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Voykit pocket guide · 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.
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.
- Country
- Norway
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (short days, wind, rain; the Preikestolen path is unsafe in ice)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- NOK
- Money
- Currency is the Norwegian krone (NOK, kr); the euro is not used. About 11.5 NOK to €1 — check.
- Daily spend
- Budget 600–900 kr excl. bed · Mid 900–1,600 kr excl. bed · High 1,600 kr+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EEA roaming applies: EU and EEA SIMs work at home prices.
- Emergency
- Police 112 · Ambulance 113 · Fire 110
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · European two-pin; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Included; round up or add 5–10% for good service.; Café and bar: Nothing expected.; Taxi: Round up.; Guides: Optional.
- Water
- Tap water is excellent; streams in the mountains are usually drinkable, but avoid water below farms and grazing.
- Toilets
- Free or card-paid (NOK 10–20) in towns; trailheads often have pit toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | 45–70 kr |
| Lunch sandwich or soup | 120–200 kr |
| Main course in a mid-range restaurant | 250–400 kr |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can in a shop | 90–130 kr / 30–50 kr |
| Kolumbus single 1-zone ticket | 49 kr |
| Taxi, 5 km daytimeTaxi, 3.1 mi daytime | 150–250 kr |
| Museum entry (Petroleum Museum, canning museum) | 120–180 kr |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- SVG · Stavanger Airport, Sola
- 15 km from the centre; Flybussen shuttle about 25 min, or bus 42 to Koppholen then line 3 or 59.3 mi 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
Typical fares
- 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)
Get 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 and do
Known for
- Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock)
- Lysefjord
- Gamle Stavanger old town
- Stavanger Cathedral
- Norwegian Petroleum Museum
- Fargegaten (Øvre Holmegate)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) | Bus or car to the Preikestolen base camp, then the marked 4 km trail each wayBus or car to the Preikestolen base camp, then the marked 2.5 mi trail each way | 6–8 h from the centre |
| Lysefjord cruise | Passenger boat from Fiskepirterminalen | 3–4 h |
| Sola beach | Local train or bus toward Sola, then a walk | 1–1.5 h |
| Sandnes | Local train from Stavanger station, about 15 min | About 30 min |
| Haugesund | Express bus, or the coastal route north | 2–3 h |
Sleep
- 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.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Heihay |
| Thank you | Takktahk |
| Excuse me | UnnskyldUN-shyld |
| How much is it? | Hvor mye koster det?vor MUE-uh KOS-ter deh |
| Can I pay by card? | Kan jeg betale med kort?kan yai beh-TAH-leh meh kort |
| Where is the toilet? | Hvor er toalettet?vor air toh-ah-LET-teh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, first names; avoid: Small talk that is too personal
- Nature: Greet other hikers, close gates, carry litter out; avoid: Loud music on trails
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring flowers or chocolates; 'takk for maten' after the meal; avoid: Arriving late
- Conversation: Modest, factual, humorous; avoid: Showing off wealth — Norwegians are rich but understated
- 17 May: Dress up, join the crowds, wave a flag; avoid: Treating the parades as a tourist show
- Queues: Take a number; avoid: Pushing in
Scams and watch-outs
- 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.
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.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Stavanger yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock)
- Lysefjord
- Gamle Stavanger old town
- Stavanger Cathedral
- Norwegian Petroleum Museum
- Fargegaten (Øvre Holmegate)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Stavanger municipality: www.stavanger.kommune.no/
- Avinor — Stavanger Airport, Sola: avinor.no/en/airport/stavanger-airport/
- Kolumbus (public transit): www.kolumbus.no/
- Flybussen airport shuttle: flybussen.no/
- Fjord Line: www.fjordline.com/en
- Go-Ahead Nordic (trains): go-aheadnordic.no/
- Entur (national ticketing): entur.no/
- Wikivoyage: Stavanger, revision 5296532 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5296532
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Stavanger
Til denne adressen, takk
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Norway has no US or UK embassy in Stavanger; embassies are in Oslo. The US has a consulate general in Oslo (check the address).
Tipping is not required: service is included, round up or add 5–10% for good table service.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/stavanger). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.