One of the magical and full of fun activity to encounter in Murchison Falls National Park and a must do is “Murchison falls ferry crossing”. The Park is bisected into two by the Victoria Nile, which is part of river Nile – the longest river in the world, with splendid waterfalls called Murchison and Karuma falls that flow to the magnificent Lake Albert.
The Nile bisects Murchison Falls into two parts at Paraa, thus forming the northern and southern sides. To cross to either side, one has to use the services of a ferry which normally carries a total of eight cars, crossing throughout the day, from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, operating at a daily basis.
Besides, one can decide to use the Karuma side and reach Paraa or Pakwach using Tangi and Wankar gates.
More about Murchison Falls ferry crossing.
During Murchison Falls ferry crossing, passengers get out of their vehicles and board the ferry along with their vehicles across the Nile to either side.
A ferry crosses every after every one hour, with the first ferry always at 9:00 am. This is always departing from the northern to the southern side. The last ferry is always at 7:00 pm crossing from the southern to the northern side.
The following prices are for scheduled crossing, and for one way transit, valid till 7:00 pm on the first day of use for residents within the park.
| Categories | UGX |
| Light vehicles 2 tones and less | 20,000 |
| Medium vehicles 2 to 5 tones | 40,000 |
| Heavy vehicles 5 to 10 tones | 80,000 |
| Very heavy vehicles 10 to 20 tones | 150,000 |
| Motor cycles | 5,000 |
| Passengers excluding drivers. | 5,000 |
| School bus with students | Free |
Note that they are subject to change at any time, so consider travelling with extra money to cater for such changes.
In Uganda, other parks with abundant wildlife include the popular Queen Elizabeth National Park where guests go for a boat safari on Kazinga channel or search for the tree-climbing lions in Ishasha. Lake Mburo National Park is a compact gem of wildlife especially for guests who wish to see zebras, because the park is so close to Kampala and can be accessed within a 3-hours’ drive time.
It is not enough to do a wildlife safari in Uganda without visiting Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for a mountain gorilla trekking safari, such a rare opportunity to have in Africa. Meeting the endangered species is so amazing.