Lysefjord Cruise Reviews: Is the Trip Worth It?

• Top choice Electric fjord cruise from US$75 Duration3.5 hours^[1]Rated4.62 from 9,730 reviews^[1]AccessWheelchair accessible^[1]Audio guideEnglish, Norwegian^[1] Check availability
• Low-emission cruise from US$76 Duration2.5 hours^[3]Rated4.81 from 2,256 reviews^[3]AccessWheelchair accessible^[3]Audio guideEnglish, French, German^[3] See this tour
• RIB to Preikestolen from US$126 Duration2 hours^[4]Rated4.92 from 1,526 reviews^[4]AccessSkip the ticket line^[4]Audio guideGerman, Italian, French, Spanish^[4] See this tour

What Lysefjord cruise reviews say

The Stavanger electric fjord cruise to Lysefjord and Preikestolen scores 4.62 from 9,730 reviews, with transport at 4.7 and value for money at 4.3.^[1] The low-emission Lysefjord and Preikestolen cruise scores 4.81 from 2,256 reviews, with transport at 4.9 and value for money at 4.6.^[3] Those are the two listings most travellers weigh against each other, and both leave from Stavanger, which makes the comparison a fair one.

Scores tell you the shape of a trip rather than the feel of it. In practice the compliments and the complaints cluster in the same places: the cold on deck, how close the boat comes to the cliff, how quickly the hours pass, and whether the commentary helped. Reading a handful of long reviews beats staring at an average, because a reviewer who describes a day you would enjoy is worth more than a decimal point. Look for people who travelled in rain, with children, or on a tight schedule.

It also helps to know what a boat can and cannot show you. From the water you get the full height of the rock and the whole wall of the fjord, but you never stand on the plateau. Travellers who came for the photograph from the top usually add a hike, either on a separate day or as part of a longer package, and the two experiences share very little except the same piece of rock.

What you see on a Lysefjord cruise

The electric cruise route calls at Fantahala, Preikestolen and Hengjanefossen waterfall.^[1] Preikestolen (the Pulpit Rock) rises 604 metres above the Lysefjord in Ryfylke.^[2] A user tip on Komoot puts Hengjanefossen at around 400 meters, which reads from the deck as a long white thread down the rock rather than a single drop.^[10]

The fjord itself is approximately 40 kilometres long and up to 422 metres deep, though it shallows to only 13 metres near Oanes and Forsand.^[11] It was formed during the last Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago, when colossal glaciers carved deep valleys into the landscape.^[12] What is left is a channel with near-vertical sides, narrow enough that you can follow both shores at once and watch the walls close in as the boat moves up the fjord.

Expect the light to change constantly. Cloud, sun and rain move through quickly, and the water shifts between green, grey and near-black depending on the sky above it. Keep the camera out for the whole crossing, because the run from the mouth of the fjord up to the Pulpit Rock is short and the best views arrive without much warning.

The cliff wall rises straight from the water, and the boat turns so both sides of the deck get the view.

The electric boat and how it feels

Brim Explorer's electric Lysefjord cruise is a 3.5-hour silent, hybrid-electric fjord cruise from Stavanger to see Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) from the water.^[13] The same trip is listed at 3.5 hours on GetYourGuide, with an audio guide in English and Norwegian and wheelchair access.^[1]

Silent running changes a fjord trip more than you would expect. You hear the water along the hull, the birds overhead and other passengers talking at normal volume, and there is no diesel smell at the rail. That matters if you plan to spend the whole crossing outside with a camera. The trade is pace: this is a steady, comfortable boat rather than a fast one, which suits most people on a sightseeing day.

Check the practical details when you book. Starting times vary by date, so confirm your slot rather than assuming a morning departure. Take a bottle of water and a snack unless your booking says otherwise, and wear something you can move around in. Wheelchair access makes this the easiest fjord option for anyone who finds a mountain trail hard going, and sitting inside with the audio guide while the cliffs slide past is a perfectly good way to spend the crossing.

Cruise, RIB or hike: which is worth it?

The guided 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.^[5] A RIB tour from Stavanger runs 2 hours and skips the ticket line.^[4] The electric cruise runs 3.5 hours and carries an audio guide.^[1]

In rough weather the boat wins comfortably, and in flat calm the RIB is the most fun, sitting low to the water and covering ground quickly. The hike is the only one of the three that puts you on the plateau itself, and it asks for a free day and reasonable conditions rather than a spare morning. None of them is the wrong choice; they are different days, and the comparison is really about how you want to meet the cliff. Book the RIB for spray and speed, the cruise for warmth and commentary, and the hike if the summit is the whole point.

If you are weighing up value, think about cost per hour on the water and about what the day is for. A boat trip fits a short stay, a family group and an uncertain forecast. A hike fits anyone who came for the view from the top and does not mind the climb. Plenty of travellers do both, one on each day, and remember them very differently.

Getting to the boats in Stavanger

Cruise ships berth at Skagenkaien, Strandkaien or Skansekaien in Vågen, Stavanger's city-centre inner harbour.^[8] Berthing in the middle of town keeps things simple, because you step ashore in the centre rather than at an out-of-town terminal, and much of a port day can be planned on foot.

By road, the Lysefjord is 41 miles (66 km) from Stavanger and the drive takes around an hour and a half.^[14] From Oslo, the Vy-operated Sørlandsbanen train to Stavanger takes around seven to eight hours.^[15] A practical base for the fjord is Stavanger itself, with the boats and the trail both within reach of the city.

If you arrive by ship, timing matters more than routing. Note when you need to be back on board, then choose a departure with room on either side of it. The electric cruise offers free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, which takes some of the risk out of booking before you travel.^[1] Booking early also protects your slot on busy summer days.

Weather, seasons and what to wear

The hiking trail to Preikestolen is open year-round, including during the winter off-season.^[6] The Kolumbus local ferry service on the Lysefjord to Lysebotn runs year-round too.^[7] Summer brings the longest days and the busiest boats, while spring and autumn bring quieter water, lower light and more room at the rail.

Whichever season you choose, dress for a deck rather than a city street. A windproof shell over a warm mid layer, plus gloves and a hat, keeps you outside where the views are. Flat shoes with grip beat sandals on wet metal, and a strap for your phone or camera saves a lot of regret when the boat turns.

Norwegian coastal weather changes fast, and rain rarely lasts all day. A wet fjord is still a dramatic fjord: waterfalls fatten, cloud hangs low between the walls, and the water shifts to a deep grey-green. Bring a waterproof cover for your bag, treat the forecast as a hint rather than a promise, and decide on the morning.

Making more of a Lysefjord trip

Beyond the cruise, the fjord hands out some serious days out. The Flørli stairs consist of 4444 steps.^[16] Lysevegen, the road that winds from Lysebotn, has 27 hairpin bends.^[17] The hike to Kjeragbolten is a strenuous 12 km trail, and Kjeragbolten is a boulder wedged 1,000 meters above Lysefjord.^[18] Each of these needs its own day and its own boots.

For something quieter, Nordic Paddling organises private guided kayak tours on the Lysefjord for groups of up to 12 people.^[19] And if you would rather sleep in the landscape than look at it, The Bolder lodges at the Lysefjord are architecturally unique cabins in Lysefjorden, Norway, designed to minimize environmental impact.^[20]

A simple two-day plan: take the boat on your first morning while you are fresh, then spend the afternoon around Stavanger's old town and harbour. Keep the second day for the hike or the drive if the weather allows, and leave the evening free. With only one day available, the fjord by boat gives you the most landscape for the least time.

Planning your Lysefjord day

1. Book the boat first

   Decide between the electric cruise, the low-emission cruise and a RIB, then lock in a departure that matches your ship or train times.

2. Check the walk to the pier

   Boats leave from Stavanger, so check the walk from your berth or hotel before you choose a time.

3. Layer up for the deck

   Fjord air is colder than the city, and the best views are outside. Take a windproof layer, a hat and gloves outside midsummer.

4. Decide on the plateau

   The cruise shows you Preikestolen from below. If you want to stand on it, plan the hike as a separate day.

5. Leave slack in the day

   Weather and water decide the pace. Keep the hours either side of your cruise free so a change of plan costs nothing.

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