What to wear on a Lysefjord boat trip
A summer morning on the Vågen harbor can feel warm, but the Lysefjord turns cool once the boat picks up speed. You will spend between two and three and a half hours on the water, much of it in a head wind and some of it under a waterfall. Dress in layers you can add as the trip goes on, and let the RIB crews supply the heavy waterproofs.
Why the fjord feels colder than the harbor
All five trips on this site leave from the Vågen harbor in central Stavanger, and on a sunny day in July the quay can feel like a café terrace. Out on the water the picture changes. The boats spend 30–45 minutes crossing more open water before they turn into the Lysefjord, and the open deck of a catamaran running at speed catches a steady head wind. On a RIB the wind is the whole experience. Then come the cliffs, with walls rising about 1,000 m (3,300 ft) straight out of the water and long stretches in shade. A mild day in town can feel like early spring by the time you sit below Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock).
The length of the trip matters too. The RIBs from FjordEvents and Stavanger RIB are out for 2 hours. Helgøy's catamaran and the Fjord Xplore boat take about 2.5 hours, while Rødne's electric catamaran sails for 3.5 hours. That is a long time to sit in the T-shirt you chose for the walk from the ship.
A layering plan for any of the boats
Think in layers you can peel off in a heated lounge and zip up again on deck.
- A base layer of wool or synthetic fabric. Cotton stays damp once drizzle or spray reaches it;
- A warm mid layer like a fleece, packed even in July;
- A waterproof, windproof shell with a hood. On this trip it is the single most useful thing you own;
- Long pants, ideally a pair that dries fast, since benches on the open deck are often wet;
- A hat and light gloves in a pocket, whatever the forecast promised in town.
Helgøy's listing tells guests to bring a jacket, and that advice holds on every boat here. On the big catamarans you can retreat indoors whenever the wind gets to you. Rødne's boat has leather seats behind panoramic windows, and Helgøy's has a heated indoor lounge. The outside deck pulls everyone out once the cliffs close in, and that is where they get chilled. A fleece under a shell covers most days from May to September.
Season by season
Stavanger is mild for Norway, with summer highs often around 17–20 °C (63–68 °F), yet it is wet in every month. In spring and autumn the air on the fjord is often closer to 10 °C (50 °F), and wind on the water makes it feel colder still. Our guide to the seasons lists which trips run in which months.
| Season | On a big catamaran | On a RIB |
|---|---|---|
| June to August | Fleece, rain shell, sunglasses | A thin warm layer under the suit plus a hat that fits under the hood |
| April, May, September, October | Warm sweater, shell, hat, light gloves | A thermal base layer under a fleece, with a warm hat |
| November to March | Winter coat, hat, gloves, warm boots | Full winter layers if you find one of the few winter RIB dates |
Rødne keeps sailing through the winter, from Thursday to Sunday at 11 am, so a cold-weather trip is possible. The RIB operators list only a handful of winter dates, and Fjord Xplore has none between late October and early March.
On a RIB, the crew dresses you
The open RIBs work differently. FjordEvents' RIB tour from ~$124 hands out floating suits in all sizes and life vests to go with them. Goggles and gloves are part of the kit on both RIBs, and Stavanger RIB stocks suits from 2XS to 4XL. The suits block the wind and keep most of the spray out, so what you wear underneath is about warmth, not waterproofing.
Because the suit goes over your own clothes, pick layers that fit under something bulky. A fleece works better than a puffy parka, and a beanie sits more easily under a hood than a cap with a stiff brim. Expect to change near the boat. One FjordEvents reviewer had to climb into a suit on the pavement in the rain, so arrive already dressed in your base layers rather than planning to swap anything there.
Fjord Xplore's covered "adventure boat" sits in between. It provides a floating suit too, and its convertible sun-top gives some shelter, but at 25–35 knots it is still a fast ride. Its white boathouse at Strandkaien (number 34) has a toilet and bag storage, and the crew asks you to arrive 20 minutes early. Our RIB or cruise boat guide compares how cold and wet each type of boat gets.
Kitted out for the spray
Stavanger RIB's two-hour trip from ~$145 comes with goggles and gloves as well as a floating suit in sizes from 2XS to 4XL. Groups are capped at 12, and a pickup option meets you right outside your cruise ship.
Securing phones and hats
The FjordEvents listing asks you to secure your phone and camera before the ride, and a hat too. A wrist strap or a lanyard keeps the phone attached when you take it out for a photo, and zipped pockets keep everything else in place. Sunglasses with a snug fit stay on better than loose fashion frames, although on a RIB the borrowed goggles do most of the work.
Leave the wide-brimmed sun hat behind on any trip. Our photography guide covers how to carry a camera on an open boat without losing it or soaking it.
Shoes for wet decks
Decks get wet from rain and spray, and the walkways along a catamaran's rail can be slippery after the waterfall. Wear closed shoes with soft rubber soles. Sneakers or light hiking shoes are fine. Leather soles and flip-flops slide on wet metal. Boarding the Fjord Xplore boat means one or two steps, which is easier in shoes with grip. On a RIB your feet may get splashed, so a pair you do not mind soaking is the sensible choice.
Getting wet at Whisky Falls
Hengjanefossen, the waterfall the crews call "Whisky Falls", is where most guests get wet. The RIBs nose straight into the spray. FjordEvents calls it a "shower", and Stavanger RIB skippers let guests drink from the falls. Fjord Xplore pushes its bow into the falling water, and Helgøy's catamaran backs in to within about a meter of it. Rødne's electric cruise from ~$92 also goes up close.
On the big boats the spray only reaches people at the rail, so you can choose how wet to get. If you want the view without the soaking, step back under cover until the boat pulls away.
Children lose heat faster than adults on an open deck. If you are bringing kids, pack a spare warm layer for each of them, and check the RIB age limits in our guide to kids and access before you book.
What to leave on the ship or at the hotel
Travel light. An open RIB has almost no room for bags, and whatever you bring sits in the spray. On the big boats a daypack is fine, though it gets in the way at a crowded rail. Carry these in zipped pockets or a small bag.
- Your ship card and any ID the cruise line wants at the gangway
- A phone in a zipped pocket or a waterproof pouch
- A card for the snack bar on Rødne's boat (waffles and coffee) or the self-serve hot drinks on Helgøy's
- Spare socks if you have booked a RIB on a wet day
There is no food on the RIBs, so eat before you go. Our port day guide explains how to fit the trip around your ship's hours, and the weather guide covers what happens when the forecast turns. Our price guide lists what is included on each trip.