My review of the hidden nature hike to Preikestolen
Verdict: the emptiest way onto the plateau and the hardest booking on this site. Eight people maximum, pickup in Stavanger or Sandnes, and a rarely used back-country trail through forest and over Neverdalsfjellet that joins Preikestolen from another direction. Roughly 9 km and about 500 metres of climbing, so it is longer than the main trail, not a shortcut. Rated 5.0 on eighteen reviews, which is encouraging and is not yet evidence.
What “hidden” means here
It means a different way in. A trail almost nobody uses, through forest and over a hill called Neverdalsfjellet, arriving at Preikestolen from a side the crowd does not come from. It does not mean a secret viewpoint instead of the plateau, and it does not mean less work. The main path is about 8 km with roughly 350 to 500 metres of climbing; this is roughly 9 km with about 500. You are buying solitude, and you are paying for it with your legs.
In July that is a reasonable thing to buy. Visitor numbers were 288,839 in 2018 and 309,956 in 2019, Norwegian reporting put 2023 at around 354,000, and the trend is towards 400,000. On a fine Saturday the stone staircases form a queue, which is the whole subject of the crowds page. Marion’s note on this tour is that she liked watching the crowds on Preikestolen from above, away from them, and that is a fair description of what the route sells.
Included
- Pickup in Stavanger or Sandnes
- A guide, with eight people at most
- Snacks, a packed lunch and water
- The parking fee at the trailhead
Not included
- Boots and waterproof layers, which are yours (what to bring)
- A shorter or easier day than the main path
- A railing at the top, because there is none anywhere on this plateau
- Any promise about the weather over Neverdalsfjellet
What recurs in the reviews
Eighteen reviews, so I am not going to pretend to statistics. What they have in common is the guiding and the emptiness. Tong describes the guide, Sean, as patient, helpful and experienced. Karolina’s note is that the guide adjusted the pace and the route to the group, which is what a cap of eight buys and a coach of eighty cannot. Ralf counted three other people on the way.
Those two things are connected. A rarely used route only works with someone who knows it, and a group of eight is small enough that the route can be changed for whoever turned up. On the main path a guide manages a pace; here a guide makes a decision.
The 5.0 needs saying plainly. On eighteen reviews a perfect score means nothing has gone wrong yet. It is not the same class of evidence as 4.8 over 467 on the terminal departure, and I would read it as a small operation doing careful work rather than as proof. I would still book it for the right walker.
What works
- Eight people at most, and a guide who can shape the day around them
- A route almost nobody uses, arriving from the other side
- Snacks, a packed lunch, water and the parking fee included
- Pickup in Sandnes as well as Stavanger
- Preikestolen seen from above the crowd before you reach it
Worth knowing
- Longer and harder than the main trail: roughly 9 km, about 500 metres up
- Eighteen reviews, which is not a sample
- Seven hours, which sits badly against a ship in port
- The wrong first hill walk for somebody who does not walk
- Forest and open hill instead of Sherpa-built steps, which after a wet week is no improvement
Who it is for, and who it is not for
For: walkers who have done this kind of distance before and want Preikestolen without the procession. Photographers, for the approach from an unusual angle. Anyone who dislikes being in a group of more than about ten, and anyone who wants the day decided by conditions rather than by a timetable.
Against: first-time hill walkers, who should take the main path with a guide on the terminal tour or the pickup tour. Children, on nine kilometres of rough ground — see going with children. Cruise passengers, because seven hours and a Sandnes pickup leave nothing spare. Anyone who reads “hidden” and hears “easier”, for whom how hard is it is the page to read first.
If you want the plateau quiet and this tour does not suit you, the other lever is the calendar rather than the route. September is much quieter than July with the trail still in good condition, and late June evenings stay light long enough that people set off at eight at night and come down near midnight in usable light. Rogaland is well south of the Arctic Circle, so that is long dusk rather than midnight sun. Best time of day and best time to visit have the detail.
Frequently asked questions
Is the hidden route shorter than the normal one?
No, it is longer. Roughly 9 km and about 500 metres of climbing, against about 8 km on the main path. It is emptier, not easier.
How small is the group really?
Eight people maximum. Reviewers describe the guide adjusting the pace and the route to whoever turned up, which is the practical benefit of that cap.
Do you still end up on Preikestolen itself?
Yes, joining it from another direction. There is no fence or railing at the top, here or anywhere on the plateau. See is there a fence.