Our pick
Stavanger: Electric Fjord Cruise to Lysefjord & Preikestolen
You board at Strandkaien, on the east side of the Vågen harbor, and the catamaran slides out past the white wharf houses without a sound, because it runs on batteries. Inside there are leather seats and windows all the way round; outside there is a sun deck. An audio guide in English and Norwegian tells the story while the city falls behind and the islands give way to the mouth of the fjord, and the boat passes under the Lysefjord bridge.
Then the walls close in. The boat noses toward Fantahålo, the narrow cleft known as Vagabond's Cave, and stops below Preikestolen, the flat-topped cliff 604 meters (1,982 ft) above the water, where you can pick out hikers standing on the edge. At Hengjanefossen it moves in close enough to feel the spray, and in spring and summer the farm goats Gunnar and Sigve clamber down the rocks to meet it. On the way back there is time for a waffle and a coffee from the snack bar. Over ten thousand travelers give it 4.6 out of 5.
- Price
- from ~$92 per adult, children 4–15 less
- Duration
- 3.5 hours, round trip
- Boat
- Fully electric catamaran with a sun deck
- Rating
- 4.6 / 5 from 10,000+ reviews
- Meeting point
- Strandkaien, Vågen harbor, central Stavanger
- Season
- All year, daily from April to September
- Guide
- Audio guide, English and Norwegian
- Cancellation
- Free up to 24 hours before
How the cruise runs, step by step
The order of the stops can change with the wind and the other boats on the fjord. This is the outline, from the listing and the operator:
In Stavanger
- Board at Strandkaien in the Vågen harbor, look for the Rødne boat
- Out past the wharf houses and the islands, audio guide on
Into the Lysefjord
On the fjord
- Under the Lysefjord bridge at the mouth of the fjord
- Fantahålo, the narrow cleft called Vagabond's Cave
- Preikestolen, 604 meters straight above the boat
- Hengjanefossen up close, and the goats in spring and summer
- White-tailed eagles overhead, with luck seals and porpoises in the water
- Back at the Vågen harbor after about 3.5 hours
What the price covers
The trip itself is all inclusive. Food is the only thing you pay for on board, and only if you want it.
Included
- The round trip on the electric catamaran
- Indoor seats with panoramic windows and an open sun deck
- Audio guide in English and Norwegian
- Free Wi-Fi on board
Not included
- Food and drinks, sold at the snack bar
- Going ashore anywhere on the fjord
- A live guide, the commentary is recorded
- A promise of the electric boat, a diesel one can stand in
Between us, before you go
A little advice, as one traveler to another. In July and August take the first departure of the day, because the later ones fill up and reviewers describe standing on deck without a seat. Bring a warm layer even when the harbor feels mild, since the wind on the open water ahead of the fjord is a different matter. And when the boat stops below Preikestolen, look for the people on top before you raise the camera. They are the only way to understand how high it is.
If you come by cruise ship, check which quay you are tied up at before you pick a time. Most berths are a short walk from the boat, but not all of them.
The fjord you will be sailing into
The Lysefjord runs 42 kilometers (26 miles) from Forsand, just east of Stavanger, to Lysebotn at its far end, between walls that climb about a thousand meters. Ice carved it, and at its mouth it is only about 13 meters deep, a lip of old glacier rubble, before it drops to hundreds of meters inside. Rødne's cruise covers the outer part, which holds the three sights everyone comes for. Kjerag and Lysebotn are much further in and need a different trip. What you pass on the way is in our guide.
Who we would not send on it
Anyone with a tight port day, because the Helgøy catamaran sees the same sights an hour faster for ~$89. Travelers who want speed and spray, who will have more fun on a RIB. And anyone who will mind if the electric boat is swapped for a diesel one on the day, which several recent reviewers did.
Book it if
You want a calm trip with a roof and a coffee, perhaps with children or a wheelchair user along. It also suits a visit outside the summer, when it still sails four days a week.
Skip it if
You want the shortest big-boat trip, a fast ride in the open air, a small group or your ship sails early and the port day is tight.
Ready to head up the fjord?
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before, and with reserve now, pay later you hold your seats without paying anything today.
