Top of the falls hike is one of the activities which take place during safaris to Murchison falls national park. Murchison falls national park is the oldest and largest national park of Uganda located in the north western part of the country. Many activities take place around the destination including hiking to the top of the falls, game viewing, and birding among others.
During safaris to Murchison falls national park, tourists can combine the hike with a boat ride to the bottom of the Murchison falls. From the top of the falls, visitors can see the surrounding area in the park and also view the Nile which flows through the park.
It takes about 45 minutes to engage in the top of the falls hike during Uganda safaris in Murchison falls national park. There are many trails used to hike to the top of the falls and some of them are steep and they include the Winston Churchill trail.
Guides accompany tourists during the top of the falls hike and provide information about Murchison falls national park and the history and also the different attractions which can be seen when exploring the destination.
The Albertine delta can also be seen during the top of the falls hike which also leads to the viewpoint where tourists can get close to the Murchison falls and watch as the Nile flows through a narrow gorge forming the strong waterfalls for about 45 meters.
Different bird species can also be seen during the top of the falls hike which is also a good activity to capture picture of the Murchison falls. The area where the activity is done consists of shrubs and savannah vegetation and from the vantage point at the top, tourists can view the forested part of Murchison falls national park.
For a successful hike to the top of the falls during safaris in Murchison falls national park, some of the things to carry include sunscreen, mineral water, sunhat, insect repellant, good hiking shoes and wearing comfortable clothes.
The best time to engage in the top of the falls hike in Murchison falls national park is during the dry season during the months of June to October and in December to February when it is easy to hike through the trails.
This time of the year is also good for wildlife viewing in Murchison falls national park and many tourists visit the destination. However, tourists can also visit the park during the rainy season around March to May and in November.
Cost of top of the falls hike in Murchison falls national park
The top of the falls hike costs 15 USD for foreign nonresidents, 10 USD for foreign residents and 10,000 Uganda shillings for East African citizens. Park entrance fee is also required before tourists engage in the activity in Murchison falls national park.
Park entrance fee for Murchison falls national park is valid for a period of 24 hours from the time of entry into the park and this fee if 45 USD for foreign nonresidents, 35 USD for foreign residents and 25,000 Uganda shillings for East Africans.
Children visiting Murchison falls national park are charged park entrance fee of 25 USD for foreign nonresidents, 15 USD for foreign residents and 10,000 Uganda shillings for East African citizens.
The vehicles used for Uganda wildlife safari to Murchison falls national park are also charged entrance fee depending on the type of vehicle and this fee ranges from 20,000 Uganda shillings to 200,000 Uganda shillings for Ugandan registered vehicles and 40 USD to 200 USD for foreign registered vehicles.
Other activities to do in Murchison falls national park
Apart from the top of the falls hike, there are many other activities to do during safaris at the destination and they include game drives, boat safaris, bird watching among others.
- Game drives
In Murchison falls national park, the most popular activity which is doe during safaris is game drives which take place in the morning and can also be done in the afternoon.
Game drives can be done in different parts of Murchison falls national park and some of the trails followed during the search for the different wildlife species found at the destination include the Victoria trail, the Albert trail among others.
Some of the wildlife species in Murchison falls national park include giraffes, waterbucks, impalas, buffalos, lions, leopards, hippos, dik dik, Uganda kobs, hartebeests, bushbucks, warthogs, elephants, hyenas among others.
- Bottom of the falls boat ride
Bottom of the falls boat rides can also be done during tours around Murchison falls national park and they can be done in the morning and in the afternoon.
The boat rides are done for about 2 hours and during the bottom of the falls cruise, wildlife species such as elephants, buffalos, hippos and also Nile crocodiles can be seen during the safaris in Murchison falls national park.
Various bird species can also be seen during the bottom of the falls boat ride in Murchison falls national park. during the Nile delta boat ride, tourists can also see rare bird species like the Shoebill Stork.
- Bird watching
There are various bird species found in Murchison falls national park which can be seen during Uganda bird watching safaris at the destination.
Some of the bird species in Murchison falls national park include Grey crowned cranes, Papyrus Gonolek, African Fish eagle, White Backed Night Heron, African Finfoot, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Northern Red Bishop among others.
How to get to Murchison falls national park
There are different ways to get to Murchison falls national park and they include driving from Kampala which takes about 5 hours and tourists can also book domestic flights from Entebbe international airport to the different airstrips in the national park which include Pakuba airfield, Bugungu airstrip, Chobe airstrip.
Where to stay in Murchison falls national park
Murchison falls has different budget, midrange and luxury lodges where tourists can stay during their safaris and they include Chobe safari lodge, Paraa safari lodge, Pakuba safari lodge, Red chili lodge, Sambiya river lodge among others.
