Around Kristiansand
Day trips along the south coast
East of Kristiansand, along the E18, lie Lillesand, Grimstad and Arendal; to the west, on the E39, are Mandal and Lindesnes Lighthouse. Inland, the Rv9 leads up the Setesdal valley. You can reach every destination by car without taking a ferry.
On this page
Day trips from Kristiansand at a glance
Kristiansand is on Norway's south coast. To the east, the E18 runs to the coastal towns of Lillesand, Grimstad and Arendal; to the west, the E39 leads to Mandal, Lindesnes and Flekkefjord. The Rv9 takes you north into the Setesdal valley. The driving times in the table assume no traffic, and none of the routes involves a ferry.
| Destination | Road | Distance | Driving time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vennesla, Setesdalsbanen | Torridalsveien | Around 17 km | Just over 20 minutes |
| Lillesand | E18 | Around 30 km | Just over 20 minutes |
| Mandal | E39 | Around 40 km | Just over 30 minutes |
| Grimstad | E18 | Around 47 km | Around 35 minutes |
| Evje in Setesdal | Rv9 | Around 60 km | Just under 1 hour |
| Under near Spangereid | E39 | Around 65 km | Just over 1 hour |
| Arendal, Tyholmen | E18 | Just under 70 km | Around 50 minutes |
| Lindesnes Lighthouse | E39 | Around 75 km | Around 1¼ hours |
| Flekkefjord | E39 | Around 100 km | Just under 1½ hours |
For places to visit in the city itself, from the art museum to the fortress, see the Sights page.
Lillesand and Grimstad
Lillesand
Lillesand is a small coastal town that is lively all year round. It has white wooden houses and a harbour from which boats head out into the skerries. The town is known for the Blindleia skerry route. A town walk takes you past historic white houses such as Meta Hansens hus, and there are museums, galleries and a town beach of its own. Nearby are the natural attractions of Kaldvell and Brekkestø.
Like Dyreparken, Kristiansand's zoo and amusement park, Lillesand is on the E18 east of the city, so you can easily combine the two in one day.
Grimstad
Henrik Ibsen came to Grimstad as an apprentice pharmacist and later worked there as an assistant. He left the town in 1850. The Ibsen Museum, in the 1757 pharmacy building, shows the original interior from 1839. It opened on 6 June 1916 and has been a listed building since 1924. This is where Ibsen wrote his first play, "Catilina".
Visits must be booked in advance, which you can also do online through Grimstad bys museer. The same museum group includes the Sjøfartsmuseet maritime museum and the Hagebruksmuseet horticultural museum.
Arendal and Tyholmen
In Arendal, Tyholmen is the oldest part of town. It sits on a small peninsula on the south-eastern edge of the centre and has been protected since 1975. The town hall on Tyholmen is a timber building dating from 1812 to 1815, and Kløckers Hus dates from 1826.
Around the Pollen harbour basin you can stroll along the quayside promenade or take a harbour cruise. Boat trips head out to Raet National Park off the coast. At just under 70 km, Arendal is the furthest destination to the east on this page.
Mandal
Mandal is the main town of Lindesnes municipality. White wooden houses line narrow cobbled lanes. In the centre are Mandal Museum and Vigeland hus, whose exhibitions show work by artists from Mandal, including Gustav Vigeland, Adolph Tidemand and Amaldus Nielsen. Modern Mandal is represented by the Buen cultural centre.
Mandal is also home to the sandy beach of Sjøsanden. It is around 800 metres long, shelves gently and borders the Furulunden recreation area. The Beaches page covers more swimming spots around Kristiansand.
Lindesnes Lighthouse and Under
Lindesnes Lighthouse
Lindesnes Lighthouse (Lindesnes fyr) stands at the tip of the Lindesnes peninsula and marks the southernmost point of mainland Norway. The first light was lit here on 27 February 1656, and the present cast-iron tower dates from 1915. The Stiftelsen Lindesnes fyrmuseum foundation runs a museum, exhibitions and guided tours on site, along with places to eat and stay.
The site is open daily, with hours that vary by season. It is closed on 24, 25 and 31 December and on 1 January. Seasonal opening hours are listed at Lindesnes fyr.
Under
The restaurant Under lies in the sea at Båly near Spangereid, Bålyveien 48. The dining room is just over 5 metres below the surface, and the window is 11 metres long. It serves a set seasonal menu of 10 to 12 courses, for which you should allow 3.5 to 4 hours. Children under 10 are not admitted.
Under opened in 2019, gained a Michelin star in 2020 and relaunched with a new concept in April 2024. Parking and an electric car charging point are available at Lindesnes Havhotell, 200 metres away. Visitor information is available from Under.
Flekkefjord and Hollenderbyen
Flekkefjord lies around 100 km to the west and is the furthest destination on this page. Its old town, Hollenderbyen, is made up of small and large wooden houses packed tightly along narrow cobbled lanes. It takes its name from the trade with Holland between the 16th and 18th centuries, when many Dutch people settled here; goods traded included oak, stone and lobster.
On the disused Flekkefjordbanen railway you can ride a rail trolley for 17 km between Flekkefjord and Sira.
Setesdal and Setesdalsbanen
The Rv9 takes you north into the Setesdal valley. The region includes Åseral, Evje og Hornnes, Bygland, Valle with Rysstad, and Bykle with Hovden. It takes just under an hour to reach Evje. The valley is known for its silversmithing, bunad (folk costume) craftsmanship and its folk music, which is on the UNESCO list. On top of that there is hiking, rafting and winter sports.
Closer to the city is Vennesla with the Setesdalsbanen. This heritage railway runs on 1067 mm narrow-gauge track for 8 km between Grovane and Røyknes. It is supported by the Setesdalsbanens Venner association, and the operating days are published by Setesdalsbanen.