Worth remembering
- The electric fjord cruise to Lysefjord and Preikestolen is listed as wheelchair accessible and takes 3.5 hours on the water.[1]
- Cruise ships berth at Skagenkaien, Strandkaien or Skansekaien in Vågen, the city-centre harbour, a flat walk from the old town.[2]
- The electric cruise carries an audio guide in English and Norwegian, and other departures on the same water list more languages.[1][3]
- An inside cabin gives you somewhere to sit out of the wind, feed a baby or let a toddler nap while the boat is moving.
- The hiking trail to Preikestolen is open year-round, so a winter walk with a dog is possible with the right gear.[4]
- Top choice Electric fjord cruise from US$75 Rated4.62 from 9,730 reviews[1]Duration3.5 hours[1]Free cancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours[1] Check availability
- Low-emission cruise from US$76 Rated4.81 from 2,256 reviews[3]Duration2.5 hours[3]Free cancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours[3] See this tour
- Preikestolen hike from US$168 Rated4.80 from 439 reviews[5]Duration6 hours[5]Free cancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours[5] See this tour
Experience the majestic Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) from the water. Book a 3.5-hour silent, hybrid-electric fjord cruise from Stavanger.
Who the Lysefjord electric cruise suits
Pre-booking checklist
- Confirm wheelchair access and boarding help for your group when you reserve
- Ask whether a baby needs a ticket or travels on a lap
- Match the departure time to naps and to your ship's arrival in port
- Ask about dog places on board before you pay for the crossing
On the day
- Ask the crew where child life jackets are kept before the boat moves
- Hats, sun cream and sunglasses for the open deck, even in cloud
- A blanket and warm layers for the inside cabin when the wind gets up
- Plan the walk to the quay around tired legs and pushchairs
Boarding and accessibility for all guests
The boat that runs the Stavanger: Electric Fjord Cruise to Lysefjord & Preikestolen is listed as wheelchair accessible, and the crossing takes 3.5 hours out into the fjord and back.[1] That matters if you are travelling with a grandparent, a pushchair or anyone who cannot manage the climb up to the plateau. Tickets start from US$75, you can reserve now and pay later, and free cancellation is offered up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[1]
Cruise ships berth at Skagenkaien, Strandkaien or Skansekaien in Vågen, Stavanger's city-centre inner harbour, a flat walk from the old town, the cathedral and the main shopping streets.[2] For families that means no long transfer with tired children before you reach the water. Tell the operator what your group needs when you book rather than on the quay, and ask about boarding arrangements, seating and anything that would make the first few minutes easier for a nervous child.
Keeping young children engaged on the water
On the water there is a clear sequence to watch for: Fantahala in Rogaland, then Pulpit Rock, then Hengjanefossen Waterfall.[1] Children usually spot the cliff first. Preikestolen rises 604 metres above the Lysefjord in Ryfylke, and from below the flat platform reads as a thin ledge against the sky.[6] Hengjanefossen is reported at around 400 metres, so it hangs over the fjord like a white thread long before you draw level with it.[7]
The Lysefjord is roughly 40 kilometres long and up to 422 metres deep, shallowing to only 13 metres near Oanes and Forsand.[8] Point out how the water shifts from ink-dark to green over the shallows and let children guess the depth. An audio guide in English and Norwegian runs through the trip, which helps older children follow what they are looking at without a guide talking over the wind.[1]
Children who like a job stay interested longer, so give them the waterfall to watch for and let them lead the countdown. If the family wants more time on the water, a boat safari to Lysefjord and Preikestolen runs 2 hours from US$156.[9] For very young children the bigger, steadier electric boat is the gentler introduction.
The deck rail is the best spot for a first look at the fjord.
Safety railings and life jackets on deck
Open decks on this kind of vessel are usually fenced and life jackets are kept on board, though the exact routine is the crew's own. Before you settle anywhere, ask where the jackets are stored and whether child sizes are available, and put one on a small child before the boat moves rather than halfway out. Deck surfaces get slick with spray and rain, so grip matters more than speed.
Keep younger children within arm's reach whenever the boat is moving or turning, and hold hands at the rail even when the water looks glassy. The fjord can seem calm while the boat is still making way, and a sudden turn or the wash from another vessel is enough to unbalance an adult, let alone a small child. The inside cabin is the easier place to sit when the wind picks up, and children can move between cabin and deck with an adult each time.
Traveling with dogs on the electric catamaran
Whether a dog is allowed on board is decided by the operator for each departure, so the useful move is to ask when you book and to confirm again on the day. Boarding arrangements, the number of animals and where a dog can sit are all part of that answer. A crossing of three and a half hours is an easy outing for some dogs and a long one for others, so think about your own animal before you build a day around it.[1]
The hiking trail to Preikestolen is open year-round, including the winter off-season, so a walk up there with a dog is possible outside summer if you have the right gear.[4] On the path, expect rock slabs, roots and wet ground, with grazing animals sharing the hillside, and a lead keeps dogs, sheep and other walkers relaxed. Preikestolen dog owners often ask about the plateau itself: it is a bare rock shelf with a long drop and no barrier, so keep the lead on near the edge.
from US$75
A 3.5-hour electric cruise from Stavanger to Lysefjord and Preikestolen, wheelchair accessible, with an audio guide in English and Norwegian.[1]
Audio guide languages and accessibility formats
The electric cruise carries an audio guide in English and Norwegian.[1] If your family needs another language, other departures on the same water cover more: the low-emission cruise to Lysefjord and Preikestolen lists an audio guide in English, French, German, Italian, Norwegian and Spanish[3], and the guided Lysefjord cruise to Pulpit Rock lists English, Norwegian and German.[10]
Ask at booking if anyone in your group is hard of hearing, because a printed script is not something the listings promise. Bringing your own headphones makes the commentary easier to hear over the engine and wind, and one set each saves passing a phone back and forth. The electric cruise is listed as wheelchair accessible, which is worth knowing when you weigh up boat and hike options for the same trip.[1]
A hybrid ship sailing the same water lists a live guide in English and runs 3.5 hours from US$83, with wheelchair access on board.[11] Another guided cruise from Stavanger lists a live guide in English, Norwegian and German and takes in Lysefjord Bridge as well as the waterfall and Pulpit Rock.[10]
Comfort for babies and toddlers
Three and a half hours on the water is a manageable stretch with a baby, especially when you have somewhere to sit inside.[1] The cabin gives you a wind-free base for feeding, settling a nap and keeping a toddler away from the rail while the boat is moving. Pushchair storage is worth asking about when you book, because space on a small vessel is tighter than on a large ferry.
Pack a blanket, a spare layer and snacks, and keep a hat on babies even in summer, because the breeze on open water feels cooler than the streets of Stavanger. Choose a departure that fits around naps rather than forcing a tired child through a long afternoon. Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund means plans can change if a small traveller has a rough night.[1]
Planning your family visit to Lysefjord
Lysefjord is 41 miles (66 km) from Stavanger by road, and the drive takes around an hour and a half.[12] Most families base themselves in the city and let the boat do the work, but a car opens up the viewpoint stops and the villages along the water. From Oslo, the Sørlandsbanen train to Stavanger takes around seven to eight hours, which is a full day of travel but a scenic one.[13]
If standing on the plateau is the goal, the walk is less than 10km (6.2 miles) long with an elevation gain of just over 600m, and it takes about 3 to 4 hours.[14] Guided hikes take the route-finding and transport off your plate: a six-hour hike with a local guide starts from US$168[5], and a small-group hike limited to 8 participants runs seven hours from US$168.[15] A winter cruise and hike combination runs nine hours from US$269.[16]
Some families split the trip over two days instead, with a local guided hike to Preikestolen that runs four hours from US$158 for a small group limited to 10 participants[17], or a two-day adventure with Preikestolen and Kjerag hikes from US$1047 for a small group limited to 8 participants.[18] Either way, leave slack in the plan, because fjord weather and ferry timetables rarely run to a tight schedule.
How long Lysefjord trips last
Durations as listed by each tour: electric cruise[1], low-emission cruise[3], hybrid ship cruise[11], RIB safari[19].
From prices for Lysefjord trips
US dollar from prices, per person on each listing: electric cruise[1], low-emission cruise[3], hybrid ship cruise[11], RIB tour[19].
When to plan your family trip
Plan your family day out
Pick your boat
Compare the electric cruise, the low-emission cruise and the faster RIB trips, and match the ride to the ages in your group.
Ask about access
Tell the operator about wheelchairs, pushchairs, dogs or a child who needs a quieter seat, and confirm the answer before you pay.
Dress for the deck
Layers, hats and waterproofs for everyone, plus a blanket and snacks for the cabin when the wind picks up.
Give the hike its own day
The walk to Preikestolen takes about 3 to 4 hours, so keep it separate from the cruise rather than squeezing it around one.[14]
Book something flexible
Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance on the electric cruise keeps a plan workable when children or weather change it.[1]
See the fjord with the whole family on board
from US$76Reserve now & pay later
