3 Days Murchison Falls Top of the Falls Hike & Game Drive

Most visitors see Murchison Falls from below, on a boat looking up. This 3-day itinerary includes the hike to the top of the falls as well, where the entire Nile forces itself through a gap barely seven meters wide before dropping more than 40 meters. Murchison Falls National Park charges standard daily entry fees rather than a capped permit system, giving this itinerary more day-to-day flexibility than the region’s primate treks.

3 Days Murchison Falls Top of the Falls Hike & Game Drive Itinerary

Day 1: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park

A drive north from Kampala or Entebbe includes a stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, home to Uganda’s only wild rhino population, before continuing to the park for the evening. This drive follows much of the same corridor used by fishing guides heading to the Nile’s lower reaches, past small riverside communities that depend on the fishery.

Day 2: Morning Game Drive & Top of the Falls Hike

A morning game drive across the park’s northern savannah offers chances at lion, elephant, giraffe, and buffalo. In the afternoon, a guided hike takes you to the top of Murchison Falls, where the full force of the Nile crashes through the narrow gorge below. The hike to the top takes most visitors around 45 minutes each way, with the roar of the falls growing louder as the trail nears the gorge’s edge.

Day 3: Boat Cruise & Departure

A morning boat cruise on the Victoria Nile brings you to the base of the falls for a different perspective on the same landmark, before your driver-guide transfers you back toward Kampala or Entebbe. This section of river is also a popular sport-fishing stretch, and it’s not unusual for the boat to pass local anglers working the same waters the crew fishes commercially.

What’s Included

• Airport or hotel pickup and drop-off
• Private 4×4 safari vehicle with professional English-speaking driver-guide
• Murchison Falls National Park entrance fees
• Boat cruise fees as specified in the itinerary
• Accommodation as specified, on a bed & breakfast basis unless otherwise stated
• Bottled drinking water while on safari
• All applicable government taxes

What’s Excluded

• International flights
• Uganda visa fees
• Tips and gratuities for guides and lodge staff
• Personal travel and medical insurance
• Meals not specified as included in the itinerary
• Items of a personal nature (laundry, souvenirs, phone or internet charges)
• Optional activities not listed in the itinerary