Among all the national parks in Uganda, Murchison falls is the largest and it is the only national park where river Nile runs through, dissecting it into 2 regions, northern and southern. Murchison falls national park is found in the north western direction of Uganda, about 315km from Kampala and the journey is approximately 5 hours’ drive by road. Most travelers get onto this popular Nile cruise in Murchison falls knowing that they will spot the stunning aquatic wild. Though you can’t fully predict in which manner you will find them. That’s the beauty of a Nile cruise at any day in Murchison falls national park.
It is always an amazing journey and you can’t compare it with any boat cruise in the world. For safety you’re assured as a life jacket is given to everyone and a little briefing right before you begin the Nile cruise on the waters in Murchison falls national park.
Boat Trips Along the Nile
One of the best ways to witness the fascinating the mighty Murchison falls is by taking on a boat cruise upstream from Paraa and get impressive front view of the falls a must see for every guest to the park. This activity takes approximately 4 – 5 hours, the incredible thing you can’t tell how time will run so fast because you will get lost into viewing the magnificent sceneries and also spotting the Nile Crocodiles, Hippos and multiple wildlife on the shores of the river.
The boat departs twice a day both morning and afternoon but, birders enjoy the morning hours ride down stream to the Nile Lake Albert providing opportunities of sighting the rare beautiful shoebill. The five hour boat trip unveils not only the park bird species but also hippos, elephants and other wildlife. Still afternoon is fun for nature lovers and allows all age to take part. Its upstream provides mind blowing views to tourists who enjoy and witnessing the fight between water and rocks as it squeezes each other to the bottom.
Several arrangements are made at the park even for private rides. Booking your space in advance is important because tickets for this boat cruise get filled up. If your trip is organized by a travel agency no need to bather because agents book earlier than anyone in order to ensure their clients safety. Depending on the schedule of the boat cruise, one can use the other time to explore the park without missing out the Budongo chimpanzee sanctuary found close to the wildlife paradise area. Ensure to get to the park with a private safari vehicle the best way to move around and to be in a right place at aright time. Eats and drinks are always provided by your lodge of residence that is if you cleared for full board basis but for other meal arrangements, one need to buy eats and drinks at the park lodge restaurants.
The overall duration for the afternoon boat cruise which is everyone’s favorite is 2 hours starting from 2.00pm -4.00pm local time. The tour ends with a simple hike to the top of the falls a point where you can view the entire water fall and get the best photo shoots ever. Many enjoy this adventure during Uganda wildlife safari to Murchison falls National Park, the largest conservation area in Uganda.
Boat Safari to the Base of Murchison Falls
This is the park’s most established water activity. Departures typically occur from Paraa Jetty, heading upstream toward the Devil’s Cauldron, where the Nile explodes through a six-metre-wide gorge.
Each launch takes approximately 2 hours round-trip. Boats operate under the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and private operators such as Wild Frontiers.
The standard departure time is 2:00 PM, with optional morning cruises at 8:30 AM.
Species commonly seen along the banks include Nile crocodiles, hippos, buffalo, waterbuck, and elephants.
Bird sightings often include pied kingfisher, goliath heron, and red-throated bee-eater. This section of the Nile is calm enough for photography, but the spray at the base may limit camera use.
Permits are booked through UWA or licensed tour companies. As of the 2024–2026 tariff cycle, the boat cruise costs UGX 30,000 (East Africans), USD 30 (foreign residents), or USD 35 (foreign non-residents).
Nile Delta Boat Excursion (Albertine Route)
The delta stretch begins near the mouth of the Victoria Nile as it enters Lake Albert.
This sector is accessed primarily from the Paraa side, but some operators run from the southern bank depending on water level and clearance.
Trips here favour birdwatchers. The shoebill stork is most frequently spotted between January and March when water levels are low and fish movements are concentrated.
Other waterbirds in the delta include African jacana, African skimmer, and papyrus gonolek.
This experience lasts three to five hours and covers a larger area of water. Unlike the base-of-the-falls cruise, the delta excursion is less crowded and quieter, which makes it attractive to repeat visitors.
Popular Sightings on a Boat Cruise
Seeing the Nile for the first or the tenth time is always an awesome experience. The Nile is the aorta of Africa. The cruise up the river is a unique adventure, full of activity and constant surprises.
Hippos are everywhere, sometimes in large groups, sometimes along, but always wary of the passing boat. They are usually passive, content to ignore the boat, or simply submerge and resurface some distance away (they can actually spend up to five or six minutes underwater). An occasional obstreperous male will feign a charge by lunging noisily at the boat half out of the water (in the case of a true charge, the hippo will remain just beneath the surface and approach silently and quickly). However, female with young are the most common aggressors, as with all animals.
Hippo mothers tend to isolate themselves to give birth and usually remain alone with the youngster ( they seldom have more than one) for about two weeks. During February and March it is very common to find mothers and their infants somewhat apart from a main group.
Strangely, the huge gaping yawn and the heavily armored lower jaw play no part in feeding, but have evolved as tools for ritualized fighting which determines all relationships in the social life and courtship of the hippo.
The broken and chipped teeth in the lower jaw are a result of this practice. Hippo feed entirely by means of their horny, wide lips and will eat about 35 kgs of grass per 24 hour period. Though very uncommon, there are at least two living albino hippo on this stretch of the river and the guides will usually know exactly where to find them. They are not white, but a sort of blotchy pinkish gray.
There are some sizable crocodiles basking along the river banks. One particularly large old-timer, nicknamed “Edroma”, is without his front right foot. March is a good time to see newly hatched young crocodiles as they spend a lot of time out of the water. A crocodile lays up to about 100 eggs in a hole that it excavates in the river bank. They have particular breeding areas and can usually be seen incubating their eggs during the months December, January and February. They have no natural enemies except for the recently hatched young which are vulnerable to birds and monitor lizards. Monitor Lizards also frequently dig up and devour the eggs.
About a third of the way to the falls, the Nyamsika River enters the Nile. The river only flows during heavy and prolonged rains, and for most of the year it is a “sand river”.
Because of the wide sand-spit at the mouth of the river it is rich in bird-life and frequented by animals such as water buck, warthog, bushbusk, buffalo and elephant who use the river as a highway to the Nile. Leopard, lion and hyena also commonly seen here. The leopard often rest in the branches of trees overhanging the sand river.
The birds along the Nile can be thought of in three main groups. Firstly, there are those that feed in open water such as darters, cormorants and ducks. Secondly, there are those that hunt the river margins with specially adapted physiology such as herons, kingfishers, storks, ibises, egrets, stilts, geese and the ever-present fish eagle. Finally, there are birds that feed off the insects that rise from the water, and these include the migrant swallows, some bee-eaters and pranticoles. Armed with a bird book, identifying these individual birds can be a lot of fun; there is always a book on the boat.
Darters and cormorants look very similar to the untrained eye. In fact the darter is easily distinguishable both in flight, when it appears to have a disproportionately small head and long neck, and in the river where it swims with only neck and head above the water.
Of special interest is the extraordinary shoebill or whale-headed stork. A giant, usually solitary bird, it is aggressive predator feeding on fish ( especially small catfish), frogs, water rats, lizards, snakes and even small crocodiles. Unlike most birds it has binocular vision. The two yellow eyes that starts unblinkingly indicate that the shoebill is mainly a nocturnal hunter. The preferred habitat of the shoebill is swamp and marshland. This habitat is fast disappearing, and Murchison is one of only few accessible places in Africa where the shoebill can be seen.The population in the park is very difficult to estimate, but there are thought to be at least five pairs.
Another fascinating bird is the African jacana or liliy-trotter. Usually found in pairs they are conspicuous for their long legs and extremely long toes, specially adapted for… lily-trotting. The female, which is slightly larger than the male, has a unique habit of carrying its young chick tucked under a wing.
The goliath heron is a regular feature in the shallows near the river banks. Standing still and along, it waits to stab at a fish with its powerful beak. About halfway along the journey to the falls, on the north bank, a steep sandstone cliff drops about ten metres into deep water. Pied kingfishers and red-throated bee-eater nest in the numerous holes in the cliff. This is a fascinating place to stop for photography as it is the closet one is ever likely to get to these birds. The tiny, brilliant sapphire-blue malachite kingfisher is often seen darting from one overhanging branch to another along the cliff area.
Further along the sand spit at the mouth of the Nyamsika river is a common place to find the increasingly rare saddle-billed stork. Similar in size to the goliath heron, the saddle-bill has a thicker, longer bill with a distinct yellow saddle and the tip of the bill is red. Egrets are found along the length of the river. For quick reference, the little egret’s yellow feet and black bill instantly mark it part from the other similar looking white birds.
Africa fish-eagle – haliaeetus vocifer. One of the conspicuous birds found along the river, the bold white head and dark chestnut body make them quickly identifiable, even at a distance. They have a very distinct call, which once heard is never forgotten. In calling they throw their heads back almost looking at their tails, this performance is unique in eagles. Unlike most birds, male and female are virtually indistinguishable, except that the call of the male is much higher pitched, and the female’s tone is more mellow and melodious. The female also tends to be a slightly larger bird. They are territorial birds and will vigorously defend their particular stretch of water.
The scenery along the river banks is always changing. Near the falls, on the south bank ther is stand of huge mahogany (reddish foliage) and iron wood trees. These are very often covered with colobus monkeys during the day and baboons in the early evening. Both types of trees are a firm indication of former human settlement in the Fajao area. According to records, the settlement at Fajao was 2-3,000 strong at the turn of the century. The remaining abandoned structures formed part of a landing used by East African Railways and Harbours for their luxury steamers prior to the floods of 1962. The height of the launch trip is the view of Murchison Falls.
The torrent of waters rushing through the narrow passage has been culculated to flow at 300 cubic metres per second.
How to Pay for a Boat
The Nile cruise in Murchison falls is at $30 per person and what’s more interesting is that refreshments are always available on board at very affordable price. All the cruises have a fixed schedule every day, so you’re free to choose between a morning or afternoon Nile cruise. Usually the morning Nile cruise begin at 9am and the afternoon Nile cruise start at 2pm. Payments are made to the trip organizers at the time of booking and tourist wait for just the right time to come for the trip. However if travelling on your own, payments are made directly to the boat cruise management team.
Safety on the Cruises
No tragedy has ever been recorded during the so many Nile cruises that have been done before. It is always a good practice to make sure you are safe during the Nile cruise in Murchison falls national park, so great caution is always taken right before you get on board.
Besides enjoying the Nile cruise, it is also an informative activity for all age groups. Still this activity gives you a chance to interact with other people from different parts of the world who are enjoying the Nile cruise like you. Meeting new people and being drawn under a common cause, tourism and more so cramped comfortably in one boat and just being able to share in the passion you both have for nature.
Conclusion
The Nile cruise takes you closer to the spectacular Murchison falls, here you can get out and take plenty of pictures with falls in the background. Hence giving the most exciting experience which will keep in your brain for years. You can also choose to hike to top of the Murchison falls which is highly recommended as you will get to enjoy the best view of the spectacular waterfalls. It is a must for you to speak with your tour driver who is supposed to pick you from top of the falls since you don’t go back with the boat cruise.
It doesn’t matter what you have heard or what your past experience was like, it is a sure deal Nile cruise in Murchison falls national park get more and more interesting with new adventure. Besides Nile cruise, Murchison falls has multiple activities that you can choose from while on a Uganda safari through the Murchison Falls National Park, the most popular of all Uganda’s national parks.