We hiked up to and past Pulpit Rock last week. It had BEAUTIFUL vistas, and was truly like few other hikes we have done. It's a "bucket list" type of hike - probably mostly because of the iconic Pulpit Rock photos folks see but also because of the natural beauty of the area. All told, with a nice picnic near the top and overlooking the fjord and the Pulpit Rock overhang, we spent around 3.5 hrs from the bottom roundtrip (~5.3 miles/1,750 ft elev gain).
I'd rate the views of the surrounding area 9+/10.
I'd rate the hike itself a 3/10.
I'd rate the logistics of doing it near 10/10.
I'd rate the difficulty (as a fit 54 yr old) as a 2/5.
I'd rate the "fear of heights factor" as negligible and completely in the control of the hiker.
My wife and I hike a lot on vacation, and have done many of the "classic" US NP hikes (like Vernal Fall/Nevada Fall Trails in Yosemite which is very similar in distance & elevation). In all my years, I have NEVER been on a more crowded hike from bottom to top - literally never even close to alone. Usually, with a more strenuous (steep or longer) hike, folks tend to thin out as the going gets tougher. This never happened on the Preikestolen hike. The only time we were remotely free of crowds (not just other people) was when we continued higher past Pulpit Rock to the vantage points above it. This was literally the height of tourist season (Friday - Aug 2nd), so YMMV, but if you are expecting a hike in the peace of nature, this is NOT the hike for that.
The hike itself is generally all up or all down, with a few short stretches of flat. The trail is mostly made up of large rocks, with "steps" for the steeper parts which also form chokepoints for slower climbers and/or head-on traffic. I was actually very surprised to see so few folks stumbling or tripping, but for much of the hike up or down, your eyes are focused on the trail, not the beautiful surroundings. You really have to stop periodically to just look around and appreciate the beauty. There are multiple places along the path to do just that, so don't skip those as those are where you get the smaller rewards along the way to the biggest rewards at the top.
We saw ALL ages doing the hike. It is only really difficult in the sense that it is like doing steps for an hour, and focusing on foot placement is key. Not a lot of overweight folks (but a few) nor elderly, but there were some (even at the top), and there were lots of families with younger kids in tow (or toddlers in backpacks/frontpacks) along with DOGS - lots of dogs.
Pack in a liter or so of water and some food for a summit picnic. The starting point has several places for food, drinks, snacks, and also restrooms. Restrooms are ONLY at the bottom, and unlike normal hikes in the woods, there is no easy "pop-off the trail a few feet to pee" options along the way. Yes, there are side trails leading off to more secluded spots, but with dozens of folks walking past those side trails every minute, there is little or no guarantee a woman will have a free moment to take a nature break.
Would I recommend the hike? Yes - IF in Stavanger. Would I fly specifically into Stavanger to do the hike? No. Would I do the hike again? MAYBE if I could give it a shot mid-week in the off-season with the same perfect weather we got. We did multiple hikes in Norway and this hike was definitely "worth" doing, but it wasn't our favorite of the trip. Probably #1 for the dramatic vistas, but down the list for overall enjoyment.
