This compact northern Uganda safari combines on-foot rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary with the wildlife and landscapes of Murchison Falls National Park. You will enjoy a morning game drive across the northern savannah, a Nile boat cruise to the base of Murchison Falls, and a visit to the top of the falls where the Victoria Nile forces itself through a narrow gorge. It is an ideal short safari for first-time Uganda visitors and travelers with limited time who still want strong wildlife encounters.
Itinerary
You will be picked up from your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe at approximately 7:00 AM by your Ringstone Safaris driver-guide. Drive north through Luweero and Nakasongola to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the only place in Uganda where you can track white rhinos on foot. After a briefing by a ranger, set off on foot to find the rhinos. The tracking usually takes 1–2 hours, depending on their location.
After lunch, continue to Murchison Falls National Park via Masindi. Enter through Kichumbanyobo Gate and drive through the lush Budongo Forest to your lodge. Arrive in the late afternoon, check in, relax and enjoy dinner under the African sky.
Main Destination: Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary / Murchison Falls National Park
After an early breakfast, depart for a morning game drive in the northern sector of Murchison Falls National Park. Your guide will take you along the Buligi, Queen and Albert tracks, where you may spot lions, elephants, buffaloes, Rothschild’s giraffes, Jackson’s hartebeests, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs and a variety of birds.
Return to the lodge for lunch and some rest. In the afternoon, enjoy a boat cruise on the Victoria Nile to the base of Murchison Falls. The cruise offers excellent views of hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes and waterbirds. If you wish, you can disembark and hike up to the top of the falls for a closer view of the powerful rapids. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Main Destination: Murchison Falls National Park
Accommodation: Same lodge as Day 1
After breakfast, check out of your lodge and visit the top of Murchison Falls if you did not do so the previous day. Stand at the viewpoint where the Nile squeezes through a 7-meter-wide gorge, creating a thunderous roar and permanent rainbow. Afterwards, begin your journey back to Kampala or Entebbe, with lunch en route. You will be dropped off at your hotel or at Entebbe International Airport in the late afternoon or early evening.
Main Destination: Kampala / Entebbe
Accommodation: None