Compare 9 guided safaris in Murchison Falls National Park, from quick 2-day trips to a 5-day combo with chimpanzee trekking in Kibale. Most tours include private transport, meals, game drives, boat cruises on the Nile, and visits to the top of the falls.
Free Cancellation Three-day private safari with game drives, a hike to the top of Murchison Falls, and a 3-hour Nile boat ride. Pickup from Entebbe Airport. Meals and private transport included; guide available in English, German, Swedish, Italian, or Japanese. Cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund. The SCUBA gear exclusion is boilerplate — there's no diving on this itinerary, so ignore it.
Free Cancellation Two-day private safari from Kampala or Entebbe with game drives, a boat launch, and all meals included.
Free Cancellation Two-day budget safari with game drives, a top-of-the-falls visit, and meals, picking up in Kampala and Entebbe.
Free Cancellation Private 3-day Murchison Falls safari with transport, all meals, accommodation, and airport-area pickup.
Free Cancellation Three-day, two-night guided safari in Murchison Falls National Park with an English-speaking guide, fees included.
Two-day Murchison Falls safari with a game drive, a boat cruise to the falls, and meals included.
Private 2-day Gatsio Safariz safari with game drives, a boat cruise, and a nature hike; meals and transport included.
Free Cancellation Five-day private tour combining Murchison Falls with chimp trekking in Kibale, permits and boat cruise included.
Free Cancellation Four-day guided tour of Murchison Falls National Park with an English-speaking guide, hotel pickup and meals included.
Read what travelers share about their experience visiting Murchison Falls National Park — from practical tips to personal highlights.
Most tours here run two to five days and hinge on the same trio: game drives on the northern savanna, a launch cruise up the Nile to the base of the falls, and the hike to the top. The Victoria Nile squeezes through an 8-metre gorge and drops 45 metres, and every itinerary makes time for it. Expect long drives on murram tracks, early starts, and animals at close range.
The UWA boat leaves Paraa for a roughly 2-hour run upriver, past hippos, Nile crocodiles and buffalo bathing at the water's edge. It stops at Baker Point, directly under the 45-metre 'Devil's Cauldron', where the spray throws a permanent rainbow. Departures cluster around 8–9 AM and 2–3 PM; the boat carries up to 45 passengers.
From Baker Point, a 45-minute hike climbs to where you feel the whole Nile forcing through the fissure underfoot. The rocks are wet and genuinely dangerous, so grippy shoes and no edge selfies. If the climb is too steep, you can drive to the viewpoint instead.
The peninsula between the Victoria Nile and Lake Albert is the park's best game country: elephants, giraffes, buffalo, Uganda kob and lion prides, most active at dawn and late afternoon. Every booked safari includes at least two drives here. The northern sector's open savanna, dotted with Borassus palms, is where the sightings stack up.
A downstream cruise toward the Albert Nile Delta (about 2 hours) is the park's most reliable shot at the shoebill stork. Goliath herons and saddle-billed storks work the papyrus swamps toward Lake Albert. Worth adding if birds are why you came.
The Kaniyo Pabidi block of Budongo Forest, near the Kichumbanyobo gate, holds more than 600 chimpanzees and about 360 bird species. Treks run 2–4 hours through mahogany and ironwood, with one hour beside a habituated family. Permits must be arranged in advance, and the minimum age is 12.
On the drive in from Kampala, most tours stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to track white rhinos on foot with rangers. It sits on the same surfaced road, about halfway. Without Ziwa there are no rhinos on a Murchison itinerary, so this stop completes Uganda's Big Five.
Tour prices here range from US$200 to US$2,610, and the gap is mostly about what's bundled. Check inclusions line by line before you pay.
Nearly everything on this page is a private, guided package of two to five days with a driver-guide — there's no audio tour format at Murchison. The standard 3-day safari (around US$700) covers game drives, the falls hike and the boat cruise. Short on time? Two-day trips work but the drive from Kampala eats four to five hours each way. Five-day options pair Murchison with chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest.
Inclusions vary wildly. At US$200, the 3-day Wildlife Safari covers only fees and taxes — you pay for lunch and transport separately. At US$820, the private 3-day tour includes all meals, accommodation and private vehicle. Check whether the US$45 park entry (foreign non-resident adult) and activity fees are in the price; on several listings they are not.
June–September and December–February are the dry seasons, when tracks stay passable and animals crowd the Nile and waterholes. Lodge and flight availability tightens in those windows, so book early. January and February get hot — up to 34°C at midday.
Most tours here allow a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours ahead. Two exceptions to know: the 2-Day Big 5 Safari is fully non-refundable, and Gatsio Safariz's private 2-day tour drops to 50% between two and six days out and nothing inside two days.
The bigger operators run guides in nine languages, including German, French, Spanish, Japanese and Italian. Budget trips are usually English-only. If language matters, filter for it before booking rather than assuming.
Several tours are listed as wheelchair accessible, including the 3-day safari at US$700. In practice, game drives and the launch cruise are the workable activities — the boat needs no walking and provides life jackets. The falls hike is steep, but you can drive to the Top of the Falls viewpoint instead. Arrange accessible vehicles with your operator in advance.
Beyond the standard itinerary you can add the Albert Delta shoebill cruise, sport fishing at US$50 per day (US$150 for four days), or a night game drive at US$40 per person — night drives are restricted to guests sleeping inside the park. Chimp permits for Budongo must be arranged ahead of time.
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary sits on the Kampala route and most tours can build in the stop. Karuma Falls and Ajai Wildlife Reserve (US$10 entry) sit on the northern and western approaches. If you're combining parks, the Fort Portal drive links Murchison with Kibale in about six hours — the 5-day combo tour does exactly this.
Swipe to see more
| Budget 2-Day Safari | Standard 3-Day Safari | Private 3-Day Tour | 2-Day Big 5 Safari | 5-Day Murchison & Kibale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 48 hours | 72 hours | 72 hours | 48 hours | 120 hours |
| Best for | Weekend travellers based in Kampala or Entebbe; free pickup around both cities | First-time safari-goers wanting the full trio: game drives, falls hike and 3-hour Nile boat ride | Couples and families who want to set their own pace at sightings — no other travellers joined in | Travellers targeting elephants, buffalo, lions, leopards and Rothschild's giraffes in one quick hit | Wildlife and primate lovers combining Murchison savanna with chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest (13 primate species) |
| Includes | Private transport, English driver-guide, game drives, Top of the Falls, all meals (no alcohol) | Private transport, all meals, airport pickup from Entebbe; guides in 9 languages including Japanese and Swedish | Private vehicle, all meals, 2 nights' accommodation; pickup flexible within 30 km of the airport | All meals, on-board WiFi, bottled water; note this one is non-refundable | Chimp permits, park entry, boat cruise tickets, private transport, all meals |
| Price from | US$462.50 | US$700 | US$820.58 | US$620 | US$2,610 |
| Guest rating | 4.8/5 (18 reviews) | 4.95/5 (64 reviews) | 5.0/5 (9 reviews) | 3.7/5 (3 reviews) | 5.0/5 (1 review) |
Swipe to see more
Gates open 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM daily, and Uganda Wildlife Authority states there are no exceptions to these hours. Time your drives and crossings so you're out before 7:00 PM — transit drivers who miss it are turned away.
Launch trips run in daylight windows, commonly around 8–9 AM and 2–3 PM, and take about 2 hours to the base of the falls.
Since the Paraa bridge opened in 2021, it's the normal Nile crossing. The old vehicle ferry runs only during bridge maintenance or exceptional water levels; when in service it crosses roughly every 1–2 hours from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, carrying up to 8 vehicles (UGX 20,000 per light vehicle, UGX 5,000 per passenger).
A day ticket is valid 24 hours from entry; anything longer is charged as an extra day.
From Kampala it's 305 km (190 mi) to the southern entrance — 4 to 5 hours by road via Luweero, Nakasongola and Masindi, entering at the Kichumbanyobo gate. Paraa is another 85 km from Masindi town. A 4x4 is recommended, especially in the rains, and self-drivers pay a US$10 per-vehicle game-drive fee.
Coming from Fort Portal, the 280 km south-west circuit takes at least 6 hours — the usual routing if you're combining Murchison with Kibale or Queen Elizabeth.
June–September and December–February are the two dry seasons, and the best months to visit. Rain is scarce, murram tracks stay passable, vegetation thins out and wildlife concentrates along the Nile and at waterholes.
June–September is the busiest window; December–February is equally productive but January and February can hit 29–34°C. Book lodges and flights early for both.
April, May, October and November are the wettest months. Roads turn muddy, some tracks become hard going, the rocks at the Top of the Falls get slippery, and animals disperse into thicker bush. The upside: green scenery, good birding and empty lodges. Skip these months if game viewing is your priority.
There's no formal wheelchair-accessible trail infrastructure, and game-viewing tracks are rough dirt roads. That said, several tours on this page are listed as wheelchair accessible, and the two most practical experiences — game drives and the roughly 2-hour Nile launch cruise — require no walking. Life jackets are provided on the boat.
Some lodges near Paraa offer wheelchair-friendly rooms. Arrange an accessible vehicle and assistance with your lodge or operator in advance; don't assume it on arrival.
For seniors: the Top of the Falls hike (45 minutes from Baker Point) is steep, but you can drive to the viewpoint instead. The Kampala drive is long and bumpy at 4–5 hours, so plan rest stops. Malaria prophylaxis is worth a doctor's conversation before travel.
Children aged 5–15 get reduced entry (US$25 for foreign non-residents) and under-5s enter free. Chimp tracking has a minimum age of 12. Keep kids off the wet rocks at the falls and away from the water's edge — hippos and crocodiles are real.
Paraa is the tourism hub: most lodges cluster there, about 5 km west of the Nile crossing, and it's where the launch trips leave from. Bugungu, Karuma and Ajai reserves nearby are quieter day-excursion options (Ajai and Bugungu entry: US$10 for foreign non-residents).
Payment at UWA gates and the reservations office works by mobile money (Airtel Money/MTN MoMo), POS machine, bank transfer or the online portal. Keep every receipt — officials verify them.
Camping and campfires are only allowed at designated sites. Medical facilities are far away once you're inside the park, so bring a basic first-aid kit. Alcohol is excluded on most budget tours; higher-priced packages include all meals.
The speed limit inside the park is 40 km/h, enforced with immediate fines. Unnecessary stopping is banned for transit vehicles, and leaving the designated Kichumbanyobo–Tangi road counts as entering without a valid permit.
Dress matters more than you'd think: black and dark blue attract biting tsetse flies. Wear khaki, beige or olive, long sleeves, closed shoes, and pack a fleece for cold dawn drives. Twenty percent of your entry fee goes to neighbouring communities under Uganda's revenue-sharing policy.
Sometimes. The 2-day budget safari at US$462.50 and the private 3-day tour at US$820 list all fees and taxes as included, while the US$200 3-day Wildlife Safari covers only fees — you pay for transport and lunch on top. Foreign non-resident adult entry is US$45, and activity fees like the US$30 launch trip are charged separately from entrance by UWA. Read the inclusions list before booking.
Three days is the sweet spot: game drives on the Buligi tracks, the launch trip to the base of the falls, the Top of the Falls viewpoint and an Albert Delta cruise. Two-day tours cover the core highlights but you'll spend 4–5 hours driving from Kampala each way. Add a fourth or fifth day for chimpanzee trekking in Budongo or Kibale — the 5-day combo covers both parks.
It's possible but a grind — 305 km each way, 4–5 hours of driving per leg, and the park closes at 7:00 PM with no exceptions. You'd get a shortened game drive and maybe one boat departure. Most travelers take the 2-day minimum and sleep inside or near the park.
Both run about 2 hours from Paraa, in opposite directions. Upriver to the falls (US$30 for foreign non-residents) you get hippos, crocodiles and the spray of the 45-metre drop at Baker Point. Downriver to the Albert Nile Delta is the one for shoebill storks, Goliath herons and saddle-billed storks in the papyrus. If you only take one, take the falls cruise; birders should do both.
Several listings, including the 3-day safari at US$700, state wheelchair accessibility for transport and surfaces. In practice, game drives and the launch cruise are the workable activities — the boat involves no walking and provides life jackets. The Top of the Falls hike is steep, but there's a drivable viewpoint. Confirm the vehicle with your operator before booking.
Most operators offer a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure. The 2-Day Big 5 Safari is the outlier — all sales final, no refunds. The private 2-day Gatsio Safariz tour gives 100% back only with 6+ days' notice, 50% between 2 and 6 days, and nothing within 2 days.
Yes. Daytime game drives and boat trips are family-friendly as long as everyone stays in the vehicle, and many tours offer infant seats and stroller access. Park entry for children aged 5–15 is US$25 for foreign non-residents, with under-5s free. The one hard limit: chimpanzee tracking in Budongo requires a minimum age of 12. Keep children off the slippery rocks at the Top of the Falls.
Four of the five — lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo — live in the park, and the northern Buligi sector is where tours find them. Rhinos are not inside the park. Most itineraries stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary en route from Kampala to track white rhinos on foot, which completes the set.
Yes to both. Tsetse flies are prevalent and their bites hurt, though the sleeping-sickness risk to tourists is very low — avoid black and dark blue clothing and keep windows up in fly zones. Mosquito density is high, so take prophylaxis, use DEET and sleep under a net. Bring a first-aid kit; medical facilities are far from the park.
Only the 5-day Murchison and Kibale combo at US$2,610 includes chimpanzee permits in its price. The standard 3-day safaris focus on game drives and the falls. If you want chimps closer to Murchison, Budongo Forest's Kaniyo Pabidi block — 600+ chimps, about an hour from Paraa — can be added, but permits must be arranged in advance and trekkers must be 12 or older.
Browse verified tours with free cancellation and instant confirmation.
Find Tours
This 72-hour safari runs on three activities: game drives across the park's savannah for lions, elephants, giraffes, warthogs, Jackson's hartebeest, and waterbucks; a hike to the top of Murchison Falls; and a 3-hour boat ride on the Nile to the base of the falls, where you can hear the water before you see it. Pickup is at Entebbe Airport. Travel is by private vehicle, and the guide can lead in English, German, Swedish, Italian, or Japanese. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are covered over the three days. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
German, Swedish, Japanese, English, Italian, French, Danish, Dutch, Spanish
This 48-hour trip runs with private, air-conditioned transport and picks you up from your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe. Guides work in English, German, or Spanish. Park fees, lunch, and dinner are covered; alcohol is not. Game drives target four of the big five — lion, buffalo, elephant, and leopard — plus giraffes and patas monkeys, which in Uganda live only here and in Kidepo Valley. A boat launch on the Nile adds the waterbirds and the falls themselves. Rhino aren't in the park, so no drive here delivers all five. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund. SCUBA equipment isn't part of the package.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
German, English, Spanish
This 2-day budget safari runs with private transportation and an English-speaking driver-guide, picking up anywhere around Kampala or Entebbe. Day one goes into the park for game drives across the savannah; elephants, giraffes, buffalo, lions, leopards, hyenas and warthogs are all regular sightings, plus antelope and hundreds of bird species (the shoebill stork among the harder ones to spot). Day two includes the drive to the top of the falls, where the Nile forces through a narrow rock gap. Meals are covered: lunch, dinner, and breakfast, all included in the price. Alcoholic drinks are not. WiFi is available on board. It's a tight schedule for a park this size, so expect early starts on both days. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
A private vehicle and driver-guide for 72 hours, covering the park's game drives and the falls, with no other travelers joined into your group. You set the pace — longer at a lion sighting, shorter where it's quiet. All three meals are included each day, plus accommodation for both nights. Gratuities aren't, and there's no WiFi on board, so download maps and music before pickup. Pickup works from your chosen point anywhere within 30 km of the airport, and the operator is flexible about exact locations. Guides work in English, German, French, or Spanish — request yours when booking. Cancel up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
German, English, French, Spanish
This is a 3-day, 2-night safari inside Murchison Falls National Park, run with an English-speaking guide. Entry fees and taxes are covered in the price; lunch and private transportation are not. Tickets are delivered to you at the sites via WhatsApp or email, so there's no physical voucher to collect before departure. Cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time for a full refund. The operator has not published a detailed day-by-day itinerary for this tour, so confirm the exact route and stops when booking.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
A two-day, 48-hour safari built around three stops: a game drive across the park's open savannah, a launch cruise on the Nile to the base of Murchison Falls, and a visit to the top of the falls. The game drive targets elephants, Cape buffalo, lions, leopards, Rothschild's giraffes, Jackson's hartebeest, Uganda kobs and oribis. The boat runs several kilometers upriver to the bottom of the falls, where hippos, Nile crocodiles and birds such as the shoebill stork are the main draws. Meals are covered — breakfast, lunch and dinner — plus one bottle of drinking water and on-board WiFi. The guide speaks English. One thing to know before booking: all sales are final. There's no refund if you cancel, so be sure of your dates before you pay.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
English
This is Gatsio Safariz's private 2-day itinerary, built for travelers with only a weekend or a short stopover to spare. You get the standard trio of activities — game drives, a boat cruise to the falls, and a nature hike — squeezed into 48 hours, with private transport throughout so the schedule bends around you rather than a group. Meals are covered: lunch, dinner, and breakfast, plus all park fees and taxes. Anything beyond that list comes out of your pocket. Your guide meets you at your hotel reception, and the office stays reachable by phone during the trip for anything that needs sorting. Guides work in English, French, German, or Spanish — specify your language when booking. Cancel at least 6 full days before departure for a full refund; between 2 and 6 days out you get a partial refund.
If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.<br>If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.<br>If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.
German, English, French, Spanish
This five-day trip links two parks: Murchison Falls in the Albertine Rift Valley savannah, then Kibale Forest for chimpanzee trekking. Kibale holds 13 primate species and over 375 bird species, with some trees older than 200 years. Transportation is private and the guide speaks English. Chimpanzee permits, park entry, and boat cruise tickets are all covered in the price, along with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So the main costs you'll handle yourself are extras outside that list. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
A four-day guided trip through Murchison Falls National Park, run with an English-speaking guide. Pickup is from the reception of your accommodation — the operator asks everyone to be there 20 minutes before departure time, so factor that into your morning plans on day one. Bottled water and on-board WiFi are provided on the vehicle, and breakfast and lunch are covered each day. Dinner is on you, as are alcoholic drinks, so budget for evening meals at your lodge or camp. Cancellation terms are standard: a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure. The source listing doesn't publish a detailed stop-by-stop itinerary, so ask the operator directly which sectors, game-drive loops, and falls viewpoints the four days actually cover before you book.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English