Uganda
Murchison Falls National Park
The Nile at its most powerful
About Murchison Falls National Park
At Murchison Falls the entire Nile is forced through a seven-metre gap and explodes into the gorge below — the most powerful natural flow of water on Earth. Boat safaris run to the base of the falls past hippo, crocodile and drinking elephant.
The northern savannah carries lion, giraffe and big buffalo herds, while the papyrus delta downstream is one of the best places anywhere to find the prehistoric shoebill stork.
Wildlife
What You'll See
- Elephant
- Lion
- Giraffe
- Hippo
- Shoebill Stork
- Crocodile
Activities
What You Can Do
- Boat safari to the falls
- Game drives
- Top-of-the-falls hike
- Shoebill delta cruises
The Nile
Murchison Falls: The River Forced Through a Gap
Murchison Falls is Uganda's largest national park, and it is split in two by the Victoria Nile. The falls themselves are the reason for the name and the trip: the entire river, draining the largest lake in Africa, is squeezed through a gap in the rock just seven metres wide and thrown 43 metres into the gorge below. The pressure and the noise are extraordinary, and you can stand directly above it.
The classic experience is to approach by boat from downstream, watching hippo, enormous crocodile and elephant on the banks as you go, then land and climb to the top of the falls on foot. The delta cruise in the other direction, toward Lake Albert, is where Uganda's most reliable shoebill sightings happen.
North of the river, open savannah supports lion, elephant, buffalo, Jackson's hartebeest, oryx and Rothschild's giraffe — a subspecies that has been reintroduced and now thrives here, and which occurs almost nowhere else. South of the river, Budongo Forest offers chimpanzee tracking and outstanding birding among mahogany trees.
What you do
Murchison Falls Highlights
The falls, by boat and on foot
A launch trip to the base of the falls followed by the climb to the top, where the entire Nile funnels through a seven-metre gap.
Rothschild's giraffe
A rare subspecies reintroduced here and now thriving on the northern bank in numbers seen almost nowhere else on earth.
Shoebill on the delta
The Nile delta cruise toward Lake Albert is Uganda's most dependable place to find this prehistoric-looking, much-wanted bird.
Budongo Forest chimpanzees
A mahogany forest on the park's southern edge with habituated chimpanzees and superb birding, including the Albertine Rift specialities.
Planning
Murchison Falls FAQs
Is Murchison worth the detour?
If you have the days, yes. It sits north of Uganda's main gorilla-and-chimpanzee circuit, so it adds roughly three days to an itinerary rather than slotting in alongside. What you get for that is the most dramatic single natural feature in the country, the best savannah game viewing in Uganda, Rothschild's giraffe and a realistic shot at the shoebill.
How do I get there?
Around five to six hours by road from Entebbe or Kampala, usually broken with a stop at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, which is the only place in Uganda to see rhino and makes an excellent half day. Light aircraft flights to Pakuba and Chobe airstrips take about an hour and a half and save a full day each way.
When should I visit?
December to February and June to September are the drier months, with easier roads and game concentrated near the river. The rains from March to May and October to November make some tracks difficult, though the park is green and the birding is at its best. The falls themselves are impressive year-round and at their most violent after heavy rain.
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