Day Trips from Stavanger: Hikes, Abbey, Beaches

November 5, 2026

Stavanger sits at the gateway to Lysefjord, so its best day trips are mountain hikes, a fjord village and a medieval abbey. Treat Preikestolen and Kjerag as two separate days. Their trailheads lie about 2.5 hours apart, and each is a long outing.

Pulpit Rock hike

Preikestolen is a flat cliff top 604 metres above the fjord, with no railing or fence by design. Stand well back from the edge, and avoid the plateau in wind, rain or ice. The path from Preikestolen BaseCamp is about 3.8 km each way with roughly 330 to 350 metres of climbing, and most walkers need 3 to 4 hours for the round trip. The busiest period is 08:00 to 16:00, particularly on summer weekends.

Driving takes 40 to 50 minutes through the Ryfast tunnels. Day parking is 275 NOK, a stay of up to two hours is 40 NOK, and you pay at machines before you leave (official parking page ). Seasonal express buses start at Byterminalen, and Pulpit Rock Tours fares begin at 498 NOK. Outside the season, bus 100 goes to Jørpelandsvågen and a taxi of about 10 minutes covers the rest. The route is snow-free from about May to September, and ice cleats and spiked poles can be rented at BaseCamp for winter.

Kjerag

Kjerag is a harder day. From Øygardstøl, the 11 km round trip involves about 800 metres of ascent and at least 5 to 6 hours, using fixed chains on steep granite. Parking is about 300 NOK. The boulder Kjeragbolten hangs above a 241 metre drop. Travel is by road in about 2.5 hours through Sirdal, or by ferry from Lauvvik to Lysebotn in the season. Experienced hikers can do it from about May to October, and kjerag.info lists the opening dates.

Flørli stairs

Flørli has no road. Take the ferry from Lauvvik, about 45 minutes, and climb as far as you like on the 4,444 wooden steps. The staircase is narrow, so most visitors turn onto the side path after 700 to 800 steps and walk back to the village. Return ferries are limited, so book one. See florli.no .

Utstein and the coast

Utstein Kloster is a medieval monastery on Mosterøy, about 30 minutes by car. Its opening hours vary by month, with the longest days from 15 May to 31 August (schedule ). Solastranden and Borestranden, on the Jæren coast, are open-sea beaches with strong waves and cold water, so they suit surfers with wetsuits better than casual swimmers.

Too far for a day

Bergen and Sognefjord lie far north across several fjords, so give each its own trip.

Search Stavanger day tours if you prefer a guide.