5 Days Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth Parks Safari
A 5 Days Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth National Parks tour takes you to two of Uganda’s most visited and amazing wildlife conservation areas. Expect to spot all of the Big Five (lions, rhinos, buffaloes, leopards and elephants), warthogs, giraffes and Jackson’s hartebeests. Apart from the mammals, you will get a chance to visit the top of the great Murchison Falls and also have stops at the equator for memorable photos.
Murchison Falls National Park is found in the northwestern part of Uganda. It is part of the wider Murchison Falls Conservation Area, which includes Karuma and consists of woodlands, riverine forests and savannah, which are home to chimpanzees, giraffes, lions, elephants, hartebeests, leopards, Uganda kobs, oribis and other antelope species.
Queen Elizabeth National Park, on the other hand, is found in Western Uganda. The park is famous for its beautiful landscape, including deep craters, crater lakes and salt lakes. Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to chimpanzees, lions, leopards, crocodiles, hippopotamuses, Uganda kobs, buffaloes, elephants and several antelope species. Queen Elizabeth National Park is also famous for its tree-climbing lions.
Safari Highlights
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Murchison Falls National Park – Rhino tracking and top of the falls visit
Day 2: Morning game drive and launch cruise on the River Nile
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 4: Morning game drive (optional lion tracking experience) and afternoon boat cruise.
Day 5: Transfer back to Kampala/Entebbe
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Murchison Falls National Park – Rhino tracking and top of the falls visit
Depending on your location in Kampala, you will meet your driver guides and depart to connect to Murchison Falls National Park. It’s a 5-hour drive with lunch en route and the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for rhino trekking. Proceed to enter the Kichwabanyobo gate and proceed to the top of the falls.
Dinner and overnight at Pakuba safari lodge/Tilenga Safari lodge
Day 2: Morning game drive and launch cruise on the River Nile
After an early breakfast at the lodge, you will go for a morning game drive. The activity takes about 3-5 hours, depending on the animals available, and you will find animals including elephants, Rothschild giraffes, buffaloes, lions, hartebeest, Uganda kobs, oribis and waterbucks.
After the drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch. Later at 2 pm, go for a launch cruise along the Nile, which will give you an exciting panoramic view of the bottom of the mighty Murchison Falls. Along the cruise, you will encounter crocodiles, hippos, and birds on the riverbanks, like kingfishers, cormorants, and bee-eaters.
You will spend time viewing the falls at the bottom while taking pictures and then later return to meet your driver and connect back to your lodge and a relaxed evening. After viewing the bottom of the falls, sail back to meet your driver, who will transfer you back to your lodge with an en route evening game drive for any missed animals.
Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge as above
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, check out and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The park is located in the western part of the country; it’s a 6- to 7-hour drive with an en-route lunch and several stops to refresh and sightsee. You will proceed and check into your lodge for relaxation. Dinner and overnight stay at Bush Lodge/Elephant Hub Lodge
Day 4: Morning game drive (optional lion tracking experience) and afternoon boat cruise.
You will wake up early, have breakfast and embark on an early morning game drive and optional lion tracking experience if interested. While on the game drive, expect to see other game, including lions, elephants, buffaloes, hyenas, leopards, antelopes, warthogs and white colobus monkeys, just to mention a few, although some of them are not guaranteed. After the game drive, return to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, you will go for a launch cruise along the Kazinga Channel, where you will get an opportunity to see many bird species, elephants and buffaloes, hippos and crocodiles at the lake shores. After the boat cruise, drive back to your lodge with an en route game drive.
Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge as above
Day 5: Transfer back to Kampala/Entebbe
After breakfast, check out and embark on your drive back to Kampala/Entebbe, which is about a 6-7 hour drive with an en-route stop at the Uganda Equator and an en-route lunch. Upon arrival, you will be dropped off at a location you advise. End of the 5 Days Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth National Parks tour.
