Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s largest national park and its classic big-game destination in the north. The whole Nile forces its way through a gap about seven metres wide before plunging 43 metres into the gorge below, and the river then flows through a park of savannah and palm woodland full of elephants, Rothschild’s giraffes, buffalo, lions, hippos and crocodiles. A boat cruise to the foot of the falls, a game drive on the northern bank and a walk to the top of the falls make it one of the most memorable parks in East Africa.
Murchison Falls National Park Highlights
›The Nile thundering through a seven-metre gap at Murchison Falls
›Boat cruises to the base of the falls and into the Nile delta for shoebills
›Game drives with Rothschild’s giraffes, large elephant herds, buffalo and lions
›Rhino tracking on foot at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary on the way from Kampala
›Chimpanzee tracking in Budongo Forest
"The best moments here aren't the ones you plan for — they're the ones your guide sees coming a few seconds before you do."
Murchison Falls at a Glance
Fact
Details
Location
North-western Uganda, where the Victoria Nile flows into Lake Albert
Size
About 3,840 square kilometres — Uganda’s largest national park
Habitats
Savannah, borassus palm woodland, riverine forest and papyrus wetland
Getting there
About 5–6 hours by road from Kampala, or a flight to Pakuba or Bugungu airstrip
Time needed
Two to three nights
Famous for
The falls, Nile boat cruises, giraffes and the shoebill
Wildlife at Murchison Falls
The northern bank holds the park’s greatest concentration of wildlife: herds of elephants and buffalo, Rothschild’s giraffes, Uganda kob, Jackson’s hartebeest, oribi, warthogs and lions, with leopards seen by the lucky. Murchison Falls is the best place in Uganda to see Rothschild’s giraffes, a rare subspecies that also lives in Kidepo Valley. The river is lined with hippos and some of the largest Nile crocodiles in Africa.
More than 450 bird species have been recorded, and the papyrus swamps of the Nile delta are one of the best places in Uganda to see the shoebill. There are no rhinos inside the park; you can track them on foot at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary on the way in. See giraffes in Uganda and birding and the shoebill at Murchison.
Things to Do at Murchison Falls
Boat cruise to the base of the falls
Boats leave from Paraa and travel upriver for about two and a half to three hours return, passing hippos, crocodiles, elephants and waterbirds until the current becomes too strong to go further and the falls fill the view ahead. Afternoon cruises often have the most wildlife at the water’s edge. See the boat cruise to the bottom of the falls.
Hike to the top of the falls
A short drive and a walk along the gorge rim bring you to viewpoints right above the falls, where you feel the spray and hear the roar of the river squeezing through the rock. Many travellers combine it with the boat cruise, either by being dropped off below the falls to walk up or by driving to the top separately. See the top of the falls hike.
Game drives on the northern bank
A short vehicle ferry at Paraa takes you to the northern bank, where morning game drives of three to four hours cross open grassland and palm woodland to the Lake Albert delta area. This is the best area for giraffes, elephants and lions. See game drives on the northern bank.
Nile delta and shoebill cruise
An early-morning boat trip downstream into the papyrus delta, where the Nile meets Lake Albert, gives a good chance of the shoebill and other wetland birds. See the delta boat cruise.
Chimpanzee tracking in Budongo Forest
Budongo Forest, on the southern approach to the park, has habituated chimpanzees and excellent forest birding — a good primate add-on if your route does not include Kibale. See Budongo Forest.
Rhino tracking at Ziwa
Uganda’s wild rhinos were lost by the early 1980s. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, on the road from Kampala, has been breeding southern white rhinos since 2005, and you track them on foot with a ranger. See rhino tracking at Ziwa.
Sport fishing for Nile perch below the falls and night game drives with licensed operators are also available.
How Long to Stay and a Sample Plan
Two nights covers the essentials; three allows the delta cruise, Budongo or a slower pace. A typical visit looks like this:
Day 1: drive from Kampala with rhino tracking at Ziwa, then continue to Murchison Falls, stopping at the top of the falls on the way to your lodge.
Day 2: early ferry crossing and game drive on the northern bank; afternoon boat cruise to the base of the falls.
Day 3: optional early delta cruise for the shoebill or chimp tracking in Budongo, then continue to Kibale or return to Kampala.
The park is open all year. The drier months, December to February and June to September, are best for game drives: the grass is shorter, animals gather near the river and the tracks are firm. The wetter months are greener and quieter, with good birding, but some northern-bank tracks can be slow after heavy rain. Murchison Falls is hotter than the parks in the south-west, so bring sun protection.
How to Get to Murchison Falls
From Kampala or Entebbe: about five to six hours by road via Masindi, usually with a stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
From Kibale or Fort Portal: a long, scenic drive of about six to seven hours along the Albertine Rift escarpment.
By air: scheduled flights from Entebbe to Pakuba or Bugungu airstrips, close to the lodges.
Where to Stay at Murchison Falls
Lodges and camps are on both banks of the Nile. Staying on the southern bank is convenient for the falls, Paraa and Budongo, with a ferry crossing for morning game drives; lodges on the northern bank put you closer to the game-drive circuits. Options range from simple bandas and campsites to comfortable riverside lodges with views over the Nile. See Uganda’s best luxury lodges.
Combining Murchison Falls With Other Parks
Murchison Falls is in the north, away from the gorilla parks, so it is usually combined with Kibale and Queen Elizabeth on a longer trip, or visited on its own as a short safari from Kampala. Our 14-day itinerary starts here before heading south to the gorillas, and Kidepo Valley can be added by air for a northern wilderness extension.
The Northern Bank, reached by a short ferry crossing from most lodges on the southern side, is where the classic Murchison game drive happens and where giraffe and large elephant herds concentrate. The Falls themselves can be approached two ways — by boat from below, or on foot from a viewpoint above — and we generally recommend doing both if time allows, since they read as almost two different landmarks. Budongo Forest, on the park's southern approach from Kampala, is a separate ecosystem entirely: dense, tall rainforest holding a large habituated chimpanzee community and considerably calmer than the open savannah north of the river. The Nile Delta, where the river fans out into papyrus swamp before reaching Lake Albert, is the specific area boat trips target for shoebill stork sightings, usually as an early add-on before the main falls cruise gets underway.
A Closer Look
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Good To Know
Murchison Falls National Park FAQs
You can see four in the park — lions, leopards, elephants and buffalo — and rhinos at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary on the way in, making this one of the best routes in Uganda for all five.
Yes. The falls, the Nile cruise, the giraffes and the open northern-bank landscape give it a very different character from Queen Elizabeth.
Yes, but they are at opposite ends of the country. Allow at least ten days by road, or use a domestic flight between the two.
Yes. The boat shows the falls from below; the top shows the full force of the river in the gorge. Most visitors do both.
Daytime temperatures often reach the low 30s °C in the dry season, so game drives start early and the middle of the day is for resting.
Plan Your Murchison Falls Visit
Tell us how many days you have and what else is on your route. We will build in the boat cruise, game drives, the top of the falls and a Ziwa rhino stop, and suggest the best side of the river for your lodge.
