Murchison Falls
The whole Nile squeezed through a cleft six metres wide, a river delta where shoebills stand in the reeds, and Uganda's oldest protected land on either bank.
- Arrival
- Entebbe International · EBB
- To the park
- About 305 km from Kampala by road
- Private jets
- Into EBB, then light aircraft to Pakuba
- Best time
- November to March · June
The city
Where the Nile breaks through.
First protected as a game reserve in 1926, Murchison Falls is the largest and oldest conservation area in Uganda. The Victoria Nile crosses it from east to west, and at the falls the river forces its way through a gap only six metres wide before running calmer to its delta on Lake Albert.
Most days are spent near the river: a boat from Paraa up to the foot of the falls, then a climb with a ranger through Fajao Gorge to the top; a morning on the delta looking for shoebills; game drives on the northern bank, and chimpanzees in the forest of Kaniyo Pabidi. The park counts 144 species of mammal and 556 of bird. The dry months run from November to March.
- Top of the Falls The Nile forcing its way through the six-metre gap, reached on foot through Fajao Gorge or by road.
- The Nile delta Papyrus channels where the river meets Lake Albert, and the place to look for the shoebill.
- Kaniyo Pabidi Forest in the south of the conservation area, where chimpanzees are tracked.
Arriving
Down the airstrip at Pakuba.
Jets and airliners land at Entebbe. The park is some 305 kilometres from Kampala by road, four to five hours to the southern gate, or a light-aircraft flight to Pakuba, Chobe or Bugungu.
- Kigali 1 h 00
- Nairobi 1 h 15
- Mykonos 5 h 25
- Istanbul 5 h 55
- Milan 7 h 10 long-range jet
When to go
November to March, and June.
Lower and hotter than the south of the country, with highs of 29 to 33 °C. December to February is dry, with barely 16 mm in January; from April the rains settle in and, apart from a lull in June, last into November.
- 33° J 16
- 33° F 26
- 32° M 68
- 31° A 114
- 30° M 110
- 30° J 82
- 29° J 104
- 29° A 129
- 30° S 120
- 31° O 129
- 31° N 91
- 32° D 31
Where to stay
On the Nile.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
Elsewhere in Uganda
More reasons to come.
- Kampala The capital, its markets and the Kasubi royal tombs.
- Entebbe The airport, and botanical gardens on Lake Victoria.
- Jinja Where the Nile leaves Lake Victoria.
- Queen Elizabeth A national park whose lions climb trees in the Ishasha sector.
- Bwindi Impenetrable forest, home to about half the world's mountain gorillas.
Flying to Murchison Falls?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.