Getting to Pulpit Rock always ends the same way — a hike from the Preikestolen Fjellstue trailhead near Jørpeland — but how visitors reach that trailhead depends heavily on where they're starting from. Stavanger is the obvious base, and for good reason: everywhere else in Norway involves a significantly longer journey first.
| From | Distance to trailhead | Fastest method | Approx. travel time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stavanger | ~25 km | Car, guided pickup, or bus | 35–45 minutes |
| Bergen | ~180 km | Flight to Stavanger, then transfer | Around 2 hours door to door |
| Bergen (by road/ferry) | ~180 km | Car and ferry combination | 5–6 hours |
| Oslo | ~450 km | Flight to Stavanger, then transfer | Around 2.5 hours door to door |
| Oslo (by road) | ~450 km | Driving | 7–8 hours |
From Stavanger
This is by far the easiest option, and the reason nearly every visitor bases themselves in Stavanger for this trip. It's roughly a 40-minute drive to the trailhead, crossing the Ryfast subsea tunnel — the world's longest and deepest underwater road tunnel — before winding up through Jørpeland. Public buses run this route too, though a guided tour with direct hotel pickup removes the need to work out timetables or parking entirely.
From Bergen
Bergen sits on the other side of a long stretch of fjord-cut coastline, so there's no quick direct road link. The practical options are a short domestic flight to Stavanger followed by the same 40-minute transfer, or a scenic but much longer combination of car and ferry crossings that can take five to six hours. For anyone short on time, flying is the clear winner; for anyone who wants the fjord scenery as part of the journey, the road-and-ferry route is a full day trip in itself.
From Oslo
Oslo is genuinely far from Preikestolen — this isn't a landmark that fits into a day trip from the capital. A domestic flight to Stavanger takes about an hour and is by far the most sensible approach, leaving a short transfer to cover once on the ground. Driving the full distance is possible but realistically an 7-to-8-hour haul each way, which turns the trip into a multi-day undertaking rather than an add-on.
- Coming from Stavanger: a straightforward 40-minute transfer — no flights needed.
- Coming from Bergen or Oslo: flying into Stavanger first is almost always faster and less tiring than driving the whole way.
- Not confident renting a car or navigating buses? A guided tour with hotel pickup in Stavanger removes that whole layer of planning.
Already in Stavanger?
Skip the transfer logistics entirely — this guided tour picks you up directly from your accommodation.
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