The Best Way To Spend One Day in Stavanger, Norway

The city of Stavanger is located along the water on the west coast of Norway’s southern region. It is well known as a college town full of students as well as a coastal destination popular with locals and tourists alike. If this is your first time visiting Stavanger – we’ve got you covered! Check out our recommendations for Stavanger in the guide below. Happy traveling!

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1. Hike to Pulpit Rock

One of the most popular activities around the area of Stavanger, we recommend starting your day with a tour out to the one and only Pulpit Rock! This is a moderate hike on a well maintained trail, with most elevation gain traversed by rock stairs instead of dirt paths.

This hike to Pulpit Rock is most well known for its lookout over the surrounding fiord at the top of the trail, with hikers taking turns getting their solo shot on the massive Pulpit Rock!

The view is of course best on a clear day, but unfortunately on our climb it was a bit rainy and foggy – that’s Norway for you! 🙂

Guided tours for Pulpit Rock leave from Stavanger fairly early in the morning, as they want to make sure you have time to complete the hike safely before the sun starts to go down.

2. Lunch at Kaffelade Stavanger

After your big hike to Pulpit Rock, we recommend heading over to Kaffelade Stavanger to rest your feet and refuel for the second half of the day! This quaint restaurant is located at Kirkegata 35, Stavanger and is open until 19:00 every day but Sunday (when it is closed all day).

3. Stroll the Øvre Holmgate

When you’re ready to get back up and start exploring, next up you should check out Øvre Holmgate! This is a vibrantly colorful street in the pedestrian area of Stavanger. Full of cafes and boutique stores, this area of Stavanger is popular for shopping and photo-ops!

Øvre Holmgate is located at 4006 Stavanger, but is easy to stumble upon when exploring the pedestrian area of the city even without putting it into your maps!

4. Enjoy the Breiavatnet Lake

When you’re all shopped out, you can head over to the Breiavatnet Lake to enjoy some quiet & relaxing down time by the water! There are several benches to sit and enjoy the view around the water, and this is a popular drop off location for public buses when you first arrive in Stavanger so there is a lot of good people watching as well!

5. Dinner on Skagenkaien

To end the day, we recommend finding your way down to the street of Skagenkaien so you can enjoy the beautiful views of Stavanger’s inlet lit up with the glow of the town’s quiet nightlife. Some popular restaurants along the water include: Fisketorget Stavanger, Skagen Fiskerestaurant, Pincho Nation, and Skagen Fiskerestaurant – though there are many options!

Where to Stay in Stavanger

Check out these popular accommodations in Stavanger based on your travel style below!

• Budget: The Villa Boutique
• Popular: The Hotel Victoria
• Luxury: The Radisson Blu Atlantic Stavanger

Please let us know what your favorite thing to do in Stavanger is in the comments below – we hope you have a great trip!

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About the Author: Hi, I’m Jill! I am a biomedical & mechanical engineer who loves traveling during my free time. My hope is to help make it easier for others to plan their dream trips by providing firsthand experience from the places I’ve been! Read More.