The fjord, stop by stop
A fjord cruise Lysefjord day starts in the harbour in central Stavanger. All seven cruises out of Stavanger bookable here pass the same three sights: Vagabond Cave, Pulpit Rock seen from below and the Hengjanefossen waterfall. This page walks the route sight by sight, boat by boat, from $83 per person.
Quick answer
The short answer. Each of the seven cruises here follows the same core route: out of Stavanger harbour, past Vagabond Cave, beneath Pulpit Rock at 604 metres above the water, and on to Hengjanefossen. What changes is the boat and the extras. For the most booked fjord cruise Lysefjord trip, take the $93 electric catamaran (10,463 reviews at 4.6). For the lowest fare, the $83 hybrid ship. For speed and spray, the $145 RIB tour. For the Lysefjord Bridge, the $166 small guided boat.
The way in
The harbour first, then the fjord, with a story at every sight.
On a fjord cruise Lysefjord is the goal, but the first stretch is Stavanger itself. The small guided boat describes leaving the harbour «passing mighty cruiseships», with the Norwegian Oil Museum seen from the water. After the city bridge it speeds up to 25 to 35 knots. The electric and hybrid ships give you open decks outside and a warm room behind the glass.
Then the fjord begins. The listings call it «one of the most famous Norwegian fjords» and «the powerful Lysefjord», and they sell it on what you see from the water: the cave, the rock and the waterfall. Rob from Australia, on the electric ship, summed up the day: «It was great; once we got to Lyse Fjord and Preikestolen, especially.»
Each boat brings its own stories. The low-emission vessel has a guide who tells the legend of the seven sisters from Lysebotn and the seven brothers. The captain on the $145 RIB tour tells the story of the fjord «from moonshiners to movie stars».
Along the route
All seven cruises out of Stavanger list the first three in their itinerary. The bridge is on one route only.
A cave in the side of the fjord. One listing calls it «an old hideout for tax evaders tucked away in a narrow cove»; the small guided boat says «shady people hid from the sheriff» there.
The rock rises 604 metres above the fjord, and the boats show it from the water. One RIB listing puts it simply: «hanging 604 meters above you».
The waterfall that tour descriptions call “Whisky Falls”. Most boats go close, and the small guided boat says its captain «might put the bow of the boat directly into the cascading waterfall!»
Only on the $166 small guided boat, which lists the bridge on its route and notes that it «marks the entrance to Lysefjord».
From the water
The rock is seen from the boat; standing on top is a hike on another day.
Every fjord cruise Lysefjord boats run shows Pulpit Rock from the water, not from the top. The rock, Preikestolen in Norwegian, rises 604 metres above the fjord, and the listings make the most of the angle: «See Preikestolen from below» on the electric ship, «Gaze up at the 604-meter-high Pulpit Rock» on the RIB tour.
None of the eight listings includes a walk to the top. Standing on the rock is a hike, and that is a separate day. From the boat you see the cliff face from the bottom, which is the one view of it you cannot get from the top.
A clear view is the one thing no listing promises: cloud can sit on the rock. The electric ship says «we sail rain or shine», with a warm lounge and large panoramic windows. Edward from Malta, on that ship: «a special mention goes to the beautiful waterfall and the World famous Pulpit rock!»
On the water
A rock cleft, a waterfall from a boat, and the bridge that only the small guided boat lists.
Tall grey walls, wet and streaked, rise on both sides of a dark opening, with ferns and green shrubs on every ledge.
Several white streams run down black, wet rock and churn the water at its foot into foam, seen from a boat close in.
Grey water runs to a long suspension bridge between two towers; on the right, a steep green slope with dark wooden houses at the shore, under low cloud.
Two stories
A cave with an outlaw past, and a waterfall named after a moonshiner.
Two places come up in the listings again and again. Vagabond Cave, Fantahåla on the map, is the hideout: tax evaders in one telling, people hiding from the sheriff in another. Hengjanefossen is the waterfall with the nickname, and the $145 RIB tour explains it with «a German moonshiner that hid his stash of bootleg spirits». The small guided boat keeps it shorter: «a crazy German».
How close you get to the waterfall depends on the boat. The electric ship says «Cruise close to the Hengjanefossen waterfall and feel the cool spray in the air». The small guided boat: «Get up close to the Whiskey Falls and feel the water spray on your face». On the $145 RIB tour you can even «grab a drink if you're up to it», and no other listing offers that.
Mari from the United Kingdom, on the electric ship: «Very comfortable boat and went really close to the waterfalls.» Johannes from the United States, on the small guided boat: «Small boat allowed to get into coves and close to waterfalls.»
Every cruise, current fare
The seven cruises out of Stavanger and the seven-day tour from Oslo, per person. Food is not in any price: on the two ships that sell it, you pay on board.
| Cruise | Price | Price is for | Length | What the price covers | Also on the route | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid ship | $83 | per person | 3.5 hours | Hybrid-electric ship, live guide in English, saloons and three outdoor decks. Café extra | Sightseeing on the fjord; wildlife if you are lucky | 4.7 · 460 |
| Low-emission vessel | $89 | per person | 2.5 hours | Audio guide in six languages; tell the crew your language when you board | Ådnøy and the legend of the seven sisters | 4.8 · 2,771 |
| Electric catamaran | $93 | per person | 3.5 hours | Audio guide in English and Norwegian, lounge with panoramic windows, Wi-Fi. Snack bar extra | Close enough to Hengjanefossen to feel the spray | 4.6 · 10,463 |
| RIB from the old boathouse | $141 | per person | 2 hours | Flotation suit and life jacket; live guide in six languages; up to 12 people | A gigantic pothole and carvings; goats in summer | 4.9 · 108 |
| RIB safari | $143 | per person | 2 hours | Live guide in four languages and a safety briefing before you leave | Sightseeing on the fjord | 4.8 · 130 |
| RIB tour | $145 | per person | 2 hours | Lifejacket, floating suit, gloves and goggles; live guide; up to 12 people | Wildlife viewing; a drink from the falls | 4.9 · 1,475 |
| Small guided boat | $166 | per person | 2.5 - 3 hours | All gear, including a floating suit with a hood; live guide in three languages | Lysefjord Bridge; harbour sights from the water | 4.9 · 106 |
| Seven days from Oslo | $2,128 | per person | 7 days | Train and bus rides, 3-star hotels with breakfast, a cruise to Pulpit Rock | Bergen, with a waterfall cruise there | New, no reviews yet |
Animals
Some boats mention goats and eagles; none of them can promise them.
Animals are the one part of a fjord cruise Lysefjord trip nobody can book. The electric ship mentions white-tailed eagles you may spot, and two goats that «love it when the boat stops by». The RIB cruise stops by goats «during summer season». The RIB tour says that «On a good day it will be possible to spot» mountain goats, and the hybrid ship asks you to keep an eye out for wildlife without promising any.
Before you book
A minute on the listing saves a rushed morning at the harbour.
No listing prints its departure times. Pick a slot on the booking page, then plan the rest of the day around it.
The hybrid ship and the RIB cruise ask you to arrive 15 minutes before departure; the small guided boat asks for 20.
Most boats leave from Strandkaien in Vågen. Three use Strandkaien 34; the $145 RIB tour checks in by the Stavanger Maritime Museum, behind the fish market.
Only the electric ship (waffles, cinnamon buns, coffee) and the hybrid ship have a snack bar or café. You buy there; it is not in the fare.
The RIB cruise starts a 3-minute walk from the cruise terminal and offers a full refund for cruise ship delays or cancellations.
Our verdict
Book the electric catamaran at $93 if you want the most booked cruise on this site: 10,463 reviewers rate it 4.6, it sails close to Hengjanefossen and has a warm lounge. On a budget, the $83 hybrid ship passes the same three sights. For speed and spray, the $145 RIB tour, rated 4.9. For the Lysefjord Bridge, the $166 small guided boat, also rated 4.9.
Book direct
The electric ship with 10,463 reviews, the lowest fare, a RIB tour and the only boat that lists the Lysefjord Bridge. All four are priced per person.
★ 4.6 · 10,463 reviews
★ 4.7 · 460 reviews
★ 4.9 · 1,475 reviews
★ 4.9 · 106 reviews
Common questions
Yes, from below. All seven cruises out of Stavanger list Pulpit Rock on their route, and the listings describe it rising 604 metres above the fjord. No cruise climbs the rock, and no listing promises a clear view on a cloudy day.
A cave in the wall of the fjord, also called Fantahåla. One listing calls it «an old hideout for tax evaders»; another says shady people hid there from the sheriff. All seven cruises out of Stavanger list it.
The $145 RIB tour says the nickname recalls «a German moonshiner that hid his stash of bootleg spirits». In the itineraries the waterfall appears as Hengjanefossen.
Maybe. The electric ship mentions two goats that like the boat to stop by, and the RIB cruise visits goats during summer season. No listing promises them, so treat a sighting as a bonus.
Only one cruise lists it: the $166 small guided boat, which notes that the bridge marks the entrance to Lysefjord. The other six cruises do not mention it.
The electric ship says «we sail rain or shine», and it has a warm lounge with large panoramic windows. On the $145 RIB tour, the floating suit, gloves and goggles are there so passengers stay «well-protected» in rain.
Your options
Whichever boat you pick, a fjord cruise Lysefjord day starts at the harbour in central Stavanger and is back there two to three and a half hours later, with free cancellation on every listing.
Go deeper
Seeing Pulpit Rock from the water: which boats show it and how.
From the harbourWhere the boats leave Stavanger, and when to be there.
How long it takesHours on the water for each boat, from a two-hour RIB to a longer ship.
What it costsThe fares for each boat, and what the price includes.
Small guided boatThe small guided cruise, and what a guide on board adds.
Stavanger: Electric Fjord Cruise to Lysefjord & Preikestolen
★ 4.6 · 10,463 reviews · 3.5 hours