Stavanger Guest Harbour (Vågen): arrival, harbour information and trip destinations

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Stavanger marina lies in the heart of the city in the Vågen, the old harbour basin between the old town of Gamle Stavanger and the business district, on Norway's west coast not far from the Lysefjord. Here you can read how to travel to your trip's starting point, where the harbour is located exactly, where to park and shop, what sailing weather to expect, which fjords and islands are nearby, and what skippers need to bear in mind when coming alongside.

Where is Stavanger marina located?

Stavanger marina lies in the inner part of the Vågen, at and behind a floating pontoon with space for around 20 yachts. The harbour basin opens northwards to the Byfjord. On its western side begins Gamle Stavanger with its white wooden houses. Cruise ships also berth in the Vågen.

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Arriving at Stavanger marina for your trip start

You can reach Stavanger by air, rail, coach, car or ferry from Denmark. The railway and bus stations are in the centre, only a few minutes' walk from the Vågen.

From Stavanger Sola Airport to the marina

Stavanger Sola Airport (SVG) is in the neighbouring municipality of Sola, around 14 kilometres southwest of the city.

The airport bus runs every 20 minutes and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to Stavanger. It stops at the bus and railway station in the centre; from there it's just under ten minutes' walk to the visitor berths. You pay for your ticket on the bus by card or online in advance. Taxis and car hire are also available at the airport.

By car, train, bus or ferry

By rail you travel on the Sørlandsbanen from Oslo via Kristiansand to Stavanger. The station is by the Breiavatnet, the small lake in the centre, just under ten minutes' walk south of the Vågen.

Coaches link Stavanger with Kristiansand and, via Haugesund, with Bergen. By car you arrive via the E39 from Kristiansand in the south or from Bergen in the north.

Car ferries from Hirtshals in Denmark dock at the port of Risavika near Stavanger. As things stand (November 2026), the night ferry runs all year round on five to six days a week: it leaves Hirtshals in the evening and arrives after 11 to 12 hours at around 7 am. From there it is a 20 to 30 minute drive into the centre, and a scheduled bus also runs into the city.

Parking

There are car parks around 200 metres from the marina on the Skansekaien. The Jorenholmen car park is around 450 metres east of the marina on the Østervågkaien. At the spaces in front of the Oil Museum and in Børevigå you may only park for up to three hours, so they are not suitable for several days on board.

Another public car park with 450 spaces is in the Smedvigkvartalet near Gamle Stavanger and the concert hall, entrance via Borgermester Middelthons gate. It is open 24 hours. At Sola Airport you can book a parking space in advance and take the airport bus into town.

Showers and sanitary facilities

Showers and a laundry with washing machine and spin dryer are in the service building at Børevigå marina, a few minutes' walk east of the Vågen. Use is included in the berthing fee. You receive the door code after payment; it is also shown on the receipt and is valid for the period you have paid for. The building is open from April to October; in winter it remains closed.

Shopping for the trip

The nearest supermarket is around 250 metres from the marina; you can reach two others in six to eight minutes on foot. If possible, plan your main shop before Sunday: in Norway most shops must close on Sundays and public holidays. Small food shops up to 100 square metres, petrol stations and kiosks are allowed to stay open.

Supermarkets sell beer on Mondays to Fridays at most until 8 p.m. and on Saturdays until 6 p.m. Wine and spirits are only available from the state monopoly shop Vinmonopolet, which generally opens Mondays to Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Doctor, pharmacy and emergency services

Stavanger's emergency surgery (Legevakt) is at Armauer Hansens vei 30 south of the centre. Call 116 117 beforehand, where you will receive advice and an appointment. In life-threatening cases you dial the medical emergency number 113.

Stavanger universitetssjukehus (SUS) hospital with accident and emergency department is located in the Ullandhaug district at Leif Larsens gate 8, about 5 kilometres south of the visitors' harbour. The nearest pharmacy is about 200 metres from the visitors' harbour in the city centre, another one just over 300 metres away.

• 113: medical emergency
• 112: Police
• 110: Fire brigade
• 116 117: medical emergency service
• At sea: VHF channel 16. For the south Norwegian coast, the coastal radio station Kystradio Sør is responsible, working together with the main rescue coordination centre for southern Norway in Sola. Their emergency number is +47 51 51 70 00.

What does Stavanger visitors' harbour offer?

The visitors' harbour is operated by Stavangerregionen Havn, the joint port authority of the municipalities of Stavanger, Sola and Randaberg. East of the Vågen, it also operates the Børevigå visitors' harbour with about 35 berths next to the oil museum, where the service building with showers is located.

The Stavanger guest harbour has around 20 visitor berths on and behind the floating pontoon in the Vågen, designed for boats up to 15 metres in length. For larger yachts, the harbour authority temporarily opens berths at Skagenkaien during the summer season. The harbour watch assigns them on +47 51 50 12 01 or via VHF channel 12. Electricity and fresh water are included in the berthing fee as long as they are connected during the summer half-year.

Feature	Details
Location	Vågen in the city centre, address Strandkaien 46
Operator	Stavangerregionen Havn (port authority of Stavanger, Sola and Randaberg)
Visitor berths	about 20 in the Vågen, about 35 in Børevigå visitors' harbour
Berthing fee per night	up to 25 ft 150 NOK, 26–40 ft 290 NOK, 41–50 ft 340 NOK, 51–60 ft 440 NOK, over 60 ft 550 NOK; from the October autumn holidays until Easter 100 to 400 NOK (as of November 2026)
Electricity and water	included in the berthing fee; in the Vågen switched off from 1 October to 30 April
Payment	via GoMarina app; in Børevigå also at the machine
VHF	channel 12 (port authority)
Phone	+47 51 50 12 00 (office, Monday to Friday 8:00 to 15:00), harbour watch +47 51 50 12 01

Current prices are available on the visitors' harbour page of Stavangerregionen Havn.

Equipment

The berth you have paid for is valid until 14:00 the following day. There is no Wi-Fi in the Vågen. Dispose of your rubbish in the bins at the harbour. In winter, the access walkways to the floating pontoons in the Vågen are dismantled, and electricity and water are then only available to a limited extent.

During major summer events, the visitors' harbour in the Vågen may be closed for a few days, for example during tall ship gatherings or boat festivals. A boat from the port authority then patrols.

During the summer season there is a charging box for electric boats in the Vågen with up to 7.4 kW, where two boats can charge at the same time. There are many restaurants and pubs around the Vågen, so it can get noisy at the pontoon in the evening and at night.

What is the weather like in Stavanger for sailing?

Around Stavanger, the wind in winter usually blows from the southeast. In summer, northwest prevails, often as a daytime wind that increases with the sun and drops off in the evening. On the coast it frequently reaches force 6 even on summer days. For the coast, the Norwegian meteorological service issues warnings from force 7 onwards.

Tidal range is small: at spring tides, the water in Stavanger rises and falls on average by only about half a metre. Currents here depend mainly on the wind and on fresh water draining from the fjords.

Fog occurs more frequently in Rogaland than on the rest of the west coast, especially in spring when moist air drifts over the cold coastal water.

Which sailing destinations lie near Stavanger?

From Stavanger you sail either east into the fjords of Ryfylke or north and south along the coast. Distances are rounded distances over water on the usual course from the visitors' harbour; for precise planning the chart applies.

• Tau: about 8 nm to the northeast. The town in Ryfylke has a large marina.
• Forsand and the Lysefjord: about 13 nm to Forsand at the mouth of the Lysefjord. The fjord is 42 kilometres long and leads northeast deep into the mountains.
• Preikestolen from the water: about 20 nm. The rock platform juts 604 metres almost vertically above the Lysefjord. Further inland in the fjord, the Kjerag massif plunges almost 1,000 metres into the fjord.
• Lysebotn: a good 30 nm to the end of the Lysefjord. The small village is the starting point for mountain walks.
• Skudeneshavn: about 20 nm to the northwest across the Boknafjord. The old town at the southern tip of Karmøy with white wooden houses and boathouses from the mid-19th century has been a listed site since 2018.
• Haugesund: about 35 nm north through the Karmsund. The town harbour lies on the Smedasundet in the middle of the town; about three kilometres to the north stands the Haraldshaugen monument to King Harald Fairhair.
• Egersund: about 50 nm south along the Jæren coast. The town lies on a bay between the island of Eigerøy and the mainland and is one of Norway's major fishing ports.
• Bergen: around 95 nm north along the coast. If your trip ends or begins there, you'll find the berths in the profile of the Ports in Bergen.

If you sail further north along the coast, you'll pass Bergen and Stad to reach Sunnmøre; more on this in the profile of the Ålesund marina.

What can you do on a harbour day in Stavanger?

The city centre begins right at the visitors' pontoons; most destinations are within a few minutes' walk.

• Gamle Stavanger: On the west side of the Vågen stand 173 white wooden houses, most built around 1800. The old town is also home to the Canning Museum and the Printing Museum.
• Cathedral: The cathedral at the north end of the Breiavatnet was built in the early 12th century. The nave is Romanesque, the chancel with its two towers Gothic.
• Norwegian Petroleum Museum: On Kjeringholmen, right next to the Børevigå marina, the museum shows the history and future of Norwegian oil production.
• Maritime Museum: Right at the head of the Vågen, at Nedre Strandgate 17 and 19, the museum shows the city's maritime history.

For skippers: Berthing and weather in Stavanger

You can reach Stavangerregionen Havn port operations on VHF channel 12; keep watch on channel 16 as the distress and calling channel. You enter the harbour basin from the north from the Byfjord.

Registration and Berthing

• You berth at the floating pontoon in the Vågen or at the berths behind it, only where visitors' berths are marked or where port operations direct you. Your berth must not obstruct traffic.
• The floating pontoons at Strandkaien are reserved for commercial shipping from 8:00 to 18:00. At times there are many fast rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) moving about in the basin.
• You pay berthing fees in the GoMarina app. One short visit of up to three hours between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. is free once a day; you register this in the app as well.
• From 1 October to 30 April, boats must use snubbers in their mooring lines.

Harbour rules

• From 11 p.m. quiet hours apply; music must not disturb anyone even during the day.
• In the harbour you proceed slowly and according to the collision regulations.
• Boats must not be left unattended for extended periods. You must report any damage to other boats or facilities to port operations immediately.
• In summer you may only sell anything from your boat at the quay in the Vågen with permission from port operations.
• Throughout the harbour area you may not anchor without permission.

Approach

The Vågen is also a cruise ship harbour. When the large ships depart in the afternoon, waves and strong currents develop in the basin. Pay particular attention to your lines and fenders then.

The basin is open to the north. In strong winds from the north and north-west, heavy swell runs into the guest harbour, making it unsuitable for leisure boats. That is why the floating pontoons are only in place during the summer season.

Towards Ryfylke and Lysefjord the shortest route leads east of the city through the Straumsteinsundet between Stavanger and the island of Hundvåg. The city bridge across the sound has 26 metres clearance.

Which marine weather forecast applies in Stavanger?

For the Norwegian coast the state meteorological service Meteorologisk institutt (MET Norway) issues the official forecasts and warnings. You'll find them on the weather portal yr. Strong wind and gale warnings are also broadcast by the coast radio on VHF; for Rogaland this is Kystradio Sør. The warning thresholds for the coast are explained by MET Norway on its website.

Trips from Stavanger on Törnfinder

Trips along the entire Norwegian coast, from the southern fjords to the far north, can be found under cabin charter in Norway, all sailing areas in the trip overview.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get from Stavanger Airport to the marina?

By airport bus or taxi: The bus runs every 20 minutes and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to the bus and railway station in the centre; from there it's just under ten minutes' walk to the Vågen. Sola Airport lies around 14 kilometres southwest of the city.

Where do I park at trip departure in Stavanger?

In a car park, for example in Jorenholmen around 450 metres east of the marina. There are also parking spaces on Skansekaien, around 200 metres away. The spaces in front of the Oil Museum and in Børevigå are limited to three hours. At Sola Airport you can book a parking space in advance.

Are there showers at Stavanger marina?

Yes, in the service building of Børevigå guest harbour, a few minutes' walk east of the Vågen. There's also a washing machine there. The building is open from April to October; you receive the door code when you pay.

What does a berth in Stavanger guest harbour cost?

Per night 290 NOK for a boat of 26 to 40 feet, 340 NOK up to 50 feet and 440 NOK up to 60 feet. From the October autumn holidays until Easter it is around 30 per cent cheaper (as of November 2026). Electricity, water and the showers in Børevigå are included, and payment is made by app.

Can I go shopping in Stavanger on Sunday?

Only to a limited extent: on Sundays only small food shops up to 100 square metres, petrol stations and kiosks may open. Wine and spirits are not available at all on Sundays.

Which VHF channel does Stavanger guest harbour use?

Channel 12, where the harbour operator Stavangerregionen Havn responds. You can reach them by telephone on weekdays from 8 am to 3 pm on +47 51 50 12 00.

How far is it from Stavanger to Preikestolen?

By boat it's about 20 nm to beneath the rock ledge in Lysefjord, about 13 nm to Forsand at the fjord mouth. To the head of the fjord in Lysebotn it's a good 30 nm.