Last Updated: May 2026
Stavanger and Kristiansand are both in southern Norway, separated by about 230 kilometers of coastline, and they could hardly feel more different from each other. Stavanger is Norway’s oil capital — prosperous and serious, with an extraordinary natural setting on the edge of the Lysefjord that draws hikers and boat tourists from around the world. Kristiansand is its more relaxed southern neighbor, known for long sandy beaches, a charming city center, and the kind of warm, sunny summer weather that feels almost like a Scandinavian anomaly. We visited Stavanger first as part of our Baltic cruise aboard the Sky Princess, then returned to Kristiansand toward the end of the trip as the ship looped back south through the Norwegian coast.
