Murchison Falls Trip Cost: Park Fees, Activities and Getting There (2026)

Murchison Falls National Park is the classic first safari in Uganda: big game on the northern savanna, a boat trip up the Victoria Nile to the foot of the falls and a walk to the top where the whole river squeezes through a gap in the rock. This guide sets out what a Murchison Falls trip costs in park fees, what each activity is priced at and how to get there, using the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) conservation tariff, as of October 2026.

A note before the numbers: UWA's rates page still lists its 2024 to 2026 conservation tariff as the current schedule, and that tariff states that fees can change without notice. UWA has announced revisions to some activities, mainly gorilla and chimpanzee permits, from 1 January 2027. If you are travelling next year, confirm Murchison rates with UWA reservations or your tour operator when you book.

The park at a glance

Murchison Falls is Uganda's oldest and largest conservation area, covering 3,840 square kilometres around the town of Masindi and roughly 305 km north of Kampala, according to UWA. It was gazetted as a game reserve in 1926 and became a national park in 1952. The Victoria Nile runs through the middle: north of the river is open savanna with giraffe, elephant, buffalo and Uganda kob, while the falls themselves force the river through a gorge about 8 metres wide before it drops 45 metres into what is known as the Devil's Cauldron.

UWA records 144 mammal species and 556 bird species in the park, including the shoebill, which is most often looked for in the papyrus near the Albert Delta.

Park entrance fees (as of October 2026)

Murchison is one of UWA's top-category parks. Entrance is charged per person for every 24 hours you are inside the park, counted from the time you enter. Stay beyond 24 hours and another day is charged.

Foreign non-resident adults: 45 US dollars a day. Children: 25 dollars.

Foreign residents of Uganda: 35 dollars for adults and 15 dollars for children.

Rest of Africa citizens: 30 dollars for adults and 10 dollars for children.

East African citizens: 25,000 Uganda shillings for adults and 10,000 shillings for children.

On a typical two-night safari a foreign visitor spends around two to three park days inside the boundary, so budget 90 to 135 dollars per adult in entrance fees alone, depending on when you enter and leave.

Activity fees

These are the main UWA charges at Murchison, quoted for foreign non-residents first, then foreign residents and East African citizens.

Launch trip to the bottom of the falls: 30 dollars, 25 dollars, or 30,000 shillings. Rest of Africa citizens pay 20 dollars. UWA describes the trip as about two hours, on boats carrying up to 45 people.

Hike to the top of the falls: 15 dollars, 10 dollars, or 10,000 shillings. Simply viewing the top of the falls costs 10 dollars for foreign visitors and 10,000 shillings for East Africans.

Day game drive guide (per guide, not per person): 25 dollars, 20 dollars, or 25,000 shillings.

Night game drive (per person): 40 dollars, 35 dollars, or 40,000 shillings. UWA restricts night drives to visitors sleeping inside the park, and a UWA guide is mandatory.

Bird watching and nature walks: 25 dollars, 20 dollars, or 20,000 shillings.

Cycling: 30 dollars, 25 dollars, or 30,000 shillings.

Sport fishing: 50 dollars a day or 150 dollars for four days for foreign visitors; 20,000 shillings a day for East Africans. Fishing permits do not include park entrance.

Chimpanzee tracking in nearby Budongo Forest is not part of the UWA tariff, so check its price directly with the operator of the activity.

Vehicle fees

Vehicles also pay per 24 hours. A tour company vehicle or four-wheel drive costs 150 dollars if foreign registered and 30,000 shillings if Ugandan registered, and Murchison adds a further 10 dollars or 10,000 shillings on top. A Ugandan-registered saloon car pays 20,000 shillings. Most visitors on a tour will find the vehicle fee built into the package price, but self-drivers in a rented Ugandan car should budget for it.

A sample budget for park fees

As a worked example, two foreign non-resident adults on a two-night trip, with two park days, one launch to the bottom of the falls, one top-of-the-falls hike and two guided game drives, would pay UWA roughly: 180 dollars in entrance fees, 60 dollars for the launch, 30 dollars for the hike and 50 dollars in game drive guide fees, a total of about 320 dollars before vehicle fees, accommodation, transport and tips. Accommodation ranges from budget bandas and campsites to upmarket lodges, and is usually the biggest variable in the final bill.

Getting to Murchison Falls

By road, UWA puts the drive from Kampala to the southern entrance gate at four to five hours, with another one to two hours from the gate to most lodges around the park headquarters at Paraa. Coming from Fort Portal in the south-west is a drive of about 280 km and at least six hours. You can break the journey at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary on the way north (see our Ziwa page).

By air, charter and scheduled flights run from Entebbe International Airport and Kajjansi Airfield near Kampala. Pakuba airstrip is the most convenient for lodges around Paraa, and Chobe and Bugungu airstrips also serve the park.

When to go

Murchison is open all year. Game viewing is usually easiest in the drier months from December to February and June to August, when the grass is shorter and animals gather near the river. Our guide to the best time to visit Uganda covers the seasons in more detail.

Planning tips

Pay attention to the 24-hour rule when planning your entry and exit times; arriving late morning and leaving early on the last day can save a park day. Book the launch and top-of-the-falls hike for the same day if you want to see the falls from both ends. Keep your entry receipt with you for the length of your stay. For more on the park itself, see our Murchison Falls destination page.

Photo: Rod Waddington / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).