How to Hike to Pulpit Rock in Norway

This post is written by Julie from Earth Trekkers. You can read more about their journeys and her blog here

The hike to Pulpit Rock is one of the most popular hikes in Norway. With great views, a relatively easy hiking trail, and convenient accessibility from the town of Stavanger, this hike has a big appeal for many visitors to Norway.

With that being said, you should expect big crowds in the summer months. Unless you start your day early or time your visit for the end of the day, expect to share the trail with many other hikers.

We did this hike in 2013. Even then it was very, very crowded. But what an amazing experience. This is a gorgeous spot in Norway and the views over the Lysefjord are incredible.

How to Hike to Pulpit Rock

Facts About the Hike

Distance: 7.6 km (4.7 miles)
Elevation Gain: 350 meters (1150 feet)
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Length of Time: 4 to 5 hours
When to Go: It is possible to hike to Pulpit Rock year round. If you plan to hike to Pulpit Rock in the off-season (November through April), click here for important information.

About Pulpit Rock

Pulpit Rock is also called Preikestolen. This uniquely shaped rock towers 604 meters over Lysefjord.

Pulpit Rock made an appearance in Mission: Impossible – Fallout staring Tom Cruise. For one week in 2017, the rock was off limits to hikers while movie scenes were filmed.

Lonely Planet called Pulpit Rock one of the world’s “most impressive viewpoints.”

With these accolades, movie cameos, and hikers posting their photos on Facebook and Instagram, it’s no surprise that Pulpit Rock is one of Norway’s most popular hikes.

Options for Getting to Pulpit Rock

WITH PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: Take the car ferry from Stavanger to Tau (40 minute journey) and then the bus from Tau to the Preikestolen car park.

Ferry to Tau: It is a 40 minute ride on the cary ferry to get from Stavanger to Tau. Tickets are bought on board the ferry and you cannot make reservations in advance.

Click here for the ferry schedule.

Bus from Tau to Preikestolen: The bus to Preikestolen operates from April to September, according to the Visit Norway website. During off-season, the bus does not travel from Tau all of the way to the car park at the start of the hike. You will have to take a taxi instead. See the Visit Norway website for more details.

It’s possible to book a 6 hour excursion from Stavanger, including the round trip ferry. The price for this starts at 360 NOK and is offered by Go Fjords.

Click here for the bus schedules, timetables, and prices.

If you have a car: You have two options. Take the car ferry from Stavanger to Tau and then drive on Route 13, Ryfylkevegen south through Jorpeland, following signs for Preikestolen. Your second option is to drive from Stavanger to Lauvvik, take the car ferry to Oanes, and then drive on Route 13 north to the Preikestolen car park.

Hiking to Pulpit Rock

The hike to Pulpit Rock is just under five miles round trip. By Norwegian standards, it is classified as an easy hike that people of all ages can do.

Guide books and the Visit Norway website recommends two hours to hike to Pulpit Rock, an hour to spend at Pulpit Rock, and a two hours to hike back.

At noon we started our way up the mountain. It was very steep at first, and it didn’t take long until we were scrambling up boulders amidst pine forests.

There were an incredible number of people on the trail. This made the hike less enjoyable than we were expecting. We were constantly trying to pass people on narrow, rocky trails (as a family we hike at a pretty fast speed, including our eight year old daughter). It did not take us long until we were removing layers of clothing and working up a good sweat.

The trail to Pulpit Rock alternates between relatively flat, easy sections with steep climbs up staircases built from giant rocks. For the first half of the hike to Lysefjord, there is not much of a view. You hike in and out of pine forests as you climb up these long staircases.

The last kilometer, just before reaching Pulpit Rock, is the best part of the hike. The trail levels out and now you have views of Lysefjord. To get to Pulpit Rock, there is one short section where the trail skirts the edge of a cliff, so if you have a fear of heights, this part of the hike might be challenging for you.

Pro Travel Tip: If you do not want to walk along the cliff trail, you can hike the Hill Trail to Pulpit Rock. As you approach Lysefjord, a second trail, labeled “Hill Trail” will break off from the main trail. This adds a little extra elevation gain but you can avoid walking along the cliff, great for families and those with a fear of heights.

On Pulpit Rock

It took us an hour and forty-five minutes to reach Pulpit Rock. What a view, but wow, look at all of the people!!

August is peak season for vacationing in Norway and we were hiking on a perfect day just before the start of the weekend. The crowds were unavoidable.

We spent just enough time here to enjoy the view and take some photos.

For a view down onto Pulpit Rock, you can hike up the hill behind it for this view.

Getting back to Stavanger

Now it was time to start the trek back downhill. Weaving between groups of people, hopping over rocks, crossing over wet, muddy areas, and climbing over thousands of boulders we made it to the starting point in just 45 minutes. Tyler and Kara may be kids, but they hike fast!

At the parking lot for Preikestolen, we got in line for the bus. When we did this in 2013, there was only one bus running at the time. It took about fifteen minutes of waiting for the bus to arrive. By that time, the line had grown quite long. We managed to get on the bus, but hikers who got to the parking lot after us had to wait for the next bus.

If you are here midday on a busy day like we were, you may have to wait for the bus, unless you book one of the round-trip tours from Stavanger.

Thoughts on the Hike

The four of us had a good time hiking to Pulpit Rock. Climbing over the boulders was fun and the views from Pulpit Rock were amazing! Unfortunately, the hoards of people on the trails took away from the enjoyment of the hike. Still, we are glad we did it. For someone looking for a relatively quick and easy hike with fabulous views of the Norwegian fjords, Pulpit Rock is perfect.

However, if you have plans to visit Stavanger and only have time for one hike, take a look at Kjeragbolten. It’s a harder hike but you get the chance to do something crazy and stand on this boulder wedged between two cliffs. Learn more in our article about Kjeragbolten.

Hiking to Pulpit Rock with Kids

Tyler and Kara (who were 10 and 8 at the time) had a great time on the hike. Just put a boulder in their path and they have a good time.

As far as their hiking experience prior to this trip, we had done some hiking at home in Maryland and in Shenandoah, Virginia, and also in Cappadocia, Turkey. The hike to Pulpit Rock was easy for them, but they would be much more challenged in our upcoming hikes in Norway (Kjeragbolten, Trolltunga, and Romsdalseggen Ridge).

In our opinion, children should be at least six years old to do this hike. It is a somewhat strenuous uphill climb over rocks and boulders to get to Pulpit Rock. There is also a short section of the trail just prior to Pulpit Rock with a drop off down to Lysefjord (but you can avoid this by taking the Hill Trail).

When Can You Hike to Pulpit Rock?

The main hiking season for Pulpit Rock is from April through October. Peak season is during the summer months of June through August. Expect large crowds during these months. To avoid the crowds, hike on weekdays and start the hike early in the morning.

It is possible to hike Pulpit Rock year round. From November through March, tempertures will be very cold, snow could be on the ground, and you will have very limited daylight. Read this article to learn more.

Where We Stayed in Stavanger

The Comfort Square Hotel. This modernly decorated hotel (with interesting artwork) is located within the heart of Stavanger. Take-away breakfast is available, perfect if you want to grab breakfast and get an early start hiking.