0 List
Open Close
  1. You are here:
  2. Home
  3. All Tours
  4. All Uganda Tours
  5. Murchison Falls Tours
Filter Options

Your Safari

Where To
+ Add country, park or highlight
› Start Date
Start Date
› 2 Adults
Age at the end of the tour
Travelers
Search

Tour Length

Rates in USD $ – Change Currency

Per person, excl. international flights

Comfort Level

Private or Shared Tour

Safari Type

Operator Rating

Specialized Tours

+ Show more

Other Tour Features

Filter by Operator

Filter by Accommodation

Operators From

+ Show more

Show Safari Tours

Murchison Falls NP Safari - Compare 402 Tours

4.3/5  –  136 Murchison Falls Safari Reviews

Uganda’s largest national park, Murchison Falls is named after its most impressive landmark: an explosively frothing 43m/141ft-high waterfall formed by the Victoria Nile as it funnels through a narrow cleft in the Rift Valley cliffs. This scenic park is a great all-round safari destination, hosting large numbers of elephant, buffalo, hippo, giraffe and Uganda kob, along with stable populations of lion and leopard, and a profusion of waterbirds. Murchison Falls is often included on longer Uganda holiday packages that take in southwestern national parks such as Bwindi Impenetrable, Queen Elizabeth and/or Kibale, but it is also a perfect goal for a shortish stand-alone safari out of Kampala or Entebbe.

Selected filters:
Clear All Filters
1-20 of 402 results. Rankings are based on performance, relevance and payment. Learn more

5 Questions About Murchison Falls Safaris

1. Can I see the Big Five on a safari to Murchison Falls NP?
2. Can I go chimp or gorilla trekking in Murchison Falls NP?
3. What activities are available at Murchison Falls NP?
4. How easy is it to see a shoebill in Murchison Falls NP?
5. How many days should I allocate to a Murchison Falls safari?
 
 

5 Questions About Murchison Falls Safaris

Answered by Philip Briggs

Can I see the Big Five on a safari to Murchison Falls NP?

“Yes and no. Strictly speaking, only four of the Big Five (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino) can be seen in Murchison Falls, as there are no rhinos, but these prehistoric beasts can be tracked on foot at Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch en route to/from Kampala/Entebbe. Looking at the Big Five individually, buffalo are almost certain to be seen on any given boat trip or game drive in Murchison Falls, and the likelihood of elephant encounters is also very high. Big cat sightings, though less certain, are most likely on game drives north of the Nile Delta. Here, lions are often seen near the herds of Uganda kob that form their main prey. Leopards, though generally secretive, are observed with increasing frequency, especially around Pakuba Safari Lodge. Black and northern white rhino were once very common in Murchison Falls, but both species became extinct in Uganda in the early 1980s as a result of illegal hunting. Today, an introduced population of around 30 southern white rhinos is protected in Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch, which lies alongside the main road between Kampala and Murchison Falls. Day excursions to and overnight stays in Ziwa are often combined with a Murchison Falls safari. Rhinos can be tracked on foot at the ranch and close-up sightings are almost certain.”

1

Can I go chimp or gorilla trekking in Murchison Falls NP?

“There are no gorillas in Murchison Falls or anywhere nearby, but it is possible to track chimps there. A small chimp population is actually present within the national park, but the main trekking site within the Greater Murchison Falls Conservation Area is Budongo Forest. The trekking site here stands alongside the main surfaced road connecting the town of Masindi to Murchison Falls NP. Depending on your timing, it may be possible to track chimps en route. However, most people who want to go chimp trekking at Murchison Falls either overnight at Budongo Forest (there’s a mid-range lodge there) or do so as a morning excursion from one of the lodges within the national park.”

2

What activities are available at Murchison Falls NP?

“Probably the most popular activity is the boat trip that runs from the park headquarters at Paraa to the base of the explosive waterfall for which the park is named. This follows an atmospheric stretch of the Victoria Nile where hippos and crocodiles bask in the shallows, and elephants and buffalo regularly come down to drink. By advance arrangement, it is possible to add a guided walk to the top of Murchison Falls to the boat trip, and to be collected at the car park above the falls. For game drives, the most productive area in Murchison Falls is the circuit of wildlife viewing tracks to the north of the papyrus-lined delta where the Victoria Nile empties into Lake Albert. In addition to hosting four of the Big Five, this is a good area for Uganda kob, waterbuck and oribi. You should also see the localized patas monkey, which is Africa’s most terrestrial primate, and large herds of Rothschild’s giraffe, a near-threatened subspecies for which Murchison Falls is the most important remaining stronghold. Other activities include game drives south of the river, game fishing, delta boat trips, bird-watching walks, and chimp trekking and forest walks into Budongo.”

3

How easy is it to see a shoebill in Murchison Falls NP?

“Murchison Falls NP is one of the most reliable places anywhere for spotting the shoebill, a striking swamp-dwelling bird notable for its immense size, slate-gray feathering and impressive clog-shaped beak. It should be noted, however, that while the boat trip to the base of Murchison Falls offers exceptional general birding, shoebills are seldom seen because the vegetation doesn’t really suit them. You’re more likely to spot a shoebill, albeit at a distance, in the extensive papyrus beds that can be accessed from the game-viewing roads north of the Nile Delta. But if a close-up sighting of a shoebill is high on your priorities, we would strongly recommend joining a daily morning boat trip from Paraa to the Nile Delta, which comes with something like a 95% success rate.”

4

How many days should I allocate to a Murchison Falls safari?

“Most standalone safaris from Kampala or Entebbe to Murchison Falls range in duration from 2 to 5 days. We feel that 2 days is really pushing it, given that you’re looking at a drive of up to five hours to the main southern entrance gate, and another hour or so to the lodge or camp where you’ll spend your sole night in the park. And while 3 days is more realistic, it still means you only get to spend 2 nights and 1 full day in the park, which is quite tight. For this reason, if at all possible, we would recommend a 4- to 5-day trip, especially if you want the package to also include chimp trekking in Budongo and/or a visit to Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch. Longer tours that combine Murchison Falls with parks in southwest Uganda usually involve a long drive between Fort Portal and Murchison Falls, so again we would recommend allocating a minimum of 3 nights in the park.”

5

Murchison Falls Safari Reviews

4.3/5 136 Reviews
Expert
Charlotte Beauvoisin  –  
Uganda UG

Charlotte lives in Uganda and is a writer, blogger, volunteer and promoter of birding, conservation and responsible tourism. She writes for Fodor’s, Horizon Guides and Bradt, and runs an award-winning blog.

Not To Be Missed!
5/5

I’d heard such amazing reports about Murchison Falls, ‘the world’s heaviest waterfall’, that I was worried whether the famous waterfalls would live up to expectations. Spoiler alert: they did. The light spray from the waterfalls...

Full Review

Expert
Alan Murphy  –  
Australia AU

Alan is a travel writer and author of over 20 Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guides to Southern Africa and Zambia & Malawi.

Spectacular Falls & Diverse Wildlife
4/5

While the boat trip to the base of the magnificent Murchison Falls is touted as the best way to see them, in fact the falls are better viewed from on top. Roaring through a narrow cleft in the rock, it is the best waterfall I’ve seen in...

Full Review

Kevin ******  –  
Turkey TR
Reviewed: Feb 10, 2026
5/5

Where I found and felt the 'safari' aspect of the tour with an early morning game drive and an afternoon Nile boat cruise with an abundance of hippos in the water and along the shores with elephants, various hooved species, and other...

Full Review

Dinton K  –  
Uganda UG
Reviewed: Jan 1, 2026
5/5

Murchison Falls National Park is home to a wide range of wildlife, including elephants, giraffes, lions, leopards, buffaloes, hippos, and crocodiles. Game drives on the northern bank offer classic savannah safari experiences with high...

Full Review

Anna  –  
Uganda UG
Reviewed: Sep 21, 2025
Really big place with beautiful nature an wildlife.
5/5

We went in July and were really lucky with good weather. At first we went to visit the waterfalls itself which was absolutely stunning - although you should not bother getting a little bit wet. We did two park rides and saw buffallows,...

Full Review

Andrea Gunderson  –  
United States US
Reviewed: Jun 25, 2025
5/5

Beautiful and loud! Rainbows! Hot temps but the showers from the falls helped to cool us. Saw Termite kingdom and black neck cobra baby snake with our guide Lawrence. Beautiful pictures. The Nile is so powerful. We did do a cruise up the...

Full Review

All 136 Murchison Falls Safari Reviews