Murchison Falls National Park

Murchison Falls National Park locally known as Kabalega Falls National Park, is the largest and oldest protected area in Uganda, a sprawling wilderness of untamed savanna, lush riverine forests, and dramatic landscapes. Established as a national park in 1952, its crown jewel is the breathtaking Murchison Falls, where the Nile explodes through a narrow gorge with raw, thunderous power. This park offers a quintessential African safari experience, boasting an incredible density of wildlife, historic significance, and the mighty Nile River as its central artery.

The Iconic Heart: Murchison Falls

Selecting image…The park is defined by its namesake waterfall, one of the most powerful in the world. The entire volume of the Victoria Nile is funneled through a mere 8-meter-wide cleft in the Rift Valley rock before cascading 43 meters into the "Devil's Cauldron" below. The result is a permanent mist and a roar that embodies the wild soul of Africa. A boat cruise to the base of the falls is an unforgettable, awe-inspiring experience.

A Wildlife Spectacle: Mammals, Birds, and Reptiles

Murchison Falls National Park is a biodiversity hotspot, home to 76 mammal species and an astounding 556 bird species. The park is divided by the Nile, with the northern bank offering classic savanna game drives and the southern bank featuring more wooded landscapes.

Key Wildlife Highlights:

• The Big Four & More: While rhinos are to be found along the way at Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the park is a stronghold for lions, leopards, elephants, and massive herds of buffalo. It's also one of the best places in Uganda to see the endangered Rothschild's giraffe.Selecting image…

• Thriving Populations: Recent aerial surveys show thriving populations, including over 1,400 elephants, 10,000 buffalo, and 35,000 Uganda kob.

• River Giants: The Nile is teeming with some of Africa's largest concentrations of hippos and formidable Nile crocodiles.

• Primate Encounters: The lush Budongo Forest in the south is home to chimpanzees, black-and-white colobus, and blue monkeys.

A Birdwatcher's Paradise

For bird enthusiasts, Murchison Falls is a premier destination. The park's pièce de résistance is the prehistoric-looking shoebill stork, most commonly spotted in the Albert Delta on a tranquil morning boat cruise. Other notable species include the Goliath heron, saddle-billed stork, secretary bird, and the vibrant Carmine bee-eater.

Unforgettable Safari Activities

A visit to Murchison Falls is packed with diverse and thrilling activities:

• Game Drives: Explore the rolling plains of the northern sector for up-close encounters with elephants, giraffes, lions, and antelope.

• Nile Boat Cruises: The journey to the base of the falls is a highlight, offering unparalleled wildlife viewing from the water. See hippos, crocodiles, and variouswildlife drinking at the river's edge.

• Top of the Falls Hike: Feel the spray and thunder of the Nile at the Top of the Falls viewpoint—a powerful, sensory experience.

• Chimpanzee Trekking: Venture into the Budongo Forest for a chance to track our closest living relatives in their natural habitat.

• Birding Safaris: From the riverbanks to the woodlands, the park offers endless opportunities for avid birders such as African fish eagle, Goliath heron, and the saddle-billed stork

A Park Steeped in History & Hollywood

Murchison Falls has long captivated the world's imagination. It was a magnet for famous figures like Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt, and Ernest Hemingway in 1954 who literally dropped in. His intention was simply to overfly the waterfall but his plane clipped an old telegraph wire strung across the gorge and fell into the river line forest. Hemingway and his wife were rescued and taken to Butiaba where their rescue plane also crashed on takeoff. Its most famous cinematic claim to fame is the 1951 classic film "The African Queen," starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, which was filmed on the Nile within the park.