DK Eyewitness New ZealandDK Eyewitness
Guidebook
DK Eyewitness New Zealand
DK Eyewitness · 2024
Illustrated maps and regional chapters, helpful for planning a road trip between Taupo, Waitomo and Fiordland.
New Zealand · Southland District
Browne Falls
Browne Falls is a waterfall above Doubtful Sound, which is located in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand. In a temperate rain forest, the falls cascade down to the fiord near Hall Arm.
Essentials guide
Facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia, compiled September 2026; season and access are our estimate, not a visit report. How we build these pages.
Browne Falls drops 836 metres (2,743 ft) across a face roughly 12 metres wide, inside Fiordland National Park. It is a cascade-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Fiordland Community, New Zealand. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Browne Falls is the tallest of the 56 waterfalls we cover in New Zealand; number 9 on our list of the tallest waterfalls in the world. As a cascade waterfall, water tumbles down a series of rock steps rather than falling free.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Browne Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Fiordland Community are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotographyWildlife & safari
When to go
Spring, September to December, pairs snowmelt or winter rain with lengthening days; autumn (April to May) is the quieter second season.
Getting there
- Base town Fiordland Community, New Zealand
- Country New Zealand
- Region Southland District, New Zealand, Oceania
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Browne Falls
New Zealand
Height836 mWidth12 m
Most similar
Yutaje Falls
Venezuela
Height715 mWidth—
Also a cascade waterfall and of similar height
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
108 m
330 m
715 m
836 m
979 m
Victoria FallsEiffel TowerYutaje FallsBrowne FallsAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Browne Falls
12 m
Angel Falls is 143 m taller than Browne Falls. It drops 7.7× further than Victoria Falls (108 m), but Victoria's curtain is 142× wider. Khone Phapheng Falls is 899× wider. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Books worth packing
Moon New ZealandJamie Christian Desplaces
Guidebook
Moon New Zealand
Jamie Christian Desplaces · 2024
Built around road trips and the Great Walks, a good fit if you're combining the Milford Track with North Island falls.
Guidebook
Lonely Planet New Zealand
Lonely Planet · 2023
The 21st edition covers Fiordland, Milford Sound, Taupo and the Waikato, so it handles every NZ fall on this site.
The Rough Guide to New ZealandRough Guides
Guidebook
The Rough Guide to New Zealand
Rough Guides · 2023
A current second opinion on routes and stays, with good coverage of the Waikato and the road into Milford Sound.
On the map
-45.39935, 167.0858
Quick answers
Where is Browne Falls?
Browne Falls is in New Zealand (Southland District), inside Fiordland National Park. The nearest base is Fiordland Community, New Zealand. Its coordinates are -45.3993, 167.0858.
How tall is Browne Falls?
Browne Falls drops 836 metres (2,743 feet), across a face about 12 metres wide. It is a cascade-type waterfall.
When is the best time to visit Browne Falls?
Peak flow is September to December. Spring, September to December, pairs snowmelt or winter rain with lengthening days; autumn (April to May) is the quieter second season.
What can you do at Browne Falls?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking, photography and wildlife & safari. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail.
How do you get to Browne Falls?
The usual base is Fiordland Community, New Zealand. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
Closest to Browne Falls
Lady Alice Falls
New Zealand · 280 m · 7 km away
Lady Alice Falls is a tall waterfall in Fiordland, New Zealand. It drops either 656 or 919 feet .
Helena Falls
New Zealand · 10 km away
Helena Falls is a waterfall in the Fiordland National Park in New Zealand that empties into Doubtful Sound. A…
Full guide Sutherland Falls
New Zealand · 580 m · 80 km away
New Zealand's tallest waterfall
Helicopter flights
UNESCO Bowen Falls
New Zealand · 162 m · 100 km away
One of only two permanent waterfalls on Milford Sound