All ten, side by side
A Pulpit Rock hike with a guide can be a six-hour day with a bus from the Cruise Terminal, a start in the dark by headlamp, a winter climb with spikes if needed, or two days with Kjerag. This page lines up all ten bookable here: where each starts, how you get there, the hours, the group and what the price covers, from $136 per person.
Quick answer
The short answer. Our top pick is the $167 Pulpit Rock hike with pickup and drop-off at your accommodation in Stavanger: a group of up to eight and 446 reviews at 4.8. The lowest fare is the $136 hike with a local guide from the Cruise Terminal, with the most reviews here, 524 at 4.8. For a quieter trail, the $177 nature trail.
Getting there
Six pickups, three meeting points in town, one start at the trail itself.
For a Pulpit Rock hike Norway has one famous flat rock, 604 metres above the Lysefjord. What differs is how you reach the start of the pulpit hike. Six pick you up from your accommodation in Stavanger: the top pick, the nature trail (which also collects in Sandnes), the winter hike at 7:15 AM, the sunrise hike from one of eight pickup points, the private hike (also from the airport) and the two-day trip with Kjerag.
Three meet you at a fixed point in town. The $136 local guide hike starts at the Cruise Terminal, where a bus waits in the parking area. The winter boat-and-hike day starts at the Strandkaien quay. The RIB combo starts in the harbour, and pickup there is only an option. The tenth, the $157 local guided hike, has no transfer at all: you meet the guides at the basecamp by the trail, near Jørpeland.
By road, the listings give 40 to 45 minutes through an undersea road tunnel. The RIB combo goes out by boat and comes back by minibus; the winter hike crosses by ferry.
Every hike, current fare
Prices are per person, read off the live listings, lowest first. The private hike is priced per person too.
| Hike | Price | Length | Where it starts | Group | What the price covers | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local guide hike | $136 | 6 hours | Cruise Terminal, Stavanger | Not stated | Bus both ways, local guide, snacks. Bring food for the day | 4.8 · 524 |
| Winter hike | $145 | 9 hours | Your accommodation, Stavanger, 7:15 AM | 8 | Pickup, ferry, guide, crampons if needed. Lunch not provided | 4.3 · 4 |
| Local guided hike | $157 | 4 hours | Basecamp by the trail, near Jørpeland | 10 | Guide, a route of your choice, hiking chocolate. No transfer | 4.6 · 5 |
| Hike with pickup, our top pick | $167 | 7 hours | Your accommodation, Stavanger | 8 | Pickup and drop-off, guide who also drives, van both ways | 4.8 · 446 |
| Nature trail | $177 | 7 hours | Stavanger or Sandnes | 8 | Pickup, guide, a rarely used trail through forest | 5.0 · 21 |
| Sunrise hike | $271 | 8.5 hours | One of eight pickup points, Stavanger | 8 | Pickup, headlamps and poles, breakfast buffet after the hike | 5.0 · 3 |
| RIB and hike | $281 | 7 hours | Stavanger harbour | 12 | RIB out, minibus back, guide, audio guide in five languages | 4.8 · 29 |
| Winter boat and hike | $292 | 9 hours | Strandkaien quay, Stavanger | 8 | Boat on the fjord, minibus, winter hike gear, lunchpack | 4.7 · 20 |
| Private hike | $469 | 7 hours | Your accommodation or the airport | Private | Private pickup by electric vehicle, your own guide | 5.0 · 3 |
| Two days with Kjerag | $1,045 | 2 days | Stavanger | 8 | Two guided hikes, boat trip, dinner, a night and breakfast in Lysebotn | 5.0 · 2 |
One by one
In order of price. Hours are for the whole day; hiking times are as each listing gives them.
The lowest-priced Pulpit Rock walk here: a bus from the Cruise Terminal, then about 4 hours on the trail with a guide born in a Lysefjord village. Snacks come with it; bring food for the day. With 524 reviews at 4.8, the most reviewed Pulpit Rock Norway tour here.
Pickup at 7:15 AM, a ferry across the fjord, then 2 to 3 hours each way on about 4 km of trail. Crampons if conditions require them; boots are required. Lunch is not provided. 4 reviews at 4.3.
Starts at the basecamp by the trail, with no transfer. The listing offers local hikes in the area around the rock, on a route you choose or one the guides recommend. Up to 10. 5 reviews at 4.6.
Pickup and drop-off at your accommodation, a 40-minute drive, then about 2.5 hours up. If conditions allow, the guide may take a hidden trail. Up to 8. 446 reviews at 4.8.
A rarely used trail through forest, past small streams and lakes: 9 km round trip, about 500 m of climb, 5 to 6 hours on foot. Pickup in Stavanger and Sandnes. 21 reviews at 5.0.
A very early start, about 2.5 hours up with headlamps and poles provided, 2 hours down. With a bit of luck, you catch the sunrise; a breakfast buffet follows. 3 reviews at 5.0.
Out across the fjord by RIB, then an 8 km trail with 500 m of climb, «well-developed but still fairly steep», and back by minibus. Up to 12. 29 reviews at 4.8.
A boat trip on the fjord, a minibus from Forsand, then about 5 hours of hiking with a mountain guide. Winter hike gear and a lunchpack are in the price. 20 reviews at 4.7.
Private pickup from your accommodation in Stavanger or the airport, a 40-minute drive by electric vehicle, and a guide who adapts the pace to your fitness. 3 reviews at 5.0.
A Pulpit Rock trek over two days. Day one: the Hidden Nature Trail to the rock, a boat trip on the fjord, dinner and a night in Lysebotn. Day two: breakfast, 27 hairpin turns to the Kjerag trailhead and a second guided hike. 2 reviews at 5.0.
On the trail
Forest paths, open granite and headlamps before dawn: the Pulpit Rock hike in three frames.
Hikers with daypacks climb loose stones between tall pines and birches.
Hikers in warm jackets cross frosty granite, a lake and forested hills behind.
Headlamps and hiking poles on rough stone steps in the dark.
Hours
Four to six hours on foot; four to nine hours for the whole day.
On a guided Pulpit Rock hike, the walking itself takes four to six hours: about 4 hours round trip on the local guide hike, 2 to 3 hours each way in winter, and 5 to 6 hours on the nature trail, counting photo breaks and a lunch stop.
The whole day is longer because of the drive: 4 hours from the basecamp, 6 from the Cruise Terminal, 7 to 9 for the rest. The winter hike picks up at 7:15 AM and is back in Stavanger around 3 to 4 PM.
The trail starts about 270 metres above the sea and, in one listing’s words, is «fairly steep» at first, «but overall a nice walk». 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.»
Who picks what
Six common situations, and the hike the listings point to.
Our top pick, the $167 Pulpit Rock hike tour: pickup at your door, a group of up to eight, and a hidden trail if conditions allow.
The $136 hike meets at the Cruise Terminal. Jacques from Ireland: «They made sure that we would be back in time for the ship’s departure with lots of time to spare.»
The $177 nature trail, a rarely used route through forest.
The $145 winter hike, with crampons if conditions require them, or the $292 boat-and-hike day with winter gear and a lunchpack.
The $271 sunrise hike: headlamps and poles provided, breakfast after. The sunrise itself needs a bit of luck.
The $469 private hike, priced per person, or the $157 basecamp hike if you can get to the trail yourself.
Our verdict
Book the $167 hike with pickup, our top pick: door to door in Stavanger, up to eight people, 446 reviews at 4.8. On a budget or off a ship, the $136 local guide hike, with 524 reviews at 4.8. For a quieter route, the $177 nature trail. For Kjerag as well, the two-day trip. Every Pulpit Rock hike here comes with free cancellation.
Book direct
Our top pick, the lowest fare, the quieter trail and the sunrise start. All four are priced per person.
★ 4.8 · 446 reviews
★ 4.8 · 524 reviews
★ 5.0 · 21 reviews
★ 5.0 · 3 reviews
Common questions
On foot, about 4 hours round trip on the local guide hike and 5 to 6 hours on the nature trail. The whole day runs 4 to 9 hours, or two days with Kjerag.
The listings call it moderate. «A good fitness level is needed», says our top pick; the nature trail is «easy for experienced hikers and moderate for those new to hiking». The trail is «fairly steep» at the start. On the private hike, the guide adapts the pace to your fitness.
Six: the $167 top pick, the nature trail (Stavanger or Sandnes), the winter hike, the sunrise hike, the private hike and the two-day trip. The $136 hike meets you at the Cruise Terminal.
Yes. The $136 local guide hike starts at the Cruise Terminal and lasts 6 hours. The $281 RIB combo is described as cruise-friendly for ships docking 8 hours or more, and the nature trail can be adapted to shore excursions.
$136 to $1,045 per person. Our top pick costs $167 with pickup; the private hike is $469 per person; the two-day trip with Kjerag, dinner and a night in Lysebotn is $1,045. Every listing offers free cancellation.
Yes, on the $1,045 two-day trip: the rock on day one, a night in Lysebotn with dinner, then breakfast and a guided Kjerag hike on day two. The listing says it is not recommended for those with a fear of heights.
Before you book
Small details from the listings that make the day easier.
One listing asks for hiking shoes, rain trousers and jacket, a wool layer, a hat, gloves and a small backpack.
Meals are in the price only on the winter boat-and-hike day, the sunrise hike and the two-day trip. On the winter hike, bring your own snack and a bottle to refill.
The winter hike requires hiking boots, which can be rented when you book.
Go deeper
Getting from Stavanger to the hike, and which tours pick you up.
How long it takesHours 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.
Sunrise hikeStarting in the dark to reach the rock at dawn: times and breakfast.
Winter hikesSnow and ice on the trail: the winter hikes and what they supply.
From Stavanger: Pulpit Rock Guided Hike with Pickup
★ 4.8 · 446 reviews · 7 hours