5 Days in Stavanger, Norway: Our Favourite Itinerary

Are you planning on visiting Stavanger in Norway? This is one of our favourite cities in the country and here’s how to spend the perfect 5 days in Stavanger. 

It always shocks me how many people miss out on seeing the true Stavanger. It’s a beautiful city and a popular base for those looking to hike Pulpit Rock, but there’s a lot more to this oceanside city than one hike. 

When we originally told people we were spending 5 days in Stavanger, many were shocked. ‘Is there that much to do there?’ was the most common question we got. And the answer is an astounding yes! 

There are so many great things to do in this part of Norway that you could spend a lot longer than 5 days in the city. We’d actually love to go back and extend this itinerary further, as you could spend a week or longer here. 

So, if you’re thinking of visiting Stavanger and are considering spending a day or perhaps a weekend exploring, here’s why we think you should spend at least 5 days. 

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Day 1: Arrive in Stavanger

What you do during your first day in Stavanger massively depends on when you land.

If your flight lands in the morning, you can spend the second half of the day exploring the city. Whereas, if you’re arriving in the afternoon, you might be a little more pushed for time. 

For this itinerary, I’m going to assume that you’re arriving around midday. Of course, you can change this to suit your itinerary if you need to.

12:30 – Pick up your car and drive to your hotel

Once you’ve picked up your car (we highly recommend using this car hire company if you haven’t already booked one), drive into the city centre. 

The journey from Stavanger airport to the city only takes around 15 minutes, so it’s a really easy drive. 

One thing you will need to do, though, is make sure that your hotel or apartment in Stavanger has parking, as parking in the city can be pretty tricky to find.

13:00 – Wander Around Gamle Stavanger

Once you’ve arrived at your hotel and settled in, head to one of the most beautiful parts of Stavanger. Gamle Stavanger is also known as the old town. 

It’s an incredibly picturesque area with cute wooden houses, cobbled streets, and pretty blossoms if you visit in the spring or summer. 

There are 170 traditional buildings here in total, including cottages and shops. One of the must-dos during any trip to Stavanger is just to have a wander around the streets here. 

It’s a great way to get a feel for the more traditional side of Stavanger. 

14:00 – Visit the Canning Museum

Next, head to the Canning Museum. This is a curious museum in Stavanger and will tell you all about the sardine canning history in the city. 

This played a major role in Stavanger’s history as the city was one of the largest sardine exporters in the 19th century. The museum is also located in a former canning factory!

At the museum, you can explore lots of exhibits that showcase the entire canning process, from smoking the fish to packaging and labelling. You’ll also see original machinery in action and may even catch live demonstrations from the staff. 

If you’re lucky, you might get the chance to try canning yourself!

16:00 – Climb to Valberg Tower

After you’ve explored the canning museum, head to the other side of the city to visit Valberg Tower. This will only take you 10 minutes to walk on foot, but you’ll be able to see one of the prettiest viewpoints over the city. 

The tower used to be used for both defence and as a fire lookout. Since most of Old Stavanger was made from wood, people were stationed in the tower to look over the city and check for any fires. This was, as you can imagine, a pretty important job!

Today, you can explore the tower and the surrounding area. You’ll find plaques dotted around that talk a little more about the history, as well as several old cannons. Pair that with beautiful views over Stavanger and it’s not a bad place to visit.

17:00 – Explore Stavanger Waterfront

For your final thing to do in Stavanger, head back to the waterfront and explore. This is one of the most vibrant areas of the city and when we visited, we saw both locals and tourists hanging around here. 

There are lots of restaurants and bars, many of which have views across the water. You’ll also find some pretty cool street art here, the Stavanger Maritime Museum, and lots of shops where you can browse for souvenirs. 

It’s well worth going for a wander and simply exploring and soaking in the vibe. It’s a very different atmosphere from Gamle Stavanger, and it’s a great way to get a feel for both sides of the city. 

Plus, this is a great place to go for dinner. We love Fisketorget, a delicious seafood restaurant.

Day 2: Pulpit Rock

For your second day in the city, head to one of the most popular things to do in Stavanger. This is the reason that most people visit Stavanger in the first place, and it is also one of the best and most popular hikes in southern Norway. 

Of course, I’m talking about Pulpit Rock, and this is one hike you absolutely have to do if you have 5 days in Stavanger. I would also recommend this if you only have 2 days in Stavanger – it’s just a must-do!

9:00 – The Pulpit Rock Hike

Since this isn’t the only thing on the agenda for today, I recommend aiming to get there for 9am. This will mean leaving Stavanger at around 8am to give you enough time to drive to the trailhead, park, and change into your hiking boots. 

The hike will take around 4 hours to complete on average, although this will depend on your fitness levels. It could take up to 6 hours if you are a slower hiker, or you could do it in 3 if you’re really quick. 

When we did this hike, we took 4 hours and 40 minutes, but we also hiked higher to reach the trig point of the mountain and stopped to eat lunch on the trail.

👉 Check out our full guide to the Pulpit Rock hike. 

15:00 – The Fjord Cruise

This is another must-do in Stavanger. The Lysefjord is one of the most beautiful fjords in Norway, and there are plenty of cruises from Stavanger that will take you through it. 

This is an absolutely incredible experience, especially after you’ve done the Pulpit Rock hike. You can see the famous rock from the bottom as well as the top. Trust me, if you do this, you can really appreciate how high you hiked!

The cruises will typically last around 3 hours, so you’ll likely be back in Stavanger for 6pm, just in time for another delicious dinner by the waterfront. 

❤️ This is the cruise we recommend for beautiful views of the fjords.

Day 3: Magma Geopark

For your third day in Stavanger, we’re still going to go outside the city, but this time on a slightly easier hike.

Magma Geopark is located around 1 hour and 20 minutes from the city centre, and here you’ll find one of the most unusual hikes near Stavanger.

10:00 – Hike Trollpikken

After Pulpit Rock the day before, hiking Trollpikken will be much easier on your legs. It’s a very curious landscape with marshland, lakes, and unique rock formations. 

Trollpikken itself is a rocky outcrop that resembles a troll’s genitalia – hence the name!

The hike will take around 2 hours, but there are lots of different walking routes in the park, so you can really make a day of exploring this place. 

👉 Check out our full guide to the Trollpikken hike. 

Once you’ve explored the area, head back to Stavanger. If you have time, you could check out some of the hidden gems around Stavanger on the way back to your hotel, like the rock carvings of the broken chain monument. 

But be sure to rest, because tomorrow will be the hardest and most challenging day of this 5-day Stavanger itinerary.

Day 4: One of the best hikes near Stavanger

Today, we’re heading to the other side of the Lysefjord to do one of the most exciting hikes in the area. This is one of the best things to do in Norway and one of the most fun hikes we’ve ever done (to date).

If you like a challenge, incredible views, and adrenaline, you’ll love today. 

7:00 – Drive to the Kjerag Trailhead

Whilst this is one of the best hikes near Stavanger, it’s also the furthest from the city. I recommend starting early, especially if you’re visiting Stavanger in the summer months, as the drive to the trailhead will take around 2 hours and 30 minutes. 

The drive is fairly easy though, and you’ll pass some beautiful scenery along the way. For the final stretch, you’ll also pass through some very windy mountain roads. It’s a fantastic drive.

At the trailhead, you’ll find toilets and a visitor centre, and the parking attendant will give you an estimate of the trail conditions from the top. Then, you can begin the hike. 

10:00 – Hike Kjerag

I’ve said that this hike is challenging for a reason. It starts with a very steep climb and there are 3 steep climbs throughout the hike where you’ll need chains. 

The hike will take you between 6-8 hours in total, depending on your fitness levels. This is honestly so much fun, and we had a lot of laughs along the trail.

The scenery along the way is also insane – at one point, you literally feel like you’re on top of the world. 

Of course, the main reason many hike this trail is to stand on the boulder at the top. This is also well worth it if you have the nerve, but it’s also one of the scariest things we’ve ever done. Do not underestimate this boulder!

👉 Check out our full guide to hiking Kjerag.

18:00 – Head Back to Stavanger

Once you’ve finished the hike, head back down to the car park and drive back to Stavanger. 

Since this hike is so long, you’ll probably be pretty tired after Kjerag, so grab dinner and have a relaxing evening in the city before your final day in Stavanger tomorrow.

Day 5: Manafossen Waterfall

For the final day of this Stavanger itinerary, head to one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Southern Norway. Then head back and see one of the gems around Stavanger town. 

10:00 – Explore one of Norway’s most beautiful waterfalls

Today, have a slightly more relaxed morning, and then drive to Manafossen waterfall. This is around an hour by car from the centre of the city, back in the direction of the Kjerag hike.

Once you reach the waterfall, it’s a very short but steep hike to the top. There are chains in place to pull yourself up, but the entire hike waterfall shouldn’t take longer than 30 minutes one way. 

The fall itself is beautiful. It’s truly a stunning spot, especially if you visit in the springtime when there is more water flowing over the rock. We visited in late May and, as you can see, there was a lot of water.

If you want, you can also continue your hike a little further from here to the village of Mån. This will extend your hike significantly and add another hour to the route, but the farm is beautiful. 

If you don’t want to go all the way to Mån but still want to add a little extra time to the hike, you can just head to the top of the waterfall instead. From here, you can see where the waterfall starts, and it’s pretty impressive. 

👉 Read our full guide to the Manafossen hike.

TOP TIP: There’s no cafe at Manafossen, so you’ll need to bring a packed lunch if you want to eat.

14:00 – Visit Sverd i Fjell

Once you’ve finished the hike, head back to Stavanger, but make a slight detour along the way to Sverd i Fjell. Located on the outskirts of the city, this is very impressive. 

The monument consists of 3 huge swords embedded in a rock on the banks of the beautiful Hafrsfjord. It’s well worth seeing, and the area around it is stunning as well. It’s kind of like a sword in the stone, but on a giant scale and with 3 of them! 

It 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!

15:00 – Explore the Petroleum Museum

Next, head to the Petroleum Museum, one of Stavanger’s top attractions. Located by the waterfront and next to one of my favourite places in Stavanger (the playground) it’s dedicated to the city’s oil industry. 

Since Stavanger is known as the “oil capital” of Norway, the city’s history is closely tied to the development of oil. The museum offers fascinating insights into that story.

Inside, you’ll discover a range of exhibits that explore Norway’s oil and gas industries, from production processes and technological innovations to the challenges and environmental impacts involved.

While it may sound unusual, the museum is surprisingly interesting and definitely worth a stop during your time in Stavanger!

❤️ Book tickets for the Petroleum Museum.

17:00 – Discover Stavanger’s Playground

Last but not least, head to the playground right next to the Petroleum Museum. When we first visited Stavanger, we spent a very fun evening messing around here. It’s a great place to discover your inner child!

Also known as the geopark, this place is a combination of old factory equipment turned into a creative park space. 

There are tunnels you can crawl through made out of old pipes, bouncy balls made from buoys with trampolines in the middle, monkey bars, and a whole range of other equipment. 

It’s a really fun place to explore and a great place to finish your last day in Stavanger. 

Is 5 days in Stavanger enough?

This was the exact amount of time we spent in Stavanger, and we thought it was perfect.

Admittedly, there are things we’d love to go back and do and a few more hikes in the area we’d like to explore. But it was the perfect first-time visit to Stavanger, and we felt like we were able to explore both the city and the surrounding area. 

It really surprises me when people visit Norway and only explore Stavanger for one day or even a weekend, because it really isn’t enough time. We’d recommend 3 days in the city as a minimum and ideally, 5 days like this itinerary, especially if you love the outdoors. 

Plus, if you wanted to include Stavanger as part of a longer Norway road trip, then it’s just 4 hours from Bergen, and close to many other fjords and incredible hiking trails.

So, if you’re heading to Stavanger, I really hope this itinerary helps you plan your trip. If you have any other questions about your trip, feel free to ask in our free Facebook Group for all things Iceland and Norway!

👉 Haven’t decided where to stay yet? Here are all our favourite hotels in Stavanger.

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