Kalambo Falls

Kalambo Falls plunges more than 220 metres in a single, uninterrupted drop from a cliff on the border between Zambia and Tanzania, a few kilometres before the Kalambo River reaches Lake Tanganyika. It is among the tallest single-drop falls on the continent and one of the least visited.

Why visit Kalambo Falls

The site is as important to archaeologists as it is to walkers. In 2023 researchers announced that interlocking logs found at the foot of the falls had been shaped by early humans almost half a million years ago, the oldest known wooden structure in the world. Marabou storks nest on the cliffs, and the gorge below is wild and roadless.

Best time to visit Kalambo Falls

Visit from March to June, when the rains have filled the river and the tracks have begun to dry. By October the flow can be thin.

How to get to Kalambo Falls

Reach the Zambian viewpoint by road from Mbala (about 35 km on a rough track; a 4×4 is essential) or approach from Tanzania on foot. Most travellers combine the trip with Lake Tanganyika lodges near Mpulungu.

One of Africa's tallest single drops

Kalambo Falls plunges in a single, uninterrupted drop of around 220 metres into a gorge on the border between Zambia and Tanzania, which makes it one of the tallest single-drop waterfalls in Africa. The Kalambo River then flows a few kilometres to Lake Tanganyika. The rim of the gorge is home to a colony of marabou storks, and the views over the Rift Valley escarpment are as striking as the falls themselves.

A site of world archaeology

Excavations at the foot of the falls since the 1950s have found stone tools and evidence of human activity going back hundreds of thousands of years. In 2023, researchers dated two interlocking logs found there to about 476,000 years ago, the oldest known example of wooden structures shaped by human ancestors. The site is on Zambia's tentative list for World Heritage status.

Practical information

Kalambo is remote. The Zambian viewpoint is reached on a rough track from Mbala; a 4×4 is essential, especially in the rainy season. The falls are fullest from about January to May, while the dry months make the roads easier. Paths along the rim have no fences, so keep well back from the edge. A small entrance fee is collected at the site. Combine the visit with Lake Tanganyika at Mpulungu.

Pair Kalambo Falls with a safari

Join Kalambo to Lumangwe Falls and the Kasanka bat migration on our 9-day Zambia northern waterfalls expedition.

Tips for visiting Kalambo Falls

Bring all your water and food: there are almost no facilities. Visit with a local guide from Mbala or a Lake Tanganyika lodge, and take care at the unfenced cliff edges. Morning light is best for photographs of the full drop. For planning, see our Zambia guide and the month-by-month water levels, or compare it with Africa's two most visited falls, Victoria Falls and Murchison Falls.

National parks and sights nearby

• Nsumbu National Park
• Lake Tanganyika
• Kasanka National Park