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Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Major city · Norway

Stavanger

Give Stavanger 2 nights: one full day for the old town, harbour and cathedral, one for the Preikestolen hike (May–Sep). Skip it in winter unless you want city-only.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
NOK
Best months
May–Sep
avoid Nov–Feb (short days, wind, rain; the Preikestolen path is unsafe in ice)
Airports
SVG · HAU
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Nordic countries ↗Decide light or dark before anything else: summer trips (June–August) and aurora trips (September–March in the Arctic) need different countries, clothes and bases.
  • Nordic countries ↗Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and the Faroes sell stronger alcohol only in state shops with short hours; buy before evening and before Sundays and holidays.
  • Norway ↗Norway is not in the EU but is in the Schengen area. Check the entry rules for your passport on official sources.
  • Norway ↗Wine and spirits are sold only at the state Vinmonopolet shops; supermarkets sell beer, and not in the evenings or on Sundays.
  • Norway ↗The right to roam (allemannsretten) lets you hike and camp on most uncultivated land, keeping a distance from homes and leaving no trace.

Stavanger is Norway's fourth-largest city and the base for Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) and the Lysefjord. The walkable centre — Gamle Stavanger, the harbour, Fargegaten and the cathedral — fits in a day; the hike needs a second. It is also the oil capital, with the Norwegian Petroleum Museum on the east side of the harbour. Two nights is the standard first visit; three if you add a fjord cruise or a beach day at Sola.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Stavanger, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee45–70 kr
  • Sit-down mealMain course in a mid-range restaurant250–400 kr
  • Street or quick mealLunch sandwich or soup120–200 kr
  • BeerBeer: draught in a bar / can in a shop90–130 kr / 30–50 kr
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi, 5 km daytimeHigher at night and on Sundays.150–250 kr
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry (Petroleum Museum, canning museum)check120–180 kr
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personNOK 350
  • Mid-range bedHotel double room, a night, per roomNOK 1,500 (≈ US$150)
  • High-end bedHotel double room, a night, per roomNOK 2,800 (≈ US$300)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget NOK 600 · Mid NOK 1,100 (≈ US$110) · High NOK 2,200 (≈ US$250)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock)LysefjordGamle Stavanger old townStavanger CathedralNorwegian Petroleum MuseumFargegaten (Øvre Holmegate)
Airports
SVG Stavanger Airport, Sola (15 km from the centre; Flybussen shuttle about 25 min, or bus 42 to Koppholen then line 3 or 5) · HAU Haugesund Airport, Karmøy (About 2 h by car including a ferry crossing; a fallback, not the default)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Stavanger: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

3°C

0°C

16 rd

Feb

3°C

0°C

13 rd

Mar

5°C

1°C

14 rd

Apr

8°C

3°C

12 rd

May

13°C

6°C

12 rd

Jun

16°C

9°C

12 rd

Jul

18°C

12°C

13 rd

Aug

18°C

12°C

15 rd

Sep

15°C

10°C

16 rd

Oct

11°C

7°C

18 rd

Nov

7°C

4°C

18 rd

Dec

4°C

1°C

17 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The centre is walkable: the harbour, Gamle Stavanger, Fargegaten, the cathedral and Breiavatnet all sit within about 15 minutes on foot. For anything further, Kolumbus runs buses, local trains and passenger boats; buy tickets in the Kolumbus Billett app. A single 1-zone ticket is 49 kr, a 24-hour pass 133 kr (2026). Taxis are expensive: 35 kr flagfall, 7 kr per 500 m and 8 kr per minute, minimum 110 kr, with evening and Sunday surcharges. Rental e-scooters (Voi, Ryde) and Kolumbus e-bikes cover short hops; parking an e-scooter badly can cost a 900 kr fine.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock)

go

Door to door: 6–8 h from the centre

Bus or car to the Preikestolen base camp, then the marked 4 km trail each way

Start early; the plateau gets crowded from late morning in July and August.

Lysefjord cruise

go

Door to door: 3–4 h

Passenger boat from Fiskepirterminalen

The easy way to see the fjord and Pulpit Rock from below if the hike is off.

Sola beach

go

Door to door: 1–1.5 h

Local train or bus toward Sola, then a walk

Sand beach and the Gormley sculpture installation; best on a clear, calm day.

Sandnes

caution

Door to door: About 30 min

Local train from Stavanger station, about 15 min

Useful for cheaper beds and a short walk, not a sight in itself.

Haugesund

overnight

Door to door: 2–3 h

Express bus, or the coastal route north

Too far for a comfortable return day; sleep there if you go.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Gamle Stavanger / west harbour

Wooden houses and museums on the doorstep; quiet at night, few beds, book early.

East harbour / Fargegaten

Cafés, bars and the Petroleum Museum; the liveliest evening area, 5–10 min walk from the bus and train stations.

Breiavatnet / station area

Cheapest beds and best transport links; 5 min walk to the harbour, less character.

Sandnes

Cheaper beds 15 min south by train; use it only if Stavanger is full or priced out.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
600–900 kr excl. bed
Mid
900–1,600 kr excl. bed
High
1,600 (≈ US$160) kr+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Hotel double room1 × 2 nights × NOK 1,500NOK 3,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × NOK 1,100NOK 4,400
Flybussen airport shuttle, both ways2 × NOK 264 · checkNOK 528
Kolumbus 24-hour pass, one day2 × NOK 133NOK 266
Preikestolen return bus from the centre2 × NOK 400 · checkNOK 800
eSIM, about a week of data2 × NOK 250NOK 500
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeNOK 949
Trip total≈ NOK 2,611 per person per day, bed includedNOK 10,443≈ US$1,100

2026 estimate in kroner; flights and long-distance travel excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee45–70 kr
Lunch sandwich or soup120–200 kr
Main course in a mid-range restaurant250–400 kr
Beer: draught in a bar / can in a shop90–130 kr / 30–50 kr
Kolumbus single 1-zone ticket49 kr
Taxi, 5 km daytimeHigher at night and on Sundays.150–250 kr
Museum entry (Petroleum Museum, canning museum)check120–180 kr

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Stavanger is a safe city; the real risks are weather and terrain. The Preikestolen path has exposed edges and ices over in winter, and west-coast rain and wind arrive fast — check the forecast before you set out.
  • Preikestolen is a 4 h return hike with 500 m of climbing and exposed edges: wear grippy shoes, carry water, and turn back in fog or ice.
  • The hike is not a winter walk: the path ices over from about November to April.
  • Wind and rain arrive fast on the west coast; a waterproof shell beats an umbrella.
  • Taxis are among the priciest in Norway, with night and Sunday surcharges.
  • E-scooters parked outside marked areas in the centre draw a 900 kr fine.
  • Buses from the airport and ferry terminal are low-floor city buses with no luggage space.

Emergency numbers

Police
112
Ambulance
113
Fire
110

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

StavangerStavanger

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Til denne adressen, takkTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police112
  • Ambulance113
  • Fire110

Embassy

Norway has no US or UK embassy in Stavanger; embassies are in Oslo. The US has a consulate general in Oslo (check the address).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Flybussen SVG → city centre: about 179 kr one way, 264 kr return, about 25 min (check)
  • Bus 42 SVG → Koppholen, then line 3 or 5: 49 kr total, slower but cheaper (check)
  • Kolumbus 24-hour pass: 133 kr, one zone
  • Taxi city centre → Sola airport: 500–700 kr daytime (check)

Say or show

  • Hei — Hello (hay)
  • Takk — Thank you (tahk)
  • Unnskyld — Excuse me (UN-shyld)
  • Hvor mye koster det? — How much is it? (vor MUE-uh KOS-ter deh)
  • Kan jeg betale med kort? — Can I pay by card? (kan yai beh-TAH-leh meh kort)
  • Hvor er toalettet? — Where is the toilet? (vor air toh-ah-LET-teh)

Tipping is not required: service is included, round up or add 5–10% for good table service.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Stavanger. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Sep · avoid Nov–Feb (short days, wind, rain; the Preikestolen path is unsafe in ice) · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 6 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for SVG: Flybussen times, bus 42 transfer chain, taxi fallback, late-arrival rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Gamle Stavanger, the east harbour and Fargegaten, the cathedral and Breiavatnet, the station area.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (cathedral, Petroleum Museum, Preikestolen trailhead) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Weather and ferry fixtures so the Preikestolen and Lysefjord days can go green or be swapped.

Meanwhile

Back to Norway

Sources