Route
- Kampala
- Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
- Murchison Falls (Paraa)
- Top of the Falls
- Kampala
This is the most affordable way to do the full three-day Murchison Falls safari. On set departure dates we combine solo travellers and couples into one vehicle with a shared driver-guide, which brings the per-person price right down without changing the itinerary at all – you still track rhino on foot at Ziwa, do the northern game drive, take the Victoria Nile launch cruise, and hike to the top of the falls. It suits budget-conscious travellers, solo travellers who would rather not pay a single-vehicle rate, and anyone happy to share the experience with a small group of like-minded people. Departures run weekly in high season.
Kampala to Murchison Falls, via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
The group meets early at a central Kampala hotel and sets off north on tarmac through Luweero and Nakasongola. Around the halfway point you turn in to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to track wild southern white rhino on foot with a ranger – one to two hours, on flat ground, at close range. After lunch you continue into the park through Kichumbanyobo Gate, and if the timing works your guide takes the group to the top of the falls before you check in to the shared lodge or camp. Dinner together.
Northern game drive and the launch cruise
An early crossing on the Paraa ferry for a morning game drive on the Buligi, Victoria and Albert tracks – the richest sector of the park – looking for lion near the palm groves, the great elephant and buffalo herds, Rothschild’s giraffe and the plains antelope. Back to the lodge for a late breakfast and a rest, then the early-afternoon launch cruise upstream past hippo and crocodile to the base of the falls. Overnight near Paraa.
Return to Kampala
A short final game drive on the northern tracks, then the drive south with a lunch stop in Masindi, arriving back at the Kampala meeting point in the evening.
Getting there and travel times
Group-joining departures leave from a central meeting point in Kampala – usually a well-known hotel – early on the departure morning. If you are staying in Entebbe we can arrange a transfer to the meeting point, or you can join at the Equator or in Masindi by prior arrangement. Departures run weekly in the June-to-September and December-to-February high seasons and on demand in the green season; we confirm the date and the group size when you book.
Where you stay
Accommodation is on a shared-room basis at a comfortable budget lodge or a value tented camp near Paraa (a single-room supplement is available). Meals are taken together, and the group shares one safari vehicle and one guide throughout.
What it costs, as a guide
Because every trip is private and tailored there is no fixed price, but as a rough guide a budget-level version of this itinerary works out at around US$500 to US$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.
