Small guided boat
The guided Stavanger fjord tour runs on a fast boat with a sun-top and a live guide on board, out of Stavanger harbour into Lysefjord to Pulpit Rock, Vagabond’s Cave and Hengjanefossen. It takes 2.5 to 3 hours at $166 per person. Here is what the guide adds, what you see, and how it compares with the ships.
Quick answer
The short answer. Book this Stavanger fjord tour if the stories matter to you as much as the view. You get a live guide in English, Norwegian or German, a fast boat under a convertible sun-top, a floating suit with a hood, and the Lysefjord Bridge, which no other boat on this site has on its route. At $166 it is the priciest day trip here, exactly double the $83 hybrid ship. If a warm saloon and a coffee matter more, take one of the quiet ships instead.
What you pay for
A person telling the stories, in three languages, instead of a recording.
On two of the three quiet ships, the story of the fjord comes from an audio guide. On this Stavanger fjord tour it comes from a person, in English, Norwegian or German. The listing promises the legends and tales of Lysefjord from the bridge onwards: who hid in Vagabond’s Cave, how Pulpit Rock was formed and why the fjord has the shape it has, and how Hengjanefossen earned its «Whiskey-falls» nickname, a story that, in the listing’s words, has something to do with «a crazy German».
For comparison, the electric catamaran plays an audio guide in English and Norwegian. The low-emission vessel has an audio guide in six languages, plus a guide who shares local stories and legends. The hybrid ship has a live guide, in English only.
A guide also notices things. Claire from the United States: «Our guide was great at spotting and pointing out animal life, stopping at points of interest and answering all our questions.» Wildlife is a matter of luck, and the listing says so itself.
The route
In the order the listing gives it, from the harbour and back to the same place.
You glide out of Stavanger harbour, or a nearby dock, past cruise ships and other vessels, with Tollboden and the Norwegian Oil Museum on the waterfront.
Past the city bridge the boat speeds up to 25 to 35 knots, past islands, fish farms, small villages and cabins along the coast.
The bridge marks the entrance to Lysefjord, and the stories start here. This is the only trip on this site with the bridge on its route.
Fantahåla, where, the listing says, shady people hid from the sheriff in the old days.
The rock stands 604 metres above the fjord. You see it from the water while the guide explains how it was formed.
The «Whiskey-falls» of the description. You get close enough to feel the spray, and the captain might put the bow into the falling water.
The tour ends where it started, at the boathouse on the harbour.
From the boat
Three frames from the water: a waterfall over the bow, a cleft in the rock, and the shore near town.
Two white streams pour down dark, mossy rock into green water, seen over the flat bow of a small boat between two curved steel rails.
Tall grey granite walls close in on a dark opening, with ferns and green moss on the ledges below.
A row of white houses with red roofs lines a low, rocky shore, with the end of a bridge at the left and blue water in front.
The boat
Speedboat pace under a roof, in a suit with a hood.
The operator says its boats are as fast as the RIBs others run, but with spacious decks and seating, a smoother ride, and a convertible sun-top that shelters you from the elements while keeping the panoramic view. Kevin from the United Kingdom put it shorter: «Speedboat but not a Rib, exhilerating, thrilling and fun.»
On a Stavanger fjord tour at this speed you wear a floating suit. All gear is provided, the suit has a hood, and the listing asks you to bring your own cap or beanie and wear normal clothes. Bags go in the boat’s cabin or at the boathouse, and the WC is at the boathouse. You should be able to climb one or two steps between the boat and the dock.
The description promises «Small groups, best comfort!» but gives no number. Johannes from the United States: «Excellent, fun tour on a new boat with a great guide. Small boat allowed to get into coves… Highly recommend.»
Every boat, current fare
Seven day trips from the harbour, per person. Food is in none of them; the café and snack bar on two ships are paid on board.
| Boat | Price | Price is for | Length | What the price covers | Where it starts | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small guided boat | $166 | per person | 2.5 - 3 hours | Live guide in English, Norwegian, German; floating suit with hood, all gear | Strandkaien 34, white wooden boathouse | 4.9 · 106 |
| Hybrid ship | $83 | per person | 3.5 hours | Live guide in English; café on board at your cost | Strandkaien, by the tourist information | 4.7 · 460 |
| Low-emission vessel | $89 | per person | 2.5 hours | Audio guide in six languages and local stories | Main harbour, Strandkaien | 4.8 · 2,771 |
| Electric catamaran, our top pick | $93 | per person | 3.5 hours | Audio guide in English, Norwegian; snack bar at your cost | Strandkaien, Vågen | 4.6 · 10,463 |
| RIB from the old boathouse | $141 | per person | 2 hours | Flotation suit and life jacket; limited to 12 | Strandkaien 34, 400-year-old sea house | 4.9 · 108 |
| RIB safari | $143 | per person | 2 hours | Live guide in four languages; 15-minute safety briefing | Strandkaien 34 | 4.8 · 130 |
| RIB with gloves and goggles | $145 | per person | 2 hours | Lifejacket, floating suit, gloves, goggles; limited to 12 | By the Maritime Museum, behind the fish market | 4.9 · 1,475 |
The comparison
Cheaper and longer on a ship, or faster and guided on a small boat.
The quiet ships cost less and keep you out longer: $83 for the hybrid ship and $93 for the electric catamaran, both 3.5 hours, and $89 for the low-emission vessel at 2.5 hours. All three ships list wheelchair access. The electric and hybrid ships have a warm saloon with big windows and a café or snack bar, and the electric catamaran says it sails rain or shine. It is our top pick, with 10,463 reviews at 4.6, the most on this site.
The guided Stavanger fjord tour costs $166 for 2.5 to 3 hours. The extra buys a live guide in three languages, speed, and the Lysefjord Bridge. You give up the saloon, the café and the wheelchair access the ships list.
Against the RIBs the gap is small: $141 to $145 for two hours in a floating suit, so this boat costs $21 to $25 more, with a sun-top over your head and up to an hour longer on the water.
Before you book
A few minutes on the listing makes your Stavanger fjord tour easier at the boathouse.
Meet at the white wooden boathouse with the number 34 on the front wall. The captain or a representative meets you at the door.
No departure times are published. The listing says to check availability for starting times on the option you book.
Pickup is listed as an option, and the start point depends on the option you choose.
In bad weather, or if the group is bigger than the boat, one leg to Lysefjord may run by minibus. If that does not suit you, you get a full refund.
The suit has a hood, but the listing recommends your own hat. Wear normal clothes under the suit.
Every listing on this site offers free cancellation and reserve now, pay later. Check the deadline on the booking page.
Our verdict
Book the guided Stavanger fjord tour at $166 if you want a person, not a recording, telling the fjord’s stories, plus the Lysefjord Bridge and a fast ride under a roof: 106 reviewers rate it 4.9. On a budget, the $83 hybrid ship also has a live guide, in English. For a warm saloon and the most reviews, the $93 electric catamaran.
Book direct
The guided small boat, the lowest fare, our top pick, and a RIB with 1,475 reviews. All four are priced per person.
★ 4.9 · 106 reviews
★ 4.7 · 460 reviews
★ 4.6 · 10,463 reviews
★ 4.9 · 1,475 reviews
Common questions
Yes, from below. Pulpit Rock is on the route of all seven day trips on this site, and on the guided boat you learn how it was formed. It stands 604 metres above the fjord. Cloud can hide it: Charlene Rodriguez from the United States wrote, «Too bad the weather did not cooperate for us to see the rock.»
No. None of the cruises on this site includes the hike. From the water you see the rock from below; standing on top of it is a hike, and a separate day.
All gear is provided. The floating suit has a hood and, the listing says, keeps you warm and safe. Bring your own cap or beanie and wear normal clothes. The convertible sun-top gives shelter from the elements.
The listing does not say under. The Lysefjord Bridge is a stop on its route and, in its words, marks the entrance to Lysefjord. No other trip on this site has the bridge on its route.
On this Stavanger fjord tour the live guide speaks English, Norwegian and German. The hybrid ship’s live guide speaks English, and the electric catamaran has an audio guide in English and Norwegian.
The trip takes 2.5 to 3 hours; you meet at the boathouse at Strandkaien 34, where it also ends. No fixed departure times are published, so check the starting times on your option before you book, and allow 20 minutes to meet at the boathouse.
Your options
On a Lysefjord boat tour Stavanger harbour is both start and finish: all seven day trips on this site leave from it. Pick this Stavanger fjord tour for the guide and the bridge, a ship for the saloon and the lower fare, or a RIB for two fast hours.
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.
Cruises comparedEvery Lysefjord cruise to Pulpit Rock bookable here, side by side: boat, hours and what the price covers.
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