A Pulpit Rock cruise offers direct views of Lysefjord and its cliff. We compared 8 cruises, with prices from $83, free cancellation, and a top rating of 4.6 from 10,463 reviews. For that fare, you get a half-day sail to Preikestolen on an electric catamaran.
Price from
Per person$83
Today's lowest fjord cruise price across all 8 cruises
Average rating
All 8 cruises47
15,513 verified reviews across 8 cruises
Time on the water
Shortest to longest2–35h
Shortest: RIB boat
Longest: Electric ship
Choose your boat
Prices are per person and start at $83 on a hybrid ship from the Stavanger harbour. The electric and hybrid ships have a café and indoor saloons; the three RIB boats are faster, shorter and cost more. For a longer trip, a seven-day tour from Oslo includes a cruise to Pulpit Rock.
★ 4.6 · 10 463 reviews
★ 4.8 · 2 771 reviews
★ 4.9 · 1 475 reviews
★ 4.7 · 460 reviews
★ 4.8 · 130 reviews
★ 4.9 · 108 reviews
★ 4.9 · 106 reviews
Still deciding?
Seen the eight above and still torn? Most choices come down to four. The electric ship, with a warm lounge and a snack bar. A low-emission boat with an audio guide in six languages. A fast RIB boat in a floating suit, 12 on board at most. Or a small guided boat with a sun-top and a stop at the Lysefjord Bridge. Pick one and we will point at a listing.
See it before you pay for it
Each of the seven cruises from Stavanger lists the same three sights on the Lysefjord: Pulpit Rock from below, the Vagabond Cave and Hengjanefossen. What differs is the boat, how long you are out and what is on board.
From the water the rock rises 604 m above you.
Fantahåla, an old hideout tucked into a narrow cove.
Several cruises go near enough to Hengjanefossen to feel the spray.
Open decks outside; on two ships, a lounge or saloons inside.
Side by side
All three leave from the Stavanger harbour and are priced per person. The low-emission vessel is the shorter of the two quieter boats; our top pick, the electric ship, gives the most hours on the water, with a lounge; the RIB is faster, pricier and goes right up to the waterfalls.
Swipe the table sideways →
| Stavanger:Lysefjord & Preikestolen Cruise – Modern Catamaran | TOP PICKStavanger: Electric Fjord Cruise to Lysefjord & Preikestolen | From Stavanger: Lysefjorden & Pulpit Rock RIB Boat Tour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per person | $89 | $93 | $145 |
| How long, as listed | 2.5 hours | 3.5 hours | 2 hours |
| Cost per hour | $35.60 per person | $26.57 per person | $72.50 per person |
| Starts from | Main Stavanger harbour, Strandkaien | Strandkaien, Vågen, in Stavanger | Harbour, by the Maritime Museum |
| The boat | Low-emission vessel | Fully electric catamaran | Open RIB boat, up to 12 |
| On board | Audio guide in six languages | Lounge, open decks, snack bar | Floating suit, gloves and goggles |
| At the waterfall | Photos from the boat | Close enough to feel the spray | Close enough to drink from it |
| Rating | 4.8 · 2,771 | 4.6 · 10,463 | 4.9 · 1,475 |
| Best for | Commentary in your language | Comfort indoors and out | Speed and spray |
| Check dates | Book this one→ | Check dates |
Free cancellation · Reserve now, pay later
Verdict
Our top pick is the fully electric catamaran: quiet and stable, with a warm lounge behind panoramic windows and open decks outside. In 3.5 hours from the Stavanger harbour it passes the Vagabond Cave, sails below Pulpit Rock, 604 m above the Lysefjord, and goes close to the Hengjanefossen waterfall. It costs $93 per person, rated 4.6 from 10,463 reviews, the most booked cruise here.
Check dates and availability→Before you book
The seven cruises from Stavanger all pass below Pulpit Rock on the Lysefjord, and all leave from the harbour in central Stavanger. None of the eight listings includes the hike to the top of the rock: that is a separate day on foot. Start times are not printed in the listings; you see them when you check a date. The electric ship sails rain or shine.
Two-minute check
Three things decide it: a larger ship or a fast small boat, how much time you have, and the boat you picture. Answer three questions and we will point at one cruise, with what its price covers.
A larger ship or a fast small boat?Ships take 2.5 to 3.5 hours; the fast boats take 2 to 3
How much time can you spare?Listed lengths run from 2 hours to 3.5 hours
Which boat sounds like yours?This answer picks your cruise and shows what its price covers
You’ll get the one that fits your answers, and the thing about it that catches people out.
What travellers say
Six of the eight, from the electric ship to the small guided boat, in travellers’ own words. Ratings and review counts are the live figures, and each card says what its price covers.
★★★★★
Based on 15,513
verified reviews
All seven cruises with reviews on this page, rated by travellers.
Read all 15,513→Electric ship
$93 per person · 10,463 reviews
★★★★★
A fully electric catamaran from Strandkaien: 3.5 hours, a warm lounge with panoramic windows, a snack bar you pay at, and an audio guide in English and Norwegian. Rated 4.6. “Very well organised trip, everything as described, great scenic views” — Andrew, United Kingdom
Low-emission boat
$89 per person · 2,771 reviews
★★★★★
A low-emission vessel from the main harbour: 2.5 hours past Ådnøy, the Vagabond Cave, Pulpit Rock and Hengjanefossen, with local legends told on the way. Rated 4.8. “Absolutely stunning scenery and comfortable boat with plenty of space” — Vanessa, United Kingdom
Hybrid ship
$83 per person · 460 reviews
★★★★★
A hybrid-electric ship for a silent trip: 3.5 hours, saloons with floor-to-ceiling windows, three outdoor decks, a live guide in English and a café on board. Rated 4.7. “The scenery is absolutely breathtaking (even in the rain!) Would definitely recommend!” — Emily, United Kingdom
Fast RIB boat
$145 per person · 1,475 reviews
★★★★★
Two hours on an open RIB, limited to 12 participants, with a live guide in English and Norwegian. Floating suit, gloves and goggles are handed out. Rated 4.9. “Very close to the port. Great fun speeding across the waters with fantastic views.” — Tracy, United Kingdom
RIB from the boathouse
$141 per person · 108 reviews
★★★★★
Two hours by RIB, a 3-minute walk from the cruise terminal. Flotation suit and life jacket on, and a full refund if your cruise ship is delayed. Rated 4.9. “It was good to be able to change into the suits in the building, not at the edge of the dock…” — Rachel, United Kingdom
Small guided boat
$166 per person · 106 reviews
★★★★★
2.5 to 3 hours under a convertible sun-top, in a floating suit with a hood. If one leg moves to a minibus, you can ask for a full refund. Rated 4.9. “Small boat allowed to get into coves and close to waterfalls.” — Johannes, United States
What it really costs
All eight listings are priced per person: from $83 on the hybrid ship to $166 on the small guided boat, and $2,128 for the seven-day tour from Oslo.
Swipe sideways →
| What you book | Price | What you get | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
| The electric or hybrid ship | $83–$93 per person | A lounge or saloons inside; snack bar or café, paid on board | 3.5 hours |
| The low-emission boat | $89 per person | An audio guide in six languages and local legends | 2.5 hours |
| A RIB boat | $141–$145 per person | A fast open boat; two of the three list a floating suit | 2 hours |
| The small guided boat | $166 per person | Sun-top, a floating suit with a hood, a stop at the Lysefjord Bridge | 2.5–3 hours |
| Seven days from Oslo | $2,128 per person | A cruise to Pulpit Rock, 3-star hotels with breakfast, trains and buses | 7 days |
The honest answer
Worth it if you want the most booked cruise here: 10,463 reviews against the hybrid ship’s 460, open decks plus a warm lounge, and a close pass by Hengjanefossen. The hybrid ship costs less, $83 per person against $93, for the same 3.5 hours and a live guide in English.
The electric ship, hour by hour
The listing gives no departure times, so choose a slot when you book. Free cancellation applies if your plans change.
The electric catamaran leaves from Strandkaien in Vågen, the harbour in the centre of Stavanger, and comes back to the same quay.
Sit out on the open decks or inside the warm lounge with large panoramic windows. The snack bar sells waffles, cinnamon buns, coffee and drinks.
The boat runs fully on electricity, quiet and stable, with an audio guide in English and Norwegian along the way.
You pass Fantahåla, the Vagabond Cave, and hear the stories told about it.
Preikestolen rises 604 m above the fjord. You see it from the water; standing on top is a separate hike on another day.
The boat goes close to the waterfall, near enough to feel the cool spray. The listing also mentions a stop by two goats; animals are not promised.
The whole cruise is listed at 3.5 hours, ending at the quay you left from.
Best time of day
No listing gives a departure time: the times show when you pick a date, so choose the one that fits your day before you book. What the listings do give is how early to come. The hybrid ship and the RIB cruise ask for 15 minutes before departure, the small guided cruise for 20, and the RIB boat tour has you check in by the Maritime Museum, where you look for its flag. The electric ship says it sails rain or shine.
On the ground
Cloud can hide the rock; the electric ship sails rain or shine.
Look along the shore; sightings are not promised.
Only the small guided boat lists a stop here.
Two hours in an open boat, faster and pricier than the ships.
What it's like
The boats leave from the harbour in the centre of Stavanger, most of them from the Strandkaien quay in Vågen. Seven of the eight listings here are boat trips of two to three and a half hours. The eighth is a seven-day tour from Oslo that includes a cruise to Pulpit Rock.
The route runs east into the Lysefjord. On the small guided cruise you pass the cruise ships in the harbour, go under the city bridge and speed up to 25 to 35 knots, then stop at the Lysefjord Bridge, which marks the entrance to the fjord.
Each of the seven boat trips has the Vagabond Cave, Fantahåla, on its route. The listings tell its story in two ways: an old hideout for tax evaders, tucked away in a narrow cove, or the place where shady people hid from the sheriff.
Then Pulpit Rock, seen from below. The listings give it as 604 metres above the fjord, and the RIB cruise describes it hanging 604 metres above you. No listing promises a clear view of it on the day.
Hengjanefossen (the “Whisky Falls” in tour descriptions) is the waterfall on each itinerary, named, the RIB boat tour says, after a German moonshiner who hid his spirits there. The electric ship cruises close enough to feel the spray, the small guided boat’s captain might put the bow into the falls, and on the RIB boat tour you can grab a drink from the waterfall if you are up to it.
Some listings mention goats on the shore. The electric ship names two that like the boat to stop by, the RIB cruise stops by them in summer season, and the hybrid ship says wildlife sightings cannot be promised.
The bigger choice is the boat. The electric and hybrid ships take three and a half hours, with a warm lounge or saloons behind big windows and a snack bar or cafe on board. The RIB boats take two hours in an open boat; the RIB boat tour and the RIB cruise give you a flotation suit and stop at 12 participants.
Our top pick is the electric ship at $93 per person, the most booked boat here with 10,463 reviews, rated 4.6. The electric ship’s listing calls it quiet and stable, with open decks as well as the lounge, and says it sails rain or shine. To stand on top of the rock rather than look up at it is a hike, and a different day.
While you're in Stavanger
If three and a half hours on a ship is longer than you want, the RIB boats do the trip in two, at $141 to $145 per person, in an open boat with a live guide.
2 hours · ★ 4.9 (1 475)
$145See dates 2 hours · ★ 4.9 (108)
$141See dates 2 hours · ★ 4.8 (130)
$143See datesPractical
The listing you book sets most of the day: which boat, where it leaves the harbour, what you pass on the fjord and what the price covers.
Three and a half hours, described as quiet, stable and comfortable. A warm lounge with panoramic windows, open decks, Wi-Fi and a snack bar on the electric ship.
Three and a half hours, sold as a silent experience. The hybrid ship has saloons with floor-to-ceiling windows, three outdoor decks and an onboard cafe.
Two and a half hours, with an audio guide in six languages: tell the crew yours when you board. The guide also shares local legends.
Two and a half to three hours on a speedboat with a convertible sun-top. A floating suit with a hood is provided; the WC is at the boathouse.
Two hours in an open boat. The RIB boat tour and the RIB cruise give you a flotation suit and a life jacket, and stop at 12 participants.
Fantahåla is on the route of each of the seven boat trips. One listing calls it an old hideout for tax evaders, tucked away in a narrow cove.
You look up at the rock from the water. The listings give it as 604 metres above the fjord.
Five listings describe getting up close to the waterfall: the electric ship, the three RIB boats and the small guided boat.
The RIB boat tour lets you grab a drink from the waterfall if you are up to it. The other listings do not mention it.
The small guided cruise stops at the Lysefjord Bridge for 15 minutes. Its listing says it marks the entrance to the Lysefjord.
A maybe, not a promise. The electric ship mentions two goats, and the RIB cruise stops by goats in summer season.
The electric ship leaves from Strandkaien in Vågen, the hybrid ship from the pier just before the tourist information, and the low-emission vessel from the main harbour.
The RIB safari, the RIB cruise and the small guided cruise start at Strandkaien 34. The RIB cruise is a 3-minute walk from the cruise terminal.
The RIB boat tour checks in on the city harbour in front of the Stavanger Maritime Museum, behind the fish market. Look for its flag.
The hybrid ship and the RIB cruise ask you to arrive 15 minutes before departure; the small guided cruise asks for 20.
The listings give no departure times. They show when you pick a date, so check them before you book.
The RIB boat tour and the small guided cruise list pickup as an option. The other boat trips start at the harbour.
Cruises start from $83 per person, on the hybrid ship. Our top pick, the electric ship, is $93 per person.
The RIB boats cost $141 to $145 per person, and the small guided cruise $166 per person, for a shorter, faster trip than the electric and hybrid ships.
Shown on each of the eight listings, together with reserve now, pay later.
The RIB cruise gives a full refund if your cruise ship is delayed or cancelled. The RIB boat tour cuts the trip short to get you back on time.
Audio guide in six languages on the low-emission vessel; English and Norwegian on the electric ship. The RIB cruise lists a live guide in six languages.
Starts in Oslo, at $2,128 per person, with Bergen, Stavanger and a cruise to Pulpit Rock. It is a new listing with no reviews yet.
Best time
The listings name no months, so plan by length. The boat trips leave the harbour in Stavanger and take two to three and a half hours.
2 hours
Three RIB listings, at $141 to $145 per person. Shorter and faster than the ships, in an open boat with a live guide.
2.5 – 3 hours
The low-emission vessel takes two and a half hours, at $89 per person; the small guided cruise two and a half to three, at $166 per person.
3.5 hours
Our top pick, the electric ship, at $93 per person, and the hybrid ship from $83 per person, both with indoor seating and food to buy on board.
7 days
The seven-day tour adds Bergen and Stavanger by train and bus, with breakfast at 3-star hotels and a cruise to Pulpit Rock, at $2,128 per person.
Worth knowing
You see the rock from below. The boats stay on the water and you look up at Pulpit Rock. Standing on top of it is a hike, and that is a different day.
Check which quay your boat uses. Three listings start at Strandkaien 34, the RIB boat tour checks in by the Maritime Museum, and three ask you to arrive 15 to 20 minutes early.
Start times are not on the listings. They show when you pick a date. Book the time first, then plan the rest of your day in Stavanger around it.
Coming off a cruise ship? The RIB cruise starts a 3-minute walk from the cruise terminal. The RIB boat tour says its schedule is set for cruise passengers.
One leg may go by minibus. On the small guided cruise, in poor conditions or when more people book than the boat seats, one stretch goes by minibus, with a full refund if that does not suit you.
On a RIB, wear normal clothes. The small guided cruise says so and suggests your own cap or beanie under the hood; the RIB boat tour hands out gloves and goggles with the suit.
Another kind of boat
2.5 hours · ★ 4.8 (2 771)
$89View 3.5 hours · ★ 4.7 (460)
$83View 2.5 - 3 hours · ★ 4.9 (106)
$166ViewGo deeper
Common questions
From below, from the water. Pulpit Rock is on the route of each of the seven boat trips here, and the listings give it as 604 metres above the fjord. No listing promises a clear view on the day, so book for the trip rather than for one photograph.
The boats stay on the water, and you look up at the rock from below. Standing on top of Pulpit Rock is a hike, which is a different day out; no listing on this page has a hike in it.
Time, price and the boat. The electric and hybrid ships take 3.5 hours, at $93 and $83 per person, with indoor seating and food to buy on board. The RIB boats take 2 hours, at $141 to $145 per person, in an open boat; the RIB boat tour and the RIB cruise give you a flotation suit and stop at 12 participants.
One listing describes it: the RIB boat tour calls the ride exhilarating but not extreme, and says it is well suited to families and retirees. The other two RIB listings do not describe the ride. The RIB boat tour hands out a lifejacket, floating suit, gloves and goggles in a range of sizes.
Two hours on the RIB boats, two and a half on the low-emission vessel, two and a half to three on the small guided cruise, and three and a half on the electric and hybrid ships. The listings give no start times: they show when you pick a date.
From the harbour in the centre of town. The electric ship leaves from Strandkaien in Vågen, and the hybrid ship from the pier just before the tourist information. The RIB safari, the RIB cruise and the small guided cruise start at Strandkaien 34, and the RIB boat tour checks in by the Stavanger Maritime Museum, behind the fish market.
The trips take 2 to 3.5 hours from the harbour in the centre of Stavanger. The RIB cruise starts a 3-minute walk from the cruise terminal and gives a full refund if your ship is delayed or cancelled. The RIB boat tour says its schedule is set for cruise passengers, and will cut the trip short to get you back on time.
On the boat trips, food is not part of the price. The electric ship has a snack bar with waffles, cinnamon buns and coffee, and the hybrid ship has an onboard cafe, where you pay for what you buy. The other boat listings mention no cafe.
One PDF · no account needed
One PDF: which boat suits your day, where it leaves the harbour, how early to come and what the price covers. Built from the listings and the same live prices as this page.
The plan is on its way. If it isn't there in a minute, look in Promotions.
Why trust this page
Prices, ratings, durations and meeting points are read off the live listings and updated with the page. What a boat passes on the fjord comes from each listing’s own route.
Eight listings are on this page. Our top pick is the electric ship, the most booked here with 10,463 reviews, at $93 per person. Nobody pays to be featured.
The boats show you Pulpit Rock from the water. Standing on top of it is a hike and a different day, and we say so before you book.
When two listings give different figures for the same thing, such as the height of the waterfall, we leave the number out rather than pick one.
The answer
Our top pick is the electric catamaran from Strandkaien: three and a half hours, quiet and stable, with open decks and a warm lounge, close to Hengjanefossen and under Pulpit Rock, seen from below. The electric ship costs $93 per person and is the most booked here, rated 4.6 from 10,463 reviews.
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Stavanger: Electric Fjord Cruise to Lysefjord & Preikestolen
★ 4.6 · 10 463 reviews · Free cancellation