Best Bungee Jumping Destinations: Every Site With a Verified Height
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The honest answer to a search for the best bungee jumping destinations is that commercial bungee is a much smaller world than the phrase suggests. Only a handful of sites publish a jump height you can check, and both ends of the sport belong to one company: AJ Hackett and Henry van Asch launched the world’s first commercial bungy jump at the Kawarau Bridge in New Zealand’s Gibbston Valley on 12 April 1988, and the Macau Tower jump recorded as the highest commercial bungy jump in the world, at 233 metres (764 feet), was established by AJ Hackett in December 2006.
Sort the sport by published height rather than by reputation and the list collapses quickly. Three jumps clear 200 metres: Macau Tower at 233m, the 007 bungy at the Verzasca Dam in Ticino, Switzerland at 220m, and the Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa at 216m. Nothing else on this page comes close, and the New Zealand bridge jumps below sit between 40 and 50 metres. What follows uses only numbers operators publish themselves, and says where a number does not exist.
Key takeaways
- The highest commercial jump on record is Macau Tower at 233 metres (764 feet), established by AJ Hackett in December 2006.
- The sport began at Kawarau Bridge on 12 April 1988 — a jump of just 43 metres (141 feet) from an 1880s heritage structure.
- Only three sites here pass 200 metres: Macau 233m, Verzasca Dam 220m and Bloukrans 216m.
- Typical bridge jumps are far shorter — 40m at Auckland, 43m at Kawarau, 47m at Taupo.
- In the United States, the one operator still publishing prices is Bungee America at $150 a jump, reached by a five-mile hike through the Angeles National Forest.
Why the real list is so short
Height is the only comparable number in bungee, and most operators do not publish one. A site earns a place on a serious list only if its operator states a height, a price and limits you can check before booking. Apply that filter and the field narrows sharply.
The concentration is the story. AJ Hackett runs both the original jump and the tallest one — a sign that the barriers to a legal, insured, permanently rigged bungee operation are high enough that few businesses clear them. A list promising twenty “top picks” is padding it with sites that publish nothing verifiable.
Kawarau Bridge: the original, and only 43 metres
The first commercial bungy site is one of the shortest jumps on this page. AJ Hackett lists the Kawarau Bridge bungy at 43 metres (141 feet), from NZ$320 for adults and NZ$280 for children. The minimum age is 10, and jumpers under 15 need an adult to sign consent at check-in. The weight range is 35kg to 150kg, with tandem pairs capped at 235kg combined.
The bridge itself is the constraint. The Kawarau Suspension Bridge is an 1880s structure with protected heritage status, cared for by New Zealand’s Department of Conservation. You cannot make a heritage bridge taller, which is why the world’s first commercial jump is also a modest one. The river imposes a second limit: the maximum weight drops to 130kg when levels are high, and the operator states the water touch — the thing most people come for — is not guaranteed, because it depends on the river.
The three jumps over 200 metres
Macau Tower, 233 metres. The record holder, described as the highest commercial bungy jump in the world. The operator lists it at MOP 3,088 solo and MOP 5,488 tandem, alongside a Skyjump at MOP 2,188, a Skywalk at MOP 788 and a Tower Climb at MOP 2,688. Age and weight limits were not published on the pages checked, so confirm those before travelling.
Verzasca Dam, 220 metres. The 007 bungy in Ticino, Switzerland states a jump height of 220 metres from the dam used in the opening scene of GoldenEye. It costs CHF 255 for adults and CHF 195 for under-19s and students. There is no minimum age, but the weight window is the tightest here: 45kg to 115kg — a ceiling that rules out people who would clear every New Zealand site.
Bloukrans Bridge, 216 metres. Billed as Africa’s highest bridge and holding six Guinness World Records, Bloukrans runs a 216-metre plunge with a minimum age of 14 and a weight range of 35kg to 150kg. No pricing page was reachable on the operator’s site, so treat any figure quoted elsewhere as unconfirmed.
Bridge, tower or dam: the distinction that matters
Bridges are found structures; towers and dams are built for the drop. A bridge bungy inherits whatever height the engineers needed to cross the gap, plus whatever the heritage listing and the river allow. That is why Kawarau is 43m, Taupo 47m and the Auckland Harbour Bridge 40m — three excellent jumps, none of them tall.
Towers and dams have no such ceiling. Macau Tower and the Verzasca Dam are vertical faces with clear air beneath them. Want height and predictability? Book a tower or a dam. Want the history, the setting and a chance of a water touch? Book a bridge and accept the smaller number.
The numbers side by side
Every figure below comes from the operator’s own pages. “Not published” means the number was not stated alongside the prices.
| Site | Country | Published height | Published price | Minimum age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macau Tower | Macau | 233m / 764ft | MOP 3,088 solo | Not published |
| Verzasca Dam (007) | Switzerland | 220m | CHF 255 adult | None stated |
| Bloukrans Bridge | South Africa | 216m | Not published | 14 |
| Nevis Bungy | New Zealand | 134m / 439ft | From NZ$395 | 13 |
| Victoria Falls Bridge | Zimbabwe / Zambia | 111m | US$194 | 14 |
| Jauntal Bridge | Austria | 96m | Not published | Not published |
| Taupo Bungy | New Zealand | 47m / 154ft | From NZ$275 | 10 |
| Kawarau Bridge | New Zealand | 43m / 141ft | From NZ$320 | 10 |
| Auckland Bridge | New Zealand | 40m / 131ft | From NZ$260 | Not published |
| The Last Resort | Nepal | Not published | $108.00 | Not published |
| Bridge to Nowhere | United States | Not published | $150 single jump | Not published |
New Zealand beyond the original bridge
The Nevis Bungy is the country’s highest at 134 metres (439 feet), with an 8.5-second plunge. It is priced from NZ$395, has a minimum age of 13 and a weight range of 45kg to 127kg. The jump pod is reached by 4WD bus along a narrow gravel track, not by road or lift. The same site runs the Nevis Swing, a 300-metre (984-foot) arc from NZ$325, minimum age 10, 35kg to 160kg solo and 220kg tandem.
The two easier jumps suit first-timers and tight schedules. Taupo Bungy is 47 metres (154 feet) over the Waikato River from NZ$275, minimum age 10, 35kg to 140kg solo and 180kg combined for tandems. The Auckland Bridge Bungy is 40 metres (131 feet) from a pod attached underneath the Auckland Harbour Bridge, from NZ$260, 35kg to 150kg, with tandem partners no more than 30kg apart.
Pro tip
Check the weight band before booking anything else. The ranges are not standardised: Verzasca Dam caps jumpers at 115kg, the Nevis at 127kg, Victoria Falls at 120kg, while Kawarau, Auckland and Bloukrans go to 150kg. Kawarau also drops its ceiling to 130kg when the river is high — a same-day operator decision you cannot plan around.
Africa’s second bridge, and Europe’s railway viaduct
Victoria Falls Bridge is the best-value big jump here. The bungee is 111 metres above the Zambezi River from the bridge between Zimbabwe and Zambia, at US$194 per person, minimum age 14, weight 40kg to 120kg. The same platform runs a bridge swing at US$137 solo and a zipline at US$58 reaching up to 106 km/h, so you can get three activities from one platform.
In Austria, the Jauntal Bridge bungy runs from Europe’s tallest railway bridge at 96 metres. The operator publishes the height but linked to a price list rather than displaying figures, so ask directly before budgeting. It is the tallest European bridge jump found here, still well below the Verzasca Dam.
The United States is where this search usually fails
American commercial bungee is thin enough that the websites tell the story. vertigobungee.com, previously a US operator, now serves only a domain-for-sale placeholder reading “This website is for sale!”. A parked domain is not proof a company has closed, but it is a good reason not to drive somewhere on the strength of a listicle entry.
The one still publishing is Bungee America, jumping from the Bridge to Nowhere in the San Gabriel Mountains, 20 miles north of Azusa, California. The bridge was built in 1936, and reaching it means a five-mile hiking trail through the Angeles National Forest. A single jump is $150, rising to $240 for four, and the company runs every Saturday and Sunday with midweek by special arrangement. It describes itself as the only government-certified bungee jumping company in California and claims a 37-year safety record.
Access limits are common elsewhere too. The Last Resort in Nepal lists its bungy at $108.00 but is providing transportation only on Saturdays at the moment — which turns a cheap jump into a fixed-date commitment.
Common mistake
Assuming you can jump on the day you happen to be nearby. Two of the cheapest options here run a weekend-only rhythm: Bungee America operates Saturdays and Sundays with midweek by special arrangement, and The Last Resort in Nepal is running transport only on Saturdays. Booking travel first and checking operating days second is how people end up at a bridge with nobody on it.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the highest bungee jump in the world?
Macau Tower, at 233 metres (764 feet). It is recorded as the highest commercial bungy jump in the world, established in December 2006 by AJ Hackett. Next are Verzasca Dam at 220 metres and Bloukrans Bridge at 216 metres.
Where did commercial bungee jumping start?
At the Kawarau Bridge in New Zealand’s Gibbston Valley on 12 April 1988, when AJ Hackett and Henry van Asch opened the world’s first commercial bungy jump. The bridge is an 1880s heritage-protected structure cared for by the Department of Conservation, and the jump is 43 metres.
How much does a bungee jump cost?
Published adult prices vary widely: $108.00 at The Last Resort in Nepal, in a currency the operator does not state, $150 with Bungee America, US$194 at Victoria Falls, CHF 255 at the Verzasca Dam, NZ$260 at Auckland, NZ$275 at Taupo, NZ$320 at Kawarau, NZ$395 at the Nevis, MOP 3,088 solo at Macau Tower.
What is the minimum age?
It is not standardised. Kawarau, Taupo and the Nevis Swing set it at 10, the Nevis Bungy at 13, and Bloukrans and Victoria Falls at 14. The Verzasca Dam states no minimum age at all. Kawarau also requires an adult to sign consent at check-in for anyone under 15.
What weight do you need to be?
Most sites want at least 35kg to 45kg. Ceilings differ more: 115kg at the Verzasca Dam, 120kg at Victoria Falls, 127kg at the Nevis, 140kg at Taupo, and 150kg at Kawarau, Auckland and Bloukrans. Tandems add their own caps — 235kg combined at Kawarau, 220kg on the Nevis Swing, and a 30kg maximum difference between partners at Auckland.
Where can you bungee jump in the United States?
The one US operator found publishing prices is Bungee America at the Bridge to Nowhere, 20 miles north of Azusa, California, reached by a five-mile trail through the Angeles National Forest. It charges $150 for a single jump and $240 for four, and runs Saturdays and Sundays. It publishes no jump height alongside those prices, so it cannot be ranked against the heights above.
