Worth remembering
- Guided kayaking on the Lysefjord is arranged privately: Nordic Paddling takes groups of up to 12 people.[1]
- The Lysefjorden and Pulpit Rock RIB boat tour lasts 2 hours, the bookable way onto the same water at a fixed price.[2]
- That RIB tour is rated 4.86 from 1,376 reviews and limited to 12 participants.[2]
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later.[2]
- The Lysefjord is approximately 40 kilometres long and up to 422 metres deep.[3]
| Private kayak tour | RIB safari | Electric fjord cruise | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From | Agreed with the operator[1] | from US$126[4] | from US$75[5] |
| Duration | Agreed with the operator | 2 hours[4] | 3.5 hours[5] |
| Languages | Ask when you book | Live guide: Norwegian, English[4] | Audio guide: English, Norwegian[5] |
| Rating | Not listed on GetYourGuide | 4.92 from 1,526 reviews[4] | 4.62 from 9,730 reviews[5] |
| Style | You do the paddling | Hold on and get spray | Sit back on an electric boat |
Nordic Paddling organises private guided kayak tours on the Lysefjord for groups of up to 12 people.
Is a Lysefjord kayak trip worth it?
Pre-booking checklist
On the water
- Live guide speaking English and Norwegian on the RIB tour[2]
- Sun cream and sunglasses: light bounces off the fjord all day
- Windproof shell and a dry bag for phone and camera
- Dress for cold water even when Stavanger feels warm
Kayak Lysefjord: paddling below Preikestolen
From a kayak the Lysefjord looks nothing like a photograph. The water is cold, dark and very deep, the walls close in until the sky is a narrow strip above your head, and Preikestolen becomes a small square shelf pressed into the cliff high above the water. Sitting at surface level changes the scale of everything, and you hear the fjord rather than an engine. Guided paddles launch from Stavanger, and the trip out to the quiet water is part of the day.
The fjord was formed during the last Ice Age, approximately 10,000 years ago, when colossal glaciers carved deep valleys into the landscape.[6] What is left is a channel approximately 40 kilometres long and up to 422 metres deep, which shallows to only 13 metres near Oanes and Forsand.[3] Paddling beside those walls, with a great depth of water under the hull, is the whole point of going out by kayak.
Preikestolen (the Pulpit Rock) rises 604 metres above the Lysefjord in Ryfylke.[7] From the water you see the cliff face and the flat shelf from below, a very different view from the plateau at the end of the hiking trail. Paddlers and hikers often plan both on separate days, one to look up at the rock and one to look down from it.
Kayak tour Lysefjord: what the guided paddle includes
Guided kayaking on the Lysefjord is arranged privately: Nordic Paddling organises tours for groups of up to 12 people.[1] A private paddle means you agree the route, the pace and the time on the water with the operator, so ask about the launch point and the length of the trip when you get in touch, and say how much paddling experience the group has.
When no guided kayak tour is listed for your dates, the closest way onto the same water at a fixed price is a RIB. The Lysefjorden and Pulpit Rock RIB boat tour is rated 4.86 from 1,376 reviews and lets you reserve now and pay later, with cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[2] Starting times vary by date, so check availability for the slot that fits your trip.
On the water, expect a briefing on the route, a look at how the paddle and footrests adjust, and a short practice paddle before the group sets off. Guided groups usually stay together, with pauses for photos and for the thin waterfalls that streak the rock after rain. Say at the briefing if you have never paddled before, or if a shoulder or a bad back makes sitting low uncomfortable, and the guide can position you in the group.
The fjord walls fall straight into green water, streaked with moss and thin waterfalls.
What to wear for a Lysefjord kayak trip
The water is cold all year, and the air on the fjord is always a few degrees cooler than in the streets of Stavanger. Wear quick-drying layers rather than cotton, bring a thin fleece and a windproof shell that fits over your life jacket, and choose shoes that can get wet: strapped sandals or old trainers. Sun cream and sunglasses matter more than you might expect, because light bounces off the water all day.
Pack a small dry bag for your phone and camera, a water bottle you can reach while seated, and a hat or buff for the wind on the way back. Gloves help if your hands get cold quickly. Leave anything you would hate to drop ashore, and ask before you turn up with a large rucksack, as space in the boat is limited.
You do not need previous kayaking experience for a guided paddle, but you should be able to sit low with your legs in front of you for the length of the trip and be happy on moving water. Tell the guide about back problems, shoulder injuries or anything that makes getting in and out of the kayak awkward, so they can steady the boat while you step in. Ask the operator about access before you book if anyone in the group uses a wheelchair.
Getting to Stavanger and to the launch point
Stavanger is the base for the guided kayaking tour, and it is easy to reach without a car. The Sørlandsbanen line from Oslo to Stavanger is operated by Vy and takes around seven to eight hours, a full day of travel that is beautiful in its own right.[8] Cruise ships berth at Skagenkaien, Strandkaien or Skansekaien in Vågen, the city-centre inner harbour, which leaves a short flat walk into town.[9]
By road, the Lysefjord is 41 miles (66 km) from Stavanger and the drive takes around an hour and a half.[10] That timing assumes clear roads. The last stretches to trailheads, ferry quays and launch points around the fjord are often narrow and slow, so build in extra time, and expect parking at the busiest trailheads to fill on fine days.
Guided trips meet in Stavanger or at a pickup point, and the exact spot is confirmed when you book, so check your messages the evening before. Arrive with your layers already on and your bag packed, and keep your phone charged. If you are in port for the day on a cruise ship, the city-centre berths put you close to the meeting points, and a morning on the water can fit around a port call.
from US$147
The Lysefjorden and Pulpit Rock RIB boat tour runs 2 hours from Stavanger, with a live guide in English and Norwegian.[2]
RIB safari, fjord cruise or kayak: which day out?
Not everyone wants to hold a paddle, and the fjord is spectacular from every kind of boat. A RIB covers the same water at speed, close to the cliffs, with spray and plenty of wind. The RIB tour from Stavanger to Lysefjord and Preikestolen takes 2 hours and starts at US$126.[4] The Lysefjord RIB safari is a two-hour boat trip.[11]
For a quieter ride, the silent, hybrid-electric cruise from Stavanger to see Preikestolen from the water takes 3.5 hours.[12] The Rødne Lysefjord cruise from Stavanger lasts 3-3.5 hours.[13] Cruises suit mixed-age groups, anyone who would rather sit indoors with a hot drink, and anyone who wants the Pulpit Rock framed in a photograph rather than seen over a paddle blade.
Hikers can go up instead. The Preikestolen hike is less than 10km (6.2 miles) long with an elevation gain of just over 600m, and takes about 3 to 4 hours.[14] The Kjeragbolten hike is a longer day: a strenuous 12 km trail leads to a boulder wedged 1,000 meters above Lysefjord.[15]
Kayak rental Lysefjord and guided trips compared
Hiring a kayak looks simple until you are standing on a slipway with a heavy sea kayak, a paddle, a spray deck and a fjord in front of you. Wind funnels down the valley, ferries and tour boats move quickly, and the water is deep and cold. A guided trip removes the logistics: the boat and gear are ready, the route is planned, and someone else is watching the weather and the traffic.
For private groups, Nordic Paddling Lysefjord kayak tours are guided and private, for groups of up to 12 people.[1] If you are booking for a family, a club or a group of friends, ask about private arrangements well before your dates, and be honest about the group's experience so the plan matches the people on the water.
If you do paddle independently, stay close to shore, cross the main channel only where you can see clearly, and read the day's wind forecast rather than the week's. The fjord is deep and cold, the cliffs block the breeze in some places and speed it up in others, and a paddler who is tired on the way out still has to get back to the slipway.
Beyond the paddle: Lysebotn, Flørli and fjord cabins
The fjord continues far past the Pulpit Rock. The Kolumbus local ferry runs through the Lysefjord to Lysebotn year-round, calling at small quays along the way, which makes the inner fjord reachable without a car.[16] At Flørli, a stairway of 4444 steps climbs the mountainside from the water.[17]
Above Lysebotn, Lysevegen winds up the valley with 27 hairpin bends.[18] Further along the fjord, Kjeragbolten is a boulder wedged 1,000 meters above the water, reached by a 12 km trail.[15] For a slower stay, The Bolder offers architecturally unique cabins in Lysefjorden, Norway, designed to minimize environmental impact.[19]
Build a spare day into your plans. Weather on this coast changes quickly. A grey, windy morning often clears by early afternoon, while a calm start can turn wet within an hour, and having a second possible day for the water makes a real difference. If the fjord is too rough, a hike, a museum in Stavanger or a ride up the fjord on the local ferry fills the time easily.
Time on the water by trip type
From-prices for a day on the Lysefjord
From-prices in US dollars for[1],[4],[5] and[2].
When to go and when to book
Planning your fjord paddle
Contact the kayak operator
Ask Nordic Paddling early about a private guided paddle; it takes groups of up to 12 people.[1]
Check the west coast weather
Weather here shifts through the day, and a calm morning can turn windy by afternoon. Keep a spare day free if you can.
Dress for cold water
Quick-drying layers, a thin fleece, a windproof shell and shoes that can get wet. Add sun cream and a dry bag for your phone.
Add a second fjord day
Pair the paddle with a cruise or a RIB safari, or hike Preikestolen on another day. Electric cruise from US$75.[5]
Sort out your transport
The Oslo train takes around seven to eight hours, and the drive from Stavanger around an hour and a half.[8][10]
Get onto the Lysefjord with a guide who knows the water
from US$147
