This 5 days Murchison Falls safari takes you to the largest game park in Uganda for a chance to see all of Africa’s big five including Rhinos at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. This 5 days Uganda tour will allow you to explore the park fully without feeling like you missed out on something when leaving the country. Apart from rhino tracking, you will go for game drives, a boat rides along the Nile and chimpanzee trekking in Budongo forest.
Murchison falls national park is
located in the north-western part of the country and along the East African Rift Valley. Apart from the big 5 (Lions, Rhinos, Elephants, Leopards and Buffaloes), the Murchison falls national park has hyenas, giraffes, elands, warthog and much more. One can also spot the elusive shoebill Stork which attracts many birders to the park each year. The Nile river passes right in the middle of the park, leaving behind the Murchison, Karuma and other smaller falls. The scenery is beautiful because of a right combination of savanna, forests and rivers.
Murchison falls national park is home to the Budongo forest – a forest with incredible biodiversity and home to giant mahogany trees that are over 100 years old. Chimpanzee trekking is the main activity there but there are also other smaller primates and birds to look out for. Before reaching the Murchison falls national park, there is the Ziwa rhino sanctuary in Nakasongola district. It is the only place where tourists can spot rhinos. The white rhinos live in a vast ranch which also has primates, antelopes and several species of birds.
This 5 days Murchison Falls National Park Safari starts and ends in Entebbe or Kampala. For a shorter safari, you can check out our 2 days Murchison Falls safari, the 3 days Murchison Falls National Park package and the 4 days Murchison Falls tour. If you want to explore more of Uganda, you can check out the 8 days Uganda safari or the 12 days Uganda Wildlife safari package.
Main Activities
The main activities while on the 5 days Murchison Falls Safari are:
- Game viewing within the park
- Rhino tracking at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
- Boat ride experience along the Nile
- Chimpanzee tracking at Budongo forest
Full Itinerary
Day 1: Airport pick up – Entebbe or Kampala city tour
On arrival at the Entebbe international airport, you will be picked up by our friendly driver. If you arrive early in the day, the driver will take you for a tour of Entebbe of Kampala after check-in at your lodge. The main things to do in Entebbe are visiting the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, the Entebbe botanical zoo, the Snake Village and the beautiful beaches around Lake Victoria. The Key attractions in Kampala are the cultural and historical centers
Dinner and Overnight: The luxury hotels are the Serena hotel Kigo and Protea hotel Entebbe. The mid-rage lodges are Gately Inn, Papyrus Guesthouse Entebbe and Anderita Beach Hotel.
Day 2: Drive to Murchison Falls national park with Stopover at Ziwa rhino sanctuary
You will start the journey to Murchison Falls National Park at 8:00am. The journey takes about 4 hours and should allow you to marvel at the beautiful scenery along the way. Once you reach Nakasongola, you will branch off to the Ziwa rhino sanctuary. This sanctuary was established to protect the last remaining rhinos in Uganda. From 4 individuals, the sanctuary now has over 25 rhinos. Rhinos once roamed the national parks in Uganda but extensive poaching left only a few individuals. The last of them had to be brought into the sanctuary. The sanctuary sits on a vast piece of land. You will be led to find the rhinos by a sanctuary Ranger. The Ranger will share information about the facility and the life story of each of the Rhinos.
After the Rhino tracking experience, you will have lunch at a restaurant in the sanctuary before continuing the journey to the Murchison falls national park. When you get to the park, you will go straight to observe the top of the falls. The Murchison falls are formed when the Nile forces its way through a narrow gorge before dropping down with force. It is an amazing experience observing the waterfalls, the rainbow mist it creates and the might roar created. After observing the waterfalls, you will go to the lodge for check-in.
Accommodation: The luxury lodges are Paraa Safari lodge and Nile Safari lodge. The mid-range lodges are Fort Murchison or Murchison River lodge. The budget lodges are Fort Murchison and Red Chilli Rest Camp.
Day 3: Game drive and Afternoon Launch cruise
Wake up early for breakfast and wait for the office driver to pick you up. You will then drive to Nyamsika area of the park for the morning game drive. Nyamsika has a high concentration of animals because of the vast savanna grasslands. While on the game drive, you will have an opportunity to see elephants, giraffes, lions, duikers, oribi, buffaloes, sitatunga, bush pigs, warthog, Jackson’s hartebeest and so many others. The game drive will take about 4 hours after which you will be taken back to your lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, you will go for a boat ride. This boat cruise is excellent for spotting aquatic animals like Nile crocodiles, water bucks, numerous hippos and innumerable birds feeding on fish from the Nile. As the boat moves upstream, you will have beautiful views of the Murchison falls. The boat ride is always exciting and insightful since there is a Park Ranger to share information about all the wildlife species encountered. After completing the 2 to 3 hours’ boat cruise, you will go back to your lodge for dinner and rest.
Accommodation: The luxury lodges are Paraa Safari lodge and Nile Safari lodge. The mid-range lodges are Fort Murchison or Murchison River lodge. The budget lodges are Fort Murchison and Red Chilli Rest Camp.
Day 4: Boat cruise along the Nile Delta – Afternoon game drive around Paraa
After early morning breakfast, the driver will take you to Paraa for another boat ride. Whereas the first one went upstream and towards the bottom of Murchison falls, this one will go downstream (towards the Nile delta or Albert Nile). The boat cruise is excellent in the morning because it is the best time to encounter early risers and a variety of birds – especially the elusive shoebill stork. You will observe crocodiles, hippos, water bucks, elephants and buffaloes drinking water on the banks of the river. This boat cruise will take about between 2 to 3 hours. After the boat cruise, you will head back to the lodge for lunch and rest.
The driver will take you for an afternoon game drive in the Buligi area. Buligi is another area of the park with a high concentration of wildlife species. You will have a great time as you will have several opportunities to spot animals like elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes, elands, hyenas, mongoose, reedbuck and more. Also look out for small primates and birds. At the turn of the evening, you will head back to your lodge for dinner and a night stay.
Accommodation: The luxury lodges are Paraa Safari lodge and Nile Safari lodge. The mid-range lodges are Fort Murchison or Murchison River lodge. The budget lodges are Fort Murchison and Red Chilli Rest Camp.
Day 5: Chimpanzee tracking in Budongo – Departure
This will be the last activity of the 3 days safari but very eventful. Chimpanzee along with bonobos (pygmy chimpanzees) are the closest relatives to man. They are very intelligent primates with the ability to use tools and show all kinds of emotion. It is very intriguing watching them in the wild. The activity 
starts early in the morning and you should wake up early for breakfast. The driver will take you for the briefing in the park offices in the early morning. After the briefing, you will be assigned a Park Ranger and trackers to lead you in search of the primates. Chimps spend a good part of their time on top of trees unlike gorillas. They are also very mobile hence requiring that you follow them for some time before getting good camera positions. Chimps are usually in groups containing between 10 to 30 individuals. You will find some on the ground feeding and others on top of the trees. Observing their social behavior and character of each individual will remind you of we humans. After spending one hour with the chimps, you will get into the car and start the journey back to Kampala or Entebbe with lunch along the way.
End of safari
Tour Inclusions and Exclusions
The 5 days Murchison Falls Safari includes: –
- Rhino tracking fees
- 2 boat cruises
- 2 game drives
- Park Ranger fees
- Hiking to the top of the falls
- Chimpanzee permits
- Accommodation and meals
- Driver and 4×4 vehicle with fuel.
- Airport transfers
Exclusions: Air transport fares and visa fees. Personal expenses like wines, cigars, souvenirs and tips are also excluded.
Hotels and Lodges
Fort Murchison Lodge: Fort Murchison Lodge is located on the eastern banks of the River Nile – North of the Murchison falls national park. The lodge is owned by a Ugandan lady and a Dutch 
gentleman. The architects of this lodge where inspired by buildings found in Mombasa and Zanzibar. The first Arab and European explorers who settled in Mombasa/Zanzibar left behind impressive buildings and you can see a similar design idea in Murchison Falls National Park. Fort Murchison Lodge is a mid-range accommodation facility with 12 self-contained rooms. It is an ideal choice for travelers who are wish to view game at the Buligi game areas and want a hotel that is different from others.
Murchison River Lodge: This is a mid-range accommodation option but also caters for those traveling on budget. The rooms are covered with beautifully assembled grass and everything has been done to give guests that feeling of being in Africa. The rooms come in form of grass-thatched cottages, grass-thatched safari tents, river tents and camp sites. Those who are traveling on budget can go for the cheaper tents. All the rooms offer great views of the river Nile. Murchison River Lodge also has an exquisite restaurant and a large swimming pool where guests can relax after a long day of activities.
Nile Safari Lodge: This is one of the high-end accommodation facilities in Murchison falls national park and close to the river Nile. It’s establishment dates back to the early 1990’s but it has a fresh look after extensive renovations. The lodge looks elegant and has all the facilities a guest would expect in a 5-star hotel. The rooms are very spacious, clean and with comfortable beds. There is also a study desk, wireless internet and room service for every room. One can choose between the family cottage, double or single rooms. Nile Safari Lodge is perfect for persons interested in a luxury safari.
