5 Days Murchison Falls & White Water Rafting in Uganda – Overview

5 days Murchison Falls & white water rafting takes you through ultimate game viewing and white water rafting experiences on Uganda safari.  Murchison Falls National Park (3840sq.km) in Northwestern Uganda is home to 4 of the big five games in Africa -cape buffaloes, elephants, lions, leopards plus small mammals, 451 bird species, etc.

White water rafting on your 4nights/5 days Uganda safari will be done on Nile River Jinja. Your trip begins and ends in Kampala or Entebbe, but the first visit will be a source of the Nile for white water rafting.

Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda

Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda

Brief itinerary

  • Day 1: Transfer to Jinja
  • Day 2: White water rafting Jinja & drive to Kampala
  • Day 3: Murchison Falls National Park- Big game safari
  • Day 4: Guided game drive, launch trip
  • Day 5: Murchison Falls NP-Kampala/Entebbe

Detailed itinerary

Day 1: Transfer to Jinja- white water rafting

Meet a representative from Maranatha Tours and Travel at Entebbe Airport (EBB). Be warmly welcomed and after, drive to Jinja where white water rafting will be done as of this 5-day Murchison Falls & white-water rafting safari. Note, that white water rafting is also done in Murchison Falls National Park. En-route to Jinja includes driving through the lushly Mabira Forest that is separated by the Kampala-Jinja route.

Accommodation

  • Luxury: Jinja Nile Resort
  • Midrange: Pearl of the Nile Hotel/2Friends Guesthouse
  • Budget: Kingfisher Safari Resort Hotel/Jinja Backpackers

Day 2: White water rafting Jinja & drive to Kampala

After a hot cup of tea/coffee, meet the rafting experts for a briefing on your white water rafting. A brief exercise can be done to make you familiar with rafting experience and after you can choose from the tough (this leads to grades 5 rapids) or little demanding rafting experience (1-3 grades/rapids). Enjoy 2-3 hours on white water rafting and today, you will get to the point where the Nile River begins from. After, meet your driver and get back to Kampala for relaxation, an overnight stay at Cassia Lodge.

Day 3: Murchison Falls National Park- Big game safari

Have breakfast and after, you will be driven to Murchison Falls National Park- Uganda’s largest park and also the only one found in the Northwest. Drive from Kampala via Gulu and at Luweero, you may have a brief stopover to get some fruits. This area is known for fresh pineapples. Later, proceed to enjoy rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

Rhino tracking activity will take about 2 hours at Ziwa and you go for lunch in Masindi town. From Masindi, drive to Murchison Falls NP via Kichubanyombo gate to the Southern gate, and en-route lots of playful baboons can be spotted at Budongo/Kaniyo-Pabidi Forest.

Accommodation

  • Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge/Baker’s Lodge
  • Midrange: Pakuba Safari Lodge/Fort Murchison Safari Lodge
  • Budget: Red Chili Camp

Day 4: Guided game drive, launch trip

Game drive to see elephants, cape buffaloes, lions, leopards, giraffes, warthogs, and abundant birdlife in Murchison Falls National Park starts early at 6:00 am. Drive through the Northern game tracks rich with large mammals and small species, birds, and breathtaking landscape characterized by palm trees, shrubs, etc. Return after amazing animal sightings and have lunch at the lodge marking the end of a 2-3 hours guided game drive.

In the afternoon, start a boat cruise on Victoria Nile to the base of Murchison Falls for 2-3 hours. Expected sightings on a boat cruise range from swimming hippos, basking crocodiles, aquatic birds, and more. Today, you will also enjoy a trek to the top of the falls to witness it squeeze itself into a narrow rock of 7-8m.

Accommodation

  • Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge/Baker’s Lodge
  • Midrange: Pakuba Safari Lodge/Fort Murchison Safari Lodge
  • Budget: Red Chili Camp

Day 5: Murchison Falls NP-Kampala/Entebbe

Enjoy an early breakfast and after, return to Kampala or Entebbe driving via the Luweero triangle. Arrive early and be dropped at a hotel in Kampala/Entebbe marking the end of 5 days of Murchison Falls & white-water rafting.

End of the 5 Days of Murchison Falls & White Water Rafting in Uganda

Safari inclusions

  • White-water rafting
  • Game drives
  • Boat cruise
  • Park entrance fees
  • Trek to the top of the world’s powerful falls
  • Bird sighting
  • Photography
  • Bottled water
  • Professional driver/guide service
  • Accommodation + meals

Safari exclusions

  • Visas
  • Passport
  • International flights
  • Drinks + other expenses