8 Best Things to Do in Stavanger, Norway (+Tips & Itinerary)

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you, for qualifying purchases. More info: Disclosure.

Planning your first trip to Stavanger, Norway, and wondering which attractions to visit and what experiences you can’t miss? In this guide, we highlight the best things to do in Stavanger and the surrounding areas, so you can make the most of your visit.

While this isn’t an exhaustive list of everything Stavanger has to offer, it covers the must-see highlights, perfect for first-time visitors. Whether you’re in town for a day as part of a Norwegian cruise or staying for a few days, these are the top places to see and things to do in Stavanger that you really shouldn’t miss.

Stavanger was the perfect starting point for our Norway road trip, and we couldn’t have chosen a better place to fall in love with Norway. This charming city offers a little bit of everything—a beautiful old town rich in history and cozy atmosphere, unique museums, and breathtaking natural landscapes within such an easy reach from town.

The guide begins with the best things to do in Stavanger town itself, followed by the best excursions and hikes nearby. At the end, you’ll find itinerary ideas for 1–4 days in Stavanger (tip – no matter how much time you have, a boat trip on Lysefjord is a must). We also include some practical tips and recommendations on the best places to stay on your first visit.

TIP: If you are looking for a place to stay in Stavanger, consider the highly-rated Radisson Blu Atlantic Hotel. This popular hotel offers great value in an excellent location. For the best price and availability, book well ahead, especially if traveling in the summer.

Without further ado, here are the best things to do in Stavanger:

1. Gamle Stavanger

Gamle Stavanger (Old Stavanger) is a small historic area with beautifully restored wooden buildings dating from the turn of the 18th-19th century. If you only have a couple of hours in Stavanger, then this is one place you really don’t want to miss.

This protected area was originally home to the workers of the sardine canning industry. More than 170 houses have been beautifully restored and a visit to this historic quarter with its white wooden houses, colorful flowers, and well-kept little gardens is a real treat for the eye.

Strolling through the narrow cobbled streets with the old-fashioned street lanterns and empty benches feels like stepping back in time and you’d almost forget that people live here today… If you want to have an authentic feel of old Norway, then Gamle Stavanger is probably one of the best places to experience this.

Practical information: Gamle Stavanger is located to the West of the old harbor Vagen, just a few minutes walking distance from the Strandkaien cruise ship terminal (see the map).

2. The Norwegian Printing Museum and the Norwegian Canning Museum

If you visit just one museum in Stavanger, make it The Norwegian Printing Museum and The Norwegian Canning Museum. It’s actually a 2-in-1 deal. Visiting this historical museum located in the earlier mentioned Gamle Stavanger area is the best hour or two that you can spend in Stavanger.

This museum is split into two fascinating sections: one highlights Stavanger’s once-thriving canning industry, which exported products to over 140 countries, and the other one explores the evolution of printing techniques and machinery, offering a deep dive into the history of the industry.

Our favorite part was the Norwegian Canning Museum. You’ll never look at a can of fish with the same eyes again!

Not only do you get to know the importance of the canning industry, learn how a factory worked, or see thousands of incredibly creative labels that even the best marketing gurus can learn from. On top of that, this museum is really hands-on with lots of fun activities that you can try for yourself. You can thread sardines, put them in cans, and on certain days you can even taste some smoked sardines… Fun for kids and adults alike!

Practical information: The museum is open daily except Mondays. For more info, see the museum website.

LEARN MORE: What to Expect at the Norwegian Canning Museum

3. Norwegian Petroleum Museum

The Norwegian Petroleum Museum is another must-see in Stavanger. Built as a replica of an oil platform, its very special architectural design will catch your eye immediately. But there is so much more to this museum than its impressive exterior!

There is a lot to see and do in this museum, often chosen as the best museum of Stavanger by guidebooks and travelers alike.

Not only can you learn everything about oil, you will also get a better understanding about the importance of the petroleum industry in Norway. It turned the country that was once on the brink of poverty into one of the most wealthy countries in the world.

There are models of oil platforms and ships, rigs with emergency slides, and even an escape room where you can experience what it would be like to try to evacuate from a burning rig. Children will love this museum as well. There is a question-and-answer trail to follow, lots of hands-on experiences, and a themed playground where the kids can put on a helmet and a uniform and build their own oil platform.

Practical information: You can find more information and opening times on the official website of the Norwegian Petroleum Museum. Count at least an hour or even two for a visit here.

Which museum to visit in Stavanger? Stavanger is not such a big town, but it has so many museums that you could easily spend a week doing nothing else, but visiting them. 

If you have just an hour or two in Stavanger, I recommend visiting Gamle Stavanger and the Norwegian Canning Museum. If you have 2-4 hours in Stavanger, visit the Norwegian Petroleum Museum as well.

These two museums couldn’t be more different, but I feel that you need to see both to get a better understanding of Norway as a country. If you have more time in Stavanger and want to visit even more museums, you can find the complete selection online.

   

4. Stavanger Town Center, Domkirke & Breiavatnet

Stavanger town center is not very big, so I suggest that you go for a short walk and see some of the main highlights in town.

One of the landmarks you shouldn’t miss in Stavanger is its medieval cathedral – Domkirke. It has been recently restored and is one of the best-kept old churches of Norway. It’s also the only cathedral in Norway that has been continuously used since the 1300s.

Breiavatnet is a small lake with a fountain located in the middle of Byparken park in the center of Stavanger. It’s just a stone’s throw away from the old town and the cathedral and is a nice place for a relaxing stroll.

TIP: If you want to discover Stavanger like a local and see the main highlights in the town itself, I recommend this highly-rated private walking tour with a local guide.

5. Lysefjord Cruise

Lysefjord is one of the most beautiful fjords of Norway and one of the main highlights that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to Stavanger every year.

Sail deep into the fjord and admire the sheer walls around you, with the most famous of them – The Pulpit Rock – rising over 600 m above the fjord. You’ll pass some tiny islands, caves, and waterfalls. It’s a sight to behold…

There are several ways to experience the Lysefjord, including local ferries. However, by far the easiest way to see this magnificent fjord in a short time is by taking a sightseeing boat tour from Stavanger.

Our experience: We visited Lysefjord twice: once as part of the Lysefjord cruise in combination with the Pulpit Rock hike, and once on the way to Florli where we climbed the world’s longest wooden staircase – Florli 4444. One of these trips was on a grey rainy day and the other one when it was sunny. Needless to say, you’ll have much nicer views if you visit the Lysefjord on a sunny day, but it’s still a very impressive trip even if it rains.

Practical information: Lysefjord cruise can be done year-round. It starts in Strandkaien in Stavanger city center and takes about 3 hours. You can find more information about the fjord cruise here.

PRO TIP: The Lysefjord cruise is the most popular excursion in Stavanger, so book early.

6. The Pulpit Rock Hike

Preikestolen, or The Pulpit Rock, is one of the most popular hikes in Norway. Many people come to Stavanger just to hike to Pulpit Rock. Even Tom Cruise was at Pulpit Rock. You can see him hanging by a thread on the Preikestolen in the Mission Impossible: Fallout movie.

The purpose of this post is to show you that there is so much more to see and do in Stavanger than just the Lysefjord and the Pulpit Rock hike. At the same time, you really don’t want to miss these two main highlights that Stavanger is famous for!

So if you are fit enough for a moderate 4-hour hike, don’t miss Pulpit Rock! It’s an unforgettable experience and will definitely be one of the highlights of your trip to Norway.

Practical information: Via the link below, you can read all about our experience hiking to Pulpit Rock (we did this hike with 3 young kids) and find all the practical information you need. Count at least 6-7 hours for this excursion, including transportation to and from Stavanger.

LEARN MORE: Pulpit Rock Hike

TIP: If you find the logistics too complicated or rather not go on your own, there are local guides that can guide you to Pulpit Rock as well. One of the biggest advantages of going with a guide is that you can start the hike much earlier before the crowds arrive and/or don’t have to worry about getting there and back. This is the most popular guided Pulpit Rock hike tour from Stavanger.

7. Flørli 4444

If you like outdoor activities and are looking for a more unique experience in Stavanger, then I can highly recommend climbing the world’s longest staircase – Florli 4444.

A beautiful boat trip deep into the Lysefjord is followed by a strenuous steep climb with some of the most spectacular views you can imagine. Florli 4444 can be done as a day trip from Stavanger, yet you’ll find very few tourists here.

It’s a true hidden gem, but don’t wait till the rest of the world finds out! Visiting Florli and climbing this staircase was the most unique and memorable experience from our trip to Norway.

Practical information: Via the link below, you can read about our experience hiking Florli 4444. In this post, you can also find all the practical information and logistics. You’ll need a whole day to visit Florli from Stavanger and do the Florli 4444 hike. Unless you have a car, by far the best way to do this hike is with a guided tour that includes transfers from Stavanger.

LEARN MORE: Hiking Florli 4444 Stairs

8. Kjeragbolten Hike

Despite the fact that it’s quite far from town and not the easiest place to get to, Kjerag is a really popular day trip from Stavanger. With its 1084m, it’s the highest mountain in the area that not many people hiked to in the past.

It’s very probable that you’ve seen a picture of a round rock stuck in a mountain crevice, often with a person standing on top of the rock. Being able to take an epic picture like that is the reason why Kjerag has become more and more popular in recent years. It seems that the Instagram-factor of the Kjeragbolten is too big to resist and so more and more tourists come to Stavanger in order to hike to the Kjeragbolten.

Kjeragbolten is a strenuous hike of almost 10 km that takes about 6 hours to complete. It’s the most challenging of the three most popular hikes near Stavanger mentioned in this post and can only be done in summer. Actually, it can be done off-season as well, but you shouldn’t attempt that without an experienced local guide.

Practical information: You can find all the practical information for hiking to Kjerag here. If you don’t have a car and find it too complicated to attempt to get to Kjerag by public transport, you can best book this guided hike from Stavanger (we did the Florli4444 hike with this guide and he’s really good).

The biggest advantage of going with a guide is that you can beat the crowds by going very early in the morning and you don’t have to worry about renting a car, parking, or researching where exactly to hike.

Stavanger Itinerary for 1 to 4 Days

• If you have just one day in Stavanger, do the Lysefjord cruise in the morning and then visit the town and one or two museums mentioned above.

• If you have two days in Stavanger, you could do Lysefjord cruise and the Pulpit Rock hike one day and then visit the town and the museums on the other day.

• If you have three days in Stavanger, follow the same 2-day itinerary as above and then add either Florli 4444 or Kjerag hike, ideally not hiking two consecutive days.

• With four days in Stavanger, you can do all the things described in this article However, please consider that each of the hikes (Pulpit Rock, Kjeragbolten, and Florli 4444) are quite hard. You can do the Pulpit Rock hike one day and one of the other hikes the following day, but I wouldn’t suggest hiking three days in a row. In that case, it’s best to start with either Kjerag or Florli, then take a quiet day and spend it in town, then do another long hike on day 3, and leave Pulpit Rock for the last day, because it’s the least challenging of the three top hikes.

Where to Stay – Best Hotels for Sightseeing

Stavanger is a big town with plenty of accommodation options. It’s also one of the most affordable places to stay in Norway, which is good news if you are planning to spend a few days here.

The best place to stay for sightseeing is close to the old town. From here, you can easily walk to all the main attractions, the bus station, and the harbor for boat excursions and day trips.

Here are some of the best hotels in Stavanger based on the location and customer reviews:

• $$$$$ Hotel Victoria – beautiful historic building and waterfront views.
• $$$$ Clarion Collection Hotel Skagen Brygge – 4* – probably the best location in town for those who want to be by the harbor.
• $$$$ Scandic Royal – a good value hotel just a little bit further from the rest (still very central) with an indoor swimming pool.
• $$$ Radisson Blu Atlantic Hotel – the most popular hotel in town. Excellent reviews and a beautiful location next to Breiavatnet Lake.
• $$+ Scandic Stavanger City – good price/quality, especially for big families. We stayed at this hotel and it was perfect.

For more information and accommodation options for all budgets, please see our complete guide to Stavanger hotels.

So, this is our guide to the best places to see and things to do in Stavanger. I hope it will help you plan your trip and make the best of your time in this beautiful area in Southwestern Norway.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a reply below and I’ll do my best to help. Have you been to Stavanger? Let us know your favorite things to do in town. 

More inspiration and information for your trip to Norway:

• Itineraries: 
  • Norway Fjords Itinerary (Stavanger, Bergen, Flam, Geirangerfjord, and more)
  • Northern Norway Itinerary (Lofoten, Senja, Tromso)
• Practical info: 
  • What to Wear in Norway in Summer
  • What to Wear in Norway in Winter
  • How Expensive is Norway
• Northern Norway:
  • Lofoten Islands
  • Tromso
  • Svalbard
• For more travel tips and destinations all over the country, please see our Norway travel guide.

If you found this post helpful, don’t forget to bookmark it and share it with your friends. Are you on Pinterest? Pin these images!