8-Day Uganda Safari Experience

3 Days: Murchison Falls

Originally gazetted as a game reserve in 1926, the park was officially designated as one of Uganda's first national parks in 1952. It lies at the northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley, where the Bunyoro escarpment descends into rolling, palm-dotted plains, offering one of the most dramatic landscapes in East Africa. Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda's largest and oldest conservation area, where the mighty Nile River bursts through a narrow 7-meter gorge and plunges 45 meters down, creating a thunderous roar and mist that fills the air. It is one of Africa's most dramatic displays of nature's power, with game drives and boat cruises to the base of the falls.

Covering vast expanses of savanna, woodland, and riverine forests, the park is home to lions, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, leopards, and over 400 bird species. Murchison is a wildlife paradise, and boat cruises along the Nile offer unbeatable views of hippos, crocodiles, and the mighty falls themselves.

Day 1

Your safari begins on a high note as you head northwest to Murchison Falls National Park. En route, you track rhinos at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, a conservation success story after poaching killed the last rhino in Uganda in 1982. This guided walk brings you close to one of Africa's signature Big Five animals.

After the rhino trekking excursion, continue to Murchison Falls National Park, where the Victoria Nile and the dramatic falls cut through Uganda's largest park. Before checking into your lodge, visit the top of the falls for magnificent views of the world's longest river forcing itself through a narrow cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment.

Day 2

Morning and afternoon experiences shape the day. A drive through the park brings you close to elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, lions, leopards, antelope, and tropical birds. After lunch, a boat cruise along the Victoria Nile leads toward the base of Murchison Falls, with chances to see hippos, elephants, crocodiles, birds, and powerful river scenery.

Later in the evening, head out on an evening game drive, when the light is softer and temperatures are cooler. This can be a good time to spot active wildlife.

Optional activities

Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo Forest (book in advance)

Day 3

Say goodbye to Murchison Falls National Park.

After breakfast, drive back and drop off at Entebbe Airport or your hotel in Kampala, marking the end of this Murchison Falls safari.

Safari package includes

✔ Park entrance fees

✔ Accommodation on full board basis

✔ All transfers and transportation in a 4x4 safari vehicle

✔ Professional English-speaking driver-guide

✔ Rhino trekking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

✔ Hiking to the top of the falls

✔ Afternoon boat cruises

✔ Meals for 3 days

✔ All activities described in the itinerary except those described as optional