Murchison Falls National Park Uganda Safari Tours, Attractions & Location
Murchison Falls National Park is found in the Murchison Conservation Area located in the northwestern side of Uganda in the Eastern African Rift Valley and its the biggest national park in Uganda covering a total area of 3,840 sq km. The Murchison Conservation Area is also home to Bugungu and Karuma wildlife reserves.
Murchison Falls National park is endowed with several attractions including over 76 mammal species with four members of the big five, the lion, the leopards, the elephants, and the Buffaloes. Other species in the park include bushbucks, Uganda kob, waterbucks and warthogs, giraffes, Jackson’s hartebeest, hyenas etc. Along the shores of the nile and within the waters you will see lots of hippos and crocodiles among other resident creatures. There also several primates in the Murchison falls national park including baboons and several monkey species. The Park is also home to over 450 recorded birds species including the rare shoebill stork and the 23 Albertine rift endemics given its location in the western arm of the east African rift valley.
The highlight of your tour in Murchison falls National Park is visiting the “Murchison Falls” a point along the Nile within the park where River Nile forces its way through a narrow gorge 8 meters wide. The launch trip up stream is very interesting and offers magnificent views of the falls and several wildlife species found along the shores including Buffaloes, Hippos, Crocodiles, waterbucks and birds. Our top tours are the 3 Days Murchison Falls Safari, 2 Days Murchison Falls Safari and the 4 Days Murchison Falls Safari The Murchison Falls National Park is a well-liked vacation spot with a range of lovely activities both in the southern and northern sides of the park
Murchison Falls National Park’s attractions include
Wildlife.
The national park that encircles Murchison Falls is home to a wide range of animal species. It is most popular for habiting four out of five big five Animals mammals such as Elephants, Buffalos, Lions, leopards, other animals like Rothschild giraffes, bushbucks, Hippos, Crocodiles, Waterbucks, Jackson’s hartebeest, warthogs, Uganda Kobs, bushbuck antelopes, Oribis, primates such as monkeys, blue monkeys, Red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus and among others.
Birdlife
With over 450 bird species, divided between water birds and open land birds, Murchison Falls National Park is a birder’s paradise and a fantastic location for birding safaris. The eastern grey plantain eater, herons, marabou storks, shoebill storks, hornbill storks, pied kingfishers, yellow-footed flycatchers, grey-crowned crowns, grey-headed coucals, and black-headed gonoleks are some of the species that they consist of. Blue-headed Coucal, Blue-naped Moosebird, Bluff-bellied Warbler, Black-headed Gondola, Black-headed Plover, Black-lored Babbler, and Black-headed Gondola
Murchison Falls
These magnificent waterfalls are also known as Kabalega Falls and are one of the main attractions in Murchison Falls National Park because of the historical significance of the fabled Kabalega, king of the Bunyoro nation. When Sir Samuel Baker and his wife Florence Baker made the first European visit to the falls in the 1860s, they named them Roderick Murchison in honor of an English geologist and member of the geographical organization. The name of the entire national park, which was created in 1954, was inspired by the falls.
On the Victoria Nile, they are about halfway between Lake Kyoga and Lake Albert. The river Nile’s surges pushed through a gap in the rocks to create the 7-meter-wide, 43-meter-tall Murchison Falls.
Budongo Forest
Another one of the attractions in Murchison Falls National Park is Rabongo Forest. Four square kilometers of it are covered with a thick forest. A section of an unmanaged forest, the woodland is a haven for birdlife. Several endangered bird species, such as the Ituri batis and the yellow-footed flycatcher, call the Rabongo woods home. Many primates live in the jungle, including blue monkeys, baboons, red-tailed monkeys, and black-and-white colobus monkeys.
In the Budongo Forest Budongo Forest is a highly distinctive feature of the Murchison Falls National Park. Budongo Forest, located in the southwest of the park, is the greatest place to go on a safari to watch birds. There also reside numerous Ugandan monkey species. There are 800 chimpanzees and 360 different bird species living in the woodlands.
Paraa
A major draw for visitors to the Murchison Falls National Park Uganda is Paraa. The name is derived from the term Paraa, which in the native Luo language means “home of hippos”. Due to the abundance of safari hotels and lodges, Paraa is a well-known lodging area in the Murchison Falls National Park.
Murchison Falls National Park Uganda Activities
Game drives
In Murchison Falls, game drives are done in the morning and the evening. Thanks to this, visitors may see thrilling up-close views of a range of animal species. Excellent locations for wildlife observation include the Buligi Peninsular, the Delta region, and the southern portion of the park. It’s possible to see giraffes, warthogs, elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, bushbucks, Jackson’s hartebeest, oribi, and waterbucks while on a game drive, in addition to a wide variety of bird species.
Sport fishing
Along the stony banks of the Nile beneath Murchison Falls, in the Murchison Falls National Park, sport fishing is practiced. You can use a variety of sport fishing techniques at the Banks to catch fish species include tiger fish, tilapia, catfish, and Nile perch. These techniques include the use of hooks, spinning techniques, and casting lures.
Boat cruise
On the Nile, there is a boat tour of the Murchison Falls National Park available. Boat trips are available in the Murchison Falls National Park that travel both upstream to the base of the falls and downstream to the Victoria Nile delta, which reaches Lake Albert’s shoreline. Large concentrations of hippopotamuses, crocodiles lazing on the coast, and animals like elephants, buffaloes, and waterbucks sipping water along the shores may all be seen by boat passengers.
Chimpanzee trekking
Budongo Forest, which is found in the southern region of Murchison Falls National Park, is where one can go chimpanzee trekking. The most well-known activity in Budongo Forest is chimpanzee trekking. This activity is preceded very early in the morning by a briefing at the headquarters on the rules for chimpanzee trekking. You will be partnered with a habituated chimpanzee family to travel with and a park guide who is familiar with the forest’s paths after the briefing. It may take from 30 minutes to 4 hours, depending on where the chimpanzees are.
Hot air balloon Rides
Dream Balloons provides hot air balloon safaris in the Murchison Falls National Park. The two sessions of this activity are the sunrise session, which begins at 5:00 am and ends at 6:30 am, and the sunset session, which begins at 4:00 pm and ends at 6:30 pm. Hot air balloon rides provide stunning views of Lake Albert, Murchison Falls, the surrounding wildlife, vegetation, and birds in the Murchison Falls National Park.
Park Entrance Fees
Adults: 25,000 UGX for East Africans, 45 USD for non-resident foreigners, and 35 USD for resident foreigners.
Children: East Africans must pay 10,000 Ugandan shillings, non-resident foreigners USD 25, and resident foreigners USD 15.
Vehicle: Taxes on cars registered overseas cost $10 USD, while those registered in Uganda cost 10,000 UGX.
Best time to visit Murchison falls National Park
You can visit Murchison Falls National Park any time of year. The dry season, which lasts from June to October and December to February, is the greatest time to come because there are fewer showers and less hazardous roads getting to the park. This provides wonderful opportunities to view wildlife and get stunning pictures.
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