Night game drive in Murchison falls national park

Night game drive in Murchison falls national park; Murchison falls national park is one of the most visited national parks located in the northern part of Uganda. Murchison falls national park is one of the savannah national parks that offers the adventurous night game drive where travelers will be able to explore the savannah plains at night with an experienced ranger guide and spot light torches  for clear viewing of nocturnal animals. Night game drive in Uganda is also done in Queen Elizabeth national park which is the second largest national park and Lake Mburo national park which is the smallest savannah national park in Uganda.

Murchison falls national park covers a total area of 3840 square kilometers which makes it the largest national park in Uganda and it’s a home of different wildlife species including the big four animals which are elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, other animals like waterbucks, oribi, bushbucks, warthogs, giraffes, Jackson’s hartebeest, Uganda kobs, hippos, duikers, primates like chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, olive baboons and variety of bird species.

Night game drive in Murchison falls national park is mostly done in the northern part of the park and it starts at around 6:30 pm or 7:00pm and takes about 2 to 3 hours in a 4WD safari vehicle. During the night game drive, you will be able to drive in the open savannah grass with the company of an armed park ranger with spotlight torches for clear viewing of nocturnal animals which become active at night such as genets, bush babies, civet, nightjar, lions, hyenas, leopards, porcupines, other animals like elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, view hippos feeding, enjoy great views of the moonlight among others.

Cost of a night game drive in Murchison falls national park

A night game drive in Murchison falls national park costs 30 USD per person for foreign non residents, 20 USD per person for foreign residents and 50,000 UGX per person for East African citizens when using a private vehicle. Only pre-registered vehicles are allowed to undertake the night game drives and use of Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) guides is mandatory.

A night game drive in Murchison falls national park when using UWA vehicle costs 40 USD per person for foreign non residents, 35 USD per person for foreign residents and 40,000 USD per person for East African citizens. 

Best time to do a night game drive in Murchison falls national park

Game drives can be done anytime throughout the year though the best time is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February because during this period, there is less rainfall in the national park therefore vegetation will be short which helps you to have clear views of the nocturnal animals. During the dry season, game drive tracks will be dry and passable which makes easier for the safari vehicles to navigate through compared to the rainy season when the game drive tracks are muddy and slippery.

How to get to Murchison falls national park

Murchison falls national park is located in the northern part of Uganda and can be accessed by road transport whereby you will drive from Kampala via Masindi to the park headquarters which takes about 5 to 6 hours’ drive.

Murchison falls national park can also be accessed by air transport means whereby you will book scheduled or charter flights from Entebbe international airport to Pakuba or Bugungu airstrips and then connect to the park headquarters by road.

Where to stay in Murchison falls national park

There are a number of accommodation facilities ranging from luxury, midrange and budget where you can stay during your safari including Fort Murchison safari lodge, Twiga safari lodge, Pakuba safari lodge, Paraa safari lodge, Tilenga safari lodge, Nile safari lodge, Murchison River lodge, Murchison tree house, Geo lodges Nile safari lodge, Bwana Tembo safari camp, Bar Lyec safari lodge, Heritage safari lodge, Red Chilli rest camp, Uganda wildlife campsite among others.

Other activities in Murchison falls national park

Apart from night game drives, Murchison falls national park offers other interesting activities that tourists can engage in during the safari including Day game drives which are commonly done early in the morning when animals are most active, Nile delta and boat cruise to the bottom of the falls where you will view large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, bird watching, top of the falls drive where you will enjoy beautiful views of the waterfall, guided nature walks, hot air balloon experience among others.

 Night game drive is an adventurous activity that can be combined with other activities in Murchison falls national park during your safari and for more information, do not hesitate to contact us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website to book a safari package to Murchison falls.