🏆 12 Best Waterfall Hikes in the World (2026 Guide)

Quick answer: The best waterfall hike in the world is the Havasu Falls Trail on the Havasupai Reservation (Arizona, USA) — a 16 km trek to three turquoise falls in the Grand Canyon. For a shorter alternative, the Mist Trail to Vernal & Nevada Falls in Yosemite delivers two iconic falls in 8 km. For sheer scale, Angel Falls in Venezuela (979 m) requires a 3-day river-and-jungle expedition.

The 12 Best Waterfall Hikes, Ranked

1. 1. Havasu Falls Trail — Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

   16 km / 10 mi round trip · Difficult · Permit required

   The single most sought-after waterfall hike in North America. Descends 610 m from Hualapai Hilltop to Supai village, then leads to three consecutive turquoise falls: Havasu Falls (30 m), Mooney Falls (57 m, reached by chain ladder) and Beaver Falls. Requires a 3-day permit sold by lottery each February at havasupaireservations.com. Best season: April–May and September–October.

   See Havasu Falls on Cascadology map →

2. 2. Fimmvörðuháls — Skógafoss to Þórsmörk, Iceland

   25 km / 15 mi point-to-point · Difficult · No permit

   Starts at the base of the iconic 60 m Skógafoss and climbs past 26 waterfalls along the Skógá river before crossing the Fimmvörðuháls pass between the Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull glaciers. Ends in the Þórsmörk highlands. Best season: mid-June to mid-September; snow closes the pass otherwise.

3. 3. Angel Falls River Trek — Canaima, Venezuela

   3-day expedition · Difficult · Guide required

   The tallest waterfall on Earth (979 m, single drop 807 m). Reached by a two-day motorized dugout ride up the Churún River, followed by a 1.5 hour jungle hike to Mirador Laime, the classic viewpoint on the opposite bank. Only possible in the wet season (June–December) when the river is navigable.

   See Angel Falls on Cascadology map →

4. 4. Mist Trail to Vernal & Nevada Falls — Yosemite, USA

   8 km / 5 mi round trip · Moderate · Permit-free

   The most-loved waterfall hike in Yosemite. Granite stairs beside 97 m Vernal Fall (expect a soaking in spring), then switchbacks to the top of 181 m Nevada Fall. Loop back on the John Muir Trail for lower crowds. Best season: April–June for maximum flow.

5. 5. Iguazú Devil's Throat Walkway — Argentina & Brazil

   1.1 km flat boardwalk · Easy · Park entry only

   Not a trek — but the Devil's Throat catwalk on the Argentine side puts you directly over the largest waterfall system by flow rate on Earth (275 individual drops, up to 82 m). Extend with the Upper and Lower Circuits (5 km total). Best season: February–April for peak flow.

6. 6. Plitvice Lakes Upper Loop — Croatia

   4-5 km loop · Easy · Park ticket required

   A wooden boardwalk hike through 12 karst lakes connected by ~90 travertine waterfalls. The Upper Loop (Program C) is the classic route; combine with the Lower Section for the 78 m Veliki Slap, the tallest single fall in Croatia. Best season: May–June and September–October to avoid summer crowds; winter offers frozen-fall photography.

7. 7. Kaieteur Overland Trek — Guyana

   5-day rainforest expedition · Very difficult · Guide required

   The overland approach to Kaieteur Falls (226 m) — five times taller than Niagara and four times taller than Victoria, dropping into Guyana's untouched interior. Most visitors fly in; the overland route from Mahdia is a genuine multi-day jungle trek and one of the wildest waterfall hikes on Earth.

8. 8. Ban Gioc–Detian Falls Loop — Vietnam/China Border

   3 km walk + bamboo raft · Easy · No permit

   Southeast Asia's largest transnational waterfall (300 m wide, 30 m tall) straddles the Quây Sơn River between Cao Bằng (Vietnam) and Guangxi (China). Walk the Vietnamese side to the base, then take a bamboo raft up to the border marker. Best season: September–October, right after monsoon.

9. 9. Multnomah–Wahkeena Loop — Columbia Gorge, Oregon, USA

   8 km / 5 mi loop · Moderate · Timed permit May–Sep

   Passes six waterfalls in a single loop, anchored by 189 m Multnomah Falls, the tallest year-round waterfall in Oregon. Climbs to the top of the falls then descends via Wahkeena Creek. Best season: April for full flow, or October for autumn colours in the Gorge.

10. 10. Tumpak Sewu Rim & Base Trail — East Java, Indonesia

    3 km round trip · Difficult · Local guide recommended

    Tumpak Sewu ("a thousand waterfalls") is a 120 m panoramic amphitheatre of cascades below Semeru volcano. The rim viewpoint is easy; the base descent involves ropes, ladders and a slippery ravine — one of Asia's most photogenic and technical waterfall hikes. Best season: April–October (dry season).

11. 11. Kuang Si Trail — Luang Prabang, Laos

    2 km one-way · Easy-moderate · Small park fee

    Three tiers of turquoise limestone pools culminating in a 60 m main drop. A wooden staircase climbs beside the falls to a swimming pool at the top. Popular but never crowded before 10 am. Best season: October–April (dry season); pools drain in the wet months.

12. 12. Ouzoud Falls Loop — Atlas Mountains, Morocco

    4 km loop · Moderate · No permit

    Morocco's tallest waterfall (110 m) descends in three tiers through the red-earth Atlas foothills, 150 km northeast of Marrakech. The loop descends beside the falls to the river base then climbs back via the olive terraces. Barbary macaques inhabit the cliffs. Best season: March–May and September–November.

How to Choose Your Waterfall Hike

Frequently Asked Questions

Explore More Waterfall Guides

Cite this guide: Cascadology. "12 Best Waterfall Hikes in the World (2026 Guide)." Updated August 7, 2026. https://cascadology.com/blog/best/waterfall-hikes/