Pulpit Rock, also called Preikestolen, is an impressive rock that towers 2000 feet (600 meters) above Lysefjord. This larger-than-life rock was featured in the movie Mission Impossible Rogue Nation. Pulpit rock is one of the most hiked trails in Norway given its proximity to Stavanger and relatively short length. Here is our guide on how to hike on to hike Pulpit Rock.
FYI: This post is written based on a hike taken in late August. See our 2 Week Norway Road Trip guide for all the details on this trip. We took this trip with our 12 month old daughter. For all our baby travels tips and tricks see our Top 10 Baby Travel Tips, 5 Top Baby & Toddler Flying Tips and our How to Hike with a Baby post.
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Pulpit Rock Hike FAQs
How long is the Pulpit Rock Hike? How much elevation gain is on the Pulpit Rock Hike?
Pulpit Rock is a 4.6 mile (7.6 km) out & back hike with 1150 feet (350m) of elevation gain.
How do I hike Pulpit Rock? What are the Pulpit Rock Logistics?
This hike first takes you through a pine forest before taking you above the treeline for about a mile until you reach Pulpit Rock itself. The trail alternates between less and more steep sections. The hike overall felt like a steady climb up with some more steep areas at certain points. A lot of this hike is on a path of rocks and on variable sized rock stairs. You definitely have to pay attention to your footing throughout the hike.
There is a very short section of the hike along the cliffside. If you have a fear of heights, you may find this difficult. However, there were chains on the edge along the cliff and we did not feel fearful of the height at any time.
Once at Pulpit rock, you can wait in a line to get views from the end of the rock. However, you can see the impressive nature of the rock and how far down it is into the fjord better from the side view. You also can get some really pretty expansive fjord views from the side as well.
How long does the Pulpit Rock Hike take to hike?
This hike will take about 5 hours to complete (on average). We hiked Pulpit rock in about 4.5 hours including stopping at the summit on Pulpit Rock for about an hour.
How much does it cost to park at Pulpit Rock?
250 NOK (about $25 US dollars) in 2022
Is Pulpit Rock hike busy?
Yes! The Pulpit Rock Hike is VERY busy. Pulpit Rock is one of the most hiked trails in all of Norway due to the impressive views that you are afforded on a relatively short hike.
Tip: Hike this trail as early or as late in the evening as possible.
This trail was so busy that it did take away from the experience a bit. We started this hike around 10:30 am on a Saturday and in hindsight, would have started this hike earlier or later. We had ‘traffic jams’ on the trail at times and it was hard to have your own space on the trail for very long. This experience was a stark contrast to hiking Kjeragbolten and Trolltunga.
We have seen some pictures of people on Pulpit rock with no other people in the pictures, but do not expect this for your journey. Expecting to get pictures without others (without photoshopping extensively) is unrealistic. FYI- we do not photoshop people out of any of our pictures as that gives an unrealistic depiction of any experience/hike.
Can you hike Pulpit Rock with kids?
Absolutely! We hiked this trail with our 12-month-old daughter in the backpack carrier. This trail is not technically challenging so as long as you are in decent shape, you should be able to complete it baby wearing. Most kids over 7 years old, and younger depending on experience, should be able to complete this trail.
We saw SO many kids and babies on this trail, more than we have ever seen hiking before. When we got to Pulpit Rock, we realized we had forgotten wipes for changing our daughter’s diaper. Another mom overheard us and kindly gave us some of hers to use. Our babies then had fun taking rocks back and forth from one another. Rocks really can provide hours of entertainment. See our How to Hike with a Baby post for all our baby hiking tips.
When to hike Pulpit Rock?
Ideally, hike it June 1st-September 30th. Outside of that window, it is likely the road to the Pulpit Rock trailhead and trail will be covered in snow and potentially closed.
Fun Fact: Despite being over 2 hours apart driving, Pulpit Rock is located on the same fjord as Kjeragbolten.
How do you access Pulpit Rock from Stavanger?
Ryfylke Tunnel, a 14 km long tunnel, connects Stavanger to Tau on your way to Stavanger. This is one of the world’s longest and deepest subsea tunnels. You will drive through this tunnel if you travel from Stavanger to Pulpit Rock. The cost to go through this tunnel is 140 NOK each way (our rental car company charged us automatically for this when driving through so we didn’t pay anywhere in person). It is about a 45 minute drive from Stavanger to Pulpit Rock.
Where to stay when hiking Pulpit Rock?
We recommend staying in Stavanger and exploring this Norwegian city the day before or after your hike. This town is so quaint and picturesque with its many wooden houses. This is the Stavanger Airbnb we stayed at and would highly recommend. There was a path from our accommodations we were able to take through the neighborhoods to the city center of Stavanger. It was so nice to be able to just walk into town once we arrived. This path also allowed us a peek into local living. We really enjoyed walking through the neighborhoods and the walkable nature of the area itself.
Looking for some further guidance on preparing for this hike? See this Ultimate Hiking Checklist article.
Hiking Pulpit Rock was one of the highlights of our 2 Week Norway Road Trip. See this guide for all the details on planning an epic fjord road trip of your own.
We hope this guide helps you plan your hike at Pulpit Rock. Anything you’d add to our guide? We’d love to hear your feedback and questions. Please leave us a comment!
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