Covering the total area of 3,840sq km, Murchison falls national park, stands as one Uganda’s biggest national park, Murchison falls national park is located in the Northwestern region of Uganda, the park lies along the Murchison falls conservation area and extends its boarders up to the districts Buliisa, Nwoya, Kiryandongo, and Masindi.
Murchison falls national park, derived its name from the mighty waterfalls which are formerly and locally known as Kabalega falls. Murchison falls National Park has very interesting natural attractions and also the most popular national park in the country thus making the park one of the top most visited by many visitors in Uganda. The park comprises of different vegetations ranging from savannah plains, savannah woodlands, swamps and forested areas which have acted has a home to numerous species of mammals, birds, primates and reptiles. Game drives is the highlight to most of the activities in the park where you will drive around the park with 4×4 safari Vehicle to see lots of wild game. The park is a home to four of the ‘’Big five’’ game including; lions, leopards, elephants, Buffalos (except Rhinos), other animals include; giraffes waterbucks, warthogs, Uganda kob, Jackson’s hartebeest, bush pigs, antelopes and many more animals are spotted.
Other activities in the park include hiking to the top of the water falls, boat cruise along the Nile to the mighty waterfalls, bird watching and chimpanzee tracking in Budongo forest. during the boat cruise, you will see lots of other animals and many other bird species.
Just like most destinations, it is important to know the best time to visit Murchison falls national park. Different seasons offer different experiences therefore, planning your safari visit is a key factor in order to expect the outcome of your safari trip in Murchison falls national park.
Uganda has got two rainy seasons, the dry season and the wet season. The location of Uganda along the equator gives it a unique climate which has favoured many tourist attractions and brought in many visitors visiting the different national parks in the country. The climate is almost the same each year with two dry season and two wet seasons. During each of these seasons, visitors can engage in various activities but the dry season gives much advantage to many outdoor activities. The dry season always has got many visitors revived in different national parks in the country. Therefore, ‘Peak season’ also known as the high season and the ‘Low season’, each of these seasons has advantages over the other. Therefore, visiting Murchison falls national park, can be all through the year but also depends on the time and the season when one wishes to visit the country as follows;

When is the dry season?

The dry season falls between December, January, February, and then again from June to September, during this time, there’s plenty of sunshine and rarely any rain received at all.
The park is equatorial, so it’s hot all year round. The temperature ranges between 25-32°C during the day and drops down to 18°C at night.
The temperature in January and February is quite hot throughout the day, so we advise you to wear light clothing and bring plenty of water and sun cream, a hat and sun glasses to protect you from the strong rays of the sun.

When is the wet season?

The wet season falls between July and November, and again from March to May. During this time the landscape is at its most beautiful. Higher rainfall is more likely in April, May, and August through to October.
Murchison Falls National Park lies in a very dry part of Uganda, so it’s rare for the rain to interrupt your safari. However, the surrounding roads could be hard to travel on due to the rains since they become muddy and slippery but still the activities go on well despite the challenges.

During the game drives in the park, you are still likely to spot wildlife, although they tend to hide away and shelter due to the fact that during the rainy season, the vegetation grows taller thus may be challenging to view the small wild game since they intend to hide in the grass. If you’re interested in chimpanzee trekking, the ground may be wet and slippery. Therefore, you are required to have steady and comfortable hiking boots to help navigate through the terrain.

High and low season

The high season falls between June to September, as there’s little to no rain and lower temperatures. This tends to be the peak time for gorilla trekking, so there’s a lot of travellers received in Uganda.
During June and July, there’s high competition for accommodation, being the low season, the prices tend to drop so we recommend you book a lodge several months in advance of your trip.

What’s the best time to see wildlife?

The best time to spot wildlife in Murchison Falls National Park is December through to February.
For chimpanzee trekking, October through to January are the best months, due to the grass being short and fruits starting to ripen.
If you’re interested in birdwatching, we recommend you visit during the wet season. March is the best month to spot some of the 451 species of birds also by time, migratory birds start arriving in the park. the guide will help you through different trails, and also spot the birds for you.

Peak season

The peak season, is the time of the year when many travellers are visiting, the peak season comes in the dry season which is from the month of December to February and from June to September. By this time, Uganda receives a lot of tourists visiting different national parks. Visiting Murchison fall national park in the dry season is the best time of the year for game viewing when the trails are dry and easy to drive through with a big big number of safari cars on different game viewing trails. During the dry season, accommodation prices are high including budget lodges since there are many visitors in the park. Therefore, travellers in Uganda planning to visit the country, should plan early and book accommodation early in advance while there is still availability.
Luxury lodges in Murchison falls national park include Paraa safari lodge, Chobe safari lodge, mid-range lodges are Pakuba safari lodge, Fort Murchison Lodge, Budongo Ecolodge, Murchison River lodge and budget lodges are Twiga Tales and Heritage Lodge.
During the dry season, when all the season waterholes in the park dried up animals are forced to major water points in search for water which is the most rewarding spot for perfect game viewing. While in Murchison falls national park, many animals can be seen around the water banks of the river and feeding on the short grass around the water banks. During the dry season, also during the dry season, when the grass is shorter makes it easy for game viewing from the distance. Unlike the wet season when the trails are wet and slippery and the grass is tall causing difficulty in game viewing.

Low season

The wet season in Uganda is experienced during the month of March to May, and October to November when the country receives lots of rainfall but still there is sun shine after the rain. During the low season, there is a low number of visitors received in the park. during the wet season, the roads are muddy and slippery causing difficulty when driving through the park. despite the dry season, the wet season comes with great opportunity for perfect game viewing. During this time, the grass is tall and the Pools of water within the park are filled with water and the animals do not move longer distances in search for water and pasture. Thus, you will be able to see lots of animals within the park.
The wet season also come with other advantages for instance, safari lodges and camps reduce their prices during the low season because they are on a low demand since there few tourists received in the parks. Generally, the park has few tourists which makes it easy to do game drives, you will clearly see the animals without any obstructions. Most animals especially grazers will be calving and this is the best time to see this. During the wet season, the volume of water in River Nile increases and the Murchison waterfalls are stronger than during the dry season. You’ll watch the water violently force through the narrow gorge of 7 meters and dropping town with vigorous pressure which results in to formation of thunderous roar.
By this time, birding is at its peak in Murchison falls national park mainly because there is plenty of food and also this the time for breeding, the migratory birds have also arrived and the variety of species is at its peak. For the birders, this is the best time to birding where you will spot variety of bird species along the shore and swamps of River Nile, forests and plains.
Therefore, both wet and dry season, have advantages and disadvantages with the dry season being the peak and low seasons, we conclude that the best time for visiting Murchison falls national park is a few weeks after the rains have started and a few weeks after it has stopped that is form March to the end of May and in November. The rain is not too much to interrupt your activities and you will find the park still green and beautiful. However, nature cannot be perfectly predicted and this is the reason why Murchison falls national park is open for the visitors all year around with many activities and different attractions to be explored in the park.
Note that those interested in game viewing are recommended to travel during the dry season that is from December and February and August this offers excellent sightings and easy to drive within the park.

What to carry when traveling to Murchison falls national park-Uganda

Having you have decided on which park to visit, also analysed the climate, and you have decided on the time and the dates to travel, the best thing is not to forget the right essentials you will need to carry during your safari visit in Murchison falls national park. depending on the weather, during the dry season, you are advised to park heavy clothes and light clothes during the dry season but may also carry both to avoid being caught of guide because nature is unpredictable.

Passport

This is a travelling document that will allow go through any entry point in the country.

Yellow fever immunization card

You must have a certificate or card showing that you are immunized against yellow fever.

Airline ticket

You need to confirm your ticket early enough so that you may not encounter any challenges during boarding which may also interfere with your program and the travel plan.

Visa

While planning for your safari visit in Uganda, make sure you apply for the VISA early enough before your dates of travel, you can obtain it from your country or at Entebbe airport or the border on arrival. Note that you will not be allowed entry in to Uganda or any other country without a Visa approval. You can also obtain an East African Visa that takes you to Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda if you are going to travel to all the countries.
The above items are the most essential when planning to travel and you are advised to photocopy them and keep the originals with you. Other essentials required include;

Travel and health insurance

We can help you secure your travel with a good insurance company so that you travel with confidence regarding your health when traveling.

Passport size photos

Take some passport size photos and carry some when traveling. There can be any reason they may require you to use them.

Clothes

Carry clothes that you’ll be comfortable in but remember that they should be descent because you need to be descent when you travel to villages in Uganda so that you don’t attract people’s attention. Let the clothes that you’ll wear when traveling around the destination is loose. Carry a scarf, t-shirts, long sleeved shirts and sweaters to wear in the evening, caps, night dress. It’s not good to wear clothes of very bright colours when travelling around wildlife areas because they attract animals.

Shoes

You need to carry strong water proof shoes, sandals and strong comfortable hiking boots if your planning to go for Gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking.

Hygiene and beauty items

These include deodorants, toothbrush, cleansers, shampoo, lotion and other items that you may need.

First aid kit

Since traveling to longer destinations, it is important to have some pain killers, plasters, bandages, anti-diarrhoea medicine, and other essential medicine. Due to change in environment, different food and many other challenges that you may encounter.

Anti- malarial medicine

You are advised to seek advice from your physician as you plan to travel to Uganda which is a malaria zone. They will advise you on if to take and carry some anti-malarial tablets. You also need to carry insect repellent to prevent bites from insects.

A credit card and enough cash

Do not carry a lot of money in cash but you can carry small cash which you may need to use urgently and withdraw the rest when you are already at your destination. Alert your bank when you travel since you will be needing cash from time to time.

Binoculars

You’ll need binoculars on most activities in Murchison falls national park such as game drives, when birding and also on boat cruise for easy viewing of distant birds.

Camera

A camera is essential to capture your beautiful memories during your visit in Murchison falls national park or any other national parks in Uganda. Make sure you have a good camera, charger and new batteries.

Backpack

With all this necessary essentials, you are advised to carry water proof back pack large enough to carry all the items and also keep them safe during your safari trip.