Bisected by the Nile, this park is home to elephants, buffalo, big cats, hippos, and crocodiles. The main draw is the incredible Murchison Falls, where the Nile River is squeezed through a narrow gorge. Activities include game drives, boat cruises to the falls, and chimpanzee trekking in nearby Budongo Forest. It’s easily combined with Bwindi (gorillas) and Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Best time to visit is the drier seasons: Dec-Feb and June-Sept, when game viewing near the river is excellent.
A swathe of wooded savannah neatly bisected by the River Nile, Murchison Falls National Park offers a very different wildlife experience compared to Uganda’s more famous gorilla trekking destinations. This is safari country, home to elephant and buffalo as well as big cats and hyenas. Troops of chimpanzees live in the park’s Rabongo Forest and in nearby Budongo Forest while the river plays host to hippos and crocodiles.
And it’s the river that provides the park’s biggest spectacle as well as its name. Sit back on a boat cruise to where the mighty River Nile, squeezed through a narrow ravine, erupts with urgency and force to create the Murchison Falls, a sight and sound that will live long in your memory.
Located in the north-west of Uganda, it’s the country’s biggest park and a destination that easily combines with its top gorilla and big game destinations: Bwindi Forest and Queen Elizabeth National Park. A Murchison Falls safari will take you to well-established accommodation in the park – our recommended lodges have riverside settings and en suite comfort – and they offer a mix of game drives, boat cruises, bird watching and chimpanzee trekking.
The best time to visit Murchison Falls coincides with Uganda’s two gorilla trekking seasons – December to February and again from June to September. In a country where you can expect rain at any time of year, these are the two drier seasons and offer the easiest and most comfortable conditions for both gorilla trekking and wildlife viewing. Indeed, the later you visit in a dry season, the better the game viewing will be as animals concentrate in ever-increasing numbers at the river.
Browse our recommended Murchison Falls accommodation below or view our Itinerary Ideas for gorilla trekking tours that include a Murchison Falls safari. Alternatively, simply contact us with your
ideas and budget and we’ll create an itinerary based on your requirements.
The question of when to go to Uganda usually goes hand in hand with when to go gorilla trekking in Bwindi Forest. It’s also important to know how the best time for gorilla trekking coincides with other destinations in Africa if you are thinking of combining Uganda with – for example – the Serengeti or Kruger National Park.
Uganda has a predictably warm and wet equatorial climate although the gorilla trekking destinations are often cold as they lie at higher altitudes. Happily for the gorilla trekker, the year has two distinct dry seasons. These periods are certainly when to go to Uganda for gorilla trekking if you want the most comfortable and rewarding experience.
The first dry season is from mid-December to early February and the second from early June to late September. It is at these times that you’ll enjoy the easiest conditions for hiking in the rainforest as well as the best gorilla sightings and the lowest malaria risk.
The best time to visit Uganda’s other destinations coincide nicely with the best gorilla trekking seasons. Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest is better during the dry seasons for example – the chimps are easier to see and the jungle trails less challenging to hike on.
Game viewing in Uganda’s big game destinations – Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls National Parks – is best during the dry seasons and especially towards the end of them (February and March and September/early October) when animals such as elephants and buffalo concentrate at water sources. Bird watching in Uganda is fantastic all year round but at its peak between November and April when migratory birds arrive.
The best time to visit Uganda also coincides with some of the continent’s best holiday destinations at their peak. Uganda’s December to February dry season coincides with Cape Town’s sunniest and driest months as well as the Serengeti wildebeest migration during the exciting birthing season. Then during Uganda’s June to September dry season, the wildebeest migration moves to the crocodile-filled rivers that lie between the Serengeti and the Masai Mara for game viewing at its most dramatic.
Meanwhile, the Southern African destinations – the Kruger Park, Botswana, Victoria Falls and Namibia – are their most welcoming for safaris: the weather is at its driest and mildest, the malaria risk is lowest and game viewing is at its best.
Discover the ultimate Uganda safari adventure, perfectly blending the raw power of nature with incredible wildlife encounters. Explore Murchison Falls National Park, home to the world’s most powerful waterfall, where the mighty River Nile is dramatically squeezed through a narrow gorge. Your journey includes thrilling game drives across the savannah to spot four of the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo), an unforgettable boat safari to the base of Murchison Falls, and a hike to the spectacular Top of the Falls viewpoint. Extend your trip to include a life-changing gorilla trekking experience in the misty Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. For a complete Uganda wildlife safari, this itinerary offers the perfect mix of big game viewing, powerful landscapes, and primate encounters, securing your spot in the “Pearl of Africa.”
Nile Safari Lodge is a luxury eco-friendly safari lodge located on the Victoria Nile River banks in Uganda. The lodge is situated in the heart of the Murchison Falls National Park and offers spectacular views of the river and endless game viewing opportunities.
Named after Ernest ‘Papa’ Hemingway, who miraculously survived not one but two plane crashes in the very location our camp is established; Immerse yourself in the untouched wilderness that captured his heart and sights all those years ago.
Named for the first European to view the falls, Baker’s Lodge has 8 luxury cottages set on the banks of the River Nile. Renowned for fishing & bird watching, it’s ideal for discerning travellers to explore the park on boat trips, game drives & chimpanzee treks.
Uganda, famously known as the “Pearl of Africa,” offers an unparalleled diversity of wildlife and landscapes, creating the quintessential East African safari experience. Our thoughtfully curated itineraries are designed to seamlessly combine the country’s most iconic attractions; from the misty mountain forests of the Albertine Rift to the sweeping savannahs of the Nile basin.
Uganda is unique in Africa for combining the Big Four (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo, plus Rhino at Ziwa) with the world’s most accessible Mountain Gorilla and Chimpanzee tracking. The journey itself is a highlight, traversing diverse landscapes from arid plains to volcanic mountains and lush rainforests. With over 1,000 species, including the prehistoric-looking Shoebill Stork, Uganda is a paradise for bird enthusiasts.
Ready to customize your ultimate journey to the Pearl of Africa? Let us know which itinerary length or focus area you are interested in!
Our team of destination experts will design a holiday to meet your budget and interests. Let’s start planning your tailor-made African safari today!
Uganda has such bio-diversity that it can be experienced as a single travel destination but thanks to a well-established network of air connections and on-the-ground logistics, Uganda gorilla trekking easily combines with classic destinations across Africa.
Add on a big game safari in Kenya and Tanzania – the gorilla trekking seasons coincide perfectly with the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti and Masai Mara – or head for the heavyweight safari destinations of Southern Africa: Botswana, the Kruger Park and Victoria Falls for excellent Big 5 game viewing.
It’s also easy to change the mood completely with a beach holiday add-on. Choose from our best East Africa destinations – the island of Zanzibar or Kenya’s beaches on the Indian Ocean coast – or try the water further south in South Africa. Cape Town’s ocean temperatures might not be as warm as in East Africa but the backdrop to the beach is Table Mountain.
We have a wide range of tours that combine Uganda with Africa’s best travel destinations and appeal to all types of visitor from honeymooners and privacy-seeking groups to families and those on a budget. Browse our most popular destination combinations below and visit our Itinerary Ideas page for inspiration or simply contact us with the destinations of your choice and we will tailor-make an itinerary for you.
