3 Days in Stavanger, Norway: The Perfect First-Time Itinerary
Planning on spending 3 days in Stavanger, Norway? This is one of our favourite places we’ve visited in Norway and here’s exactly how to spend your time.
We’re not lying when we say that Stavanger is one of the best places we’ve ever visited in Norway. It’s such a beautiful part of the world.
We love not only the city itself but the surroundings. If you’ve ever dreamed of the fjords and mountains of Norway, Stavanger is a great place to visit.
From Stavanger, you can visit two of the best hikes in southern Norway, you can go on a fjord cruise, and you can see the cute little wooden houses that are so traditional of Norwegian culture.
Yet, one of the things that always surprises me is that people only stay here for a day. There’s so much to this city, and it’s worth well more than just a day trip. It’s definitely worth spending 3 days here at least, although we spent 5 days in Stavanger and still had loads more to see.
So, if you’re planning on spending a few days in this southern Norwegian city, here are the absolute best ways to spend your time.
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in a hurry?
Short on time? These are 4 bucket-list experiences we recommend to everyone who visits Stavanger! ❤️
Our fave hotel: Clarion Collection
Day 1: The Most Famous Sight Near Stavanger
For your first day in Stavanger, we don’t actually recommend staying in the city at all. You know how I said that the landscapes surrounding the city were incredible?
Well, today, we’re going to explore those landscapes first-hand.
8:00 – Hike up Pulpit Rock
If you’re considering spending 3 days in Stavanger, then you have probably heard of Pulpit Rock. Also known as Preikestolen, this is one of the best places to go hiking in Norway and possibly one of the most popular.
If you love stunning views over the fjords, this is a pretty good place to start your time in Stavanger. Even if you only have 1 day in Stavanger, we recommend this hike.
To get to the trailhead, it’s around a 45-minute drive from the city. You can also take the bus, but in our opinion, having a car is easier.
From there, the hike takes around 4 hours. The views from the top are completely incredible, and we highly recommend it. It can be quite a busy trail though, so just be aware of this, especially if you’re visiting in the summer months.
We recommend getting to the trailhead fairly early, especially since this isn’t the only thing you’ll be doing today. You’ll likely be spending around 6 hours at Preikestolen, so we suggest leaving your accommodation in Stavanger no later than 8am.
This should get you back to Stavanger at around 2pm, which will give you plenty of time to relax before the next activity.
👉 Check out our full guide to hiking Preikestolen here.
15:00 – Go on a fjord cruise
One of the best things to do in Stavanger is to explore the fjords, and a cruise is the perfect way to do this. There are usually two departure times for fjord cruises, and this is the afternoon slot.
The views from the cruise are beautiful. You’ll be able to see towering cliffs on either side carved out by glaciers over 10,000 years ago, and the bright blue of the water beneath you.
You can also pass by Preikestolen, which is amazing to see from the bottom, especially since you were standing on top of it this morning, looking down into the fjords.
The entire trip lasts around 3.5 hours, so you’ll likely make it back to Stavanger city centre around 18:30 pm, just in time for dinner.
❤️ After our unforgettable experience, we highly recommend this fjord cruise.
Day 2: Explore Stavanger Town
For the second day in Stavanger, we’ll be staying in the city centre. This will give your legs a chance to rest after the excitement of the day before, and you’ll also get a chance to see many of the most impressive sights in and around the city.
9:00 – Visit the Petroleum Museum
Start your day at the Petroleum Museum. This is one of the best museums in Stavanger, dedicated to the oil industry.
Since Stavanger is often referred to as the “oil capital” of Norway, the museum explains a vital part of the city’s history.
Inside, you’ll be able to learn about the oil and gas industries in Norway. It was originally opened in 1999 and is housed in a very impressive building along the waterfront.
There are lots of exhibits inside that talk you through the production, technological advancements, and challenges within the industry, as well as the environmental impact.
It may sound a little strange, but it’s honestly really interesting and well worth a visit while you’re in Stavanger.
11:30 – Walk up to Valberg Tower
After lunch, head just a few minutes from the waterfront to Valberg Tower. This tower is located on a hill overlooking the waterfront and is a great way to get a taste of history in Stavanger.
It was formerly a lookout tower, both as part of the city’s defences and in case of fires. Guards would stay in the tower and alert the authorities of any fires in the city, which was a pretty important role since all of the houses used to be made from wood!
Today, you can read the plaques around the tower for more information, admire the views from the top, and see the former cannons that used to be there.
13:00 – Grab lunch by the waterfront
Next, head to the waterfront for lunch. This is one of the most vibrant areas of the city, and we saw lots of locals here dining at restaurants, sitting outside at bars, and socialising.
There are lots of restaurants here and plenty of choices for lunch. It’s definitely not the cheapest, but Fisketorget is a great restaurant if you love seafood. For a more affordable option, burger&beers is a great choice.
After lunch, we also recommend going for a wander around the waterfront and taking in the views.
14:30 – Wander Around Gamle Stavanger
If you want to visit the perfect little Old Town in Norway, you’ll love Gamle Stavanger. This is the oldest part of the city and the most traditional. You’ll find cute cobbled streets and around 170 little white wooden houses that date back to the 18th and 19th centuries.
Many of these houses were literally moved from their previous location. The residents would take them down and move them, which is completely mad!
As well as being a beautiful place, it’s also a great way to get a taste of what Stavanger would’ve been like years ago.
If you visit in the spring or summer, you’ll also find lots of pretty flowers and blossoms on the houses, which really adds to the atmosphere.
15:30 – Visit the Canning Museum
This place is another of the best museums in Stavanger and one of the most intriguing places in the city to visit. Instead of oil, this museum is dedicated to sardine canning!
Stavanger was one of the biggest exporters of sardines in the 19th century, so this museum is once again a huge part of the city’s past. And, it’s housed in a former canning factory!
Inside, you can see a range of exhibits, including the canning process from smoking the fish to packaging and labelling it.
You can also see the machinery and watch demonstrations from the staff. If you’re really lucky, you can also try canning yourself!
17:00 – Admire Sverd i Fjell
To reach this spot, you will have to go on a bit of a drive, but in my opinion, it’s worth it. This is one of the most beautiful regions of the city.
Located around a 10-minute drive from the city centre, this is a huge monument of 3 giant swords in a huge rock. It’s kind of like a sword in the stone, but on a giant scale and with 3 of them!
The monument was built in tribute to the famous Battle of Hafrsfjord, which took place around 872 AD. The swords represent peace, unity, and the founding of the Norwegian Nation.
As well as the swords, you’ll also be able to see gorgeous views across the Hafrsfjord from here. There are also a few nice walks, a few benches by the beach, and even a small gymnasium close by where you can try to walk across a tightrope!
It’s a lovely place to go for a walk in the afternoon.
Day 3: One of The Most Incredible Hikes in Norway
For the final day in Stavanger, we recommend doing one of the best hikes we’ve ever done in Norway. This place was completely epic and still remains one of our favourite experiences to date. Today, you’re going to stand on the famous boulder at Kjerag!
Getting to the hike
To get to the trailhead for the Kjerag hike, the easiest way is to drive. If you’re hiring a car anyway, this is no trouble. However, you can also get the bus if you don’t have access to transport.
The start of the hike is a 2.5-hour drive from Stavanger. This hike is also quite a long one and can be busy in the summer months, so you really need to start as early as possible.
The hike
The hike itself is quite challenging. There are 3 steep climbs where you’ll need to use chains to help you up the mountain. As well as this, the entire hike will take around 6-8 hours, depending on how fast you are.
It’s not something to attempt unless you’re of a reasonable level of fitness; however, if you are, it’s one of the most fun days you’ll have during this trip. We had the best time here and would love to do it again.
Despite this, stepping onto the boulder itself is one of the scariest things I’ve ever done in my life. I was literally shaking. But it’s also such a thrill, and I don’t regret it one bit.
👉 Check out our full guide to hiking Kjeragbolten here.
Drive back to Stavanger
Once you’ve completed the hike, hop back in the car and head back to Stavanger.
Because of the length of this hike and the length of the drive to get there, this is the only thing you’ll have time for today.
But, it’s one of the best things you can do during 3 days in Stavanger and we cannot recommend it enough.
Alternatives
If you don’t fancy the Kjeragbolten hike for your final day, you could always opt for another of the best hikes near Stavanger instead.
The Manafossen hike is also steep but much shorter, leading to a beautiful waterfall. Or, if you want something with very little elevation, Trollpikken is another great hike located south of Stavanger in Magma Geopark.
How to Get Around Stavanger
The city of Stavanger is very easy to get around. The majority of the things within the city centre itself you can get to on foot. In fact, everything on day two of this 3-day Stavanger itinerary you can walk to.
If you really want to visit a few hidden gems outside of the city centre, then these might involve a 10-minute drive, but nothing too far. For instance, Sverd i Fjell is slightly further away but still technically walkable.
Nonetheless, for all of the hikes, we recommend hiring a car as it’s much easier to reach them with your own transport. You can use public transport, but having a car gives you the freedom to do the hikes without worrying about departure times.
It also means that you can stop if you find a beautiful waterfall on the side of the road – which is pretty common in Norway!
Is 3 Days in Stavanger Enough?
Technically, yes, 3 days in Stavanger is enough to see the city itself and the most popular hikes around it. However, there’s a lot more to see in the Stavanger region, and you’ll miss a lot of those hidden gems if you only have 3 days.
We spent 5 days in Stavanger in total and could’ve easily spent a little longer there. There were a few hikes we ended up missing.
But, if you’re only looking to see the must-see spots in and around the city, then 3 days is plenty.
Is Stavanger Worth Visiting?
Yes, Stavanger is worth visiting 100%. It’s one of the best cities that we’ve been to in Norway, and we loved every second that we were there.
It’s actually one of our favourite trips we’ve been on to date, too, just because we had so much fun.
It still surprises me that people only allocate a day to Stavanger, where there’s just a huge amount of amazing things to do in the city and the surrounding region.
Plus, if you’re planning on exploring more of Norway, it’s within easy reach of the city of Bergen and the surrounding fjords and mountains.
If you have the chance to explore it, even just for a weekend, we can’t recommend it enough!
👉 Need the perfect place to stay? Check out our 12 favourite hotels in Stavanger!
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