Murchison Falls

Murchison Falls is the point where the entire Victoria Nile squeezes through a gap in the rock about seven metres wide and drops 43 metres into a boiling pool. It is not the tallest waterfall in Africa, but stand at the top and you will believe the claim that it is the most powerful.

Why visit Murchison Falls

The falls give their name to Uganda's largest protected area, more than 3,800 square kilometres of savannah, riverine forest and papyrus delta. Below the falls the river is thick with hippos and Nile crocodiles; on the northern bank, Rothschild's giraffes, elephants, lions and Uganda kob graze the Buligi grasslands. The delta where the Nile enters Lake Albert is one of the most reliable places in the world to see the shoebill.

Best time to visit Murchison Falls

Because the Nile is fed by Lake Victoria, Murchison Falls flows strongly all year. The dry seasons, December to February and June to September, give the easiest game drives and the best boat trips to the delta. The rains of March to May and October to November turn the park green and empty; tracks can be slippery but the light is magnificent.

How to get to Murchison Falls

Murchison Falls National Park is roughly a five-to-six-hour drive from Entebbe or Kampala, usually broken at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the only place in Uganda to track white rhinos on foot. Scheduled and charter flights serve the Pakuba and Bugungu airstrips. Plan at least two nights; three allows the top-of-the-falls hike, a launch trip and a delta cruise.

The launch trip and the top of the falls

The classic Murchison day begins with a morning game drive north of the river, then a three-hour launch trip upstream from Paraa to the foot of the falls, passing hippo pods, elephants at the water's edge and crocodiles hauled out on the banks. Ask to be dropped at the base of the trail and hike 45 minutes to the top, where the full force of the Nile funnels past a few metres from the railing. Read Seven Metres of Nile for the full experience.

Uhuru Falls

A few hundred metres from the main chute, a second channel, Uhuru Falls, broke through after the great floods of 1962. In high water the two falls stand side by side, and the trail at the top gives views of both.

Murchison Falls facts

At Murchison Falls, the Victoria Nile forces its way through a gap in the rocks about seven metres wide and drops about 43 metres. In 1962 heavy floods opened a second channel a few hundred metres to the north, now known as Uhuru Falls. Murchison Falls National Park, gazetted in 1952, covers more than 3,800 square kilometres and is Uganda's largest national park. With the Budongo Forest and the Bugungu and Karuma wildlife reserves, it forms the wider Murchison Falls Conservation Area.

How long to spend at Murchison Falls

Two nights is the minimum: one afternoon for the launch trip and the top of the falls, and one morning for a game drive north of the Nile. Three nights lets you add the delta cruise for shoebills or chimpanzee tracking in Budongo Forest without long days. Coming from Kampala, many travellers break the journey at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

Safety and health

Murchison Falls is a wild park, so stay in your vehicle on game drives except where rangers allow, and keep your distance from hippos and buffaloes near the river and lodges, especially at night. Tsetse flies can be a nuisance in wooded areas; wear light, neutral colours and long sleeves. Malaria is present, and a yellow fever certificate is required to enter Uganda. At the top of the falls, stay behind the rails and on the marked paths.

Pair Murchison Falls with a safari

Most travellers combine Murchison with chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest and mountain gorillas in Bwindi. Try our 3-day Murchison Falls safari or the 10-day Uganda waterfalls and gorillas route.

Tips for visiting Murchison Falls

Combine the boat trip and the walk to the top in one afternoon, and keep a morning for game drives north of the river. Tsetse flies can be a nuisance in wooded areas, so wear light colours and long sleeves. The Paraa ferry runs at set times, so plan your drives and boat trips around them. For planning, see our Uganda guide and the month-by-month water levels.

Experiences at Murchison Falls

• Murchison Falls Boat Trip: A launch trip up the Victoria Nile among hippos, crocodiles and elephants to the foot of Murchison Falls.

National parks and sights nearby

• Murchison Falls National Park
• Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
• Budongo Forest