The path up
The Preikestolen hike trail, told only in the figures the ten listings give: about 8 km there and back, around 500 m of climbing, a fairly steep start and roughly 2.5 hours up to the rock. Plus the quieter 9 km route, and guided days from $136 per person.
Quick answer
The short answer. The Preikestolen hike trail runs about 4 km each way, 8 km in all, with around 500 m of climbing, and two listings call it fairly steep. Allow roughly 2.5 hours up and 2 back on foot. Our top pick is the $167 guided hike with pickup from your Stavanger accommodation, rated 4.8 by 446 reviewers. The lowest fare is $136 from the Cruise Terminal; the quieter 9 km route costs $177.
The main route
Distance, climb and hours on foot, as the listings state them.
The main Preikestolen hike route climbs from the basecamp at the start of the trail to the rock above the Lysefjord. The listings agree on the shape of it, if not on every decimal. One describes an 8 km trail with 500 metres of elevation, “well-developed but still fairly steep”. The winter hike gives approximately 4 km each way. So the Pulpit Rock hike distance you should plan for is about 8 km there and back.
Height on the Preikestolen hike trail needs two numbers. The path starts about 270 metres above the sea, says the listing with a local guide, and the rock itself stands 604 metres (1,982 feet) above the fjord. In between, the climb is not one steady ramp: the same listing calls the beginning fairly steep “but overall a nice walk”.
Time on foot is the figure to trust most, because five listings give it. Approximately 2.5 hours of hiking reaches the rock on the hike with pickup and on the private hike. The sunrise hike says about 2.5 hours up and around two hours down. The local-guide day calls the whole Preikestolen hike trail about 4 hours round trip, and the winter hike allows 2 to 3 hours each way.
Start to finish
What the listings say about each stretch of the Preikestolen hike trail, in order.
Three listings name the basecamp at the start of the trail. On the hike with pickup, your guide explains the trail and conditions there; the sunrise hike notes restrooms at the start.
Fairly steep in the beginning, says the local-guide listing. The quieter route also opens with a short, steep climb from the car park.
The local-guide listing walks you through the woods, crossing small streams on the way up.
The listings do not map them. One reviewer counted three main steep sections, each followed by flatter ground.
About 2.5 hours from the basecamp, the rock stands 604 m above the Lysefjord. The hike with pickup and the private hike take a lunch break up there.
Usually a little quicker: around two hours on the sunrise hike, 2 to 3 hours on the winter hike.
The steep parts
Steep at the start, rocky in places: the listings and reviewers in their own words.
No listing describes the surface step by step, so here is what they do say. The trail is “well-developed but still fairly steep”. The local-guide day calls the start fairly steep. In winter, one listing warns that the trail “may become slippery in some of the more demanding areas”, and both winter hikes supply crampons or spikes if the conditions require them.
Reviewers fill in the texture. Steven from the United Kingdom: «The walk isn’t hard. But not easy either. Rocky in parts and steep too. But it’s doable if you are half fit.» Brian from Italy, on the same local-guide day: «3 main points of steep incline steps followed by “flat” areas (still some incline but not as intense)». That is a fair picture of the Preikestolen hike trail: hard in bursts, with breathers between them.
Fitness, per the listings: the hike with pickup is “rated to moderate difficulty, a good fitness level is needed”; the boat-and-hike day “requires a moderate level of fitness”.
On the path
What the ground looks like on and around the trail.
Three hikers in warm jackets cross wide, pale granite slabs, one carrying a red pack with a rolled mat, and a lake lies below among pines.
A group with bright headlamps and hiking poles pauses on a flight of rough stone steps, with boulders in the dark around them.
A small dark-blue lake sits among grey granite slabs and tufts of dry golden grass, with a lone pine on the right.
The quieter route
Same rock, longer way round: 9 km and about 500 m of climb.
Not everyone takes the main path. The $177 alternative trail uses a “rarely used trail that winds through the forests and mountains, passing by small streams and lakes”, and reaches viewpoints above Stavanger, the Lysefjord and Preikestolen. It is 9 km (5.5 miles) round trip with around 500 m (1,600 ft) of elevation gain, and the guide takes 5 to 6 hours for the whole hike, including photo breaks and a lunch stop. The listing rates it easy for experienced hikers and moderate for those new to hiking.
It is rated 5.0 by 21 reviewers, with pickup in Stavanger and Sandnes and up to 8 participants. Karolina from Poland: «The guide … adjusted the pace and route to the group’s needs.»
Other days can leave the main Preikestolen hike trail too. The $167 hike with pickup and the $469 private hike take a hidden trail if conditions allow, and the $1,045 two-day trip walks the Hidden Nature Trail. The $157 local guided hike starts at the base by the trail and offers hikes in the area “either based on your preferences or along one of our recommended routes to Preikestolen”.
Every hike, current fare
All ten guided days on the Preikestolen hike trail. The trail column quotes each listing. Prices are per person.
| Hike | Price | Price is for | Length | On the trail | What the price covers | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local guide, lowest fare | $136 | per person | 6 hours | About 4 hours round trip; starts at 270 m | Bus from the Cruise Terminal, local guide, some snacks. Bring food for the day | 4.8 · 524 |
| Winter hike | $145 | per person | 9 hours | About 4 km each way; 2 to 3 hours up | Pickup at 7:15, ferry, guide, crampons if needed. No lunch | 4.3 · 4 |
| Local guided hike | $157 | per person | 4 hours | Your choice of route, or a recommended one | Guides from the base by the trail, up to 10. No transfer from Stavanger | 4.6 · 5 |
| With pickup, our top pick | $167 | per person | 7 hours | About 2.5 hours up; hidden trail if conditions allow | Pickup at your Stavanger accommodation, guide, up to 8 | 4.8 · 446 |
| Quieter trail | $177 | per person | 7 hours | 9 km round trip, about 500 m; 5 to 6 hours | Pickup in Stavanger and Sandnes, guide, up to 8 | 5.0 · 21 |
| Sunrise hike | $271 | per person | 8.5 hours | About 2.5 hours up, 2 back | Pickup, headlamps and poles, buffet breakfast after | 5.0 · 3 |
| RIB boat and hike | $281 | per person | 7 hours | 8 km, 500 m of elevation | RIB boat out, minibus back, guide, up to 12 | 4.8 · 29 |
| Winter boat and hike | $292 | per person | 9 hours | About 5 hours of hiking on the route | Fjord boat, guided hike, winter gear, lunchpack, minibus | 4.7 · 20 |
| Private hike | $469 | per person | 7 hours | About 2.5 hours up; hidden trail if conditions allow | Private pickup from your accommodation or the airport | 5.0 · 3 |
| Two days with Kjerag | $1,045 | per person | 2 days | Hidden Nature Trail, then Kjerag | Pickup, two guided hikes, fjord boat, night in Lysebotn, dinner, breakfast | 5.0 · 2 |
What to bring
From the listings that spell it out. Only three hand out any gear for the Preikestolen hike trail.
The local-guide listing asks for hiking shoes. On the winter hike, hiking boots are required and can be rented when you book.
A wind and rain jacket and trousers, a wool base layer top and bottom, a knitted hat and gloves.
Bring food for the day unless your listing includes it, and a bottle; the winter listing says you can refill it on the trail.
The local-guide listing asks for one, with room for your layers and food for the day.
Headlamps and hiking poles on the sunrise hike; crampons or spikes on the two winter hikes when conditions require them.
Our verdict
Book the $167 hike with pickup if you want the Preikestolen hike trail without thinking about transport: door-to-door from Stavanger, up to 8 people, 4.8 from 446 reviews, and a hidden trail if conditions allow. On a budget, the $136 local-guide day from the Cruise Terminal. For a quieter way up, the $177 9 km route, rated 5.0 by 21 reviewers.
Book direct
Our top pick, the lowest fare, the quieter route and the boat-and-hike day on the Preikestolen hike trail. All four are priced per person.
★ 4.8 · 446 reviews
★ 4.8 · 524 reviews
★ 5.0 · 21 reviews
★ 4.8 · 29 reviews
Common questions
About 8 km there and back. One listing gives an 8 km trail; the winter hike says approximately 4 km each way. The quieter alternative route is longer: 9 km (5.5 miles) round trip.
Around 500 m of elevation, per the boat-and-hike listing; the quieter route also gives around 500 m (1,600 ft). The path starts about 270 m above the sea, and the rock stands 604 m (1,982 ft) above the Lysefjord.
In places. One listing calls the start fairly steep, and another calls the whole path “well-developed but still fairly steep”. One listing rates the day moderate and asks for a good fitness level; another asks for a moderate level of fitness.
About 2.5 hours up and around two hours down, per the sunrise hike. The local-guide day calls it about 4 hours round trip; the winter hike allows 2 to 3 hours each way. The quieter route takes 5 to 6 hours with breaks.
Yes. The $177 alternative trail follows a rarely used path through forest and past small streams and lakes. The hike with pickup and the private hike take a hidden trail if conditions allow, and the two-day trip walks the Hidden Nature Trail.
It can be. The winter hike warns that the trail may become slippery in some of the more demanding areas, and its guides provide crampons if conditions require. The winter boat-and-hike day lists winter hike gear, and its guide brings spikes if needed. On the winter hike, hiking boots are required and can be rented when you book.
Go deeper
Hours on the trail and the whole day, tour by tour.
How hard it isFitness, footwear and the parts of the climb the listings warn about.
The trailheadWhere the trail starts, and how each tour gets you there.
Hikes comparedEvery guided Preikestolen hike bookable here, side by side: start, hours, group and what the price covers.
From Stavanger: Pulpit Rock Guided Hike with Pickup
★ 4.8 · 446 reviews · 7 hours