Worth remembering
- The private Preikestolen hike gives your group its own guide and pickup, from US$470 for seven hours.[1]
- Private group days are listed from US$470 and from US$3168, both for seven hours.[1][2]
- Preikestolen rises 604 metres above the fjord, and cruise boats pass below the cliff on the way in.[3]
- The walk covers less than 10km (6.2 miles) with just over 600m of ascent, taking about 3 to 4 hours.[4]
- The fjord is 41 miles (66 km) from Stavanger by road, around an hour and a half of driving.[5]
- Top choice Electric fjord cruise from US$75 Duration3.5 hours[6]Guide or audioAudio guide: English, Norwegian[6]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance[6]BookingReserve now and pay later[6] Check availability
- RIB fjord safari from US$126 Duration2 hours[7]Guide or audioLive guide: Norwegian, English[7]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance[7]BookingReserve now and pay later[7] See this tour
- Preikestolen hike from US$168 Duration6 hours[8]Guide or audioLive guide: English, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish[8]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance[8]BookingReserve now and pay later[8] See this tour
Preikestolen (the Pulpit Rock) rises 604 metres above the Lysefjord in Ryfylke, and is one of Norway's biggest attractions.
Who a private Lysefjord tour suits
Pre-booking checklist
- Private group tours: from US$470 or from US$3168, both for seven hours.[1][2]
- Reserve now and pay later, with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.[1]
- Pickup is included on the private Preikestolen hike; check availability for details.[1]
- A live guide speaking English or Norwegian leads the private Preikestolen hike.[1]
On the water and on the trail
- The trail to Preikestolen stays open year-round, including the winter off-season.[9]
- Dress in layers and bring a windproof shell; the fjord feels cold on the water on warm days too.
- The electric fjord cruise to Lysefjord and Preikestolen is wheelchair accessible.[6]
- A Lysefjord RIB safari is a two-hour boat trip.[10]
What a private Lysefjord tour actually means
On a shared sailing you take the seat you are given and follow someone else's timetable. A private tour turns that around: the boat, the van and the guide are booked for your group, and the pace belongs to you. Stavanger: Pulpit rock off the beaten path is the fullest version of that, a private group day with a live guide in Spanish or English and a separate entrance that skips the line, with pickup to arrange when you book.[2] It runs for 7 hours and is listed from US$3168.[2]
Shorter private options exist as well. A private guided hike to Preikestolen with pickup runs seven hours and is listed from US$470.[1] A seven-hour private day out to the Pulpit Rock, off the beaten path, is listed from US$3168.[2] If you want the journey rather than the day trip, a seven-day private tour from Oslo through Bergen and Stavanger, with a Pulpit Rock cruise, is listed from US$2192.[11] How much time you have, and how many people are sharing the cost, shape the choice. It is worth asking what a private departure can flex on: usually the route, the stops and how long you linger at the viewpoint.
Private boats on the fjord: electric, RIB or silent hybrid
Most Lysefjord boats leave Stavanger and head east into the fjord, with the cliff on one side and steep rock on the other. Brim Explorer's electric cruise is a 3.5-hour silent, hybrid-electric fjord cruise from Stavanger to see Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) from the water.[12] The Stavanger electric fjord cruise to Lysefjord and Preikestolen runs 3.5 hours, carries an audio guide in English and Norwegian, and is listed from US$75.[6] The Rodne Lysefjord cruise from Stavanger lasts 3-3.5 hours.[13] On a private charter you can usually ask to linger where the light is good. On the way out the boat passes Fantahala, where the fjord narrows and the rock walls close in around the water.
RIB safaris are the fast, open-boat option, with everyone in a flotation suit and the wind in your face. The Lysefjord RIB safari is a two-hour boat trip.[10] The RIB tour to Lysefjord and Preikestolen lasts 2 hours, has a live guide in Norwegian and English, and is listed from US$126.[7] Its route takes in Lysefjord, Fantahala, Pulpit Rock and Hengjanefossen Waterfall.[7] Hengjanefossen, the waterfall you pass, is put at around 400 meters high in a Komoot user tip.[14]
The fjord narrows at Fantahala, where the rock walls close in and the waterfall drops off the rim.
Preikestolen: from the water and on foot
Preikestolen (the Pulpit Rock) rises 604 metres above the Lysefjord in Ryfylke.[3] From the water the plateau reads as a flat shelf in an otherwise vertical wall, and a pair of binoculars turns the tiny figures on the edge into people. The electric fjord cruise stops at Fantahala, Pulpit Rock and Hengjanefossen Waterfall on its way through, and a wheelchair user can join it.[6] Photographers tend to want the side of the boat that faces the light coming down the fjord.
On foot, the hike to Preikestolen is less than 10km (6.2 miles) long with an elevation gain of just over 600m, and it takes about 3 to 4 hours to complete.[4] The trail is open year-round, including during the winter off-season.[9] A guided hike with a local guide lasts 6 hours and is listed from US$168.[8] Guided winter hikes run as small groups limited to 8 participants.[15] Many walkers set off early and are back in Stavanger for a late lunch. The path climbs steadily over rock steps and boardwalk; build in time for rests and photographs.
The fjord itself: length, depth and hard rock
The Lysefjord is approximately 40 kilometres long and up to 422 metres deep, though it shallows to only 13 metres near Oanes and Forsand.[16] It was formed during the last Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago, when colossal glaciers carved deep valleys into the landscape.[17] What you see from a boat today is that carving: smooth rounded rock at the waterline, sheer walls above, and shelves of birch and pine where soil has held on.
Two landmarks above the fjord need a day each if you want them on foot. The Florli stairs consist of 4444 steps.[18] Lysevegen, the road that winds from Lysebotn, has 27 hairpin bends.[19] The hike to Kjeragbolten is a strenuous 12 km trail, and Kjeragbolten is a boulder wedged 1,000 meters above Lysefjord.[20] Boats and cars meet at Lysebotn, at the far end of the water, where the switchbacks begin.
3 days
Stavanger: Private Guided Hike to Preikestolen with Pickup, private group, listed from US$470, live guide in English or Norwegian, 7 hours.[1]
What private tours cost, and what shared trips cost
Cost follows how many days you book and how many people share the bill. A private guided hike to Preikestolen with pickup is listed from US$470.[1] A seven-day private tour that starts in Oslo and takes in Bergen and Stavanger is listed from US$2192.[11] A seven-hour private day out to the Pulpit Rock, off the beaten path, is listed from US$3168.[2]
Shared departures keep the entry price down. The electric fjord cruise is listed from US$75 and the low-emission Lysefjord and Preikestolen cruise from US$76.[6][21] A RIB tour to Lysefjord and Preikestolen is listed from US$126.[7] Kayaking can also be arranged privately: Nordic Paddling organises private guided kayak tours on the Lysefjord for groups of up to 12 people.[22]
When to go, and how to dress for a fjord day
The fjord has a year-round life, not just a summer season. The hiking trail to Preikestolen is open year-round, including during the winter off-season.[9] The Kolumbus local ferry service on the Lysefjord to Lysebotn runs year-round.[23] Guided winter hikes to Preikestolen run as small groups limited to 8 participants.[15] Spring and autumn often bring clear air and long evenings, and high summer brings the brightest nights of the year. Booking a boat in the shoulder months often means a quieter deck and softer light on the cliffs.
Pack for a wet coast: a waterproof shell, a warm mid layer, gloves, a hat and shoes with grip. Spray is normal on RIB trips, and the decks of the bigger boats are open, so a dry bag for camera and phone earns its space. Sunscreen and sunglasses matter on bright days, and a power bank keeps the photos coming. Layers you can shed are the trick, and a spare pair of socks in your daypack is never wasted.
Getting to Stavanger, and getting out to the fjord
Stavanger is the usual starting point. The Lysefjord is 41 miles (66 km) from Stavanger, and the drive takes around an hour and a half.[5] From Oslo, the Vy-operated Sornlandsbanen train to Stavanger takes around seven to eight hours, much of it through forest and mountain plateau.[24] Cruise ships dock at Skagenkaien, Strandkaien or Skansekaien in Vagen, Stavanger's city-centre inner harbour, which puts the old town and the fjord piers within a short walk.[25] Arriving by ship puts you within a short flat walk of the old town, the cathedral and the harbour where the fjord boats leave.
Bookings are flexible on paper: listings offer reserve now and pay later with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, including the private Preikestolen hike.[1] If you would rather sleep beside the water, The Bolder lodges at the Lysefjord are architecturally unique cabins in Lysefjorden, Norway, designed to minimize environmental impact.[26] Private departures are arranged around your group, so tell your guide your arrival day and how many of you there are when you book.
How long Lysefjord trips last
Durations as listed, in hours:[6] 3.5,[21] 2.5,[7] 2,[27] 3.5.
Private tour prices, in US dollars
US dollar from prices per person, as listed:[1][2][11]
When the Lysefjord runs
How to plan a private trip
Start with your dates
The trail to Preikestolen is open year-round, and the local ferry on the fjord runs all year as well.[9][23]
Choose boat or trail
A silent electric cruise lasts 3.5 hours.[12] A RIB safari lasts 2 hours.[10] Both fit inside a Stavanger day.
Book the private day
The private Preikestolen hike runs as a private group from US$470, with a live guide in English or Norwegian.[1]
Arrange the transfers
Pickup is included on the private Preikestolen hike and on the private Pulpit Rock day; check availability for the details.[1][2]
Pack for the fjord
Preikestolen rises 604 metres above the water.[3] Bring a windproof layer, gloves and shoes with grip.
Stavanger: Private Guided Hike to Preikestolen with Pickup
from US$470
