Every cruise, side by side
Eight trips on this site take you into Lysefjord to look up at Pulpit Rock from the water. This Lysefjord cruise and Pulpit Rock guide puts them side by side: the boat, the hours, what is on board, what you pass and what the price covers. The short cruises run two to 3.5 hours, from $83 per person.
Quick answer
The short answer. For most people, the Lysefjord cruise and Pulpit Rock trip to book is the $93 electric catamaran: 3.5 hours, a warm lounge with panoramic windows, open decks, and 10,463 reviews at 4.6, the most reviewed cruise here. For the lowest fare, the $83 hybrid-electric ship with a live guide in English. For speed, a two-hour RIB at $141 to $145 in a floating suit. For a smaller guided boat with the Lysefjord Bridge on its route, the $166 speedboat with a sun-top.
What they share
One harbour, three sights, and very different boats.
Seven of the eight trips are short cruises that leave from the harbour in central Stavanger, at Strandkaien and Vågen, and come back to it. All seven list the same three sights in their itinerary: the Vagabond Cave (Fantahåla), Pulpit Rock, and the Hengjanefossen waterfall, which several descriptions call the «Whisky Falls».
Pulpit Rock is seen from below. The listings put the cliff at 604 metres above the fjord. «See Preikestolen from below», says the electric cruise. No boat takes you to the top. Standing on the rock is a hike, and that is a separate day, not part of any Lysefjord cruise and Pulpit Rock booking on this site.
The eighth is a seven-day tour from Oslo that includes a cruise to Pulpit Rock; its listing names no boat, hours or stops.
Every trip, current fare
All eight trips, priced per person, by fare. Food is not in any price.
| Trip | Price | Price is for | Boat | Length | What the price covers | Where it starts | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid ship, lowest fare | $83 | per person | Hybrid-electric ship | 3.5 hours | Live guide in English; saloons and three outdoor decks. Café to buy | Strandkaien, by the tourist information | 4.7 · 460 |
| Low-emission cruise | $89 | per person | Low-emission vessel | 2.5 hours | Audio guide in six languages and local legends from the guide | Main harbour, Strandkaien | 4.8 · 2,771 |
| Electric cruise, our top pick | $93 | per person | Electric catamaran | 3.5 hours | Audio guide in English and Norwegian; lounge, open decks, Wi-Fi. Snack bar to buy | Strandkaien, Vågen | 4.6 · 10,463 |
| RIB from the old boathouse | $141 | per person | RIB | 2 hours | Flotation suit and life jacket; live guide in six languages; up to 12 people | Strandkaien 34, a 400-year-old boathouse | 4.9 · 108 |
| RIB with a safety briefing | $143 | per person | RIB | 2 hours | Safety briefing of 15 minutes; live guide in four languages | Strandkaien 34 | 4.8 · 130 |
| RIB with full gear | $145 | per person | RIB | 2 hours | Lifejacket, floating suit, gloves and goggles; live guide; up to 12 people | In front of the Maritime Museum, behind the fish market | 4.9 · 1,475 |
| Guided speedboat | $166 | per person | Speedboat with a sun-top | 2.5 to 3 hours | Floating suit with a hood; guide in three languages; the Lysefjord Bridge | The boathouse at Strandkaien 34 | 4.9 · 106 |
| Seven days from Oslo | $2,128 | per person | Not named in the listing | 7 days | 3-star hotels with breakfast, train and bus rides, a cruise to Pulpit Rock | Oslo | New, no reviews yet |
Boat by boat
Boat, hours and what is on board, as each listing describes it.
A fully electric catamaran, quiet, stable and comfortable. A warm lounge with panoramic windows, open decks, and a snack bar with waffles and coffee. It cruises close to Hengjanefossen. Audio guide in English and Norwegian.
The shortest of the larger boats. The audio guide comes in six languages (tell the crew yours when you board), and the guide tells the legend of seven sisters and seven brothers. It also names Ådnøy.
The lowest fare here, built for «a silent experience»: saloons with floor-to-ceiling windows, three outdoor decks, an onboard café and a live guide in English.
Lifejacket, floating suit, gloves and goggles in a range of sizes; limited to 12 participants. The listing calls the ride exhilarating but not extreme, and it is the one boat that invites you to grab a drink at the falls. Rated 4.9 by 1,475 reviewers.
You gear up in a boathouse at Strandkaien 34 that has stood since the early 1600s. Limited to 12 participants, a 3-minute walk from the cruise terminal, and a full refund for cruise ship delays or cancellations.
Starts at Strandkaien 34 with a 15-minute safety briefing. The listing does not describe the gear; it asks for comfortable clothes, water and sunscreen.
Not a RIB: a speedboat with a convertible sun-top that runs at 25 to 35 knots. It passes Tollboden and the Norwegian Oil Museum, and it is the one route with the Lysefjord Bridge. Floating suit with a hood provided.
Train and bus rides, 3-star hotels with breakfast, Bergen, then Stavanger and a cruise to Pulpit Rock. New, with no reviews yet.
From the water
What the fjord looks like from a boat: three frames from the water.
Two white streams pour down a dark, mossy rock face into green water, seen over the grey bow rails of a small open boat; another boat waits off to the right.
A Norwegian flag flies from the stern pole over a long white wake, with a steep grey cliff on the left and blue hills under scattered cloud ahead.
A dark opening sits deep in a narrow cleft between two tall grey rock walls, with ferns and green scrub on the ledges and a thin trickle of water down one side.
Ship or RIB
Comfort and time on the water, or speed and spray.
The three larger boats cost $83 to $93 and take 2.5 to 3.5 hours. On the electric catamaran and the hybrid ship you can sit indoors, and both sell snacks and drinks on board. Rob from Australia, on the electric cruise: «the boat was quiet, comfortable and pleasant».
The three RIBs cost $141 to $145 and take two hours: shorter, pricier and faster. You ride in the open, two of them carry no more than 12 people, and each has a live guide. Tracy from the United Kingdom, on the $145 RIB: «Great fun speeding across the waters with fantastic views.»
The $166 guided speedboat sits in between: RIB speed under a sun-top.
Who books what
Six kinds of traveller, and the trip each one tends to pick.
The $93 electric catamaran: 10,463 reviews at 4.6, a lounge, a snack bar and 3.5 hours on the water.
The $83 hybrid ship, the lowest fare here, with a live guide in English. Joanne from the United Kingdom: «It was informative, beautiful scenery, a relaxing trip.»
The $89 low-emission vessel: 2.5 hours, an audio guide in six languages, rated 4.8 by 2,771 reviewers.
The $141 RIB is a 3-minute walk from the cruise terminal and refunds you if your ship is late. Rachel from the United Kingdom: «It was good to be able to change into the suits in the building, not at the edge of the dock like others.»
The $145 RIB, rated 4.9 by 1,475 reviewers, or the $143 RIB. Belinda from the United Kingdom: «Exhilarating ride, the guide was knowledgeable and engaging.»
The three larger boats are listed as wheelchair accessible. The RIB listings say nothing, so ask first.
Our verdict
Book the $93 electric catamaran if you want the one Lysefjord cruise and Pulpit Rock trip that suits most people: 10,463 reviews at 4.6, 3.5 hours, a warm lounge and open decks. On a budget, the $83 hybrid ship. For thrills, the $145 RIB, rated 4.9. Off a cruise ship, the $141 RIB with its cruise-ship refund.
Book direct
Our top pick, the lowest fare and two RIBs, priced per person.
★ 4.6 · 10,463 reviews
★ 4.7 · 460 reviews
★ 4.9 · 1,475 reviews
★ 4.9 · 108 reviews
Common questions
Yes, from below. All seven short cruises have Pulpit Rock in their itinerary, 604 metres above the fjord. What you see depends on the weather: one reviewer wrote that it hid the rock.
No. None of the eight includes a hike. The boats show you the rock from the water; standing on top is a walk on a separate day.
They are different days. The larger boats take 2.5 to 3.5 hours at $83 to $93, and two have an indoor lounge. The RIBs take two hours at $141 to $145, in a floating suit, and two carry up to 12 people.
From the harbour in central Stavanger. The electric, hybrid and low-emission boats board at Strandkaien; two RIBs and the speedboat start at Strandkaien 34; the $145 RIB checks in by the Maritime Museum, behind the fish market.
The $141 RIB offers a full refund for cruise ship delays or cancellations. The $145 RIB says it will cut the trip short to get you back in time, and refunds you if it must turn around before reaching Lysefjord.
You can buy it on two boats: the electric catamaran has a snack bar with waffles, cinnamon buns and coffee, and the hybrid ship has an onboard café. Food is not in the price of any trip here.
Before you book
A few minutes on the listing makes your Lysefjord cruise and Pulpit Rock day easier.
No listing gives a fixed time. Pick your slot on the booking page, where the starting times show.
Each listing names its own pier. The hybrid ship and the boathouse RIB ask for 15 minutes early, the speedboat for 20.
Two RIBs and the speedboat hand out suits; the third RIB asks for comfortable clothes. On the speedboat, bring a cap or beanie.
All eight listings offer free cancellation. Check the deadline on the booking page before you pay.
Your options
Every short Lysefjord cruise and Pulpit Rock trip here shows you the same rock; what you choose is the boat. Pick your hours, then the fare, then a lounge or a floating suit. Vanessa from the United Kingdom: «Absolutely stunning scenery and comfortable boat with plenty of space».
Go deeper
Electric, hybrid or low-emission ship: what changes on board.
By RIB boatThe fast open boats: how they differ from the big ships, and what they hand out.
The rock from belowSeeing Pulpit Rock from the water: which boats show it and how.
From a cruise shipWhich boats fit a port day in Stavanger, and where each one meets you.
Cruise or hikeSeeing the rock from the water or walking to the top: two different days.
Stavanger: Electric Fjord Cruise to Lysefjord & Preikestolen
★ 4.6 · 10,463 reviews · 3.5 hours