- Destinations
- Uganda
- Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls safari
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.
Murchison Falls National Park on the map
TOP EXPERIENCES
WHAT TO SEE & DO AT MURCHISON FALLS
Enjoy sightings of hippos and crocodiles as you travel on the River Nile to the thundering spectacle of Murchison Falls, the point where the river is forced through a fissure in the rocks not much wider than the boat is long!
Early morning & late afternoon drives in specially-adapted game viewing vehicles take you in search of the park’s classic savannah species such as elephant & giraffe; your sharp-eyed guide will be on the lookout for lion & leopard too.
Two of Africa’s most accessible places to see wild chimpanzees, the park’s Rabongo Forest & next- door Budongo Forest Reserve, offer chimp trekking with expert guides – a unique chance to see our closest living relatives in their natural home.
With over 450 recorded species in the park, Murchison Falls is a bird watcher’s dream destination. There is usually great birding around the lodge but drives & river cruises reveal many more – ask the lodge for a specialist guide.
Ask us about accommodation in Murchison Falls National Park that offers a hot-air balloon safari, your chance to view the dramatic Great Rift landscape from above & marvel at the scale of Africa’s mightiest river.
Combine your gorilla trek with a Murchison Falls safari for wildlife viewing, chimpanzee trekking & amazing scenery.