Preikestolen
Pulpit Rock is a flat granite stage hanging 604 metres above the Lysefjord, and the walk to it is a well-built eight-kilometre round trip of stone staircases and boardwalk — steep in bursts, entirely manageable in trainers with tread.
- Best forWalkers & hikers · Photographers · Adventure seekers
- In May11°C · 14 rainy days
- Ideal stayA day trip from Stavanger
- Approx. flying time~10h 40m from Los Angeles
- CurrencyNOKNorwegian krone
- LanguageNorwegian
- Local time13:121h ahead of the UK
- PlugsType C / FBring an adapter
- Drive on theRightOpposite to the UK
- Dialling code+47
Why go
Pulpit Rock is a flat slab of granite that ends abruptly 604 metres above the Lysefjord, and it draws hundreds of thousands of walkers a year. The route in climbs through birch, boulder fields and boggy plateau on a heavily engineered path of stone steps and boardwalk, gaining around 350 metres over four kilometres each way. The ledge itself has no railing at all.
Most people walk it from Stavanger, around 40 minutes by road including the fjord tunnel, and make a day of it. Allow four to five hours return plus time on top. The season runs roughly April to October; outside it the path holds ice and needs winter kit or a guide. Start before eight in July, or come in late September when the coach parties thin and the plateau turns rust-coloured.
- Ideal stay
- A day trip from Stavanger
- The vibe
- Granite, vertigo, cold clear air
From our guides
The final ledge has no barriers because Norway trusts you; sit down and shuffle if the drop disagrees with your knees. Leave the Preikestolen lodge car park by 7am in July, or come in September when the coach crowds thin dramatically.
Featured in Ten spectacular mountain walks for ordinary fitness levels
Things to do
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The ledge itself
A flat platform of bare granite, unfenced, with the fjord directly below. Sit well back from the edge and let the photograph queue sort itself out.
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The stone staircases
Sherpa-built steps make up much of the climb, uneven and hard on the knees coming down. Poles are worth their weight.
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Lysefjord by boat
Cruises along the fjord pass beneath Pulpit Rock and give you the scale that the walk itself cannot.
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Kjeragbolten
The boulder wedged in a chasm further up the same fjord, a longer and more demanding walk for anyone wanting a second big day.
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Stavanger old town
A few hundred white wooden houses above the harbour, plus the petroleum museum, useful for the day before or after.
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Late light on the plateau
Long Nordic evenings in June and July let you set off after the crowds and still get back down in daylight.
Getting there
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Fly to
Stavanger (SVG)
Nearest airport to Preikestolen, about 34km away as the crow flies.
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Then
To Stavanger
Stavanger (SVG) is about twenty minutes from the city centre; the Preikestolen trailhead is roughly an hour further by car, or by bus and ferry combination from the city.
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On the ground
Getting around
From the lodge car park the walk is around eight kilometres return over stone staircases and boardwalk, taking four to five hours at a comfortable pace.
Public transport: A seasonal bus runs from Stavanger to the trailhead in the hiking months, so a car is optional in summer.
Flights
Los Angeles Preikestolen, Norway
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Roughly 10h 40m in the air from Los Angeles (LAX), estimated from the distance — check for a direct route. Pick a month to see every available flight with live prices.
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When to go
Daytime highs run from about -1°C in January to 15°C in June. Driest April to June and September; wettest in October, with rain on about 22 days.
The year at a glance — pick a month for detail
May11° · rain 14 daysCold and often wet.
Monthly figures averaged from daily records for 2020–2024 at this location (ERA5 reanalysis). Live conditions from MET Norway, CC BY 4.0.
Where to stay
City hotels in Stavanger, a mountain lodge and campsite at the trailhead, and cabins around the fjord. Norwegian cabins are self-catering, which keeps costs sane.
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Best base overall
Stavanger
The city an hour away, with the airport, hotels, restaurants and buses to the trailhead. You lose the early start unless you drive yourself, and city rates are high.
Find stays in Stavanger -
Quietest
Preikestolen trailhead
The mountain lodge and campsite at the car park, which is how you leave before seven and beat the coaches. Simple rooms, one dining room and nothing else for miles.
Find stays in Preikestolen trailhead -
Best value
Jørpeland
The small town below the trail, with cheaper guesthouses and apartments fifteen minutes from the car park. Unexciting, well placed, and a supermarket for packing lunches.
Find stays in Jørpeland -
Best with children
Lysebotn and the fjord
Cabins and campsites along the Lysefjord, with boat trips that show the rock from below for anyone not walking. Long drives on hairpin roads, and lovely water on a warm day.
Find stays in Lysebotn and the fjord
Worth knowing before you book: The trailhead lodge is small and books out for July by spring. Car park charges apply and the top fills by eight in high summer, so an early room nearby earns its price.
Search everything else in Stavanger by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.
Good to know
- Timing
- Car parks fill from early morning in July and August. Starting before eight or after four transforms the walk.
- Pack this
- Waterproofs, warm layers, two litres of water and boots with grip. Weather on the plateau changes fast and the rock gets slick.
- Safety
- There are no barriers of any kind. Keep children close, stay off the edge in wind or wet, and never step out for a photograph in a queue.
- Season
- From November to March the path is snow-covered and genuinely hazardous without a guide, crampons and daylight to spare.
- Getting there
- Seasonal buses run from Stavanger to the trailhead, and parking at the lodge car park is paid and limited.
Similar places
Maloja Pass
SwitzerlandAlso for walkers & hikers and photographers · 10°C in May, as here
Sella Pass
Dolomites, ItalyAlso for walkers & hikers and photographers · 9°C in May (11°C here) · cheaper to stay
Morskie Oko
Tatras, PolandAlso for walkers & hikers and photographers · 10°C in May, as here · cheaper to stay
Further afield
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Quick answers
When is the best time to visit Preikestolen?
Daytime highs run from about -1°C in January to 15°C in June. Driest April to June and September; wettest in October, with rain on about 22 days.
How long should I spend in Preikestolen?
Our suggestion: a day trip from Stavanger.
How do I get to Preikestolen?
Stavanger (SVG) is about twenty minutes from the city centre; the Preikestolen trailhead is roughly an hour further by car, or by bus and ferry combination from the city.
Do I need a car in Preikestolen?
No. A seasonal bus runs from Stavanger to the trailhead in the hiking months, so a car is optional in summer.
What currency and language are used in Preikestolen?
Currency: Norwegian krone (NOK). Language: Norwegian. Plugs: type C and F.
Who is Preikestolen best for?
Best for walkers & hikers, photographers and adventure seekers. In a phrase: granite, vertigo, cold clear air.