How to get to Murchison falls National Park

How to get to Murchison falls National Park – Getting there

How to get to Murchison falls – Murchison Falls National Nark is Uganda’s largest national park with over 76 mammal species and 450 recorded bird species and the park is located in the north-western of Kampala the capital city of Uganda. Murchison Falls National Park is managed by Uganda Wildlife Authority a government body responsible for all game parks in Uganda.

Murchison Falls National Park spreads inland to Lake Albert and the River Nile up to Karuma falls. The park is situated in the districts of Bulisa, Kiryandongo, and Nwoya and the nearest is Masindi town all together forming the Murchison Falls Conservation Area. Murchison Falls National Park covers an area of 3840square kilometres making it the largest game park in Uganda and one of the highest tourist destinations in Uganda.

A number of routes can be used to reach the Nile at Paraa at the heart of the Murchison Falls Conservation Area. The River Nile is crossed here using a vehicle ferry which runs at roughly hourly intervals throughout the day.

Southern Entrance Gates

Two southerly approaches to Paraa lead out of Masindi town, which is a 4 hour drive from Kampala. Along the way to Masindi town is the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary home to the only wild rhinos in Uganda. You can track them on foot and support this important initiative to reintroduce rhinos to protected areas. The main route from Masindi enters the Conservation Area through Kichumbanyobo Gate to pass through Kaniyo Pabidi Forest to Paraa.

A longer but more scenic alternative runs from Masindi to the park’s Bugungu gate, The route includes a passage through Budongo Forest and a memorable descent of the rift valley escarpment with views across Lake Albert towards the mountains of the Congo.

Northern Entrance Gates

Murchison Falls National Park can also be entered via the Chobe, Wankwar, Mubako and Tangi gates north of the Nile. These are reached from the Kampala-Pakwach Road which crosses the Nile at Karuma Falls Bridge in the north-eastern corner of the park, 260kilometres from Kampala. These gates are convenient for you if travelling to/from Gulu town and Kidepo Valley National Park.

By Air

Pakuba Airfield, 19kilometres from North Paraa, can be reached using chartered aircraft from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airfield near Kampala. Other airfields in the park include: Chobe to the east and Bugungu near Murchison Falls – to the south.

There are various accommodations facilities such as lodges and camp near the park and some hotels in Masindi town. There is something everyone depending on your budget. Murchison Falls National Park is the largest and oldest national park in Uganda. It was gazetted as a wildlife reserve in 1926. The park hosts about 77 species of mammals and 460 bird species, making it very rich with wildlife.

It is surrounded by a number of attractive physical features that together with the game reserve make it a very popular destination for tourists on Uganda safaris. There are several activities and sites to enjoy in this park. There is Chimpanzee trekking that attracts a lot of tourists, there are guided walks through Rabongo and Kaniyo Pabidi forests, there are guided swamp walks, sport fishing on the banks of the River Nile, boat safaris that offers good opportunities for bird watching, and of course game drives where you could get to see some of the “big five”.

Interesting things and places to visit and see include the Murchison Falls, Karuma Falls, The Nile River, the “big five”-Lion, Elephant, Rhino, Leopard and Buffalo, and a number of rare bird species. A visit to this Murchison Falls National Park will be a truly memorable adventure for you.