Dock in the middle of the old town, then hike or sail to Pulpit Rock
Stavanger is the easiest fjord-country port in Norway: ships tie up on the Vågen harbor quays in the dead center of town, with the 173 white wooden houses of Gamle Stavanger on one side of the gangway and the cafes of Skagenkaien on the other. Walk the old town and the 1125 cathedral in a morning, then choose between the Lysefjord boat under Pulpit Rock and the 4 hour hike up to it, the most famous cliff in Norway. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at Stavanger from every line, priced with taxes and fees included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.
Three ways to do Stavanger
Walk the old town, boat the Lysefjord, or hike to Pulpit Rock; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.
Gamle Stavanger and the harbor
- The cobbled lanes of 18th century white houses 2 minutes from the gangway, free, 45 minutes
- Stavanger Cathedral, Norway’s oldest (1125), newly restored for its 900th anniversary, and the fish-market side of Vågen
- Norwegian Petroleum Museum on the harbor, about 180 NOK, the best rainy-hour museum on the coast
Best for: first-timers, walkers, short calls
Lysefjord and Pulpit Rock from below
- 3 to 3.5 hour boat from Skagenkaien into the Lysefjord under the 2,000 foot Pulpit Rock cliff, about 710 to 890 NOK, with waterfalls and goats on the way
- RIB safari version for the thrill, about $140 to $150 per person
- Ship tours of the same route run about $120 to $160 and are timed to the call
Best for: couples, families, anyone who wants the cliff without the climb
The Pulpit Rock hike
- 5 miles round trip and 1,100 feet of climb on a stone-paved trail, about 4 hours of hiking to a flat ledge 1,982 feet above the fjord
- An hour each way by bus from the center through the Ryfast tunnels; ship tours run about 7 hours and roughly $330
- Only on calls of 9 hours or more; leave on the first bus and keep an eye on the clock
Best for: hikers, bucket-listers, good knees
Stavanger cruises: SmartCruiser picks first
Every cruise that calls at Stavanger from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery cruise that calls at Stavanger
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Home ports that sail to Stavanger
Pick a home port and the list above filters to cruises leaving from there; Stavanger is the first or last Norwegian call on almost every fjord loop from Britain, Holland and Germany.
Things to do in Stavanger
The town takes a morning on foot; the fjord and the cliff take the rest of the day, so decide early between the boat and the hike.
Which lines call at Stavanger?
More than 20 lines and nearly 60 ships call between April and October; since 2026 the port limits itself to two big ships and about 8,000 passengers a day, which keeps the old town walkable.
When to go
Stavanger has the mildest climate on the Norwegian coast and some of the wettest autumns; June to August are the warmest and busiest months, and May is often the driest.
Stavanger questions we answer every day
Where do cruise ships dock in Stavanger and how far is it to town?
In the middle of it. Most ships use the Vågen harbor quays, Strandkaien on the old-town side and Skagenkaien on the cafe side, where the gangway lands you 2 minutes from Gamle Stavanger and 5 from the cathedral. A third ship goes to the Bjergsted quay beside the concert hall, about a 15 minute walk around the harbor, and on rare days a ship is sent to the Mekjarvik cargo port 6 miles north with a shuttle. Since 2026 the port caps itself at two large ships (plus one small one) and about 8,000 passengers a day, so tendering is unusual.
How do I get around Stavanger?
Walk; the center is flat and compact. The hop-on bus (about 350 NOK) loops from the quay to the Swords in Rock, the Petroleum Museum and the beaches; city buses (tap a card, about 45 NOK) cover the same ground more cheaply. Taxis wait at the quay, about 300 NOK for a short hop, and the Pulpit Rock shuttle bus leaves from the center for the trailhead, about an hour each way.
What currency and language, and will my phone work?
Norway uses the krone (about 10 to 11 NOK to the dollar) and is nearly cashless; tap a card or phone for the boat, the bus and the museums. Everyone speaks English. Stavanger is on Central European Time, 6 hours ahead of US Eastern, and US plans with European roaming work normally, including on the Lysefjord boat.
Is Stavanger safe?
Yes. Norway is at the State Department’s lowest advisory level and Stavanger is a prosperous oil town where the main hazard is the weather. On the Pulpit Rock trail the real risks are wet rock and the unfenced edge; stay back from it in wind, wear boots, and turn around if you are not at the top by the halfway point of your available time.
What is the best excursion, and should I book through the ship?
On a first call with a standard 8 to 10 hour day, the Lysefjord boat: you see Pulpit Rock from the water, it is 3.5 hours, and the independent departures from Skagenkaien are easy and cheaper than the ship’s. Book the hike through the ship if your call is 9 hours or more; the line times the bus and guarantees your return. Gamle Stavanger needs no tour at all.
Do I need a passport?
Yes. Every Norway cruise requires a valid passport, and we recommend six months of validity beyond your return date. Norway is in the Schengen zone, where the EU’s biometric entry and exit system is being phased in from 2026, so allow a few extra minutes at your first European arrival.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes the cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and gratuities are extra.
Talk to a Stavanger cruise specialist
We know which sailings give you the 9 hour call the Pulpit Rock hike needs and which ones dock on Strandkaien, so call us to check availability and book the Norway sailing that fits. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.