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December – February and June – September (Dry Seasons)
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River Lodges / Tented Camps (Paraa or Pakwach areas)
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4x4 Land Cruiser with Pop-up Roof
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Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
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Professional English-speaking Driver/Guide
Murchison Falls is a place of raw power. At Maudie Safaris, we describe this park as the dramatic centerpiece of the Ugandan safari circuit. Located in the northwest, it is Uganda’s largest and oldest conservation area. The entire park is bisected by the Victoria Nile, which rushes 80km over rapids before exploding through a narrow 7-meter gap in the Rift Valley escarpment,the Murchison Falls.
The landscape here feels prehistoric. It is a mix of sweeping Borassus palm savannahs, riverine woodlands, and the calm, papyrus-lined delta where the Nile flows into Lake Albert. Unlike the dense forests of the south, Murchison offers wide-open vistas reminiscent of the Serengeti but with a lush, tropical twist. It is the only place in Uganda where you can tick off the “Big Five” (if you include a stop at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary en route) and witness the sheer force of nature that captivated explorers like majestic Hemingway and Churchill.
Preserving the Ecosystem
The park has faced significant challenges in the past, from heavy poaching in the 1970s to modern oil exploration pressures. However, wildlife populations have rebounded spectacularly.
Maudie Safaris is committed to the protection of the Rothschild’s Giraffe; Murchison Falls harbors one of the last significant populations of this endangered subspecies. By visiting the park, you are funding the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s (UWA) anti-snaring patrols. Furthermore, our stopovers at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary directly support the breeding program that is reintroducing rhinos back into the wild in Uganda.
Highlights
- The Murchison Falls: Witnessing the entire Nile River squeeze through a 7-meter gorge and drop 43 meters is a visceral experience. The ground literally shakes.
- The Nile Boat Cruise: A 3-hour journey upstream to the base of the falls. You will drift past the highest concentration of hippos and Nile crocodiles in Africa.
- Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary: located en route to the park, this is the only place in Uganda to trek Southern White Rhinos on foot.
- The Delta: The area where the Nile enters Lake Albert is a haven for the prehistoric-looking Shoebill Stork, a bucket-list bird for ornithologists.
- Rothschild’s Giraffes: You will see more giraffes here in a single drive than almost anywhere else in Africa.
- Budongo Forest: The southern sector of the conservation area is home to a large population of chimpanzees and immense mahogany trees.