Sutherland Falls, New Zealand

Sutherland Falls ranks among the world’s tallest, dropping 580 metres in three leaps from Lake Quill into Fiordland National Park’s Arthur River valley, a height that dwarfs #8 Yosemite Falls by 159 metres. Accessible only via the 53.5-kilometre Milford Track—a multi-day hike through ancient beech forest and glacially carved valleys—the falls reward hikers with a visceral perspective of the drop’s scale. Seen from the track’s base viewpoint, the three tiers become viscerally apparent, offering a unique vantage absent in more road-accessible falls. Best visited November–April when flows peak at 15 cubic metres per second, the experience combines extreme natural beauty with a 4-day commitment, contrasting sharply with Gullfoss’s roadside ease.