5 Days Murchison Falls Complete Falls & Forest Safari

If you are only going to visit one Ugandan park, this is the way to see it properly. Five days lets you do everything Murchison offers without doubling back on yourself: chimpanzee tracking in the mahogany forest of Budongo, two full game drives on the northern plains rather than one, a sunrise cruise for the birds when the light is low and gold, a separate sunset cruise for the game when the animals come to drink, the boat to the very foot of the falls, and the hike to the top. It is the trip we build for photographers, birders and anyone who would rather go deep in one place than skim four.

Kampala to Budongo Forest

You drive north with an optional rhino-tracking stop at Ziwa and turn off before Masindi into the Budongo Forest Reserve, reaching the Kaniyo Pabidi ecolodge in the early afternoon. A first guided forest walk introduces the trail system, the chimpanzee nest sites and the forest birds. Overnight in the forest.

Chimpanzee tracking, then into the park

An early chimpanzee trek with a ranger – twenty minutes to a couple of hours to reach them, then one hour with the community as they feed and move through the canopy. Afterwards you transfer into the park proper and cross to the north bank, with a short evening game drive on arrival. Overnight near Paraa for three nights.

Full northern game drive and a sunset cruise

A long morning on the Buligi, Victoria and Albert tracks for the resident lion prides, leopard, the great herds and the Rothschild’s giraffe, with a bush breakfast in the field. A rest through the heat, then a late-afternoon sunset cruise downstream, watching elephant, buffalo and antelope come down to the water in the last light while the sky turns.

Sunrise delta cruise and the river

A pre-dawn boat trip downstream toward the delta for the shoebill and the low golden light on the papyrus, herons and fish eagles at eye level. Back for a late breakfast, then a mid-morning cruise upstream to the base of the falls. The afternoon at leisure, or a short second game drive.

The top of the falls and the drive home

The hike to the top of the falls after breakfast, then the drive south to Kampala or Entebbe with a lunch stop in Masindi.

Getting there and travel times

Murchison Falls is a five to six hour drive north of Kampala or Entebbe on good roads, and almost every trip breaks the journey with rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, roughly halfway. If you would rather not drive, scheduled and charter light aircraft reach the Pakuba and Bugungu airstrips inside the park in about an hour from Entebbe, and a fly-in works well for a short trip or as one leg of a longer route. We confirm all transfers, ferry timings and internal flights before you travel.

Where you stay

This itinerary runs at budget, mid-range or luxury lodge level and the price changes with your choice, not the wildlife. Budget trips use simple government rooms or value tented camps; mid-range uses comfortable lodges with pools, en-suite rooms and river or plains views; luxury uses the small lodges built out over the Nile, with better guiding ratios and the option to fly. Staying inside the northern sector puts you on the game tracks within minutes; the quieter south bank suits trips built around the top-of-the-falls hike and Budongo Forest. See our Murchison Falls accommodation guide for the properties we book most often, and tell us which matters more to you – the view, the food, the price – and we will match the lodge to it.

What it costs, as a guide

Because every trip is private and tailored there is no fixed price, but as a rough guide a mid-range-level version of this itinerary works out at around US$1,350 to US$1,900 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 chimpanzee tracking permit for the Kaniyo Pabidi section of Budongo Forest, booked in advance
• 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.