Rwanda · Tanzania · Kagera
Rusumo Falls
Rusumo Falls is a waterfall located on the Kagera river on the border between Rwanda and Tanzania, part of the most distant headwaters of the river Nile. The falls are approximately 15 m high and 40 m wide and have formed on Precambrian schists and quartz–phyllites.
Facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia, compiled September 2026; season and access are our estimate, not a visit report. How we build these pages.
Rusumo Falls drops 15 metres (49 ft) across a face roughly 40 metres wide. It is a cascade-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Rwanda. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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 Rusumo Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Rwanda are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Rain-season fed: the falls are at their biggest towards the end of the main rains and can shrink dramatically in the dry months.
Getting there
- Base town Rwanda
- Country Rwanda, Tanzania
- Region Kagera, East Africa, Africa
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Rusumo Falls
Rwanda · Tanzania
Height15 mWidth40 m
Most similar
Tanougou Falls
Benin
Height15 mWidth—
Also a cascade waterfall, of similar height and in Benin
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
Angel Falls is 65× taller than Rusumo Falls. Victoria Falls is 7.2× taller and 43× wider. Khone Phapheng Falls is 270× wider. Tallest · widest lists.
On the map
-2.37528, 30.7925
Quick answers
Where is Rusumo Falls?
Rusumo Falls is in Rwanda / Tanzania (Kagera). The nearest base is Rwanda. Its coordinates are -2.3753, 30.7925.
How tall is Rusumo Falls?
Rusumo Falls drops 15 metres (49 feet), across a face about 40 metres wide. It is a cascade-type waterfall.
When is the best time to visit Rusumo Falls?
Peak flow is April to May and October to November. Rain-season fed: the falls are at their biggest towards the end of the main rains and can shrink dramatically in the dry months.
What can you do at Rusumo Falls?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking and photography. 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 Rusumo Falls?
The usual base is Rwanda. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
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