This 4 Days Murchison Falls with Chimpanzee and Rhino tracking tour transfers you to Murchison Falls National Park the biggest (3,840 sq km) and oldest (gazetted in 1952) national park in Uganda, protecting a rich and beautiful wildlife located along the River Nile. It is Uganda’s favored park for big game safaris.
As an addition to the traditional wildlife viewing, the park offers chimpanzee tracking in the rich and immensely biodiverse Budongo Forest. Rhinos were once inhabitants of the park but were all hunted down and killed by poachers. The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary situated en-route to Murchison Falls National Park, along the Kampala – Gulu highway breeds tens of rhinos and is the only place to see rhinos in Uganda.
Highlights of the 4 Days Murchison Falls with Chimpanzee and Rhino tracking tour
- Rhino Tracking in the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
- Top of the Murchison Falls visit/hike
- Launch Cruise on the Nile with an optional hike to the top of the falls
- 2 Game Drives for great game sightings
- Chimpanzee tracking in Budongo Forest
Itinerary for the 4 Days Murchison Falls with Chimpanzee and Rhino tracking tour
Day 1: Travel to Murchison Falls National Park – Rhino Tracking in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Get ready for pick up from your hotel or residence at exactly 7.00am to start the trip. Driving through Luwero, expect to pick some fruits, after which you proceed through Nakasongola and get to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. In the company of an armed game ranger, you trek this vast piece of land to track the majestic Rhinos. The sanctuary hosts a number of other wildlife including hippos, impalas, crocodiles, leopards and several birds. Upon successful rhino tracking, check out, continue driving and get to Masindi town for a lunch break. Thereafter drive out of Masindi town and get to Murchison Falls National Park. Transfer to your lodge to relax, have dinner and overnight.
Accommodation options:
- Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge
- Midrange: Murchison River Lodge
- Budget: Global Village Guest House or Red Chill Rest Camp
Meal Plan: Lunch & Dinner
Travel Time: 6 Hours
Day 2: Early Game Drive, Launch Ride on the Nile
Have early breakfast and set for the game drive by 7.00am to stand a bigger chance of sighting the elusive nocturnal hunters like the lions, jackals, hyenas, and leopards, as well as the hippos grazing on land before they retreat into the water. In case your lodge is situated on the southern side of the Nile, get to the northern side by a ferry crossing and explore the major game trails for a variety of game sightings including herds of buffaloes, lots of giraffes, elephants, thousands of kobs and oribis, many Jackson’s hartebeests, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, and the playful baboons as well as a number of Savannah birds. The game drive lasts about 4 hours, return to the lodge for lunch.
Set out for the afternoon Launch Ride along the Nile to the bottom of the Murchison Falls. The river banks are lined with a variety of game and colorful birds. Expect to sight a lot of hippos cooling off in the water, buffaloes and elephants drinking from the Nile, warthogs, waterbucks, kobs and other animals eating fresh grass along the banks and drinking from the Nile. The banks are immersed with birds such as cormorants, red-throated bee-eaters, cattle egrets, skimmers, and African fish eagles. The Launch ride lasts about 3 hours, return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 3: Early Game Drive, Top of the Falls – Transfer to Budongo
Wake up to another early game drive and explore more game trails. Expect your game count to increase and catch more game that was elusive on the first game drive. After the game drive proceed and drive to the top of the Murchison Falls. You get to see the longest river in the world squeezing through a tiny gorge of width 7 meters and exploding into the strongest waterfall in the world. The sight is simply amazing.
Thereafter drive and get to Budongo Forest, check in to your lodge.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 4: Chimpanzee Tracking in Budongo Forest – Transfer to Kampala
Have early breakfast and transfer to the ranger station at Kaniyo Pabidi by 7.00am for briefing. At about 8.00am, you set out for the trek into the Budongo Forest at Kaniyo Pabidi to track habituated chimpanzees. Budongo is gifted with a high biodiversity of 24 species of small animals 9 of which are primates, 465 species of trees and shrubs, 359 species of birds, 289 species of butterflies, and 130 species of moths. The forest is believed to harbor over 600 chimpanzees. Expect to return by mid day and then check out of the park and drive to Masindi town for your lunch. Thereafter travel to Kampala where you are expected to arrive by 6.30pm.
Meal Plan: Breakfast & Lunch
Travel Time: 6 Hours
Tour inclusions
- Transport – tour vehicle, driver, fuel
- Full board accommodation for 3 nights
- All meals
- Bottled water
- Access fees
- Guide fees
- Chimpanzee permit
- Activities – 2 game drives, boat trip, top of the falls, chimp & rhino tracking
Exclusions
- Gratitude and tipping
- Alcoholic drinks
- Travel insurance
- Curion shop purchases
- Phone bill and other personal expenditure