Lysefjord Cruise or RIB Safari?

Two ways onto the same fjord

The Lysefjord is roughly 42 km long, with walls that climb past 1,000 m straight out of the water, and there are really only two ways to see it from the water itself: a classic cruise boat, or a RIB safari. Both leave from around Stavanger, both pass beneath Preikestolen, and both let you look up at the same cliffs, waterfalls and the famous staircase at Flørli. Beyond that, they are genuinely different trips, and the right one depends on who you are traveling with and how your body handles speed, spray and cold rather than on which one is “better.”

This page is deliberately a comparison, not a how-to for either format. If you already know you want the cruise, the practical details — timing, what you’ll actually see, which departure to pick — live on the Lysefjord cruise from Stavanger and Lysefjord cruise from Sandnes guides. If you’re leaning toward the RIB, the equivalent detail is on what to expect on a RIB safari and what to wear. What follows here is the decision itself.

The core difference in one paragraph

A cruise on the Lysefjord is a large, stable boat with a covered or semi-covered deck, moving at a steady pace for two to three hours, with commentary, a café or snack service on some sailings, and seating for everyone from toddlers to grandparents. A RIB safari is a small, open, rigid inflatable boat that seats maybe 12-20 people in full-body flotation suits, moving fast enough to bounce over its own wake, covering a shorter route in roughly one to two hours, built around speed, spray and getting physically closer to the cliffs and waterfalls. One is a scenic outing. The other is closer to an amusement-park ride with a spectacular backdrop.

Side-by-side comparison

	Classic cruise	RIB safari
Typical duration	2-3 hours	1-2 hours
Boat type	Large, covered/semi-covered	Small, open, rigid inflatable
Pace	Steady, gentle	Fast, bouncy
Getting wet	Rare, sheltered deck	Expected — full flotation suit provided
Minimum age	Usually none	Often 6-8 years, varies by operator
Mobility needs	Easier for limited mobility	Requires holding on, some agility
Weather sensitivity	Low — sheltered	Higher — more exposed to wind and spray
Typical price band	Moderate	Higher for a shorter trip
Best suited to	Families, older travelers, anyone prone to motion sickness	Thrill-seekers, photographers wanting close-ups, shorter time budgets

Treat the price band as a rough shape rather than fixed numbers — check the current listing for the exact rate before booking, since both formats vary by operator, season and departure point.

Why the cruise works for most people

A cruise boat on the Lysefjord is stable enough that you can walk around the deck, hold a coffee without spilling it, and step outside to take photos without bracing against acceleration. That stability is what makes it the default recommendation for families with young children, older travelers, anyone with back, neck or balance concerns, and people who are simply not sure how they’ll handle open water. The trip typically runs two to three hours, giving the boat time to slow down at the major sights — beneath Preikestolen, past waterfalls, sometimes as far as Flørli — without anyone needing to brace for the next wave.

One boat trip to Preikestolen from Forsand follows exactly this shape: a shorter departure point that still delivers the classic view up at the plateau from the water, without the longer transit some Stavanger-city departures involve.

If you’d rather combine the fjord view with the option of stepping off and hiking, a sailing like the Lysefjorden cruise and Preikestolen hike pairs the boat with a guided ascent, which is worth considering if seeing the plateau from below only feels like half the experience — a question the is a fjord view of Preikestolen enough guide walks through in more depth.

Cruises also tend to run more reliably through marginal weather. Rain and wind that would make a RIB safari cold and unpleasant are far less disruptive from behind glass or under a canopy, which is one reason the cruise is the safer default if you’re traveling in shoulder season or simply can’t predict Rogaland’s weather far enough in advance — see the best season for a Lysefjord cruise for how much that actually varies month to month.

Why the RIB safari appeals to a different traveler

The RIB trades comfort for immediacy. It’s faster, it gets closer to the cliffs and waterfalls, it can duck into spots a larger cruise boat won’t attempt, and the whole experience — engine noise, spray in your face, the boat lifting off small waves — is part of the appeal rather than a drawback. Trips typically run one to two hours, which suits travelers with a tighter schedule, and the shorter format often means more sailings across the day, which can matter if you’re building the Lysefjord into a single busy day around Stavanger.

A private RIB safari cruise to Lysefjord is worth considering if you want the format without sharing the boat with strangers, useful for a couple, a small family with older kids, or a group wanting a specific pace.

A shared option like the Lysefjorden Pulpit Rock RIB safari covers the same core route — beneath the plateau, along the fjord’s steepest walls — at a lower per-person cost. Full details on what the ride actually feels like, from the flotation suits to how much you’ll get soaked, are on what to expect on a RIB safari and how rough is it, really.

The RIB is not the gentler option in any version. Operators provide full-body flotation suits precisely because the ride involves real speed and real spray, and most set a minimum age — commonly around 6-8, though it varies — because younger children can struggle with the noise, cold and sudden acceleration. If someone in your group gets seasick on smaller boats, or has a bad back, the RIB is the format to skip, not the one to push through.

Neither format is the “correct” answer

It’s tempting to treat this as a ranking, but the honest framing is that a cruise and a RIB safari are built for different priorities, and picking one over the other says more about your own tolerance for motion and cold than about which product is better engineered. A family with a toddler and a retiree with a bad hip are usually better served by the cruise, full stop — no amount of “the RIB looks more exciting” changes what a bumpy, wet ride does to a small child or an aching joint. Conversely, a couple with an afternoon to spare, no mobility concerns, and a taste for speed will likely find the cruise a little slow, and will remember the RIB far more vividly.

Weather tolerance matters too. If rain is forecast and you’d rather stay dry, the cruise’s covered deck is the more forgiving choice regardless of your appetite for thrills — a RIB in the rain is simply a colder, wetter RIB. And if your schedule is tight — say, a single day trip built around Preikestolen and the fjord together — the RIB’s shorter duration can be the deciding factor on its own, independent of which experience you’d otherwise prefer.

A few scenarios, worked through

Traveling with kids under 6. The cruise. Most RIB operators won’t take children below their minimum age threshold anyway, and even where they do, a bouncing, wet boat is a hard sell for a young child. See the Lysefjord with kids itinerary for how to build a full day around the calmer option.

A short layover in Stavanger, one afternoon only. The RIB, most likely, simply because it fits into a tighter window and still delivers the core view beneath Preikestolen and along the fjord walls. Check RIB safari departure points from Stavanger and Forsand to see which timing suits a single afternoon.

Prone to seasickness or motion sensitivity. The cruise, without much debate. Its slower pace and larger hull make a real difference, though sitting toward the middle of either boat and watching the horizon rather than a phone screen helps on both.

Wanting the most dramatic photos. Either can deliver strong photos, but the RIB’s closer approach to waterfalls and cliff faces tends to produce more striking close-ups, while the cruise gives you more stable footing and time to compose a shot without bracing against the boat’s movement.

Combining the fjord with the Preikestolen hike itself. Neither boat trip substitutes for standing on the plateau — both only view it from below. If reaching the top matters to you, treat the boat trip as a bonus and plan the hike separately, or book a combined sailing such as the scenic fjordcruise to Lysefjorden Preikestolen from Sandnes that pairs the two without extra logistics on your end.

What both formats have in common

However you choose, both a cruise and a RIB safari on the Lysefjord run seasonally, with far more frequent departures from around May through September, and both are weather-dependent to some degree — a cruise can usually sail through drizzle where a RIB operator might reconsider in genuinely rough conditions.

Both pass the same core landmarks: the sheer walls beneath Preikestolen, the tightening fjord toward Lysebotn, and depending on the exact route, the staircase settlement at Flørli. Neither format gets you to Kjeragbolten, which sits well above the fjord and is reached only by hiking from Øygardstølen at the end of the Lysebotn road — a separate outing entirely, and one that closes for winter when that road shuts.

Both are also bookable well in advance during peak summer, when the most popular departures sell out, particularly for the smaller RIB boats with limited seating. If you’re still deciding between the two formats and a third option — what you actually see on a cruise — lay out photo-by-photo comparisons that make the difference more concrete than any description can.

Frequently asked: cruise vs RIB on the Lysefjord

Is the RIB safari rougher than the cruise?

Yes. A RIB bounces over wake and open water at speed, while a cruise boat moves at a steady, gentle pace with an enclosed or covered deck. If you get seasick easily or have back or neck issues, the cruise is the safer bet.

Which one gets closer to Preikestolen and the fjord walls?

Both pass beneath Preikestolen and along the steepest sections of the Lysefjord, but RIB safaris tend to nose in closer to waterfalls and rock faces for photos, while cruise boats keep a steadier, more predictable distance.

Can I do the RIB safari with young children?

Most operators set a minimum age, commonly around 6-8 years, and children need to handle spray, noise and sudden acceleration. A classic cruise is the more comfortable and more widely accepted choice for families with young kids.

Which is better in bad weather?

The cruise, generally. Its covered or semi-covered deck shields you from rain and wind, while a RIB safari in poor weather means more spray, more cold and a rougher ride, though most operators still run unless conditions are unsafe.

Do I see less on the RIB because it goes faster?

Not necessarily less, just differently. RIB safaris often cover similar distances in less time by moving faster between viewpoints, while cruises linger longer at a slower pace — you trade dwell time for extra stops or a shorter overall outing.

Is the RIB safari more expensive than the cruise?

RIB safaris are usually priced higher for a shorter duration, since the smaller boat, safety gear and closer maneuvering cost more per passenger. Cruises tend to offer more time on the water per krone.

Which departs from Stavanger and which from Sandnes?

Both formats run from Stavanger, and some cruise operators also depart from Sandnes. Check the specific listing before booking, since departure points affect how early you need to arrive.