landmark
Stavanger (Gamle Stavanger)
Northern Europe's best-preserved wooden house settlement, a charming cluster of 173 white-painted 18th-century houses near the harbour.
13 km · about 25 min drive
EuropeNorwayRogaland
Sandnes
Rogaland, Norway · Europe
About Sandnes
Sandnes works well as a base: 10 minutes from Sola, 30km from Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock).
Sandnes is in Rogaland, Norway, with about 85,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Sola, about 6 km away.
Sandnes (pronounced [ˈsɑ̂nːeːs] ) is a city and municipality in Rogaland, Norway and a suburb of Stavanger. It lies immediately south of Stavanger (the 4th largest municipality in Norway), and together the Stavanger/Sandnes area is the third-largest urban area in Norway. The urban city of Sandnes lies in the extremeRead more
western part of the vast municipality and it makes up about 5% of the total land area of the municipality.
Sandnes is part of the traditional district of Jæren. The western part of the municipality is very urbanized while the eastern part of the municipality is very rural. The municipality is divided into 13 boroughs and the administrative centre is located in the borough of Trones og Sentrum, a borough in the city. There are several villages in the rural parts of the municipality including Hommersåk, Høle, Foss-Eikeland, Stokka, Forsand, Lysebotn, and Vatne.
The 1,040.61-square-kilometre (401.78 sq mi) municipality is the 109th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Sandnes Municipality is the 11th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 85,785 in 2026. The municipality's population density is 82.4 inhabitants per square kilometre (213/sq mi) and its population has increased by 12.8% over the previous 10-year period.
Where to Stay in Sandnes
Compare prices across Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, and more. Select your dates to see availability.
Filter presets
Pick your must-haves once: provider links open pre-filtered. Each filter lists which sites it applies to.
Compare before you book!
Prices can vary significantly between platforms. We recommend checking at least 2-3 sites to find the best deal for your stay in Sandnes.
Explore the Area
Discover famous landmarks, scenic roads, and more near Sandnes.
Loading map...
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Sandnes?
Within an hour or so of Sandnes: Stavanger (Gamle Stavanger) (13 km), Ryfylke Tunnel (Ryfast) (15 km), Jæren National Tourist Route (19 km), Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) (30 km).
Are there any good drives near Sandnes?
The nearest famous roads are Jæren National Tourist Route, Lysebotn Road (Lysevegen) and Lysevegen.
Where is Sandnes?
Sandnes is in Rogaland, Norway, about 6 km from Sola.
Road trip
Drive to Sandnes
Add it as a stop and the planner works out the driving, the nights and what's worth seeing on the way.
Start planningWhat's nearby?
Swipe through places to go
Places within a drive of Sandnes. Keep the ones you like and add them to your trip.
Explore now
Quick Information
- Population
- 85,386
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Norway
- Region
- Rogaland
- Timezone
- Europe/Oslo
- Coordinates
- 58.8524, 5.7352
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Norway
Many toll roads use automatic plate recognition (AutoPASS). Headlights required at all times.
Full driving guide for NorwayTags
Worth the detour from Sandnes
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
tunnel
Ryfylke Tunnel (Ryfast)
The world's longest and deepest subsea road tunnel, running 14.4 km beneath the fjord from Stavanger to Ryfylke and reaching 292 m below sea level.
15 km · about 30 min drive
coastal drive
Jæren National Tourist Route
Flat, windswept coastal drive south of Stavanger past endless dune beaches, stone-walled farmland and lighthouses: Norway's softest coastline and a favourite of surfers and sunset chasers.
19 km · about 20 min drive
natural wonder
Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock)
A flat-topped cliff rising 604 meters above Lysefjorden, one of Norway's most iconic and thrilling viewpoints.
30 km · about 35 min drive
film location
Preikestolen (Mission: Impossible - Fallout finale)
The 604m flat-topped cliff above Lysefjord is the cliff-edge fight that ends Fallout; a 4km hike from the car park.
30 km · about 35 min drive
natural wonder
Lysefjord
A 42km sheer-walled fjord framed by Pulpit Rock and Kjerag, threaded by a serpentine fjord-side road.
44 km · about 50 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Kjeragbolten
A boulder wedged in a mountain crevice 984 metres above the Lysefjord, one of Norway's most thrilling photo opportunities.
53 km · about 60 min drive
mountain pass
Lysebotn Road (Lysevegen)
A spectacular Norwegian mountain road descending 900m through 27 hairpins and a spiral tunnel to the Lysefjord, near the famous Preikestolen cliff.
57 km · about 65 min drive
Driving roads near Sandnes
- Right hereRyfylke Tunnel (Ryfast)The world's longest and deepest subsea road tunnel, running 14.4 km beneath the fjord from Stavanger to Ryfylke and reaching 292 m below sea level.
- 19 kmJæren National Tourist RouteFlat, windswept coastal drive south of Stavanger past endless dune beaches, stone-walled farmland and lighthouses: Norway's softest coastline and a favourite of surfers and sunset chasers.
- 53 kmKjeragboltenA boulder wedged in a mountain crevice 984 metres above the Lysefjord, one of Norway's most thrilling photo opportunities.
- 57 kmLysebotn Road (Lysevegen)A spectacular Norwegian mountain road descending 900m through 27 hairpins and a spiral tunnel to the Lysefjord, near the famous Preikestolen cliff.
- 58 kmLysevegenA dramatic mountain road in Norway with 27 hairpin bends providing access to the famous Pulpit Rock viewpoint.
- 74 kmSuleskarvegen (Fv337)A lonely moorland road across the Setesdal uplands between Sirdal and the Lysefjord region, all bare rock and lakes.
When to drive here
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
Nearby Destinations
Other places to explore near Sandnes.
Plan a trip around Sandnes
Your trip starts here
Plan a road trip from Sandnes.
Pick the days, drop in the stops, and share it with whoever's coming.