Things to do in Murchison Falls National Park.
Visitors planning a safari in Murchison Falls often wonder about things to do in Murchison Falls National Park, and this blog will help you choose the best activities for your African safari. The park is Uganda’s most visited National park, famous for Murchison Falls, the most powerful waterfalls in the world. It’s situated in the northwestern region of Uganda, bisected by the River Nile into the Northern and Southern banks. Murchison Falls National Park is the biggest National Park in the country, spanning an area of 3480 square kilometres.
The presence of diverse ecosystems, including wetlands, Savannah grasslands, woodlands, and riverine tropical forests, which provide a habitat to various wildlife species, like mammal species, bird species, and primates, contributes to the variety of activities that the park offers. Whether you are looking for a game drive in the savannah grasslands, a boat cruise, visiting the falls, sport fishing or immersing yourself in nature, the park promises to give you unique and unforgettable experiences.
Things to do in Murchison Falls National Park.
Game Drives.
This is one of the best ways to explore the park’s wildlife species in their natural habitats. This is a guided activity led by a knowledgeable park guide who gives insightful information about the park’s inhabitants that you may encounter. Murchison Falls National Park hosts over 76 mammal species, including the 4 members of the Big Five: lion, elephant, buffalo, and leopard, and 453 bird species. While on a game drive, visitors have an opportunity to spot large herds of giraffes, elephants and antelopes as well as predators like lions wandering in the park with the prey, which is such a forgettable experience, and bird lovers will spot various bird species that call the park home. The park offers three sessions of the game drives: morning game drive, evening game drive, and night game drive, all of which offer unique and memorable wildlife encounters.
Bird Watching.
Bird watching is one of the incredible things to do in Murchison Falls National Park, and it’s one of the best birding destinations in Uganda. Bird lovers will indulge in over 453 bird species that call it home. The park has various destinations specific to birding, such as Budongo Forest, Kaniyo Pabidi, and Royal Mile, which offer unique bird species. Some of the bird species to encounter include the Shoebill stork, Denham’s Bustard, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Black-bellied Bustard, White-browed Sparrow- Weaver, Speckle-fronted Weaver, Shelley’s Sparrow, Black-headed Gonolek, Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Black-headed Lapwing, Senegal Thick-Knee, Heuglin’s Francolin, Red-winged Grey Warbler, White-fronted Black Chat, Red-billed Quelea, Red-necked Falcon, Abyssinian Roller, Long-toed Lapwing, African Quail-Finch, White-faced Whistling Duck, Yellow-billed Stork, Open-billed stork, Grey Crowned Crane, Martial Eagle, Marabou Stork, Lappet-faced Vulture, Palm-Vulture, Rock Pratincole, Spotted Thick-knee, and among more.
Boat Cruise.
A boat cruise is one of the most memorable activities for visitors exploring the park, which allows visitors to have breathtaking views of the park and its stunning scenery on the Nile Basin. Visitors will encounter various Aquatic and non-aquatic wildlife species like schools of hippos swimming, crocodiles basking in the sunset, elephants, Antelopes and buffalo drawing water for the river since it acts as a vital water source to the park’s habitats. Bird lovers will spot bird species like African Skimmer, African Fish Eagles, and Shoebill stork, among other species.
Another exciting adventure on this boat cruise is to see the mighty Murchison Falls, where the Nile squeezes through a narrow gorge before plunging 45meters below. This is an amazing experience that should be added to your bucket list.
Nature Walk.
This is one of the best things to do in Murchison Falls National Park as it allows visitors to explore the park on foot. The Park has well-maintained nature walk trails which all provide unique and memorable walking encounters. It’s a guided activity led by a park guide and an armed ranger who ensures your safety in the park. While on nature walks in Murchison Falls National Park visitors will have an opportunity to observe the beautiful scenery of the park and see various wildlife like kobs, buffaloes, elephants, and bird species such as Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Black-bellied Bustard, White-browed Sparrow-Weaver, Speckle-fronted Weaver, Shelley’s Sparrow, Black-headed Gonolek, Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Black-headed Lapwing.
