Where the trail starts
The Preikestolen hike starting point is a basecamp 40 to 45 minutes by road from Stavanger. Nine of the ten guided hikes here take you to it and back; one meets you there. This page shows where each one starts, how it reaches the trail and what the price covers, from $136 per person.
Quick answer
The short answer. For door to door, book our top pick at $167: your guide collects you where you stay in Stavanger, drives you to the Preikestolen hike starting point and briefs the group of up to 8 at the basecamp. Off a cruise ship, the $136 hike meets you in the Cruise Terminal parking area. Want the fjord first? The $281 RIB day reaches the trail from the water.
The place
Basecamp, trailhead or starting point: the listings mean the place the climb begins.
The listings use three names for the Preikestolen hike starting point: the basecamp, the trailhead and the starting point of the hike. One listing gives an address, Preikestolvegen 521 in Jørpeland, and meets you by the adventure centre on Preikestolen Basecamp. The winter hike calls its start Preikestolen Lodge, and the RIB day lists a five-minute break at Preikestolen Fjellstue once the hike is done.
The $136 listing says the trail starts 270 metres above the sea and is fairly steep at first. The rock itself stands 604 metres above the Lysefjord. One listing gives the main path as 8 km with 500 metres of climbing; another, about 4 km each way.
The sunrise listing says restroom facilities are available at the trailhead. Bring what you need for the day from Stavanger.
Getting there
Ten ways to the Preikestolen hike starting point, with the transport and meeting place each listing gives.
Your guide picks you up where you stay in Stavanger and drives 40 minutes through the undersea road tunnel. At the basecamp the guide talks through the trail and conditions. Limited to 8 participants.
The guide and driver wait in the parking area at the Cruise Terminal in Stavanger, by a black bus or coach. The drive takes around 40 minutes each way. Snacks are included; bring food for the day.
Check-in is in Stavanger city harbour, in front of the maritime museum and behind the fish market. A RIB takes you into the fjord and drops you at a quay; a short minibus ride brings you to the basecamp. The minibus back to Stavanger takes about 45 minutes.
Pickup and drop-off in Stavanger and Sandnes are included. The hike begins with a short, steep climb from the car park, then turns onto a rarely used trail.
The day starts at Strandkaien in Stavanger with 2.5 hours on the fjord by boat. Your mountain guide and a minibus wait in Forsand village for the 30-minute drive to the trail. There is no pickup; a minibus brings you back.
The one hike with no transfer from Stavanger: you meet by the adventure centre on Preikestolen Basecamp. The listing offers local hikes around the rock, by your choice or along one of its recommended routes to Preikestolen, so agree the route when you book.
Pickup from your accommodation at 7:15 AM, then the ferry across the fjord from Stavanger or Lauvvik and a short drive to Preikestolen Lodge, which this listing calls the starting point. You are back in Stavanger around 3 to 4 PM.
Pickup from one of eight hotels in Stavanger, then a 45-minute drive to the trailhead, where restroom facilities are available. Headlamps and hiking poles are handed out there before you set off.
Private pickup from your accommodation in Stavanger or straight from the airport, in an electric vehicle, with a 40-minute drive. The listing prices it per person.
Pickup in Stavanger and a 40-minute van ride for day one on the Hidden Nature Trail to Preikestolen. Day two climbs the 27 hairpin turns to the Kjerag trailhead; the van back to Stavanger takes 2.5 hours.
Road or water
By road, ferry or boat: what changes is the first hour of the day.
Most of these hikes go by road, 40 to 45 minutes by van, bus or car. The winter hike crosses the fjord by ferry instead.
Does a Preikestolen hike view Lysefjord from the water first? On two listings, yes. The $281 RIB day takes you past hidden caves and waterfalls to the cliff face of Pulpit Rock, seen from below, before the quay and the minibus to the basecamp. The $292 winter day spends 2.5 hours on the fjord and meets its minibus in Forsand.
If you want a Preikestolen hike Lysefjord day with the boat and the trail together, those are the two to compare. On both, the hike is the main event: four hours on the trail on the RIB day, five on the winter day.
On the way up
The listings describe woods, small streams and a fairly steep first stretch.
Four hikers with headlamps and trekking poles stand on rough stone steps in the dark, between grey granite boulders.
Three hikers cross bare grey granite among pines, one with a red pack and a rolled mat, with a lake and wooded hills below.
A mossy boulder sits at the edge of a calm pool that mirrors birch, pine and a grey sky.
A hiker in an orange top stands by a dark pool under a slope of birch, pine and granite in low golden light.
At the start
A briefing, then the trail. On three hikes, gear as well.
On most of these days the Preikestolen hike starting point is where the guide takes charge. On the $167 hike the guide shares insights about the trail, expected conditions and tips; the private hike briefs you on trail, weather and safety.
Gear is handed out on three listings. The sunrise hike supplies any necessary equipment, including headlamps and hiking poles. On the winter boat day the mountain guide provides spikes and other seasonal equipment if needed, and the winter hike provides crampons if the conditions require it. Hiking boots are required on that one and can be rented when booking.
Nicole from the United Kingdom, on our top pick: «A great days adventure started with a prompt pick up from our hotel, followed by a drive through the longest undersea road tunnel before reaching our destination of Preikestolen base camp.»
Every trip, current fare
All ten listings with where each one starts and what the price covers. Prices are per person.
| Hike | Price | Price is for | Length | What the price covers | Where it starts | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cruise Terminal hike | $136 | per person | 6 hours | Guide, bus both ways, snacks | Cruise Terminal parking area, Stavanger | 4.8 · 524 |
| Winter hike | $145 | per person | 9 hours | Guide, pickup at 7:15 AM, crampons if needed. Bring lunch | Your accommodation, Stavanger | 4.3 · 4 |
| Basecamp hike | $157 | per person | 4 hours | Guide, hiking chocolate at the top. No transfer | Preikestolen Basecamp, Jørpeland | 4.6 · 5 |
| Hike with pickup, our top pick | $167 | per person | 7 hours | Guide, pickup where you stay, van both ways | Your accommodation, Stavanger | 4.8 · 446 |
| Hidden nature trail | $177 | per person | 7 hours | Guide, pickup and drop-off | Stavanger or Sandnes | 5.0 · 21 |
| Sunrise hike | $271 | per person | 8.5 hours | Guide, pickup, headlamps, poles, breakfast buffet | One of eight hotels, Stavanger | 5.0 · 3 |
| RIB and hike | $281 | per person | 7 hours | Guide, RIB into the fjord, minibus to the trail and back | City harbour, Stavanger | 4.8 · 29 |
| Winter boat and hike | $292 | per person | 9 hours | Guide, fjord boat, minibus, winter hike gear, lunchpack | Strandkaien, Stavanger | 4.7 · 20 |
| Private hike | $469 | per person | 7 hours | Your own guide, private pickup, electric vehicle | Your accommodation or the airport | 5.0 · 3 |
| Two days with Kjerag | $1,045 | per person | 2 days | Guides, pickup, a night in Lysebotn, dinner and breakfast | Stavanger | 5.0 · 2 |
Before you book
A minute on the listing saves confusion on the morning of the hike.
Six listings include pickup from your accommodation. The $136 hike meets at the Cruise Terminal instead, and the $157 hike at the basecamp.
The RIB day calls itself cruise-friendly for ships docking 8 hours or more. The $177 trail can be adapted to suit shore excursions.
Hiking boots are required on the winter hike and can be rented when booking. The $136 listing recommends hiking shoes.
Lunch is in the price on the winter boat day (a lunchpack) and the two-day trip. The winter hike asks you to bring your own snack.
All ten listings offer free cancellation. Check the deadline on the booking page before you pay.
Our verdict
Book the hike with pickup at $167, our top pick: the guide collects you where you stay, drives the 40 minutes and briefs up to 8 people at the basecamp, rated 4.8 across 446 reviews. Off a ship, the $136 hike meets at the Cruise Terminal, 524 reviews at 4.8. For the fjord first, the $281 RIB day. Already near Jørpeland, the $157 basecamp hike.
Book direct
Four ways to the Preikestolen hike starting point. All four are priced per person.
★ 4.8 · 446 reviews
★ 4.8 · 524 reviews
★ 5.0 · 21 reviews
★ 4.8 · 29 reviews
Common questions
By road, 40 to 45 minutes to the Preikestolen hike starting point, going by the listings: around 40 on the $136 and $167 hikes, 45 on the sunrise hike. The winter hike crosses by ferry, and two days begin on the fjord by boat.
On a tour, yes. Nine of the ten listings take you from Stavanger to the trail and back, by van, bus, minibus, boat or ferry. The listings do not cover public transport, so we do not either. The tenth, at $157, meets you at the basecamp.
Three listings speak to it. The $136 hike meets just outside the ship in the Cruise Terminal parking area. The $281 RIB day is cruise-friendly for ships docking 8 hours or more. The $177 hidden trail can be adapted to suit shore excursions. Jacques from Ireland: «It was very well organised with transfers waiting for us right outside the cruise ship.»
Six: the $167 hike, the $177 hidden trail in Stavanger or Sandnes, the $145 winter hike at 7:15 AM, the $271 sunrise hike from eight hotels, the $469 private hike, also from the airport, and the $1,045 two-day trip. The $136 hike meets at the Cruise Terminal instead.
The sunrise listing says restroom facilities are available at the trailhead. No listing mentions toilets on the trail or at the rock, so use the ones at the Preikestolen hike starting point before you set off.
The $136 listing recommends hiking shoes, wind and rain trousers, a wind and rain jacket, a woollen inner layer top and bottom, a knitted hat and gloves, plus food for the day and a small backpack. On the winter hike, hiking boots are required and can be rented when booking.
Go deeper
Getting from Stavanger to the hike, and which tours pick you up.
Tours with transportThe hikes that bring you from Stavanger to the trailhead and back.
The trailThe path up: distance, climb and the steep sections, from the listings.
How hard it isFitness, footwear and the parts of the climb the listings warn about.
From Stavanger: Pulpit Rock Guided Hike with Pickup
★ 4.8 · 446 reviews · 7 hours