Easy Hikes in Norway

Norway has a great many genuinely easy walks, and Kjerag is emphatically not one of them. If you want a short day on good ground, the honest answer is to look at marked local trails, valley paths and lakeside routes, not at the famous rock formations. Of the big three, only Preikestolen is within reach of most casual walkers, and even that is four to five hours.

Is Kjerag easy?No

Kjerag round tripAbout 11 km, 6 to 10 hours

Kjerag climbingAround 760 to 800 m, three ascents

Kjerag chainsSeveral hundred metres

PreikestolenAbout 8 km, 4 to 5 hours, no chains

Mountain hiking seasonRoughly June to September

Saying the unpopular thing first

People arrive at this question hoping somebody will tell them Kjeragbolten is manageable for an unprepared walker in trainers. It is not, and I am not going to pretend otherwise to keep a page cheerful. Eleven kilometres, roughly 760 to 800 metres of climbing, three ascents and two descents, several hundred metres of chains bolted along the steep slabs, and a descent at the end that is where most of the injuries happen. It is a real mountain day.

Being free and unguided does not make it gentle. Nobody stops you setting off, and nobody assesses whether you should. That is exactly why I spent eleven summers watching people discover the answer at the first chain rather than at a ticket desk.

What easy actually looks like in Norway

Marked local paths, valley floors, forest and lakeside routes near towns, and the lower sections of fell trails that you can turn round on whenever you like. The country is unusually good at these: they are signed, they are common, and they are not the ones that appear in travel articles. If you want scenery without a mountain day, the other reliable answer is water — the fjord from a boat gives you the landscape at its full scale with no walking at all.

The realistic options near the Lysefjord

What works

The Lysefjord cruise: a little over three hours, no hiking at all
Preikestolen: about 8 km and 4 to 5 hours, the easiest of the famous three
The drive up to Øygardstøl, with a look at the fjord from the car park
Turning round early on any of these, which nobody minds and nobody charges for

Worth knowing

Kjerag: 6 to 10 hours, chains, and not a beginner walk in any weather
Flørli 4444: a wooden staircase of 4,444 steps, which is short but brutal
Anything on the high fells before June, which still holds snow
Kjerag out of season, which needs winter equipment and a guide

If you were looking for an easy route to Kjeragbolten specifically, there is not one. There is one trail, from one car park, and it is the one described on the trail page. The fitness question is dealt with properly on how hard is it, and the alternative for anyone who cannot manage steep rock is on the accessibility page.

Local tip

If you are unsure, do Preikestolen first and use it as a test. Four hours on Norwegian rock tells you more about whether Kjerag is for you than any description, mine included.

What there is to book

Nothing for the trail itself. What is bookable is the ride out of Stavanger, a guide, or the Lysefjord cruise, which involves no walking at all. Everything is listed on the bookings page.

Check dates & book

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Frequently asked questions

Is Kjeragbolten an easy hike?

No. It is about 11 kilometres with roughly 760 to 800 metres of climbing over three ascents, plus chain-assisted steep slabs.

What is the easiest famous hike in Norway?

Of the big three, Preikestolen: about 8 kilometres, 4 to 5 hours, no chains.

Is there an easy way to see the Lysefjord?

Yes, by boat. The cruise from Stavanger lasts a little over three hours and involves no walking.