Route
- Entebbe
- Pakuba airstrip
- northern game drive
- Nile launch cruise
- Entebbe
Flying turns what would be a five to six hour drive each way into a scenic one-hour hop, which makes a genuinely satisfying Murchison Falls safari possible in just two days. You land at an airstrip inside the park, are met on the strip by your own guide and vehicle, and lose nothing to road transfers – the whole of both days is spent on wildlife. This is the itinerary we recommend for travellers who are short on time, who would rather not spend two days on the road, or who are folding Murchison into a wider fly-in circuit that also takes in the gorillas or Kidepo. Everything the classic three-day trip covers except the top-of-the-falls hike is here, at a faster tempo.
Fly to the park and an afternoon game drive
A mid-morning scheduled or private charter flight from Entebbe, climbing out over Lake Victoria and then following the Victoria Nile north past Lake Kyoga and the papyrus wetlands – a superb introduction to the landscape from the air. You land at Pakuba or Bugungu around midday, where your guide is waiting with the vehicle, and after a picnic lunch you head straight out onto the northern tracks. The afternoon is timed for the golden hour: the light softening on the grassland, elephant and buffalo herds moving down toward the river, giraffe silhouetted on the ridgelines, and the lion prides beginning to stir near the palm groves as the heat goes out of the day. You reach your lodge on the north bank in the last of the light and dine overlooking the Nile.
Northern game drive, the launch cruise, and the flight back
You are out again at first light for a second game drive on the Buligi loop, covering ground you did not reach the previous afternoon and giving the cats another chance while they are still active. Back at the lodge for a proper breakfast, then you board the launch at the Paraa jetty for the three-hour cruise upstream to the base of the falls – hippo and crocodile the whole way, the great herds coming to drink, and the papyrus birdlife, ending with the boat holding position beneath the thundering column of water. After an early lunch your guide transfers you the short distance back to the airstrip for your afternoon flight to Entebbe, landing in time to connect with evening international departures.
Getting there and travel times
You fly from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi airfield to the Pakuba or Bugungu airstrip inside the park – roughly one hour in the air on a scheduled Aerolink service or a private charter, over the Nile, Lake Kyoga and the wetlands. Your guide and vehicle meet you on the strip. The same routing runs in reverse on day two. A fly-in removes the two long road-transfer days that a standard two-day trip would otherwise spend on the Kampala road.
Where you stay
This itinerary is usually run at luxury level, with one night at a small lodge on the north bank of the Nile – raised timber-and-glass suites over the water, a pool, and quick access to the northern game tracks. Mid-range riverside lodges are available at a lower price. Because you have only one night, we keep you on the north bank so that no ferry crossing eats into your game-viewing time.
What it costs, as a guide
Because every trip is private and tailored there is no fixed price, but as a rough guide a luxury-level version of this itinerary works out at around US$1,050 to US$1,700 per person, based on two people sharing and covering your private 4×4, fuel, driver-guide, all park entry fees, full-board accommodation and the activities in the plan. Solo travellers and very small groups pay more per head; four or more sharing pay less. Rates move with the season, so the figure in your quote is the real one, confirmed for your exact dates. The prices shown here are indicative and for planning only – always ask us for a firm quote.
What’s included
- A private 4×4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof for photography, all fuel, and an experienced English-speaking Ugandan driver-guide who stays with you for the whole trip
- All national park and reserve entry fees for the days shown in the itinerary
- Every activity named in the day-by-day plan above – game drives, boat cruises, guided walks and any tracking permits listed
- Accommodation on a full-board basis: breakfast, lunch and dinner each day, plus a packed breakfast or lunch box whenever an early start means you miss a meal at the lodge
- Bottled drinking water in the vehicle throughout, all current government taxes, and our full planning, booking and 24-hour support service
What’s not included
- International flights to and from Entebbe, and the Uganda entry visa (easy to obtain online in advance)
- Comprehensive travel and medical insurance, which is a condition of booking
- Drinks with meals, and tips for your guide and the lodge staff
- Laundry, phone calls, curios and other items of a personal nature
- Optional extras not named in the itinerary, such as a hot air balloon flight, a nature walk, sport fishing, or additional trekking permits
- Anything arising from circumstances beyond our control, such as flight schedule changes, road closures or weather
Good to know before you travel
The park is rewarding all year. June to September and December to February are driest, with the firmest tracks and the most predictable game viewing; March to May and October to November are greener and quieter, with the best birding and lower lodge rates, in exchange for short heavy afternoon showers. Pack neutral-coloured layers for cool mornings and hot afternoons, a wide-brimmed hat and high-factor sunscreen, binoculars, a good insect repellent, a light rain jacket and a dry bag for boat trips. A yellow-fever certificate is required to enter Uganda, and malaria prophylaxis is strongly recommended for the whole country. The top-of-the-falls hike takes about 45 minutes on a steep path and needs closed shoes and reasonable fitness – it can always be skipped. Game drives and boat cruises have no minimum age. Uganda is a stable, welcoming country to travel in, and your guide carries a first-aid kit and stays in radio and phone contact throughout.
Request a quote for this safari
Every trip is private and built around your dates, your group and how you like to travel, so there is no fixed price and no set departure to fit around. Send us your rough dates and the lodge level you have in mind and a planner who has driven these tracks will reply within 24 hours with a tailored day-by-day itinerary and a clear, itemised quote – no deposit and no obligation to enquire. Read our full guide to Murchison Falls National Park for background on the wildlife and the falls, browse the rest of our Murchison Falls safaris, or get in touch now.
