Top Things to Do on a Uganda Safari in Murchison Falls
Top Things to Do on a Uganda Safari in Murchison Falls : Murchison Falls National Park is the oldest and largest national park in Uganda. The national park derives its name from the magnificent falls located at the heart of the park. Murchison national park is situated in northwestern Uganda approximately 283km by road west of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. Therefore, it takes about 4 to 5 hours to get to the ideal destination also known as Murchison falls national park. More so the park is home to the largest number of Rothschild giraffes worldwide and the only national park in Uganda where the Big Five can be spotted during safari game drives, including on-foot rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
The park is encompassing of Savannah, riverine forest, and woodland characterize the diverse vegetation. This stunning park derives its name from Sir Samuel’s white baker. He was a renowned game hunter, British explorer, and governor-general of the equatorial Nile basin. The top things to do on a dream Uganda safari in Murchison Falls national park vary implying every type of safari explorer will never be disappointed. There Uganda safari activities include game drives, boat cruise, birding, hiking, cultural tour, guided safari walks.
Guided game drives
This is actually one of the best and highlight of any safari in Murchison Falls National Park. The park is home to over impressive number of wildlife species, making game drive tours in the park so rewarding and exciting. The game drives in the park are normally conducted early mornings and early evenings by our well-informed driver guides. During your guided game drive tour here, you will have the chance to marvel through the rich park’s vegetation where you will see variety of wildlife species that call the park home. Some of these wildlife you may encounter includes for example animals such as the African elephant that may even come to your lodge, buffaloes, the Rothschild giraffes, hippopotamuses, the Nile crocodiles, hartebeests, waterbucks, the Ugandan Kob, warthogs and all the different types of antelopes. Depending on your luck, you might even encounter the Known Park Predators-Lions, Leopards, Hyenas in action. You may also spot different colorful bird species such as Dark Chanting-Goshawk, Martial Eagle, Hugli’s Francolin, Denham’s Bustard, Spotted Thick-knee, Senegal Thick-knee among others
Boat cruise along the Nile River
A boat cruise along the Nile River is a thrilling way to enhance your safari experience in Murchison Falls National Park. This is another must-do- activity while on a dream Uganda safari in Murchison. The boat cruise tour takes off from Paraa jetty to the bottom of the mighty falls. During this boat ride, you’ll have the chance to spot hippos both in the water and lounging on the riverbanks. You’ll also have the chance to see several wildlife species quenching their thirst at the shores of the river for example Basin, Buffaloes, Elephants, Antelopes. You’ll also be delighted with the views of the colorful bird and hear the sound of the roaring falls
The cruise lasts between four to five hours, but you can pay extra for additional time if you wish to soak in even more of the beauty around you. Boat cruises are scheduled for two times a day one in the morning at 9:00 am and another in the afternoon at 2:00 pm, each lasting about three hours.
Hike to the top of falls
Hiking to the top of falls offers visitors a unique experience of this magnificent natural wonder. Tourist can to experience the flow of the Nile River through the 7-meter gorge. The hike starts from below the falls after the boat cruise and lasts about 1 hour. You will be able to see the amazing falls from a great view point and have clear pictures of the Murchison falls as well as the Uhuru falls. The walk takes you high up where the river squeezes through the 7-meter gorge with perfect photography options.
Birdwatching
This is one of the rewarding attractions in Murchison Falls that gives you an opportunity to spot the park’s colorful bird species and experience the other side of nature on foot. The park indeed is blessed with over 450 bird species, making it the best birdwatching destination in Uganda. During your bird watching tour , you will have the chance to spot bird species such as Rock Pratincole, Black-headed Plover, Pennant-winged Nightjar, Blue-naped Moosebird, Giant Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, African Darter, Goliath Heron, Yellow-billed Stork, Abdim’s Stork, White-faced Whistling Duck, Secretary Bird, Osprey, Long-toed Plover, Black, billed Wood-Dove, Veracious Dove, Long Tailed Nightjar, Standard-winged Nightjar, Red-throated Bee-eater, Northern Carmine Bee-eater and Black Scimitarbill among others.
Chimpanzee tracking in Budongo forest
Exploring the Budongo Forest to track chimpanzees is an exciting experience that lets you see these remarkable animals in their wild environment. This reserve is one of the largest and most diverse tropical forests in East Africa, teeming with life.
During the trek, you’ll also have the opportunity to observe the many other animal species living in Budongo’s diverse habitat including black and white colobus monkeys, baboons and hundreds of native bird species.
Chimpanzee tracking is a highlight of any visit to this area and is an absolute must if you’re planning a safari in Murchison Falls National Park. There are two sessions for chimpanzee trekking in Budongo Namely; Morning session that starts at 8:00am and afternoon session that starts at Mid-day throughout the year.
Once these primates are allocated, you will be given 1-hour interactions with them in their natural habitat while paying attention on how they do with their daily activities including nesting.
Chimpanzees, our closest cousins, are extremely endangered with only an estimated 5000 remaining in Uganda. surprisingly, Budongo Forest is home to around 700 chimpanzees. The chimp tracking permit in Budongo Forest costs $130 per person Non-Foreign Residents, $120 Per person Foreign Residents and $ 85 per person for Uganda Citizens.
Contact our trusted tour operators for more information about top things to do on a dream Uganda safari in Murchison Falls National Park in 2025 and then book with our tours and travel companies such as; Achieve Global safaris who offer the best tour packages while on your Uganda Safari.
