Natural Wonders of the World : the best waterfalls in the world
Ever since I was little I have been amazed by waterfalls. My parents took me all over Austria where we found them in all sizes … short – long – small – big … I couldn’t help but wonder where all that water was coming from. So I sometimes just sat down on a rock, while my brother and sister were playing in the water, I was dreaming about waterfalls. It’s hard to come up with “just” a list of waterfalls. You can measure by size, length, width, type, flow rate and so on.
The ones I have seen are all entirely different from one another but all worth visiting. So I figured that I’d inspire you with a list of the best waterfalls in the world, ranked from bottom to top below. Enjoy!
Table of Contents | Inhoudsopgave
Tvindefossen, Norway
Norway really has some amazing waterfalls and I happened to see plenty of them when they were huge due to a large amount of rainfall. Tvindefossen is located in Fjord Norway between Voss and Stalheim and drops more than 150 meters into the deep. Insider tip: there’s an unknown trail to the top of the falls, read more about it in this article!
Shannon Falls, British Columbia, Canada
I had never heard of these falls before until I drove up to Whistler from Vancouver. The Sea to Sky Highway is stunning and I was pleasantly surprised when finding this waterfall on my way. As it was already quite late in the afternoon I didn’t stay too long, however if you are ever around, it’s well worth the stopping.
Earland Falls, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand
You will have to walk a fair bit to get to see them, but the Earland Falls won’t disappoint you. The 178 m. high falls are well hidden in Fiordland National Park and can be seen when hiking the famous Routeburn Track. I came here early in the morning while it was still chilly and no one else was there. Just stunning!
Gulfoss, Iceland
It’s impossible to pick just one waterfall in Iceland so instead I have added two Icelandic falls to our list. The Gullfoss (or Golden Waterfall) is in the Golden Circle, a famous day tour for tourists from Reykjavik. Even though there will be herds of other tourists and no matter how many times you go there they will always be pretty impressive.
Krimml Waterfalls, Höhe Tauern National Park, Austria
I remember these falls well as I went there with my parents a couple of times during my childhood. Back in 2012 I went back there while hiking in Austria. They are the highest falls in Austria and among the highest in Europe. It’s a fair way up to reach the upper falls but the path is paved and relatively easy for those in good shape.
Skogafoss, Iceland
If you drive along Iceland’s south coast you can’t miss this incredibly stunning waterfall. It comes from the Skoga river and there’s a legend going on that a treasure is buried in a cave behind the falls. A trail will lead you up to the falls, a path that will eventually bring you to Fimmvörðuháls and Thórsmörk. Iceland´s best waterfall if you ask me!
Lower Yellowstone Falls
I already wrote about Yellowstone earlier on a lot but nonetheless I keep on saying that the Lower Yellowstone Falls completely surprised me with its beauty. There´s a giant network of trails with views from all kinds of places. Definitely a sight within Yellowstone that one should not miss!
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Probably the most famous falls in the world! No matter how crowded it is, you can´t not love the Niagara Falls. Divided into an American and Canadian section, the most impressive part is definitely the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side (sorry Americans!). You can see them by foot, in the “Journey Behind the Falls”, from the “Maid of the Mist” boat or from a helicopter. Needless to say the latter option is the better one…
Khone Falls, Laos
Totally unexpected yet gorgeous. During my backpacking trip through South East Asia back in 2003 I came across these falls on the way from Cambodia to Laos. I had never heard of these falls and had zero expectations, making it a complete surprise when seeing them from a distance. I had to travel onwards within moments but I’ll never remember how stunning they were.
Iguazu, Argentina and Brazil
It will probably not come as a surprise to you that the falls at Iguazu come on top of this list of best waterfalls in the world. The hundreds of falls are well hidden in the jungle and a true wonderland. You can see them from both Brazilian and Argentinean side and you can keep walking around them for days. Make sure to get on a boat ride into the falls to get soaked, it will make your trip even more fantastic!
As we’ve come to the end of our list, you might wonder if there are waterfalls for me left to see? Sure there are. As a waterfall fan, I definitely want to see the Vic Falls in Africa one day. Another one would be Yosemite Falls in the US. I hope I can continue to see falls all across the world and hope you enjoyed this article with the best waterfalls in the world!
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16 Comments
Serena
I’ve just experienced Niagara, and they were awesome indeed (even if kinda “shorter” than I was expecting), exp. when going below them with the Maid of the Mist.
It was so funny getting almost soaked and impressive to see how massive the flow of water actually is.
anto
Niagara was one of the first ones of the list above to see for us so it’ll always have a special place in our traveling hearts 🙂
Hannah
Love waterfalls! I was at Gulfoss in 2012 and it was breathtaking…and also a little chilly 😉
anto
Iceland’s great for waterfalls! And indeed, chilly too 😀
Mel
As I read about the tourists in your description of Gulfoss in Iceland, and how it’s impressive despite their overwhelming presence, I thought “exactly what I feel about Niagara Falls”. 🙂 And there they were down the list. I’ve been there what? 3 times now, and they never get boring, despite the in-your-face tourist setting around them. I’ve down the “Journey behind the Falls”, the “Maid of the Mist” ride, and walked across the bridge to see them from the US side, but I haven’t tried the helicopter. Here’s an idea for next time!
The “Seven Sisters” on Geirangerfjord in Norway are pretty impressive in their own way, for being in such a breathtaking setting. You should check them out if you are in Norway – the fjord being a very popular tourist attraction, it’s easy to find a cruise that goes there, and yet, you can get nice pictures without tourists in them. 🙂
Jay
Awesome post! Amazing waterfalls I hope to see one day!
anto
Thanks Jay – hope we’ve inspired you to go out and see more waterfalls 🙂
Eva (www.eyeswideopen.nl)
Great article! I am really trying to see both Gulfoss and Skogafoss in Iceland when I am there in July 🙂 Cannot wait. The most beautiful waterfall I’ve ever seen is near Semongkong in the middle of the small country Lesotho in Southern Africa. It is green, huge and surrounded by beautiful mountains. Very special is the fact that there are hardly any tourists around (at least that was the case in 2008).
anto
Ah you will love Iceland and its waterfalls. Just not anymore where you need to cross them by foot haha 🙂 I’d love to go to Africa one day … who knows!
Erin (Travel With Bender)
You missed the most beautiful waterfalls in the world! Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia – http://travelwithbender.com/travel-blog/croatia/beautiful-waterfalls-plitvice-national-park-croatia/
anto
Ah yes Erin, so true. Hopefully we are going to visit them this spring!
Ursula (myVideoMedia)
Thanks for this wonderful post. i love waterfalls. My favorite is Iguazu, especially the Argentinian side, where you can walk around and always discover new perspectives
anto
You’re welcome, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! Iguazu is definitely the best there is … would love to go back one day and spend more time on photography!
Ursula (myVideoMedia)
Me too and I would love to take a new video, we only have one from 1979 http://blog.myvideomedia.com/iguazu-falls-argentina-brazil/
anto
Wow -that’s pretty old! Do you think the falls have a changed a lot since?
Ursula (myVideoMedia)
Yes I think they have changed. We were there in the 80ies and the pedestrian ways on the Argentinian side where already different due to the flooding. Don’t know how it is today. A reason to go back and have a look:-)