Top 10 Famous Waterfalls in the World

List of Top 10 Famous Waterfalls in the World: Top 10 Famous Waterfall in the World are Niagara Falls, Angel Falls, Victoria Falls, Iguazu Falls, Yosemite Falls, Kaieteur Falls, Gullfoss Falls, Sutherland Falls, Jog Falls, and Nohkalikai Falls. Niagara Falls is undoubtedly the most famous waterfall in the world, attracting visitors from all over the world. Famous for its three separate waterfalls, Horseshoe Falls takes first place as the biggest at 157 feet. In this article, we will look into the most famous waterfalls in the world. We will also discuss the location, height, and characteristics of those waterfalls.

What are Waterfalls?

A waterfall is defined as any location in a river or stream where water falls over a steep series of drops or a vertical drop. Also, waterfalls form when meltwater spills over an ice shelf or a tabular iceberg’s edge. A river can create a waterfall in several ways, but the most popular one is when it flows over a layer of resistant bedrock at the top and then descends onto softer rock, which erodes more quickly and results in a higher fall.

When lakes run into valleys in steep mountains, waterfalls typically form in the upper course of a river. There are occasions when a river passes over a major step in the rock that could have been created by a fault line. Where a stream or river that flows into a glacier continues to flow into a valley after the glacier has receded or melted, we can find waterfalls at the edge of a glacial trough. This feature, known as a “hanging valley,” can be seen by the massive waterfalls in Yosemite Valley. When two rivers converge and one of them flows more quickly than the other, hanging valleys may also occur.

List of Top 10 Famous Waterfalls in the World

The following table lists the top 10 famous waterfalls in the world:

Waterfalls	Height
Niagara Falls	50 meters
Angel Falls	979 meters
Victoria Falls	1,708 meters
Iguazu Falls	40 meters
Yosemite Falls	739 meters
Kaieteur Falls	226 meters
Gullfoss Falls	11 meters
Sutherland Falls	580 meters
Jog Falls	253 meters
Nohkalikai Falls	340 meters

Most Famous Waterfall in the World – Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is a series of three waterfalls, namely Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls. It crosses the boundary between Ontario, Canada, and New York, the greatest of which is Horseshoe Falls. Goat Island and Luna Island divide American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls, which are both located in the United States.

• The combined falls, which have a vertical drop of more than 50 meters (160 feet), have the highest flow rate of any waterfall in North America.
• The Niagara River formed the falls, draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario. More than 168,000 m3 (5.9 million cu ft) of water flows over the crest of the falls every minute during the busiest travel times of the day.
• Niagara Falls is located between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York, approximately 69 km (43 mi) southeast of Toronto and 27 km (17 mi) northwest of Buffalo, New York.
• The maximum flow over Horseshoe Falls is 6,370 m3 (225,000 cu ft) per second. There are 2,400 m3 (85,000 cu ft) of water flowing each second on average annually.

Second Famous Waterfall in the World – Angel Falls

Angel Falls, named after American adventurer James Angel, is Venezuela’s tallest unbroken waterfall. It measures 979 meters (3,212 feet) and 807 meters (2,648 feet). It falls beneath the UNESCO-designated Auyán-tepui peak in Canaima National Park. Situated beside the Río Kerepacupai Merú, which empties into the Churún River, are the falls.

• Angel Falls is one of Venezuela’s most popular tourist destinations.
• There is a remote jungle where the falls are situated.
• Canaima camp, the starting site for river expeditions to the base of the falls, can only be reached by plane from Maiquetia Airport, Puerto Ordaz, or Ciudad Bolívar.
• When the rivers are deep enough for the Pemon guides to use, river expeditions typically take place between June and December. There is less water throughout December through March, which is known as the dry season.

Third Famous Waterfall in the World – Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls is a famous waterfall with a width of 1,708 meters. It is situated on the Zambezi River’s border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

• The world’s largest waterfall, Victoria Falls, is situated in Zambia and Zimbabwe and has a combined width of 1,708 meters (5,604 feet) and a height of 108 meters (354 feet).
• The Zambezi River forms the falls when it rushes over a flat sheet of basalt in a small valley that is surrounded by distant, low sandstone hills.
• The number of tree-covered islands situated along the river’s course increases as it gets closer to the falls. The river’s whole breadth falls into a transverse gap that is 1,708 meters (5,604 feet) wide.
• The river’s waters shape this gap along a fracture zone in the basalt plateau, forming the falls.

Fourth Famous Waterfall in the World – Iguazu Falls

The greatest waterfall system in the world, the Iguazú Falls is situated on the border between Argentina and Brazil. Upper and lower Iguazu Rivers are created by their division.

• The Iguazu Falls are a two-step flow that rises between 35 and 40 meters and is composed of three layers of basalt.
• The highly durable vesicular basalt that makes up the falls is a feature of the Paleozoic-Mesozoic Parana Basin’s Serra Geral formation.
• The San Martín, Adam and Eva, Penoni, and Bergano waterfalls are the greatest among the several different waterfalls and flows that make up the falls.
• The falls, which are a well-liked tourist destination in the cities of Foz do Iguacu, Puerto Iguazu, Argentina, and Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, are placed in the reversed letter “J”.

Fifth Famous Waterfall in the World – Yosemite Falls

Yosemite Falls, which descend 2,425 feet (739 meters) from the top of the upper fall to the base of the lower fall, is the tallest waterfall in Yosemite National Park. Situated in the Californian Sierra Nevada, it is a popular destination inside the park, particularly during the late spring when the water flow reaches its maximum level.

• Yosemite Falls is divided into three sections and has a total of six drops.
• The intermediate cascades, made up of four smaller plunges, total 675 feet in drop, while the upper fall, created by Yosemite Creek, has a 1,430-foot plunge.
• The tight gorge and lack of public access to these falls make them rarely noticed.
• The most popular viewing area is the lower fall, which has a final 320 feet of drop.
• Rock climbers took advantage of the chance to ascend the rock face under the falls, even though the falls stopped flowing in the late summer or early fall.
• While Upper Yosemite Falls requires a challenging trek, Lower Yosemite Falls is conveniently located close to Yosemite Lodge in Yosemite Valley.

Sixth Famous Waterfalls in the World – Kaieteur Falls

The greatest single drop waterfall in the world is called Kaieteur. It is situated in a portion of the Amazon rainforest that is a part of the Potaro-Siparuni region of Guyana, on the Potaro River in the Kaieteur National Park.

• Measuring from its descent down a sandstone and conglomerate cliff to the first break, Kaieteur Fall is 226 meters (741 feet) high.
• After there, it flows over a sequence of steep falls that add 251 meters (822 feet) to the overall height when included in the measurements.
• With an average flow rate of 663 cubic meters per second (23,400 cubic feet per second), Kaieteur is one of the world’s most powerful waterfalls.
• About twice the height of Victoria Falls, which is located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe in Africa, Kaieteur Falls is approximately 4.5 times the height of Niagara Falls, which is located on the Canadian-American border.

Seventh Famous Waterfall in the World – Gullfoss Falls

Gullfoss is a waterfall in southwest Iceland, situated in the Hvita River’s canyon. The Hvita River flows southward until it goes sharply west about a kilometer above the falls.

• It then falls into a broad, curved three-step “staircase” before plunging suddenly into a 32-meter-deep chasm in two stages, 11 meters or 36 feet and 21 meters or 69 feet.
• The fissure spans 2.5 kilometers in length and is roughly 20 meters wide. It is perpendicular to the river’s flow.
• Summertime flows of water down the waterfall are 141 cubic meters per second, while wintertime flows are 80 cubic meters (2,800 cu ft) per second.
• Two thousand cubic meters per second was the biggest flood ever recorded.

Eighth Famous Waterfall in the World – Sutherland Falls

Sutherland Falls is a waterfall on the South Island of New Zealand, close to Milford Sound. The falls, at 580 meters (1,904 feet), were long thought to be New Zealand’s largest waterfall.

• Some consider Browne Falls, which plunges 843 meters (2,766 ft) down a mountainside in Doubtful Sound, to be the tallest, whereas Terror Falls, located close to Poseidon Valley, is 750 meters.
• Three waterfalls drop from Lake Quill: the middle cascade is 248 meters high; the lower cascade is 103 meters high, and the top cascade is 229 meters high. Since a 580 m vertical fall is spread across 480 m of horizontal distance, the average fall grade is roughly 56 degrees.
• The Milford Track’s Quintin Public Shelter is ninety minutes’ walk (back) from the base of Sutherland Falls.
• The Hobbit, a fantasy film starring Peter Jackson, features Sutherland Falls as a backdrop for the eagle sequence.

Ninth Famous Waterfall in the World – Jog Falls

Jog Falls is a waterfall on the Sharavati River in the Shivamogga district Karnataka, India, with a viewpoint located in the Shimoga district. It’s India’s second-highest plunge waterfall.

• It’s a divided waterfall that transforms into a plunge waterfall based on the season and amount of rain.
• The falls, which rank 36th among free-falling waterfalls, 490th among waterfalls worldwide by total height, and 128th among single-drop waterfalls worldwide by the waterfall database, are popular tourist destinations.
• The Sharavati River plunges 253 meters (830 feet) to create Jog Falls, which is the third-highest waterfall in India after the Nohkalikai Falls in Meghalaya.
• It drops 335 meters (1,099 feet), and the Dudhsagar Falls in Goa, which drops 310 meters (1,020 feet).

Tenth Famous Waterfall in the World – Nohkalikai Falls

The tallest plunge waterfall in India is called Nohkalikai Falls. It stands 340 meters (1,115 feet) tall. The waterfall is situated close to Cherapunji, now known as Sohra, in the Indian state of Meghalaya, which is one of the wettest places on Earth.

• The rainwater collected on the top of a relatively modest plateau feeds Nohkalikai Falls, which loses strength from December to February during the dry season.
• There’s a plunge pool beneath the falls, and the water has an odd green tint.
• Perched on the edge of the Cherrapunji Plateau, Nohkalikai Falls get constant rainfall.

FAQs – Top 10 Famous Waterfalls in the World

1. Where is the most Famous Waterfall in the World?

Niagara Falls is the most famous waterfalls in the world. It is situated on the border between the United States and Canada, so visitors may see the thunderous sight from either nation, though the Canadian viewpoint is sometimes regarded as the best.

2. What is the most Powerful Falls?

Murchison Falls is the most powerful falls. Murchison Falls traverses the largest National Park in Uganda. The Murchison Falls National Park faces the Albert Nile to the north.

3. What is the Largest Waterfall in Asia?

Ban Gioc Falls is the largest waterfall in Asia. An incredible natural marvel in Vietnam serves as both the country’s border with China. It is impossible to visit the Ban Gioc Falls, also called the Detian Falls, while visiting Vietnam.

4. Where is Angel Falls?

Angel Falls is a waterfall located 160 miles (260 km) southeast of Ciudad Bolivar on the Churun River, a tributary of the Caroni, in the Guiana Highlands in Bolivar state, southeast Venezuela.

5. Why is Niagara Falls famous?

The volume of water flowing over Niagara Falls is what gives it its amazing appearance. Very little water flows over the majority of the world’s tallest falls. The stunning aspect of Niagara Falls is the harmony of volume and height.