RIB or catamaran?

What is the difference between a RIB and a catamaran on the Lysefjord?

The route is the same. A RIB is a 2-hour open speedboat ride in a flotation suit; a catamaran is a 2.5 to 3.5-hour cruise with an indoor lounge.

Side by side, using what each listing states:

Is a RIB tour on the Lysefjord wet and cold?

Breezy and cold, yes; soaked, rarely. The suit, goggles and gloves keep out most of the spray, but at speed the wind chill bites even in July.

FjordEvents says its RIB builds up to about 35 knots once clear of the harbour (Fjord Norway). At that speed, a 15 °C summer day feels like early spring. Both RIB companies hand out full flotation suits in all sizes, plus goggles and gloves on colder days. Wear a warm layer underneath and bring a hat that fits under the hood. Your face takes the spray.

Guests don't seem to mind. One wrote "Nice guide, fast and cool ride, and beautiful scenes that you may never see again"; another noted "We saw a lot, despite the rain." On the big boats you can stay dry indoors and step out only for the cave, the cliff and the falls.

Can children, pregnant travellers or people with back problems go on a RIB?

Not young children, and not if you are pregnant or have back problems: both RIB listings rule these out. The big boats have no such limits.

The FjordEvents RIB tour is not suitable for children under 6, pregnant women or people with back problems. The Stavanger RIB small-group safari sets the line at 5, with the same pregnancy and back rules. One parent's view, from a review: "Also suitable for younger children (from 10 years old, I would say)". A RIB slams on chop, and small bodies feel it most.

For toddlers, babies and anyone who needs a smooth ride, take a big boat. Rødne lets children under 4 travel free when you book direct (rodne.no), and its boats have toilets and baby-changing tables. The covered speedboat takes children from 3 but not wheelchairs, and there are one or two steps between the boat and the dock.

Will I get seasick on a Lysefjord cruise?

Inside the Lysefjord, rarely: it is sheltered and usually calm. The exposed part is the open water between Stavanger and the fjord mouth at Forsand.

Every trip crosses the island-scattered water and Høgsfjorden before it reaches the Lysefjord Bridge. In a westerly wind that stretch can get choppy, and that is where any queasiness happens. One RIB guest wrote: "Despite the choppy seas and the high speed, the pilot of the speedboat had everything safely under control!" Once you pass under the bridge, the walls close in and the water usually flattens.

If you are prone to seasickness, a catamaran is the safer bet: two hulls, a steady deck, and a horizon you can watch from the open stern. On a RIB, sit towards the back, where the bounce is softer, and keep your eyes on the cliffs rather than your phone.

Which boat is better for photography?

A big boat for steady shots and long lenses; a RIB for low angles close to the walls. On both, sit on the left side going in.

Preikestolen and Hengjanefossen are on the north shore, the left side as you head in. The big boats have open sun decks and stop long enough at each sight for a proper photo; the stable deck helps in low light. On a RIB, the skipper stops at the cave, under Pulpit Rock and at the falls, and you shoot from water level, which makes the walls look enormous. Between stops, keep the camera zipped in: spray and wind take things overboard.

A note on the famous shot. Pulpit Rock from the water is a ledge 604 m up, and on a phone screen it looks small whichever boat you are on. The view down the fjord that fills Instagram is taken from the top. More in Pulpit Rock without hiking.

Twelve seats at most, the captain as your guide, and plenty of stops for photos at the cave, the cliff and the falls.

★ 4.9 · 2 hours · from $147

Explore the small-group RIB safari → Tour details

What happens on a Lysefjord trip in bad weather?

The big boats sail rain or shine. RIB trips can be shortened or turned back in rough seas, and the covered speedboat may switch part of the trip to a minibus.

Rødne's listing says plainly: "we sail rain or shine". Rain alone rarely spoils a fjord trip; low cloud is the real risk, because it can hide the top of Preikestolen. One guest on the hybrid ship reported the rock hidden in cloud on the day.

The RIBs depend more on wind. Stavanger RIB says its trip may be shortened, and if it has to turn back before reaching the Lysefjord you get a full refund. Fjord Xplore may give a free upgrade to a boat-and-minibus round trip in bad weather or when the boat is full. Every tour on this site cancels free up to 24 hours before, so watch the forecast on yr.no and decide the day before.

Is a RIB faster, and do you see more?

Faster, yes: 2 hours instead of 3.5. You don't see more of the fjord, since every boat turns at the same waterfall, but you see it from closer and lower.

The Stavanger RIB listing breaks the trip down as about 30 minutes out, about 45 minutes in the Lysefjord and about 30 minutes back. A RIB can nose right in under a waterfall and hold position below the cliff. The big boats keep a little more distance, but they spend longer at each stop, and on Rødne's boat the goats often come down to the water to be fed. Goats, porpoises, seals and sea eagles are all possible on any boat, and promised on none.

Want both speed and distance? The Flørli RIB day is the only RIB here that goes past the Whisky Falls, to the roadless village of Flørli and its 4,444 steps.

Which boat should you book?

Families with under-5s, pregnant travellers and anyone with a bad back: a big boat. Fit adults and teens on a dry day: a RIB. Somewhere in between: the covered speedboat.

• The electric catamaran if comfort and calm matter most, or for a wheelchair user. Rødne's cruise runs all year.
• The low-emission catamaran if you want a big boat but only 2.5 hours, with commentary in your language.
• The hybrid ship in summer, for a live English guide and the lowest online price.
• The FjordEvents RIB for a 2-hour blast from the city harbour, ages 6 and up.
• The Stavanger RIB safari for a group of 12 at most, ages 5 and up.
• The covered speedboat for a small boat with a roof and a live guide, ages 3 and up.

Frequently asked questions