This four day’s tour offers the ultimate short wildlife experience in Uganda as you get to visit Uganda’s biggest park – the Murchison Falls National Park, and top it up with a night in the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary home to the rhinos and other game. On this tour you have a chance to tick off all the big five animals, four of these (lions, leopards, elephants & buffalo) are in plenty in Murchison Falls National Park, while the Rhinos are found in the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary that is in fact the only place to see the rhinos in the wild in Uganda.

A boat cruise on the River Nile plus three safari drives in Murchison Falls National Park will produce plenty of wildlife sightings, and especially better chances to see more lions, hyenas, and leopards that can be unpredictable at times.

Tour itinerary

Day 1 – drive to Murchison Falls National Park and top of the Murchison falls tour

Your journey to Murchison Falls National Park shall start at 7am, with your tour driver picking you up from hotel within Kampala or Entebbe. The drive from Kampala to Murchison Falls National Park is 6 hours long. About 4 – 5 hours into your journey you shall make a stopover along the way for an early lunch before continuing to the park. Alternatively you may pick packed lunches and continue to have picnic lunch at the top of the Murchison Falls.

You will arrive at Murchison Falls National Park through the southern gate and continue to the top of the Murchison Falls, one of the highlights of the Murchison Falls safari. You will witness the might River Nile squeeze through a small gap before exploding into the world’s strongest waterfalls. It is quite an epic sight!

Thereafter you shall have your first drive through the park on an evening game drive. Though a brief drive, you shall be introduced to the beautiful savannah and abundant wildlife of Murchison Falls National Park. After sighting some animals you shall exit the park before sunset and transfer to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 2 – game drive and Nile boat cruise in Murchison Falls National Park

You wake up to early cup of coffee/tea with a snack and head off into the Murchison Falls National Park. You will explore the savannah and delta on the northern bank of the Nile where plenty of wildlife can be seen roaming. You will enjoy good sightings of elephants, giraffes, monkeys, buffaloes, antelopes, lions, hyenas, and lots of birds.

After four hours in the bush, you shall return to your lodge for some relaxation and lunch.

Later, you shall head off for the boat cruise on the River Nile that starts at 2pm. The 3-hour boat cruise along the Nile to the bottom of the falls offers more wildlife sightings as you get to see lots of hippos, crocodiles, and monitor lizards. At the bottom of the falls, you will enjoy the epic view of the Murchison Falls from the bottom.

After the boat cruise you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 3 – another game drive in Murchison Falls national park and transfer to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

After early breakfast, you shall have another game drive to tick off any new sightings missed in the last two drives, as you continue out of the park.

On exiting Murchison Falls National Park you shall continue to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary which is well situated along the highway back to Kampala.

Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is the place in Uganda where rhinos roaming freely in the wild can be found. If you will have ticked off the Buffalo, Elephant, Lion and Leopard in Murchison Falls National Park, you will complete the Big Five with the sighting of the rhinos in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

You will relax away the rest of the day in the comfort of your lodge in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

Overnight at Amuka Lodge

Day 4 – Ziwa rhino tracking and transfer to Kampala

After early breakfast you shall set out for a guided walk in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to find the rhinos. You will see the rhinos from a safe distance of about 7 meters away. The sanctuary is also home to other wildlife that you shall observe as you walk through the bush, such as the antelopes and monkeys.

After 1 – 2 hour rhino tracking adventure you shall return to the lodge for some relaxation, have early lunch and thereafter check out and drive back to Kampala or Entebbe for the end of the safari.