DISCOVER UGANDA
Entrance Fees for Murchison Falls National Park 2023
The savanna plains of Murchison falls national park are full of a variety of wildlife ranging from big to small mammals, birds and the magnificent Murchison falls.
Park entrance fee is the money that is paid by any tourist to enter Murchison Falls national park to participate in various activities in the park albeit separate from money paid for the activities. The money paid is collected by Uganda Wildlife Authority a government entity in Uganda in charge of tourism and it’s used to improve the national park, pay park rangers, and develop the nearby villages via establishing health centers, and schools among others. Park admission prices at Murchison Falls national park vary based on the number of days you will stay on your safari, and the activities to be part of among others.
Adults
Foreign non-residents $45
Foreign residents $35
East African citizens UGX 25,000
Children
Foreign non-resident $25
Foreign residents $15
East African citizens UGX 10,000
Uganda pupils or students (group) per person UGX 3,000
Tertiary institutions/universities UGX 5,000
Uganda wildlife clubs UGX 2,000
Annual park entrance passes
Individual
Foreign resident $350
East African citizen UGX 350,000
Couple
Foreign resident $600
East African citizen UGX 500,000
Family (maximum of 4 children)
Foreign resident $800
East African citizens UGX 600,000
Annual corporate pass
Foreign resident $1,500
East African citizen UGX 2,500,000
Safari guide
East Africa citizen UGX 200,000
Taxi driver
East African citizen UGX 150,000
Tour operator
Foreign resident $ Free
East African citizen UGX Free
The vehicle entrance cost is paid separately when purchasing annual park entrance cards, Tour Company drivers enjoy free admission, and foreign residents must have a one-year working permit to qualify for an annual park access pass.
Vehicle entry and landing fees
Saloon cars
Foreign non-resident $40
Foreign resident $40
Ugandan Registered UGX 20,000
Minibuses, Omni-buses
Foreign non-resident $50
Foreign resident $50
Ugandan Registered UGX 30,000
Pick-ups and 4 WD cars
Foreign non-resident $50
Foreign resident $50
Ugandan Registered UGX 30,000
Tour company vehicles
Foreign non-resident $150
Foreign resident $150
Ugandan Registered UGX 30,000
Buses and Lorries
Foreign non-resident $150
Foreign resident $150
Ugandan Registered UGX 100,000
Buses and Lorries
Foreign resident $200
Ugandan Registered UGX 200,000
Construction Equipment
Foreign $350
Ugandan Registered UGX 500,000
Delivery vehicle per entry
East African citizen UGX 20,000
Boats up to 15-Seater
Foreign non-resident $100
Foreign resident $100
Ugandan Registered UGX 250,000
Launches over 15-Seater
Foreign non-resident $200
Foreign resident $200
Ugandan Registered UGX 350,000
MFIFT Boats up to 15-Seater
Foreign $50
Ugandan Registered UGX 50,000
MFIFT Launches over 15-seater
Foreign $100
Ugandan Registered UGX 150,000
Aircraft landing fee
Gliders, Microlights
Foreign resident $10
East African citizen UGX 20,000
Aircraft up to 3-Seater
Foreign resident $20
East African citizen UGX 40,000
4 to 6-seater Aircraft
Foreign resident $30
East African citizen UGX 60,000
7 to 14-seater Aircraft
Foreign resident $40
East African citizen UGX 80,000
15 to 20-seater Aircraft
Foreign resident $50
East African citizen UGX 100,000
21-Seater and above
Foreign resident $60
East African citizen UGX 120,000
Helicopters per (landing)
Foreign resident $125
East African citizen UGX 250
Parking fees per day for East African citizens UGX 10,000
Please Note;
- Landing fees exclude entry fees payable by passengers.
- Pilots en route do not pay entry fees if they spend less than 2 hours in the park.
Launch/ Boat Cruise/ Canoes/ Motor Boats
Foreign non-residents $30
Foreign residents $25
East African citizens UGX 30,000
School Group (per group) UGX 450,000
Self-Game Drive vehicles (Private)
Foreign non-residents $10
Foreign residents $10
East African citizens UGX 10,000
Guided day game drive vehicles (private)
Foreign non-resident $20
Foreign resident $15
East African citizen UGX 20,000
Night game drive per vehicle (Private)
Foreign non-residents $30
Foreign resident $20
East African citizen UGX 50,000
Note;
- Only pre-registered vehicles will undertake night game drives.
- Use of the UWA guide is mandatory for night game drives.
UWA Game Drive Vehicle (Where Available)
Foreign non-residents $30
Foreign resident $25
East African citizen UGX 30,000
Night UWA Game Drive Vehicle (Where Available)
Foreign non-residents $40
Foreign resident $35
East African citizen UGX 40,000
Note;
The minimum charge for a game drive vehicle is an equivalent of 3 persons.
UWA Game Drive Truck/ Executive Buses (Where Available)
Hire truck for Game Drive (minimum charge 300,000 or 300 USD)
Foreign non-residents $30
Foreign residents $30
East African citizen UGX 30,000
General hire of a truck per day includes driver and excludes fuel
East African Citizen UGX 800,000
General hire of executive buses per day includes driver and excludes fuel
East African Citizen UGX 800,000
Park Entrance Fees for Activities in Murchison Falls National Park
Birding
Foreign non-residents $30
Foreign residents $25
East African citizen UGX 20,000
Day Nature Walk
Foreign non-residents $15
Foreign residents $10
East African citizen UGX 10,000
Night Nature Walk
Foreign non-residents $40
Foreign residents $20
East African citizen UGX 15,000
Students Guided Walk (per 6 people)
Foreign non-residents -N/A
Foreign residents -N/A
East African citizen UGX 10,000
Top of Falls Walk
Foreign non-residents $15
Foreign residents $10
East African citizen UGX 10,000
Viewing Top of the Falls
Foreign non-residents $10
Foreign residents $10
East African citizen UGX 10,000
Viewing Top of the Falls for Tertiary Institutions/ Universities
Foreign non-residents- N/A
Foreign residents- N/A
East African citizen UGX 5,000
Viewing Top of the Falls for Secondary Students
Foreign non-residents- N/A
Foreign residents- N/A
East African citizen UGX 2,000
White Water Rafting at Murchison Falls National Park.
Foreign non-residents $50
Foreign residents $50
East African citizen UGX 50,000
Sport Fishing Permit at Murchison Falls National Park.
1 Day -$50
4 Days -$150
Annual Fishing permit- $300
Note: Viewing Top of the Falls for Wildlife Clubs and Pupils is Free.
- Entrance fees for activities in Murchison Falls National Park are per person.
- Activity rates exclude entrance fees and other activities fees.
Accommodation at UWA Facilities in Murchison Falls National Park.
Dormitory
Adults- UGX 25,000
Students (within a group)- UGX 5,000
Children- UGX 10,000
Camp Sites
Category A- Wilderness Camping; Maximum 16 persons- $40
Category B– Private-advance booking: Maximum 20 persons including non-paying workers- $30
Category C– Public with pit latrine/firewood/rubbish pit/ water/ fireplace/ thatched shelter with security inclusive- UGX 20,000
Students– UGX 3,000
Please Note;
- Prior booking is required
- The above charges are per person per night
- Rates exclusive of local tax/levy
Visitors on a wildlife safari in Murchison Falls National Park will be required to present valid identification documents at the park entrance to confirm their residential status. The park entrance ticket is valid for twenty-four hours from the time of entry, so any additional time spent in the park after the 24 hours has elapsed will be charged for another day.
The entrance charge to Murchison Falls National Park is separate from the activity of bird viewing. Children under the age of five are not taxed, hence those aged 5 to 15 years are considered children.
How to get to Murchison Falls National Park.
Murchison Falls National Park is situated in the northern part of Uganda and may be visited by road or by air. By air, visitors can take chartered flights from Entebbe International Airport to Pakuba Airfield or from Entebbe International Airport to Bugungu Airfield and then connect to the park headquarters via road.
The park may also be reached by road, which takes around 5 hours from Kampala through Masindi, or by public transportation, which runs daily from Kampala to Masindi, from whence you can hire a private vehicle to the park.
The road drive to Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park also provides an excellent chance to visit the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Masindi and observe the rhinos, crossing off one of the African Big Five that is not located in the national parks others are Elephant, Lion, Buffalo, Leopard.
What to do during your visit to Murchison Falls National Park.
Day Game Drives
This is one of the primary activities done by visitors at Murchison falls national park. Game drives in the area are conducted either early at 6 am or 7 am or late in the evening at 4 pm in a pop-up roof safari vehicle, giving guests clear views of the animals and environment. Visitors to Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda embark on game drives with qualified driving guides who follow several tracks in the area such as the Buligi, Albert, and Queens routes north of the Nile.
Game drives in the national park run 2 hours or longer and allow tourists to see animals like as buffaloes, elephants, bushbucks, waterbucks, Uganda kobs, and bird species such as spur-winged lapwing, beautiful francolin, and regal grey-crowned crane.
Night Game Drives
Night game drives in Murchison falls national park in Uganda offer visitors a chance to see nocturnal creatures and other species that they missed during the day game drive. After having dinner at your lodge, a night game drive with spotlight torches is conducted in the wide savannah vegetation that runs to the northern section of the Nile River, where you will encounter nocturnal species such as Jackals, Lions, Leopards, Hyenas, and Serval cats, among others.
Birding in Murchison Falls National Park.
Murchison Falls National Park in northern Uganda is also renowned as a birding hot spot since it is home to over 450 bird species, making it an ideal site for bird watchers.
Bird watching in the park is done in the morning in the Budongo forest, riverine vegetation, during the boat cruise and game drive in the savannah vegetation, among other places, and bird lovers will be able to see different bird species such as the pre-historic Shoebill stork, which can be seen along the Nile river, particularly in the delta area, and other bird species such as Grey crowned crane, Goliath heron, and the Red-throated bee-eater to mention but a few. Check out the birds in Uganda
Launch/ Boat Cruise in Murchison Falls National Park.
This is a fascinating wildlife safari excursion in which people take a boat journey down the Nile. Boat trips at Murchison Falls National Park depart from Paraa and take around 3 hours to the foot of Murchison Falls, and then return in 4 to 5 hours. During the boat tours, you will be able to see wildlife such as hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, and water birds such as herons, cormorants, fish eagles, kingfishers, and bee-eaters.
Top of the falls Hike in Murchison Falls National Park.
The hike to the top of the falls takes you around the falls, the water edge, and close to the narrow gorge through which the river explodes into the falls. The hike on top of the falls trail also offers walking safaris, picnic sites, and campsites for adventurous visitors to make their Uganda wildlife safari interesting and memorable.
Hiking/ Guided Nature Walk in Murchison Falls National Park.
This is an activity in which safari guests wander around the park on foot with an armed guide for safety and direction. Hiking in Murchison Falls National Park is typically done in Rabongo forest, Kaniyo Pabidi forest, Budongo forest, and on top of the falls, among other places, where visitors can explore the beautiful landscapes, Murchison falls, swamps, surrounding local communities, and observe wildlife species, primates, and birds up close.
Community/Cultural Tours at Murchison Falls National Park.
This is an activity in which guests visit the communities surrounding the national park. Visitors learn about the local people’s way of life, sample their traditional cuisines, and visit traditional homesteads, art and craft shops, and workshops where they manufacture crafts such as houses, sandals, mats, and bags, among other things.
Villages around the park include entertainment groups like as Mubako that perform to tourists through dances, music, and poetry, among other things, especially at supper at the lodges around the campfires, giving visitors valuable insights into other people’s traditions.
Sport Fishing in Murchison Falls National Park.
This occurs above and below the falls and is an exciting and engaging activity in Murchison Falls National Park in that visitors may engage in catch-and-release fishing. Fish captured during sport fishing activities include Nile perch, Tiger fish, Tilapia, and Mudfish, among others. Participants will also rest on the Nile’s banks and order a fish feast.
Contact your trusted tour operator company if you wish to book an Uganda wildlife safari to Murchison Falls national park.
