Best safari activities to do in Murchison Falls National Park in 2024
Best safari activities to do in Murchison Falls National Park in 2024 : Best safari activities to do in Murchison falls national park in 2024 are of a variety and can be done when exploring the destination which is the oldest national park in Uganda.
Murchison falls national park is located in the north western part of Uganda and is known for the world’s most powerful waterfall. In 2024, some of the best safari activities to do in Murchison Falls National Park include the following:
- Game Drives:
Game drives in Murchison falls national park are among the popular and exciting activities to do during safaris in Uganda.
Tourists enjoy seeing the various wildlife species in Murchison falls national park during game drives which can be done in the morning and afternoon. Different parts of the national park including the northern sector and southern banks are explored during game drives at the destination.
Wildlife species which can be seen during safaris in Murchison falls national park include elephants, giraffes, lions, leopards, buffalos, oribis, waterbucks, warthogs, hyenas, bushbucks, Uganda kobs, hyenas, topi, dik dik, making it one of the best locations for game viewing.
Four of the big five wildlife species including elephants, lions, leopards and buffalos can be seen during wildlife safaris in Murchison falls national park. In areas of the national park such as the Budongo forest, tourists can see chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, baboons, blue monkeys, red tailed monkeys among others.
The best time for game drives in Murchison falls national park is during the dry season from June to October and also in December to February when wildlife species are easy to see around the savannah plains. The game drives at the destination can also be done during the rainy seasons around the national park.
- Boat Safaris:
Boat safaris are also among the best activities to do during safaris in Murchison falls national park in 2024.
This activity takes place along the Victoria Nile and can be done in the morning and in the afternoon during safaris in Murchison falls national park. The boat safaris take tourists to the bottom of the Murchison falls.
Wildlife species such as buffalos, elephants, hippos and Nile crocodiles can be seen by the water shores on Victoria Nile during boat safaris in Murchison falls national park. Different bird species can also be sighted during the boat tours at the destination.
The starting point for the boat safaris in Murchison falls national park is the Paraa dock where tourists can get onto the boats with their ranger guide and relax as they enjoy views of the national park surroundings.
Private boat tours can also be organized during boat safaris in Murchison falls national park which also offers group boat safaris which can be done using the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) water vessel which is a scheduled boat which has a big carrying capacity.
Tourists are charged about 30 USD for the boat safaris to the bottom of the Murchison falls and this price depends on the company organizing the boat tour in the national park.
- Hiking to the Top of Murchison Falls:
Tourists visiting in Murchison falls national park in 2024 can also engage in hiking to the top of the Murchison falls.
Hiking to the top of the Murchison falls offers amazing views of the surrounding areas of Murchison falls national park and also the Victoria Nile and the Murchison falls. Different trails are followed when hiking to the top of the falls.
The hike to the top of the falls takes about 45 minutes and is not a strenuous hike and can therefore be done by tourists of all ages and also by experienced and inexperienced hikers during their tours in Murchison falls national park.
During the top of the falls hike in Murchison falls national park, tourists can get close to the waterfalls and feel the water spray from the thunderous falls. The hike can be combined with other activities carried out during safaris around the destination.
The cost of the top of the falls hike in Murchison falls national park is 15 USD for foreign nonresidents, 10 USD for foreign residents and 10,000 Uganda shillings for East African citizens.
To view the falls closely, tourists can also engage in viewing of the Murchison falls during their safaris around the national park. This activity is charged 10 USD for foreign nonresidents and foreign residents and 10,000 Uganda shillings for East African citizens.
- Chimpanzee Tracking:
Chimpanzee tracking in Budongo forest is another activity to do when visiting Murchison falls national park.
The chimpanzee tracking experience can be done in the morning or in the afternoon during tours in Budongo forest. During this activity, tourists trek through the forests in search for the chimpanzees and also encounter other primates such as black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, and blue monkeys among others.
Tourists also enjoy spending time with the chimpanzees and observe their behavior in their natural habitat during the chimpanzee tracking experience in Budongo forest. The activity takes about 4 hours and a chimpanzee permit costs 140 USD per person to visit the chimpanzees of Budongo.
The best time to engage in chimpanzee tracking during a tour in Budongo forest is during the months of June to October and also in December to February.
- Bird Watching:
Tours around Murchison falls national park also involve engaging in bird watching experiences which can be done in different parts of the destination.
With over 450 bird species recorded in the park, Murchison Falls National Park is a must visit destination to see various bird species including the rare Shoebill which can be seen during Nile delta boat cruises. Other bird species can be spotted around the Victoria Nile, around Budongo forest, in the savannah plains and in the woodland areas of the national park.
Bird species found in Murchison falls national park include Abyssinian ground Hornbill, Grey crowned cranes, Giant Heron, Malachite Kingfishers, Red Throated Bee-eaters among others.
