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Murchison Falls National Park

  • 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

Combine your gorilla trek with a Murchison Falls safari for wildlife viewing, chimpanzee trekking & amazing scenery. ENQUIRE NOW

TOP EXPERIENCES

WHAT TO SEE & DO AT MURCHISON FALLS

1. CRUISE TO THE 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!

2. SPOT BIG GAME

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.

3. GO CHIMP TREKKING

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.

4. GO BIRD WATCHING

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.

5. FLY HIGH

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.

TAILOR-MADE SAFARI

Combine your gorilla trek with a Murchison Falls safari for wildlife viewing, chimpanzee trekking & amazing scenery.

ACCOMMODATIONS

OUR RECOMMENDED MURCHISON FALLS SAFARI ACCOMMODATION

BAKER’S LODGE
PARAA SAFARI LODGE
PARAA SAFARI LODGE
In Short: Great value on the Nile
Location: Murchison Falls National Park
With rooms ranging from tented suites to luxury cottages, Paraa Lodge overlooks the River Nile & offers hot-air ballooning as well as river cruises, game viewing & chimp tracking. It’s a large lodge with facilities that include Wi-Fi, a swimming pool & a gift shop.
FROM:
FROM USD 207Single
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Reviews

Very helpful good suggestions for holiday ideas always available for questions good organising

Excellent service and they supplied good suggestions for our holiday they also organised all internal flights and arranged check in for us so we had no worries while on holiday. We have had a most memorable holiday staying at wonderful places thanks to Sabrina and Safari Online. Would recommend Safari Online to organise your holiday.

Lorraine (UK)
Safari Online made our fantastic family holiday dream come true!!

Safari Online have been nothing but professional and incredible from the time we made our first enquiry to the last day of our stunning holiday. Nothing was too much trouble for Walter. We are now starting to plan our next family Safari for 2019. Guess who we will be booking with??? Safari Online we hope you are ready!!!!!

Penni (AU)
An incredibly well organised tour with no hassles whatsoever.

Safari Online understood our needs and was able to present us with sensible options to choose from. It was evident that this tour operator has knowledgable and experienced agents who can arrange a seemless tour. We were provided with a professional online itinary which was comprehensive and easy to use, knew exactely what to expect, and encountered no stumble blocks along the way.

Gwen (AU)
Professional, quick and top of the edge service!!!

From the very first contact we’re very happy about the respond time and quality of information from safari-online.com. Based on the received first tailor-made quote, which is a weblink with all the details about the flights, photos of the lodges etc. we knew that this is “our” partner for this trip. Our expectations were excelled!!!

Lukas (Germany)
Safari Online were extremely efficient and absolutely charming to work with.

Our 28-day itinerary took us to South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana. A magnificent and unforgettable adventure. Everything ran smoothly and efficiently from the flights, transfers, rides, connections, etc. Absolutely wonderful! Can’t thank them enough!

Ann and Mario (Canada)
Walter has always been an excellent communicator and has supported us fully

We have been to Africa for 24 of the last 27 years so know a bit about what is involved. Walter has arranged the details for the last couple of years, and has done a superb job. He is always quick to respond and comes up with answers immediately……..no evasive tactics, always head-on!

Roger (UK)
Karina was absolutely instrumental to our safari success.

Our experience with Safari Online was excellent. After becoming very frustrated trying to search for a safari destination on our own, we turned to Karina for help and she was a lifesaver.  We had an amazing safari adventure at the lodge–the experience of a lifetime–and are so grateful for her help. We literally couldn’t have done it without her!

Chris (USA)
It was a safari of a lifetime and exceeded all of our expectations!

Our mom grew up in Central and South Africa so we had visited the continent many times. My sister and I wanted to take our teens and husbands to Africa to experience the magic. We had a limited budget but big and specific expectations and by some miracle Walter was able to manage both.

Heather (USA)
Professional, patient, efficient and responsive. Met all our travel needs and requirements spot on

Communication was excellent – I asked A LOT of questions and did a ton of research myself and Walter was extremely patient with me and very responsive. he was straight forward and extremely professional. Tour itself was excellent – an incredible experience and one never to be forgotten. Everything was spot on.

Neena
Best trip I have ever been on. Highly recommend.

Would highly recommend. Safari online asked questions when booking and were efficient and knew exactly what we were looking for in terms of accommodation and animals were wanted to see. Gave advice on a few little extras with no pressure, which we did and am very grateful which make trip even more exciting. Would definitely recommend booking with them.