GuyanaKirk Smock
Guidebook
Guyana
Kirk Smock · 2018
The only dedicated Guyana guide, detailing Kaieteur flights from Georgetown and the multi-day overland trek to the falls.
Guyana · Cuyuni-Mazaruni
King Edward VIII Falls
King Edward VIII Falls is an 260-metre-tall single plunge waterfall found on the Semang River in the Cuyuni-Mazaruni highlands, named for King Edward VIII. Waterfall has formed on the escarpment of Pacaraima Mountains and has eroded the Precambrian quartzite and conglomerate, forming an amphitheatre.
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.
King Edward VIII Falls drops 260 metres (853 ft) on the Semang River. It is a plunge-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Rest of Region 7, Guyana. Access to the main viewpoint is rated hard.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
King Edward VIII Falls is the tallest of the 12 waterfalls we cover in Guyana. As a plunge waterfall, water leaves the rock entirely and falls free through the air.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at King Edward VIII Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Rest of Region 7 are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Tropical wet season fed: the rains bring the volume, the first dry months bring the clear skies and full falls together.
Getting there
- Base town Rest of Region 7, Guyana
- Country Guyana
- Region Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Guianas & Venezuela, South America
- Access Hard — a serious approach: distance, altitude, a boat, or a guide
How it compares
This waterfall
King Edward VIII Falls
Guyana
Height260 mWidth—
Most similar
Maria Jiray Falls
Peru
Height300 mWidth—
Also a plunge waterfall, of similar height and in Peru
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
Most similar
Maria Jiray Falls
Peru
Height300 mWidth—
Also a plunge waterfall, of similar height and in Peru
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
260 m
300 m
330 m
979 m
Victoria FallsKing Edward VIII FallsMaria Jiray FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Angel Falls is 3.8× taller than King Edward VIII Falls. It drops 2.4× further than Victoria Falls (108 m). We don't have a reliable crest width for King Edward VIII Falls yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Books worth packing
Guidebook
South American Handbook
Ben Box · 2017
The one-volume continental handbook, useful for multi-country trips that link falls such as Iguazú, Kaieteur and Angel Falls.
On the map
5.48611, -59.79806
Quick answers
Where is King Edward VIII Falls?
King Edward VIII Falls is in Guyana (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). The nearest base is Rest of Region 7, Guyana. Its coordinates are 5.4861, -59.7981.
How tall is King Edward VIII Falls?
King Edward VIII Falls drops 260 metres (853 feet). It is a plunge-type waterfall on the Semang River.
When is the best time to visit King Edward VIII Falls?
Peak flow is June to September. Tropical wet season fed: the rains bring the volume, the first dry months bring the clear skies and full falls together.
What can you do at King Edward VIII Falls?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking and photography. Access to the main viewpoint is rated hard — a serious approach: distance, altitude, a boat, or a guide.
How do you get to King Edward VIII Falls?
The usual base is Rest of Region 7, Guyana. A serious approach: distance, altitude, a boat, or a guide from there.
Nearby
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Among the most powerful single drops on earth: 226 metres in one plunge
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