Murchison Falls National Park is the largest national park in Uganda. Located 305 km  from Kampala city and its situated in the Murchison Conservation Area, it was  founded in 1952, it’s also famous because of the Murchison falls where the Nile surges into a  7 meters gorge that later  bursts and plunges into a  43 meter drop  below forming the most powerful waterfalls in the world

Murchison Falls National Park has two reserves which include Karuma which is about 720 square kilometers and Bugungu wildlife reserves 748 square kilometers. The park is located in North West Uganda in Buliisa district and Nwoy district in Northern Uganda.

Its green cover ranges from forest, savannah, riverine woodland, borassus palms, and water and acacia trees decorated with in the park. In the background, it lies in the northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley giving it great views of the plains and forested areas and the Victoria Nile that pours into Lake Albert. Murchison Falls National Park is divided by River Nile with the south and northern region. The northern side is covered by savannah and woodland harbouring a number of animals, the southern region is mainly covered by forest.  Game drives in Murchison Falls National Park are done in the northern side. The southern sector and the northern side are connected by a ferry. Lake Albert delta trail is good for game drives with animals such as the Elephants, Buffaloes, Giraffes, and many Antelopes and the gaint Rothschild Giraffes.

Murchison Falls National Park Safari is home to 77 species of mammals like the Giraffes, Elephants, herds of Buffaloes, Uganda Kobs, Bushbucks, Waterbucks, Lions and Leopards. A profusion of hippos and crocodiles along the sandbanks, as well as large numbers of different species getting down to drink play into the waters.

Bird Watching where park is home to 450 species of birds, which include Shoebills most famous at the shores of the nile delta, Flycatcher, Papyrus Gonolek, Goliath Heron etc. chimpanzees of Budongo Forest, which is home to a number of chimps and  other primates like baboons, red-tailed monkeys, black-and-white colobus monkeys, bird species. Mammals like Buffaloes and Elephants. View Murchison Falls National Park from the skies in your Hot Air Balloon Safari where you view the Nile River looks like a small stream of water below. Catch your binoculars for nice scenic views.

Best time to visit Murchison Falls National Park

The park can be visited anytime throughout year although the best time is the dry season from December to February and June to September. The park has two rainy seasons despite it being hot

How to Access Murchison Falls National Park

By Road Transport

Drive from Kampala to Murchison Falls National Park is 7 hours. The park can be accessed through a number of gates from the south if one is traveling from Kampala through Masindi

The drive from Fort Portal also leads you the southern gate.

It can also be accessed using the gates in the north if clients are traveling from Kampala via Karuma

If you’re traveling from Gulu or Kidepo Valley National Park it’s ideal to use the northern gate as well.  The gates are 6 and they include:

Chobe gate in the northern sector of the park accessible from Paraa and Karuma Falls, it’s also near Pakwach and just 2 kilometres north of Karuma Bridge.

Wankar gate, is in the northern sector near Purongo and just about 10 kilometers off the main raod.

Tangi gate is located in Murchison falls national park and if you going through Paraa you will crosss the Nile with a ferry to and fro. Tangi gate is 110 Km from Karuma Bridge

Mubako gate can be accessed by crossing the Nile River from Karuma Falls Bridge along the Kampala Pakwach road.

Southern Sector

Kichumbanyobo gate can be accessed through Kaniyo forest from Masindi town which is about 85 km

Bugungu gate can be accessed through Budongo Forest giving you scenic views of the Great Rift Valley, ranging Congo Mountains and Lake Albert. The gate is about 136 km from Masindi town, the route is long but it offers scenic views.

By Air Transport

You can access the park by taking scheduled/chartered flights from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Air Strip to Pakuba Airstrip in the northern side, Bugungu airstrip in the south and Chobe airstrip on the eastern side.

En route activity to Murchison Falls National Park

Rhino Tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary 

Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is located in Nakasongola district and is home to the rhinos in the wild and it seats on 7000 hectares of land savannah and woodland vegetation. While in the only Rhino sanctuary you will drive into the savannah with the ranger guide and track the rhino’s on-foot. The trek takes about 1 to 3 hours based on your itinerary as well as the location of the rhinos.

With about 31 southern white rhinos at the Sanctuary and these have names attached to them.

The sanctuary is also home to mammals such as water bucks, bush bucks oribis, Uganda jobs and birds such as shoe bills with over other 300 bird species that are found in lugogo swamp. Other activities in the sanctuary include: Canoe riding, Nature walks and Bird watching

With Uganda history the rhinos had become extinct during the political crises in the 1980′ but this was re-introduced by Rhino Fund Uganda, with an aim to sustainably conserve and breed the rhino that were re-introduced to the wild.

Access to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary 

The Sanctuary is 1000 miles north of Kampala on the Gulu highway and its enroute or a stopover to Murchison Falls National Park, it’s off to Nakitoma Trading Centre and its open by 7:30 am every day.

Travel time to the sanctuary is 2 to 3 hours drive from Kampala.

Activities in Murchison Falls National Park.

Game drives in Murchison Falls National Park

They start early Morning, Afternoon, Evening or Night game drives. Game Drives that start early morning may award you chance of sightings the nocturnal animals and Lions that hunt in the night and at the dawn of the morning as they still hunt for there prey, Hyenas, Leopard and Jackal.  Other mammals that can be seen during the day include, giraffes, antelopes, African Cape buffalos, water bucks, elephants, Uganda Kob, Hippo, bush buck, reed buck, and Jackson’s heart beast.

Games drives at Murchison falls National Park lasts for 3 hours as you go through scenic tracks viewing a number of animals. Along the Albert delta you shall sight a number Elephants, Buffaloes, Giraffes, and many Antelopes amidst the savannahs of Murchison Falls.

You can also explore your game viewing with the Hot Air Balloon in the skies over the park below offering you scenic views of the park

Nile Boat Cruise / Safari

The boat cruise safari on the Nile waters in Murchison falls gives you an opportunity to sight wildlife such as the  Nile in a profusion of hippos, Elephants, other animals are seen taking water at the river banks to kill thirst. On a boat cruise you shall be able to view a number of wildlife such as birds and mammals at the shores of the Nile River. On your Boat Cruise you shall cruise to the Bottom of the fall from a distance the Nile water explodes into a 7 meter gorge with 43 m depth forming the most powerful waterfalls in the world.

Boats set off from next to Paraa Safari Lodge. The boat cruise is usually after lunch and takes 2 hour spotting a number of wildlife as the boat sails up stream to the bottom of the Murchison Falls. Animals to spot while on the boat cruise include a profusion crocodile in hippos, lizards. Bird species at the shores and ridges and a number of mammal’s drinking water to cool off the heat. Schools of hippos can be witnessed playing in the waters and as you go up stream you will witness the amazing Nile water surging through the 7 meter gorge exploding into the most powerful waterfalls.

Nile Delta Boat Cruise

Another experience is the Delta Boat Cruise. This boat trip starts at Paraa Safari Lodge peer sailing towards the White Nile trail giving you an opportunity to sight a number of animals and birds such as the unique shoe Bill stork

Chimpanzee Tracking at Budongo Forest

Budongo Forest is located on the edges of Murchison Falls National park. This 8-hectare conservation area is a tropical rain forest found at the top of the Albertine rift, with a total land area of over 825 km² its famous for being the largest mahogany forest in East Africa.

Chimpanzees of Budongo Forest are about 700 Chimpanzees and since it’s a dense mahogany forest its home to about six habituated groups of chimpanzees.

Lodges that can be used if one wishes to engage in chimp tracking or habituation in Budongo Forest. Budongo Eco Lodge is right in the forest,  Murchison River Lodge located on the southern side is also good for a night before chimp tracking and its 45-minutes’ drive from the park to Budongo Forest Reserve.

Best time to visit the chimps of Budongo is between May and August although the park can be visited throughout the night.

Chimpanzee tracking at Budongo forest starts at 7:00 am at the information center with a briefing session after which you walk into the jungle for your experience. The chimp tracking experience is about 2 to 3 hours.

Chimpanzee habituation experience takes place for a whole day and it requires an early start where by you shall be briefed by the rangers or researchers as you enter into the forest to the habituation center. You will be able to observe the life style of the chimps in their natural habitat.

24 chimpanzee permits are available every day for chimp trekking. Booking in advance is recommended. Please note the price of permits changes based on some seasons. The chimp trekking and habituation experience are limited to those above 15 years of age. 

Please note before booking your chimpanzee trekking and habituation experiences one should be in good health and free from diseases like flu, cough which can easily be transmitted to the chimps

Budongo forest has a number of primates and also a good for birding with over 300 bird species such as Little green sunbird, Crowned eagle, White spotted flutfftail, African pied wagtail, Black kite, and Chocolate Backed King Fischer

Its home to four rivers that is Waisoke, Sonso, Kamirambwa and the Siba River that make the forest worth visting

Access to Budongo Forest is through the Kichumbanyobo gate of Murchison falls national park.

Bird Watching

Murchison Falls National park is a good birding haven with good birding spots like the Nile Delta at Buligi and almost the entire park. Bird watching can be done along the Nile River and within the savannahs during nature walks. Examples of Bird species include, African Paradise Fly Catcher, Green-winged Phitilia, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Augur Buzzard, Barn owl, pied king fisher, Goliath Heron, Aftican Fish Eagle among others plus the shoe bill whose home is the Nile Delta.

Hot Air Balloon Safari

Murchison Falls National Park Hot Air Balloon gives you an opportunity to scenic aerial views of the Nile River, Lake Albert, the Murchison falls and wild life in the savannah below as it can fly high as 2500 feet. The starting point is usually near Pakuba or Paraa Safari lodge for a flight usually takes for 50 to 60 minutes. You will sight a number animals from the sky, Nile River, Land scape and the savannah plains.  The Hot Air Balloon Safari can be done Early Morning and in the Afternoon. Bush breakfast can be booked after your hot air balloon experience.

The Hot Air Balloon can fly up to 10,000 feet above sea level but there is a recommended height for the balloon

Hot Air Balloon safaris are offered by the Dream Balloons Company that was certified to operate in Uganda in the national parks.  

Important information about Hot Air Balloon Safari

USD $300 per person

Children up to 12 years pay 50% adults price and rates include Hot air balloon, certificates awarded and refreshments.

The Hot Air Balloon takes in a maximum of 5 to 6 passengers

Children of 6 year and below may not be allowed in the Hot Air balloon

Bush breakfast after the Hot Air Balloon costs $ 80

The best time for a hot air balloon safari is during the dry months of the year, in the months of December to February and June to September

Waterfall Hike

The 45 minutes guided Hike to the Top of the falls which is about 141 feet high situated between Lake Kyoga and Lake Albert on the Victoria Nile. While hike reaching the top of the falls through Winston Churchill trail you will see the Nile water with a lot of force surging through a 7 metres gorge and as the water heats the rocks it thunders a string sound making it the most powerful waterfalls that plunges 42 metres down to the bottom. The park is also home to the Uhuru Falls which branched off the main water fall in 1960.  At the top of the falls you shall have scenic views of the water falls from different angles as well as the Albert Delta, on a day with a favourable weather you may be chanced to sight the rain bow across the Murchison Falls

Stopovers at the top of the falls happen on arrival or at departure from Murchison Falls National park, if staying in a lodge on the southern side of the Nile.      Kindly note, client with hotels on the northern side of the park will not pass by the top of the falls because the top of the falls point is on the southern side of the park.

The park and the top of the falls where visited by famous explorers such as Sir Samuel Baker in 1864 and Winston Churchill in 1907 

Sample itineraries

3 Days Murchison Falls National Park Safari

3 Days Murchison Falls National Park Fly In Ultimate Safari

3 Days Murchison Fall National Park Hot Air Balloon Safari

3 Days Murchison Falls National Park Safari with Budongo Chimp Tracking

4 Days Murchison Falls National Park