Best Safari Activities To Do In Murchison Falls National Park

Best Safari Activities To Do In Murchison Falls National Park : There are different safari activities which are carried out when visiting Murchison falls national park which is located in the north western part of Uganda. The activities carried out around the park include the following;

Game drives

Murchison falls national park is one of the oldest national parks of Uganda and is home to numerous wildlife species.

Tourists can explore the vast savannah plains of the destination during exciting game drives which can take place in the morning, afternoon or evening. Murchison falls national park is home to four of the big five including elephants, lions, leopards and buffalos.

Other wildlife species in Murchison falls national park which can be seen during game drives include giraffes, impalas, waterbucks, bushbucks, dik dik, kudu, hartebeests, oribi, hippos and many others. There are over 144 mammals found in the destination.

The 4×4 safari vehicles are used during game drives in Murchison falls national park for a chance to see the different wildlife species in the savannah plains. This type of vehicle makes it easy to navigate the wildlife tracks in the national park like the Buligi track, Victoria track among others in search of wildlife.

Bottom of the falls boat ride

The boat ride to the bottom of the Murchison falls is among the popular activities which take place during safaris in the national park.

Boat safaris in Murchison falls national park take place on the Victoria Nile where wildlife species like elephants, schools of hippos, Nile crocodiles, buffalos, giraffes among others can be seen by the water shores and different bird species can also be spotted during safaris.

This activity can be done in the morning and afternoon and when using the UWA boat, tourists are expected to follow the scheduled times of the boat tours to the bottom of the Murchison falls. Private boats can also be booked for the boat safaris in the national park.

The boats used in Murchison falls national park also carry different capacities of travelers and cost about 30 USD per person during safaris.

Hiking to the top of Murchison falls

Tourists can take part in hiking to the top of the Murchison falls during safaris in Uganda. There are different trails followed to get to the viewing points.

The top of the falls hike in Murchison falls national park costs 15 USD for foreign nonresidents, 10 USD for foreign residents and 10,000 UGX for East Africans. This hiking experience allows tourists visiting the park to enjoy amazing views of the rest of the surroundings in Murchison falls national park.

Viewing of the Murchison falls

Murchison falls national park also offers viewing of the Murchison falls experience during which tourists get close to the waterfalls.

Viewing of the Murchison falls costs 10 USD for foreign nonresidents and foreign residents and East Africans pay a fee of 10,000 UGX to take part in the activity during Uganda safaris. This experience can be combined with hiking to the top of the falls activity when visiting the national park.

Bird watching

Murchison falls national park is among the destinations in Uganda where tourists can take part in bird watching experiences.

There are over 450 bird species which can be seen during bird watching in Murchison falls national park and they include the African fish eagle, Grey crowned cranes, weavers, plovers among others. The best time to see these birds is around March to May and also around November when different migrant birds are in the national park.

Chimpanzee tracking in Budongo forest

Chimpanzee tracking is another activity which can be done when visiting Murchison falls national park and the activity is done in the Budongo forest.

A permit for chimpanzee tracking in Budongo forest costs 140 USD per person and involves interacting with the chimpanzee in their natural habitat. Chimpanzee tracking can be done in the morning and also in the afternoon during safaris.

This activity starts with a briefing at the Kaniyo Pabidi offices where tourists are given information on the dos and don’ts of the chimpanzee trekking experience before heading into the Budongo forest to search for the chimpanzees.

Many other primates such as Black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, baboons among others can be encountered during the search for the chimpanzees in Budongo forest.

Guided nature walks

Tourists can also explore Murchison falls national park on foot during safaris in the park to experience nature up close and also see wildlife species on foot accompanied by ranger guides.

The guided nature walks in Murchison falls national park involve exploring different tracks in the savannah plains and seeing wildlife species such as giraffes, elephants, antelopes among others in the wilderness.

Park entrance fees for Murchison falls national park

Before visiting Murchison falls national park, tourists are charged park entrance fees which allow them into the national park. These park entrance fees are valid for 24 hours upon entry into the national park during the year.

Park entrance fees for Murchison falls national park is 45 USD for foreign nonresidents, 35 USD for foreign residents and 25,000 UGX for East Africans.

Children visiting Murchison falls national park pay park entrance fee of 25 USD, 15 USD and 10,000 UGX for foreign nonresidents, foreign residents and East African citizens respectively.

Other fees incurred by tourists visiting Murchison falls national park is vehicle entrance fees which is 40,000 UGX per safari vehicle valid for 24 hours upon entry into the park.

Where to stay during safari activities in Murchison falls national park

There are different lodges where tourists can spend their nights during safaris in Murchison falls national park and they include budget lodges, midrange lodges and luxury lodges found within and outside the national park.

Some of the lodges in Murchison falls national park include Paraa safari lodge, Nile safari lodge, Pakuba safari lodge, Parkside safari lodge, Red chilli lodges, Fort Murchison lodge,Sambiya river lodge, Twiga safari lodge, Murchison river lodge among others.