4 Days Murchison falls Chimpanzee Trekking Tour
4 Days Murchison falls Chimpanzee Trekking Tour is a short tour of Murchison Falls national park with the major highlight of the tour being chimpanzee trekking in Budongo forest. The trip starts and ends in Kampala.
Murchison falls National Park is located in Masindi district in Northern Uganda. It was first gazetted as a national park in 1952 and covers a total surface area of 3,893 sq km. It is the largest national park in Uganda. The national park has 76 mammal species and over 450 different bird species. This gives tourists visiting the park a great opportunity to view great sights like the Shoebill stock along with other wildlife.
Highlights 4 Days Murchison falls Chimpanzee Trekking Tour
- Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Murchison Falls National Park.
- Day 2: Game drive Murchison Falls National Park and an evening boat cruise.
- Day 3: Chimpanzee Tracking in Budongo Forest.
- Day 4: Game drive and Departure to Kampala.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Murchison Falls National Park.
- Transfer to Murchison: Embark on your journey at 6am from your hotel in Kampala and travel to Murchison Falls National Park via Masindi, which is a 5 hours’ drive to the national park and covers a distance of about 305 km from Kampala. Murchison Falls National Park is the largest and one of the best nationals park in Uganda and is found in the northern region of the country.
- Rhino Trekking: Stopover at Ziwa rhino sanctuary where you will be taken through the historic sanctuary and also get a chance to view the endangered white rhinoceros species. The Rhino sanctuary and wildlife Ranch is located in Nakasongola district and was gazetted to protect the low white rhino populations that were and still under threat due to poaching activities following the high demand for their horns on the black market. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and Wildlife Ranch is under the funding and management of the Rhino Fund Uganda and Uganda Wildlife Authority. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is the only place where you will get to see rhinos in the wild.
- Arrive at Murchison: Proceed to Murchison Falls national park via Masindi and check into your Lodge, have dinner and overnight.
Accommodation options;
- Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge
- Mid-range: Pakuba Safari Lodge
- Budget: Heritage Safari Lodge or Red Chilli Safari Lodge.
Day 2: Game drive Murchison Falls National Park and an evening boat cruise.
- Game Drive: After breakfast, you will head for an early morning game drive which will start at 7am. You will board a ferry at Paraa at 7am and cross over to the northern part of the national park which is endowed with a variety of wildlife. The game drive takes about 1-2 hours in the park and you can be accompanied by a trained park ranger. While on the game drive, you will get the opportunity to view include warthogs, buffaloes, and elephants, giraffes among others and bird species like a saddle-billed stork, majestic grey crowned crane, handsome black-headed spur-winged lapwings and many more.
- Boat Cruise: Return to your lodge for lunch and later proceed to Paraa for an afternoon boat cruise which begins at exactly 2pm. The launch cruise upstream along Victoria Nile to the base of the falls. It can take up to 3 hours gracing tourists with spectacular views of wildlife species like Nile crocodiles, elephants, hippos, buffalos and some bird species like the white egret, marabou stock and shoebill stock.
- Hike to the top of the Falls: If you are still up for it, you can opt to go on a hike to the top of the falls with your starting point being at the ‘devils cauldron’. Here the highlight of your hike will be the majestic Murchison Falls which cascades 45 meters down the Rift Valley wall. Do not forget to take pictures once you get to the top of the falls. This spot offers picturesque views of the Nile River and Murchison Falls. Later in the evening retire to your Lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 3: Chimpanzee Tracking in Budongo Forest.
- Chimpanzee Trekking: Have your breakfast and then head to Budongo Forest where you will be engaged in a day of chimpanzee trekking activity. While trekking through this large, verdant and tropical forest, get to explore the beautiful scenery as well as bird, insect and plant species. On this day, you will get to enjoy spending time with the playful chimpanzees of the forest. Later travel back to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4: Game drive and Departure to Kampala.
- Game Drive: Have an early morning breakfast and the head for a morning game drive at 6am. This early morning game drive will give you the chance to view nocturnal animals before they go back to their resting nests. While on the game drive you will see wildlife such as jackals, Uganda Kobs, giraffes, savannah elephants, lions, hyenas, antelopes, Jackson’s Hartebeests, bushbucks, oribis and many more.
- Return to Kampala: Later head out of the park and proceed back to Kampala. You can choose to do a short tour of Kampala city in case you are not so tired; or retire to your hotel. In case you are scheduled for a late-night flight back home, please make it a point to notify your guide who will drive you to Entebbe International Airport.
End of the 4 Days Murchison falls Chimpanzee Trekking Tour.
Please note that the above tour package is inclusive of;
- Ziwa rhino sanctuary
- Game drive
- Boat cruise
- Safari driver/ guide and 4×4 safari vehicle
- Hike to the top of the falls [ optional]
- Budongo Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Park entrance fees
- Accommodation and meals as per your itinerary
- Mineral water while on Uganda safari
The tour package excludes;
- Gratuities/ tips
- Alcoholic beverages
- Visa fees
- Flight ticket fees and any other expenses of personal nature.
See also: 5 Days Murchison Falls Tour