Preikestolen from above, then the Lysefjord from underneath

Jørpeland, Stavanger

1. 6:45 am1

   Stavanger to Preikestolen Basecamp through the Ryfylke tunnelJørpeland

   There is no Tau ferry any more — Ryfast opened in 2019 and the 14.4 km Ryfylke tunnel goes under the fjord, 292 m below sea level, so the drive is continuous and takes about 40 minutes. The toll is roughly 150 NOK and is read off the plate and billed to the rental; parking at Basecamp is 250 NOK, card at the barrier. Buses from Stavanger also run in season if you have no car. The cost here is toll plus parking.

   3 min walk · 0 m
2. 7:50 am2

   Up the trail: boardwalk, boulders, and Sherpa stepsJørpeland

   4 km each way, 350 m of ascent, about two hours up at an unhurried pace. It is not technical but it is not a stroll either — the middle third is bare boulder and stone staircase laid by Nepalese Sherpas, and it is slick when wet, which it often is. The season without special gear is roughly April to October; in winter the slabs near the top ice over and you want a guided group with a rope, which people underestimate every year. Two litres of water; there is nothing on the trail.

3. 9:50 am3

   An hour on the pulpit itselfJørpeland

   A flat 25 by 25 m slab, 604 m straight down to the water, and there is no railing and never will be — the Norwegian position is that a fence would change what the place is. Arrive before 11:00 and you share it with a few dozen people; arrive at 13:00 in July and it is a thousand. Sit well back from the edge in wind, keep hold of children, and be aware the fissure across the back of the slab is normal geology and not a countdown. Bring a layer: it is 10°C colder up here with the fjord wind.

4. 10:50 am4

   Back down against the trafficJørpeland

   Ninety minutes down, and it is harder on the knees than the climb was on the lungs — poles help on the boulder sections. You will pass the entire day's crowd coming up, which is the quiet reward for the early start.

   20 min walk · 1.5 km
5. 12:45 pm5

   Lunch at BasecampJørpeland

   Soup, waffles and coffee in the lodge at the trailhead, around 280 NOK. Not a destination, but it is the only food between the trail and Stavanger and it lets you change out of wet socks before the drive back.

   19 min by train or taxi · 19 km
6. 3:30 pm6

   Rødne Lysefjord cruise from StavangerStavanger

   About 690 NOK for the three-hour Lysefjord trip; the boat leaves from the harbour in the middle of Stavanger, so no transfer. It sails under Preikestolen and the skipper holds position beneath it — seeing the slab you stood on from 604 m below is the reason to do both halves on the same day. They also nose into the Hengjane waterfall and past the goats at Fantahålå. Open deck at the front, heated cabin behind; dress for the deck.

   3 min walk · 150 m
7. 7 pm7

   Dinner at Fisketorget StavangerStavanger

   Fishmonger downstairs, restaurant upstairs, and the menu is whatever the counter has — the fish soup and the halibut are the safe orders. Around 700 NOK a head with a beer, which is what a plain sit-down dinner costs in Norway; a 0.5 l beer alone is 110–130 NOK, and this is the single biggest surprise on most first Norwegian trips.

   4 min walk · 300 m
8. 9 pm8

   A pint on Øvre HolmegateStavanger

   The painted street — every timber house a different colour, the result of one hairdresser talking the whole block into it. Bøker og Børst is the bookshop-bar in the middle of it with a back courtyard. Purely optional after a 20 km day on your legs, which is why it is an idea and not a plan.