Activities in Murchison Falls National Park are the ventures that tourists can engage in when they visit the park like game drives, hiking, e.t.c. Murchison falls national park is Uganda’s oldest and largest protected park which estimate around 5,072 square kilometers of its low land. The park is approximately 3hours & 30 minutes from Kampala Capital City using the Gulu high way passing via Migera to Masindi. Murchison falls national park lies on the shores of Lake Albert in the northwest region of Uganda bordered with four powerful districts including Kiryandogo, Masindi, Nwoyo, and Buliisa. Above all Murchison conservation area is an inland area surrounded with waters of Karuma falls, Lake Albert and around Victoria Nile which pours its waters through a narrow gap over massive drops. The park was established in 1952 to become a game reserve and forest reserve to protect various species of mammals, trees, primates, birds, and many more. The park is under the management of Uganda Wildlife Authority and it became a world heritage site since 1991.

Activities in Murchison Falls National Park

Murchison falls being the largest park and a home of Uganda’s wildlife, it offers a wide number of activities where a traveler can engage in and these include: boat cruise, guided nature walks, bird watching, game drive, chimpanzee trekking, hot air balloon, sport fishing and hiking on top of the falls e.t.c 

Hiking on top of the falls

Hiking can starts at 9 am up to 2 pm along the falls. You will use a boat guided with a trained guide along the Victoria Nile. While you are enjoying your boat launch, you can spot water birds such as silver birds, white egrets, kingfishers, yellow-billed stork, cormorants, duck bee-eater, fish eagle, water animals at the river bank such as hippopotamus, waterbucks, crocodiles and many more. When we continue with our journey at the top of the fall where you will able to adventure the splashing white waters and being refreshed with the mist. Feel the ground shake and vibrate under your feet & this will give you a peaceful memorable experience on the activities in Murchison falls national park.

Guided Game Drive

The park is the largest protected conservation area is composed of wetlands, open savannah grassland, low land as well as the montane rain forest which are a habitat for a variety of species. The most famous big 5 of the wildlife mammals are found in Murchison falls national park such as lions, buffaloes, elephants, leopards, and rhinos. Game drives are conducted within the park led by a professional guide, and you can able spot other species at the edge of Lake Albert like the beautiful giraffes, waterbuck, warthogs, baboons, and many others. As we pass through the wilderness, we can stop at Nyamsisa cliff where one can enjoy marvelous game viewing and gaze at elephants and other wild animals like the king of the jungle “lion” on a green grassy hillside at the river bank.

Chimpanzee trekking

Chimpanzee trekking has become one of the famously done activities in Murchison Falls National Park along with mountain gorilla trekking done in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Chimpanzee trekking which is conducted in Budongo Forest located in the boundaries of Murchison falls national park & can last between 3 to 4 hours depending on where the primates are located. This has become part of the most done activities in Uganda safaris all year around and it has led to the development of Uganda’s tourism. Chimpanzee permits cost USD 220 only per person.

Bird watching

Murchison falls national park is a home of over 450 species of birds and bird watching is best done between Paraa landing area to the ferry crossing in the area or along the Nile and Lake Albert Delta. This attractive activity is best carried out in the morning hours when the weather is still cooler between 8 am to 10 am. You will able to spot out different species of birds of which you get a chance to see the unique rare bird commonly known as shoebill stork which is not found elsewhere except in Uganda. Other species include silver birds, black-headed lapwing, weaver birds, African darters, ospreys, giant kingfisher, long-tailed prover, veracious duke, African jacana, yellow-billed stork, and giant heron. During the night you can come across the nocturnal birds in the area like Verreaux owl, nightjar and many more.

Guided Nature Walks

A guided nature walk can be conducted at Kaniyo Pabidi which is an area of natural forest within Budongo forest. Budongo Forest is the largest forest that survived with very many species. Budongo forest is located in the boundaries of the park covering 825 square kilometers of the area and biodiversity including 24 species of mammals, 9 species of primates, 280 butterflies, 450 tree species and it is also a habitat of unique apes of over 600 Chimpanzees. Tourists usually walk on foot enjoying their guided nature walk being led by the trained guide through different trailheads within the forest. Tourists can be able to spot different species of primates such as Red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, grey-cheeked mangabey and you can get an opportunity to come across the chimpanzees. Since it is a forest you can view birds like lemon billed gromac, chocolate backed kingfisher and unique species of trees such as iron woodland, mahogany trees and many more. Nature walk is best done in dry seasons from the month of August, September, November, December to February.

Sport Fishing

Tourists interested in fishing safaris can visit Murchison falls national park in Uganda and explore more about the country’s fish species such as Nile perch, Tilapia, Electric catfish. All you need to do is to carry your fishing equipment’s on your way along to.

While you’re at Murchison falls national park you can sleep in comfortable hotels ranging between luxury, midrange and budget accommodation facilities. Some of these include Red chill safari lodge, Simba safari lodge, Paraa lodge, Masindi hotel, Kabalenga Resort lodge and many more. It depends on how many days you will suggest to stay but basing on your budget.

The best time to participate in these Activities in Murchison Falls National Park is all year round but most especially in dry seasons from the month of June, July, August, September, October, December to March. All these Activities in Murchison Falls National Park can make your stopover not elsewhere but only in Uganda.

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Activities in Murchison Falls National Park

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