Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock): What the Hike Is Actually Like

Preikestolen is a flat-topped cliff rising 604 metres above Lysefjord in Rogaland, Norway. The name translates as Pulpit Rock, for the roughly rectangular platform at the summit - about 25 by 25 metres of flat stone with a 604-metre sheer drop on three sides and no barrier or railing of any kind. Around 300,000 people hike to it each year, making it one of Norway’s most visited natural sites. It deserves its reputation.

The hike is 4km each way, gaining 330 metres in elevation. The trail is well-maintained, marked throughout, and classified as moderately difficult - which in practice means it’s manageable for anyone who is reasonably fit, has proper footwear, and doesn’t mind some scrambling over rocks in the upper sections. Some parts are steep and wet. Trail running shoes or light hiking boots with grip are the minimum sensible footwear. Regular trainers on wet rock are a liability.

Round trip takes 3-5 hours depending on fitness and how long you sit at the top. Most people sit at the top. There’s nowhere else in Norway where you can hang your legs over 600 metres of empty air with a fjord below you.

Getting There

The trailhead is at Preikestolen Mountain Lodge (Preikestolen Fjellstue), accessible from Stavanger by:

Ferry plus bus: From Stavanger’s Fiskepiren quay, Boreal ferries run to Tau (25 minutes). From Tau, a summer bus (Kolumbus route 100) runs to Preikestolen Mountain Lodge (15 minutes). The ferry and bus are coordinated in summer; check current Kolumbus timetables. Total journey 45-60 minutes.

Car: From Stavanger, take E39 north, then the ferry crossing at Stavanger-Tau (if taking the direct route) or drive south around Høgsfjord via Sandnes. The Lodge has a large car park that fills early on summer weekends.

Organised day trips: Multiple tour operators run daily trips from Stavanger in summer (May-October) that include transport and sometimes a guide. These cost around NOK 500-700 per person and remove all logistics.

When to Go

Summer (June-August) is when the trail is fully open and the ferry connections run most frequently. The summit views on a clear summer day are exceptional - the fjord 100km long below you, the surrounding plateau green, afternoon light on the water. The trade-off is that on popular summer weekends 5,000+ people may hike the trail. Arriving at 7am or after 4pm reduces this considerably.

May and September are the shoulder months - quieter, still mostly accessible, weather more variable. The trail is technically hikeable year-round but requires crampons and winter experience in the icy months (November-March); the Preikestolen Mountain Lodge can advise on current conditions.

Staying and Eating

Preikestolen Fjellstue (the Mountain Lodge) is the most obvious option - rooms from around NOK 1,500/night, a restaurant, and you’re already at the trailhead. Book weeks ahead in summer.

Stavanger (45 minutes away) has a much wider range of accommodation and restaurants and makes a more interesting base. The city’s old town (Gamle Stavanger) - whitewashed wooden houses from the 18th and 19th centuries - is worth a half-day. The Norwegian Petroleum Museum explains how North Sea oil transformed the country since the 1970s; it’s better than it sounds.

Kjeragbolten

While you’re in Rogaland: Kjerag is the other famous walk in Lysefjord - a longer, harder hike (approx 10km round trip, 600m elevation gain) to the boulder jammed in a crevice over the fjord 984 metres below. The famous photographs of people standing on the boulder are genuinely achievable; the position is exposed and requires a short jump to reach. The Kjerag trailhead is accessible by boat from Stavanger (4 hours into the fjord) or a long drive to Lysebotn.