Activities, day trips and experiences

Soknakrossen hiking trail

There is a nice hiking trail on Sokn Gard. The name Soknakrossen comes from a stone cross that stood on the southwestern tip of Sokn. The round trip of about 2.5 km is partly on an agricultural road and partly on pasture and in the beach zone.   Read what Archaeologist Per Storemyr tells about Soknakrossen.

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Here you will find the hiking trail over Soknakrossen hiking trail

Visit Utstein

Sokn Gard has a view of Fjøløy, Klosterøy and Finnesand where the actors in Visit Utstein are located. You get a nice program for the day by taking a walk. The contributors to Visit Utstein strive to deliver quality, sustainability, hosting and history. It is not a goal to have as many visitors as possible, but to develop concepts and experiences that are of high quality and are in line with vision and values.

Pulpits

The trip from Preikestolen Fjellstue to Preikestolen is one of the country's most enigmatic mountain hikes - over 270,000 people take the trip out on the spectacular mountain plateau every year.

The actual walk out to the Pulpit Rock is done in less than two hours for those who are used to walking in rough terrain. For children and untrained hikers, we would estimate spending between two to three hours one way without a break. The height difference is 330 meters and the distance is 3.8 km. The path was significantly upgraded before the summer of 2015. It is made wider and several places have soldered up stone stairs. Do not underestimate the trip, it is longer than you think. Remember to enter time for the return as well. An adult person spends most 4 hours a lot depending on how long a stop you make on the Pulpit Rock itself. 
It is most common to go on this trip between April and October - in winter the trip is not recommended. 

Food experiences nearby

If you are looking for a culinary experience, we highly recommend a meal at Utstein Kloster Hotell. Here they use local ingredients and prepare beautiful menus for seasonal ingredients. They also have good options for children. 

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A good alternative is Tommy's kitchen at Sokn Camping and Marina, in addition there are fast-food options at Askje, whether you want Pizza or Thai . You will also find the nearest grocery store on Askje.

Kjerag

Kjerag is the majesty of the Lysefjord east of Stavanger. With its 1000 vertical meters, even the Pulpit Rock seems small. The vertical and glossy granite wall has long been admired from the fjord, but if you want a different experience, you should take the trip up to the Kjerag plateau and Kjeragbolten. The whole trip goes on a marked path (approx. 10 km) round trip in hilly terrain with a height difference of 570 meters. The use of time depends a lot on the weather and driving conditions, and whether you are used to walking in mountain terrain. The trip is 6-7 hours plus driving time from the boathouse 2.5 hours each way.   

The Flørli stairs

Take the trip to Flørli in Ryfylke and go 4,444 steps to the top! Flørli stairs and is one of the longest wooden stairs in the world. Experience the amazing view out of the Lysefjord and towards the pulpit rock. In the summer you can take a ferry or fjord cruise into the Lysefjord which is adapted for a trip in the Flørlit stairs.  

Utstein Monastery

Utstein monastery is Norway's only preserved medieval monastery, located in beautiful surroundings on Mosterøy in Rennesøy municipality. In the Middle Ages, it was a monastery for Augustinian monks and later a bailiff's farm in the 18th century.

Utstein Kloster is today run as a museum, conference venue, function rooms and concert arena. The monastery is located on Klosterøy in Rennesøy municipality. It is a 30-minute drive to Stavanger via an underwater tunnel (Rennfast).

Utstein appears in historical sources as early as the 11th century, and then as a royal estate for Harald Hårfagre after the battle of Hafrsfjord in 872. The monastery was built from the 1260s, but it is possible that some parts of the building are older and date from a former royal estate. . The church is unique in its kind in Norway, with the tower placed in the middle between the choir and the nave.

The monks belonged to the Augustinian orders. They had a strict discipline with regular prayer, scripture reading and Masses. The monastery has hardly had more than 12 monks at most, but probably had a significant number of servants who were responsible for, among other things, farm care, building work and cooking. The monastery owned significant land properties and had enough income to feed 250 people annually.
 

Sjernarøyane

Explore the islands! One of the best hiking experiences you can have (in our eyes) is to Sjernarøyane, a perfect day trip from Sokn Gard. Sjernarøyane is an archipelago in the old Finnøy municipality. The islands are located in Nedstrandsfjorden, west of Ombo and north of Finnøy. In 2014, the islands were inhabited by 365 people. The name comes from the North Røne word "Sjorn" which means the number "Seven" due to the archipelago historically had 7 inhabited islands. Today, there are several islands that belong to the group, including Kyrkjøy, Bjergøy, Eriksholmen, Tjul, Nord-Hidle, Aubø, Helgøy and Nord-Talgje. The uninhabited islands are Hestholmen, Finnborg, Lundarøynå, Norheimsøynå, Norheimslamholmen, Staup, Fiskholmane and several other small islands. The church in Sjernarøy is located on the main island Kyrkjøy. The archipelago does not have the mainland connection but many bridges that connect the group. Nord-Hidle is not connected to any other island. There are several ferry connections that connect the Sjernarøyene to the mainland. 

Månafossen

Månafossen is ranked No. 9 in Norway, and is considered one of the county's biggest tourist attractions. However, the trip should not end here. You can easily make another small climb, and before the next half hour has passed, the landscape opens up: You are suddenly on Mån where Jæren Friluftsråd has restored the old mountain farm. Until 1915, people lived here at the gateway to Fidjadalen. If there is rain in the air, the chance of seeing a mighty waterfall a quarter of an hour - twenty minutes from the parking lot is greater than if it has not rained for a while. A trip to Månafossen can be combined with dinner and a visit to Byrkjedalstunet.

Museum in Stavanger

Most of the museums are located in and near the center of Stavanger. Stavanger Museum houses the Norwegian Children's Museum, natural history and urban history exhibitions, Stavanger Maritime Museum and the Norwegian Canning Museum in old Stavanger. By Mosvannet is Stavanger Art Museum and in Hillevåg, Stavanger School Museum. The villa Breidablikk, as well as the gazebo and the royal residence Ledaal are located on Egenes. Norway's only standing medieval monastery Utstein monastery on Mosterøy by Rennesøy is close to the boathouse and is worth a visit. The most distinctive features of this area are often the Oil Museum and the new Graphic Museum in connection with the Canning Museum.

Bruhalsen, Kultursti

Nearby Sokn you can get a short and nice walk of about 5km.

Across the island of Bru, there is a cultural trail that is unique in content and location. The cultural trail was opened in 2008 in connection with Stavanger's position as European Capital of Culture.

Rennesøy Hodnet (Rennesøyhornet)

The kind of view you should look for a long time. Rennesøyhodnet is located in the middle of the Ryfylke basin and offers a fantastic view on all sides. Only a short drive (15 minutes) from Sokn. The actual trip can be started from several starting points depending on the length and degree of difficulty.

Ørnhaug visit and activity yard

Ørnhaug creates experiences for families with children. Animals, play and fun. Open every day during school holidays and every weekend 10.00-17.00

Åmøy Alpakkagård

Åmøy alpaca farm is located on Vestre Åmøy just a few minutes from Sokn Gard.

Ane Monica Birkeland, Egil Vareberg has operated with Alpaca since 2013. Their flock grows every year. Here you can take part in Alpaca hiking and shop for the softest alpaca wool products.