Ultimate planned & guided Murchison falls national park safari in Uganda

Murchison falls national park safari experience

Perfect well planned & guided Murchison falls national park safari to Uganda’s most popular & largest game park, receiving the highest annual number of visitors of any park in the country. Popular visitor activities include game drives, night drives, boat cruises to the delta and Murchison Falls waterfall, nature walks, bird watching and chimp tracking. Murchison falls game park lies at the northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley, where the sweeping Bunyoro escarpment tumbles into vast, palm-dotted savanna.

First gazetted as a game reserve in 1926, it is Uganda’s largest and oldest conservation area. Murchison falls become one of Uganda’s first national parks in 1952. The 1951 film “The African Queen” starring Humphrey Bogart was filmed on Lake Albert and the Nile in Murchison Falls National Park. Notable visitors to the park include Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt, Ernest Hemingway, and several British royals.

Top guided Murchison falls national park safari

At Murchison water falls, the Nile squeezes through an 8m wide gorge with more than 3000 cubic liters of water per second and plunges down 45m with a thunderous roar into the Devil’s Cauldron creating a trade rainbow, making it the strongest waterfalls in the world. The northern section of the park contains savannah and borassus palms, acacia trees and riverine woodland. The south is dominated by woodland and forest patches.

Perfectly guided Murchison falls national park safari packages

Ultimate guided Murchison falls Uganda safaris

3 DAYS MURCHISON UGANDA SAFARI

A short 3 days Murchison falls national park safari is a focused 4 of Africa's big 5 (lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes), the river Nile & Murchison water falls. These highlights come along with sightings of shoebills, Rothchild's giraffes, water bucks, antelopes, martial eagles, kingfishers, warthogs, nile crocodiles, hippos etc. Activities on this short safari getting you to the park highlights include boat cruises, game drives, hiking, bird watching, camping and nature walks.

4 DAYS MURCHISON FALLS SAFARI

4 days Murchison falls national park safari combines chimpanzee tracking, wildlife game drives, water falls and river Nile bird cruises. This short safari showcases Africa's special species like the shoebills, martial eagles, kingfishers, Rothchild's giraffes, 4 of Africa's big 5 (lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes), warthogs etc. You'll hike to watch Murchison water falls from above and also a river Nile boat cruise to the Fajao gorge to encounter the strongest water falls.

5 DAYS MURCHISON FALLS AFRICA'S BIG 5 SAFARI

Another short 5 days Murchison falls national park trip is a typical Africa's big 5 safari that comes along with chimpanzee tracking, game drives, river Nile and water falls. 4 of the Africa's big 5 (lions, leopards, elephants and buffaloes) are seen while on game drives in Murchison fall national park and rhinos are encountered on walking tours in Ziwa rhino sanctuary. Chimpanzee tracking is done in Budongo (Kaniyo Pabidi) forests which also harbor red colobus monkeys, white and black colobus monkeys and numerous bird species.

6 DAY MURCHISON BIRDING SAFARI EXPERIENCE

6 days' birding Murchison falls national park experience and Africa's big 5 tour (lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants, rhinos). A visit to Murchison falls national park and Ziwa rhino sanctuary offers some of savanna's unique bird species for example shoebills, papyrus gonolek, papyrus canary, great blue turacos in the nearby forests, grey crowned cranes, kingfishers, fish eagles, kites, warblers, bee-eaters, sunbirds, ground hornbills, geese, fowls, woodpeckers etc. Along bird watching, you'll enjoy more sightings of Rothchild's giraffes, antelopes, water bucks, warthogs, olive baboons, vervet monkeys, hippos, nile crocodiles among others.

15 DAYS PRIMATES & WILDLIFE UGANDA SAFARI

2 weeks for slow travelers on this 15 days primates and wildlife Uganda safari have a stay in the Murchison falls national park. From Africa's most typical wilderness (Kidepo) to the montane tropical forests (Bwindi), expect the best of Uganda's wildlife features in its park as follows; Kidepo game park- Africa big 5 (lions, elephants, rhinos, buffaloes, leopards), cheetahs, ostriches, zebras, antelopes, giraffes etc. Murchison falls N.P- river Nile, water falls, hippos, nile crocodiles, baboons, giraffes, elephants, lions, leopards, antelopes. Chimps in Kibale forest. Queen Elizabeth N.P- hippos, tree climbing lions, elephants, flamingos & birds, mtn. Rwenzori scenes, great rift valley. Hot springs in Semuliki N.P, gorillas in Bwindi and golden monkeys in Mgahinga forest parks.

23 DAYS RWANDA UGANDA KENYA SAFARI

Slow travel lovers also fall in love with this 3 weeks'/ 23 days East Africa safari that starts from Rwanda and ends in Kenya with a tropical relaxation moment at the white sand beaches of Diani. The 23 days safari package has double chimpanzee tracking experiences in Rwanda and Uganda along the golden monkey tracking in the Volcanoes and gorilla trekking in Bwindi. You continue through Queen Elizabeth, Murchison falls national parks & river Nile source and head out to Kenya via mtn. Elgon N.P and Sipi falls. Kenya safari travel takes you in lake Nakuru, Masai Mara and Amboseli national parks before finally heading out to Diani white sand beaches.

Wildlife Nile river boat cruises

Murchison falls game park is bisected by the Victoria Nile, which plunges 45m over the remnant rift valley wall, creating the dramatic Murchison Falls, the centerpiece of the park and the final event in an 80km stretch of rapids. The mighty cascade drains the last of the river’s energy, transforming it into a broad, placid stream that flows quietly across the rift valley floor into Lake Albert. This stretch of river provides one of Uganda’s most remarkable wildlife spectacles. Regular visitors to the riverbanks include elephants, giraffes, and buffaloes; while hippos, Nile crocodiles, and aquatic birds are permanent residents.

Game drives on a Murchison falls national park safari experience

Murchison Falls is notably blessed with over 144 mammals,556 bird species,51 reptiles, and 51 Amphibians. With a great number of African elephants, Murchison water falls is impressive all year round. The aerial survey noted over 900 individuals and 1,330 and is at an increase. Historically Giraffes exclusively inhabit the northern sector of the park. Buffalo populations have spiked to over 10,000 while Uganda kobs have leaped to more than 35,000. The park has 4 of Africa’s big 5 and a visit to Ziwa rhino sanctuary completes the Africa big 5 game sightings.

Murchison falls game park offers a range of tented camps and safari lodges to accommodate visitors while on Murchison falls national park safari in Uganda. MFCA and the adjacent Budongo Forest Reserve have 76 species of mammals such as Chimpanzees as well as Uganda’s largest population of Nile crocodiles. The bird checklist with the shoebill as the most common along the river stretch approaching the Albert delta and many profolic bird species occupy the park.

Paraa lodges

Murchison falls game park’s tourism hub is located on the banks of the Nile at Paraa, which means home of the hippo in the local Lua language. Paraa’s significance derives largely from the vehicle ferry that shuttles between the Masindi road on the southern bank and the Pakwach road and the Buligi game tracks on the north. It is also the starting point for boat trips to the falls and the delta. Most of the tourist accommodation serving Murchison falls national park is also located near Paraa much of it on a stretch of riverbank outside the park 5km to the west.

The river Nile & Murchison water falls

Murchison Falls boat cruise; The launch voyage upriver from Paraa to see the Murchison falls exploding through the cliffs at the head of Fajao gorge is the park’s oldest and most popular excursion. A 3 hour return trip passes a wealth of riverside wildlife on the way including resident hippos and crocodiles and visiting elephants, buffaloes etc.
Top of the falls; Visitors should be sure to visit the top of the falls viewpoint to see, hear and feel the Nile thunder through a 6m wide gorge. The site can be reached by vehicle but it is more rewarding to disembark from the launch to climb up to the top of the falls through Fajao gorge.
Delta boat cruises; Boats also run down river from Paraa to explore the Nile Delta where a maze of channels threads between wetland islands that choke the river’s exit into lake Albert. These are rich in waterbirds, most notably the shoebill. This iconic rarity is the best sighted in the delta during the December-February and June-September dry seasons.
Sport Fishing; The river below Murchison falls provides an exciting challenge for anglers with the record for Nile perch landed with rod and line standing at a hefty 108kg.

Murchison falls national park top safari game viewing spots

Buligi peninsula; The park’s prime game viewing area lies on the Buligi peninsula a triangle of grassland bounded by the Victoria Nile entering lake Albert and the Albert Nile flowing out. Expect to see elephant, buffalo, antelopes and giraffe and keep your fingers crossed for lion and leopard. Buligi game track network converges at Delta point where the Nile flows north out of lake Albert; this is a convenient place to stop for refreshments and view water birds offshore and distant hippos. You can also take a flight to explore the plains north and west of Paraa in a hot air balloons.
Heart of Murchison; While much of the southern part of Murchison falls national park is covered by bush and forest, a delightful tract of savannah rolls down to the river from the Rabongo road in the very center of the park. Vehicle tracks have recently been opened in this area where substantial herds of Uganda kobs have attracted lions.

Forest walks & chimpanzee tracking in Murchison falls game park

Kaniyo Pabidi Forest; This forest in the south of Murchison falls conservation area is home to a habituated chimp group which can be tracked with our experienced guides. Kaniyo Pabidi forest is an essential birding site due to the presence of Albertine Rift endemics and other restricted range species including the chocolate backed king fisher, white thighed hornbill and puvel’s illadopsis. A comfortable lodge is found on site, additional accommodation is available at Masindi town 30km south.

Birding in Murchison falls game park safari

Birding activities overlap with the wildlife viewing locations described above. Highlights include easy sightings of resident and water birds on the cruise to the falls, thrilling shoebill and careful searches for the rare and unique range forest species. There are 450 known bird species in the park, including the rare shoe-billed stork, dwarf kingfisher, Goliath heron, white-thighed hornbill, great blue turaco, long-crested eagle, black and whited casqued hornbill, saddle-billed stork, secretary birds, Abyssinian ground hornbill, red throated bee-eater, sunbirds, fish eagles, vultures etc.

Best time to visit Murchison falls national park

The best time to visit Murchison falls national park is during Uganda’s dry seasons of June- August and December- February when animals freely roam about and approach water sources for water, short savannah grasses which cannot hide the animals and less muddy game drive tracks. Though still, the green season/ wet months of the year March- May and September- November are also great birding moments as they are top breeding time for birds. It’s very easy to spot numerous bird species during the green season.

Safari lodges/ accommodation while at Murchison falls national park safari

Into Uganda’s biggest game park and yet with the most outstanding scenes of the river Nile & Murchison falls, a safari tour/ holiday in Murchison falls game park guarantees your stay in some of the best/ most comfortable safari lodges on your Africa’s Murchison falls national park safari holiday.

Nile safari lodge

Nile safari lodge is an amazing luxury get away on the banks of the mighty river Nile in the Murchison falls national park, Uganda. Situated at 2.25294° N & 31.51751° E, there you enjoy the deluxe, exclusive and family villas.

Rates of these rooms are;

Deluxe rooms for double occupancy at $2,582 per room and $1,684 for single occupancy.
Exclusive rooms go for $3,221 for double occupancy per room and $2,097 for single occupancy.
Family villas (1-8 guests) go for $4,406.

On this luxurious holiday you can engage in various activities such as;

Game drives
Boat cruises
Bird watching
Hiking to the top of the falls
Nature walks

Entikko safari lodge

Entikko safari lodge is located in Murchison falls national park situated at 2.21876° N & 31.62752° E 287km from Kampala on a 6 hours drive.

Thus Entikko safari lodge offers different options on rooms such as;

Single rooms at $379
Double rooms at $539 per person
Child of 0-3 yrs (free)- (sharing)
Childe of 3-12 yrs at $179- (sharing)

Various activities that one can engage in while at Entikko safari lodge include;

Game drives
Swimming
Bird watching
Boat cruises
Hiking to the top of the falls
Traditional dances

Murchison river lodge

Located along the banks of the mighty river Nile, Murchison river lodge is a beautiful safari lodge that offer top standard accommodation. Situated at 2.25298° N & 31.52372° E, Murchison river lodge offer extensive accommodation options such as;

Single room occupancy at $200
Twin/ double occupancy at $165 per person
Family cottage package at $360 (total for 2 adults & up to 4 children below 16 yrs)
Single camping tent at $90
Twin camping tent at $75 per person
Family river tent package starting at $275

From Murchison river lodge, you can engage in various activities such as;

Game drives
Boat cruises
Bird watching
Hiking to the top of the Murchison falls
Camping

Hemingway's tented camp

Located in the riverine forests on the banks of the mighty river Nile, Hemingway’s tented safari camp is a luxury lodge in the Murchison falls national park.

Hemingway’s is accessed after crossing the river Nile on a boat with twin/ double occupancy safari tents starting rates at $500 per person per night.

While at Hemingway’s tented camp, you can engage in various park activities such as;

Game drives in Murchison falls national park
Boat cruises on the river Nile
Hiking on top of the Murchison falls
Bird watching

Sambiya river lodge

Sambiya river lodge is located deep in the Murchison falls national park at 2.18182° N & 31.69884° E at a 276km from Kampala on a 6 hours drive.

The Sambiya river lodge offers are at different rates of single occupancy at $265, twin/ double cottages at $179 per person and family cottages.

While staying at Sambiya river lodge, you can engage in various activities such as;

Game drives
Boat cruises at the river Nile
Hiking to the top of the Murchison water falls
Bird watching