The best places to bungee jump - Teletext Top 10
Are you an adrenaline junkie? Our guide gives a detail summary of the best places to bungee jump across the globe. You could jump off a lime stone cliff, out of a hot air balloon or out of a moving helicopter! If you feel the need for Dutch courage Bloukrans Bridge would be your best bet with local cider on hand before the jump!
Queenstown, New Zealand
Surrounded by Lake Wakatipu and the Southern Alps, this is the bungee jumping capital. Queenstown, on the South Island, has invigorating fresh air, and offers just about every adventure sport.
The first ever bungee bridge was established 148 feet above Kawarau River in 1988. A cable car 440 feet above Nevis River offers an eight-second fall. You can also bungee in the wilderness at Skippers Canyon, or in tandem overlooking the town.
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and Zambia
Great for stunning scenery, the falls, surrounded by jungle, are a mile wide. Jumping takes place off the Victoria Falls Bridge, 364 feet above the Zambezi River, with a 330-foot drop into a gorge.
You need a gate pass for the bridge, which is between Zimbabwe and Zambia — allow 45 minutes for walking and customs formalities. There is also white-water rafting down the Zambezi, and the local national parks are fantastic safari destinations.
Bloukrans Bridge, South Africa
One of the biggest jumps around, the 708-foot drop takes seven seconds and you travel up to 110 miles per hour. You can be videotaped while you get psyched up, and local cider is on hand.
Nearby is the original jump in the area, at Gouritz Bridge. Perfect for first-timers and tandem jumping, this drop is 213 feet. The bridges are approximately 19 miles east of Plettenberg bay on the south coast, a four-hour drive from Cape Town.
Biella, Italy
If throwing yourself from bridges, cranes and hot air balloons seems positively pedestrian then why not bungee from a moving helicopter?
Europe's first heli-bungee jump was organised near the northern Italian town of Biella. Dropping at speeds in excess of 100km/h, the rope will extend to 300% of its resting length as you plummet almost 500ft. Video evidence of your jump is available.
Find out more about Italy via our Italy Holiday Guide
Ticino, Switzerland
Follow James Bond's lead in Goldeneye with a bungee jump off the Verzasca dam wall in Ticino, Switzerland, of 722 feet that lasts 7.5 seconds. Bungee jumping has been in operation here since autumn 1996.
Nearby Centovalli has a 229-foot jump off the Intragna bridge over the Isorno River. The canton of Ticino (Tessin in German), in southernmost Switzerland below the Alps, was once part of Italy.
Cuzco, Peru
Leap backwards from a multi-coloured hot air balloon over the Sacsayhuaman Inca ruins. It carries up to six people and is tethered 88 feet high, though the jump itself is a 141-foot drop. Trips take place in the morning only.
Cuzco, in the Andes, is one of the oldest cities in the Americas and was the capital of the Inca Empire when Columbus arrived on the continent. Take the Inca trail to Machu Picchu.
Wakefield, Quebec, Canada
A 20-minute drive from Ottawa, fling yourself off a 200-foot limestone cliff and dip your head or entire body into the 160-foot-deep aqua-blue lagoon below.
You can also jump down a 1,015-foot cable over the lagoon at more than 50 miles per hour. There is also kayaking and white water rafting on the nearby Ottawa River. Don't turn up in January: bungee jumping in -10C weather on to frozen water isn't pleasant.
Near El Llano, Costa Rica
Bungee jump all year from a 265-foot high bridge into a lush tropical canyon and the Colorado River. The rubber ropes stretch to a maximum of 220ft.
The bridge is a 40-minute drive west of San Jose, the country's capital, just off the Pan American Highway. Strict conservation laws exist in Costa Rica but you can hike in the rainforests and even go rock climbing and paragliding in the area.
Queensland, Australia
There are bungee jumping sites all over Queensland. With warm, year-round temperatures Australia's Sunshine State is perfect for outdoor adventure sports and watersports.
Runaway Bay on the Gold Coast has a 155-foot tower, while a reverse bungee will send you 164 feet up on the Sunshine Coast. There are also jumps near Cairns, in the rainforest at Kuranda, or on the Whitsunday Islands.
Normandy, France
Bungee jump off a giant tower that once formed part of a viaduct. It stands 200 feet over the Souleuvre River in peaceful countryside. The tall piers, near the town of Vire, about 180 miles west of Paris, are all that remain of the rail bridge built by Gustave Eiffel in 1889.
This was the first permanent bungee jumping site in Europe and is easy to get to from the UK. Take the ferry from Southampton, Poole or Portsmouth to Cherbourg and head south on the N174.
If you enjoyed this guide you may also like our guides to:
The Top 10 Elephant Rides
The Top 10 Places to see bears
