5 Day Murchison Falls and Budongo Chimpanzee Safari
Trek chimpanzees in Budongo, explore Murchison's savannah and cruise the Nile, with 1 forest night and 3 nights at Paraa Safari Lodge.
Plan This Safari5 Days / 4 Nights / Budongo and Murchison / Private Safari
From Budongo's chimpanzees to Murchison Falls
Begin with a forest overnight, then stay 3 nights at Paraa Safari Lodge for game viewing, the Nile cruise and waterfall viewpoints.
Budongo Forest
1 night at Budongo Eco Lodge before a guided chimpanzee trek.
Murchison Wildlife
Settle into Paraa, then explore the savannah and visit the Top of the Falls.
Nile Boat Safari
Take a morning cruise, followed by lodge time or optional sport fishing.
Return Journey
Travel south to your agreed Kampala or Entebbe drop-off.
Budongo chimpanzees and Murchison Falls wildlife
Combine chimpanzee trekking with savannah game viewing on this private 5 day safari from Kampala or Entebbe. Your first night is at Budongo Eco Lodge in Kaniyo Pabidi, close to the forest trekking departure point.
Follow guides through Budongo in search of habituated chimpanzees, watching for feeding, grooming and movement through the trees. Continue to Paraa Safari Lodge for 3 nights, using the lodge as your base for Murchison Falls National Park .
Explore the northern savannah, visit the Top of the Falls and take a morning Nile cruise. Keep the final afternoon free for relaxation or arrange optional fishing. For more routes combining forest and wildlife experiences, explore our Uganda safaris .
Safari Highlights
Stay at Budongo Eco Lodge before your morning chimpanzee trek.
Explore Budongo's forest trails with experienced chimpanzee guides.
Search Murchison's savannah for giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, antelopes and big cats.
Watch the Nile surge through the gorge from the Top of the Falls.
Cruise upstream towards the falls past hippos, crocodiles and waterbirds.
Enjoy 3 nights at Paraa Safari Lodge, with an afternoon free or optional fishing.
Murchison Falls and Budongo safari day by day
1 night at Budongo Eco Lodge and 3 nights at Paraa Safari Lodge. Meals are provided as specified in your confirmed quotation.
Kampala or Entebbe to Budongo Forest
After breakfast, meet your BLS Safaris driver guide and travel north towards Budongo Forest in the wider Murchison Falls Conservation Area. Pass through towns, farmland and changing countryside before reaching Kaniyo Pabidi.
Check in at Budongo Eco Lodge, with lunch arranged around your arrival. The lodge's forest setting places you close to the chimpanzee trekking departure point for the following morning.
Keep the afternoon free to relax. Listen to the forest around the lodge and prepare your walking shoes, rain protection and daypack. Your guide will confirm the briefing arrangements.
Budongo Chimpanzee Trekking and Transfer to Paraa
Have an early breakfast before meeting the guides for your chimpanzee trekking experience in Budongo's Kaniyo Pabidi area. After the briefing, follow forest trails in search of a habituated chimpanzee community.
Listen for calls and watch the canopy as the guides follow signs of the chimpanzees. The walk also introduces you to the forest, with opportunities to encounter other primates, birds and smaller wildlife. Trails can be uneven and muddy.
Once the chimpanzees are found, watch them feeding, grooming, calling or moving between trees. Follow your guide's instructions before walking back through the forest.
Return to the lodge for lunch, check out and continue towards Paraa. Cross the Nile to the northern side and settle into Paraa Safari Lodge. Spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing above the river.
Murchison Falls Game Drives and Top of the Falls
Set out early with a packed lunch for a full safari day in Murchison Falls National Park . Explore the northern savannah, watching giraffes browsing among the trees, elephants moving through woodland and buffaloes and antelopes grazing across the plains.
Your guide will search for lions and leopards while choosing tracks according to wildlife activity. Pause at sightings and stop for your packed lunch at a suitable designated place.
Later in the afternoon, travel to the Top of the Falls. Watch the Nile force its way through the narrow rocky gorge, with spray rising above the viewpoints. Return to Paraa Safari Lodge in the evening.
Morning Nile Boat Cruise and Optional Sport Fishing
After breakfast, transfer to the boarding point for your morning Nile boat safari . Allow approximately 3 hours for the cruise upstream towards the base of Murchison Falls.
Watch hippos gathered in the water and crocodiles resting along the banks. Scan the shoreline for elephants and buffaloes coming to drink, and look for fish eagles, kingfishers and other waterbirds along the river.
The boat approach brings the falls into view between the cliffs. After the cruise, return to the lodge for lunch and a relaxed afternoon. Enjoy the Nile views or spend time by the pool.
Travellers interested in angling can arrange optional afternoon sport fishing. The excursion is separately charged and requires advance confirmation of the guide, equipment, permits and boat arrangements.
Murchison Falls to Kampala or Entebbe
After breakfast, check out of Paraa Safari Lodge and begin the drive south towards Kampala or Entebbe. Travel through the Ugandan countryside, with lunch and comfort stops arranged around the day's timing.
Continue to your agreed accommodation in Kampala or Entebbe, or Entebbe International Airport when your flight schedule allows. Your 5 day safari ends on arrival.
Safari Inclusions and Exclusions
What's Included
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle for the scheduled journey.
- Professional English-speaking safari driver guide.
- Scheduled pickup and drop-off in Kampala or Entebbe.
- 1 night at Budongo Eco Lodge.
- 3 nights at Paraa Safari Lodge.
- Meals as specified in the confirmed quotation.
- Packed lunch on the main game-viewing day.
- Murchison Falls National Park entry fees for the scheduled activities.
- Budongo chimpanzee trekking permit and guided trekking experience.
- Scheduled game drives on Day 3.
- Morning Nile boat cruise towards Murchison Falls.
- Visit to the Top of Murchison Falls.
- Bottled drinking water during the safari.
- Applicable government taxes and service charges.
What's Not Included
- International flights.
- Uganda visa fees.
- Travel and medical insurance.
- Optional sport fishing and associated charges.
- Personal drinks, laundry, telephone calls and souvenirs.
- Lodge treatments and other optional services outside the confirmed package.
- Tips and gratuities for guides, boat crews and lodge staff.
- Additional accommodation before or after the safari.
- Activities and services not specifically included in the confirmed quotation.
- Additional costs arising from circumstances beyond the operator's control, subject to the booking terms.
Trek chimpanzees. Explore the savannah. Cruise the Nile.
Share your travel dates and number of travellers with BLS Safaris. We will plan your Budongo trek, Paraa lodge stay, game drives and Nile cruise, with optional fishing arranged on request.