German, Italian, Norwegian and Spanish.[3]
- The electric fjord cruise and the low-emission cruise are both wheelchair accessible, and both stop at Pulpit Rock and Hengjanefossen waterfall.[1][3]
- Cruises run between 2.5 and 3.5 hours on the water, so a morning sailing leaves the afternoon free for Stavanger.[1][3]
- Top choice Electric fjord cruise from US$75 Duration3.5 hours[1]Rating4.62 from 9,730 reviews[1]Audio guideEnglish and Norwegian[1]Wheelchair accessWheelchair accessible[1]StopsPulpit Rock and Hengjanefossen[1] Check availability
- Low-emission cruise from US$76 Duration2.5 hours[3]Rating4.81 from 2,256 reviews[3]Audio guideEnglish, French, German and more[3]Wheelchair accessWheelchair accessible[3]StopsPulpit Rock and Hengjanefossen[3] See this tour
- RIB safari from US$126 Duration2 hours[2]Rating4.92 from 1,526 reviews[2]Audio guideEnglish, German, French and more[2]Wheelchair accessCheck the listing before you bookStopsPulpit Rock and Hengjanefossen[2] See this tour
With 27 hairpin bends and an elevation difference of more than 900 meters, this route offers an unforgettable driving experience through dramatic and awe-inspiring scenery.
Our verdict on Lysefjord cruises from Stavanger
Pre-booking checklist
Why the Lysefjord is worth a boat trip
The Lysefjord is the long, narrow slash of water east of Stavanger that comes to mind when you imagine a Norwegian fjord: sheer grey rock on both sides, water that shifts from deep green to almost black as cloud crosses the sun, and barely a road along the shore. It is approximately 40 kilometres long and up to 422 metres deep, though it shallows to only 13 metres near Oanes and Forsand.[4] All of that depth was cut by ice: the fjord was formed during the last Ice Age, approximately 10,000 years ago, when colossal glaciers carved deep valleys into the landscape.[5]
From the water, the scale is what stays with you. Cliffs rise straight out of the fjord, waterfalls drop from the plateau above, and a small boat can slip close enough to the rock that you hear the engine echo back off it. The cliffs read differently from below, where the whole wall is in front of you rather than under your boots. A fjord cruise is also the simplest way to see the Lysefjord if your time is short, if walking is difficult, or if you would rather spend the day on the water than on a trail.
Three Lysefjord cruises from Stavanger compared
The electric fjord cruise to Lysefjord and Preikestolen is the simplest introduction to the fjord. It runs 3.5 hours from Stavanger, is wheelchair accessible, and carries an audio guide in English and Norwegian.[1] It is listed from US$75, holds a rating of 4.62 from 9,730 reviews, and stops at Fantahala, Pulpit Rock and Hengjanefossen waterfall.[1] Silent electric propulsion means you hear water and birds instead of a diesel engine, which matters in a fjord where the rock throws every sound back at you.
The low-emission Lysefjord and Preikestolen cruise is the nearest alternative: from US$76, 2.5 hours on the water, and also wheelchair accessible.[3] Its audio guide comes in English, French, German, Italian, Norwegian and Spanish, and the listing includes skip-the-ticket-line entry.[3] If a shorter sailing or a wider choice of languages matters more to you than electric propulsion, this is the boat to look at.
The RIB safari to Lysefjord and Preikestolen is the fast, open-air option: 2 hours, from US$126, with an audio guide and a live guide, and the same stops at Fantahala, Pulpit Rock and Hengjanefossen waterfall.[2] You cover the water at speed and sit close to the surface, so the ride feels more like an activity than a cruise. The listing does not mention wheelchair access, and it is a colder and wetter few hours than either of the enclosed boats.
Hengjanefossen waterfall drops into the Lysefjord beside the cruise route
Rodne, Norled, Brim Explorer and other boats on the fjord
Not every boat on the Lysefjord is sold as a guided tour. The Rodne Lysefjord cruise from Stavanger lasts 3-3.5 hours, and the Brim Explorer Stavanger Lysefjord cruise is a 3.5-hour silent, hybrid-electric sailing from the city to see Preikestolen from the water.[6][7] Both are sightseeing trips rather than transport, so the pace is gentle and the route is built around the scenery.
Away from the tour boats, the fjord carries ferries. A year-round local ferry service sails through the Lysefjord, calling at Lauvvik, Forsand, Revså, Bratteli, Bakken, Songesand, Kallali, Flørli, Håheller and Lysebotn.[8] The Norled Lysefjord cruise is that kind of sailing: a working boat, foot passengers, no commentary, and a timetable you have to fit your day around.
There is also a hybrid-ship cruise to Lysefjord and Preikestolen, listed from US$83 over 3.5 hours and wheelchair accessible.[9] RIB companies run shorter trips, and several operators combine a boat leg with a walk, so the choice is wider than three boats. Compare duration, departure point, languages and price before you book, and remember that how long you get on the water matters more than the name on the hull.
What you see from the water
Preikestolen (the Pulpit Rock) rises 604 metres above the Lysefjord in Ryfylke.[10] From the water it is a straight-sided block of cliff with a flat top, and boats slow beneath it so passengers can photograph the face. The routes described here also pass Fantahala, where the fjord narrows into a tight channel, and Hengjanefossen waterfall on the way back out.
Hengjanefossen is the other set piece. A user tip on Komoot gives it a height of around 400 metres, which makes it a very long, thin fall rather than a heavy one.[11] The Lysefjord RIB safari also stops at the Whisky Waterfall and goes into Vagabond's Cave, both in the same stretch of fjord.[12] On an open boat you notice the cold air coming off the rock, the smell of wet stone, and how quickly the light changes when a cloud crosses the sun.
from US$75
An electric catamaran leaves Stavanger for Fantahala, Pulpit Rock and Hengjanefossen waterfall, with the cliff face close enough to hear the water echo.
Cruise, hike, or both
The hike to Preikestolen is less than 10km (6.2 miles) long with an elevation gain of just over 600m and takes about 3 to 4 hours to complete.[13] That is a half day of steady walking on rock and stone steps rather than a technical climb. The trail is open year-round, including during the winter off-season, though winter days ask more of you in gear and judgement.[14] If you would rather not walk it, a cruise puts the same cliff in front of you from below.
Longer trips exist for people with more time. The hike to Kjeragbolten is a strenuous 12 km trail, and Kjeragbolten is a boulder wedged 1,000 meters above Lysefjord.[15] Near Lysebotn, the Flørli stairs consist of 4444 steps, and Lysevegen, the road that winds from Lysebotn, has 27 hairpin bends.[16][17] If you want both the water and the plateau in one day, combined tours do that: a winter Lysefjorden cruise with a guided Preikestolen hike runs 9 hours, and the Pulpit Rock RIB safari and hike combo runs 7 hours.[18][19]
Getting there, and what to wear
The Lysefjord is 41 miles (66 km) from Stavanger, and the drive takes around an hour and a half.[20] Arriving from Oslo by train, the Vy-operated Sørlandsbanen takes around seven to eight hours.[21] If you come by ship you are already in the right place: cruise ships berth at Skagenkaien, Strandkaien or Skansekaien in Vågen, the city-centre inner harbour.[22]
Dress for cold water even in high summer. A fjord is deep, cold water between high rock walls, so the air over it is cooler and gustier than the streets of Stavanger, and an open RIB will throw spray at you. Layers, a windproof jacket, a hat and gloves are sensible on an open boat; on the enclosed electric and hybrid boats you will be warmer, but the deck is still where the photographs are.
If you would rather stay out by the fjord than in the city, The Bolder lodges at the Lysefjord are architecturally unique cabins in Lysefjorden, Norway, designed to minimize environmental impact.[23] Paddlers have options as well: Nordic Paddling organises private guided kayak tours on the Lysefjord for groups of up to 12 people.[24]
How to choose your Lysefjord cruise
There is no single best Lysefjord cruise: the right boat depends on how long you want to be out and what kind of ride you enjoy. For a first visit with half a day to spare, the electric fjord cruise covers the whole classic loop: 3.5 hours, wheelchair accessible, from US$75, with Fantahala, Pulpit Rock and Hengjanefossen waterfall on the route.[1] If you want the shortest time on the water, a 2-hour RIB safari does the same stretch faster.[2]
If step-free access matters, both the low-emission cruise and the hybrid-ship cruise are listed as wheelchair accessible.[3][9] Booking before the busy weeks is safer than deciding on the morning, and these listings offer reserve now and pay later and free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, so holding a place costs you nothing straight away.[1] Read the departure point on your ticket, allow time to walk there, and take a warm layer even if Stavanger feels mild when you set off.
How long Lysefjord boats spend on the water
Durations in hours as stated on these GetYourGuide listings.[1][2][3][9]
Lysefjord cruise from-prices per adult
Adult from-prices in US dollars from these GetYourGuide listings.[1][2][3][9] Child prices are not given on those listings.
When to sail and when to book
Plan your Lysefjord cruise
Choose your boat
Enclosed electric and hybrid boats suit cold, wet or windy days, while open RIBs are faster and wetter.[2]
Check the duration
Three and a half hours covers Pulpit Rock and Hengjanefossen waterfall; two hours is the RIB pace.[1][2]
Book and pay later
Reserve now and pay later is offered on the electric, low-emission and RIB cruises.[1][2][3]
Pack for the water
Bring a windproof layer, gloves and a charged phone, and keep your camera out on deck.
Know your meeting point
Departures use different berths around Stavanger, so read the meeting point on your ticket before you set off.
See Preikestolen from the water on the electric fjord cruise
from US$76Reserve now & pay later
