King George VI Falls

King George VI Falls drops the Utshi river in a single plunge that was long credited with well over three hundred metres; a measurement in 2014 gave 214 metres, a little short of Kaieteur, and almost nobody has stood at the bottom of it. It sits in the far west of the country in country with no roads, no settlements nearby and no infrastructure, and the practical ways to see it are a charter overflight or a full expedition with river travel and trekking. The old figure came from an estimate made by timing falling rocks.

What you'll find

• The single drop - a plunge measured at 214 metres in 2014.
• The Utshi river - the river that feeds it, in roadless western forest.
• The isolation - one of the least visited major waterfalls anywhere.
• The overflight - the practical way most people see it, from a chartered aircraft.

When to go

September to April is the drier season and better for any ground expedition. Wet season flow is much stronger but travel is harder. Overflights depend entirely on cloud.

Practical notes

Reaching the base is a serious expedition costing a great deal and requiring operators who rarely run it. Published height figures vary because surveys are few. Most visitors see it only from the air, if at all.

Nearby

The Pakaraima mountains are east, and Kaieteur is further east again.

Key facts