Murchison Falls Boat Trip Experience

It is without a doubt, Murchison Falls are the most scenic waterfalls in Uganda; the roar, the sunsets, and the boat experience are relatively unique. There are mainly three boat options at your disposal when it comes to a boat cruise experience at Murchison Falls; That is the two-tiered boat, the small 10-seater boats, and boats with breakfast or lunch onboard.

Murchison Falls Experience With Breakfast On Board

Most of the people who visit Murchison Falls for a boat trip usually just take a boat to the bottom of the falls and back. This takes almost two hours. Instead of seating in the boat just listening to your tour guide, you can opt for a boat that has breakfast or lunch on board. However, this requires special arrangements.

It is not possible to just drive to the dock and then board a boat that has breakfast on board. That is not how it works; you will need to make a booking prior to your arrival at the dock. Therefore if you are a self-drive traveler, you will need the services of a local operator to book such a boat.

Boats with breakfast or lunch onboard are recommended for honeymooners as well as those traveling in groups or families.

Scheduled Boat Trips

Unlike Murchison Falls boat trips with breakfast on board; Murchison falls scheduled boat trips are different. You will pay your fare and join other people who have already paid for the same boat. However, during the low season when the boats are often under capacity, you will have to pay for the missing seats to make up for the cost of minimum capacity.

The morning scheduled boats set off between 8:00 am and 9:00 am while the afternoon boats set off between 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm. If you are considering exiting the park after a boat trip, it is recommended that you opt for the morning boat trip so that you may have enough time to exit the park before you are charged for an extra day.

What to Expect on a Murchison Falls Boat Trip

The highlight of the Murchison Falls boat trip is the view of the bottom of the Murchison Falls. However, on this journey, you will spot a number of wild birds and animals on the banks of the river Nile. These include but are not limited to Elephants, buffaloes, crocodiles, hippos, and a number of Nile river bank endemic bird species.

You will need some binoculars for the best view of the bottom of the waterfalls as well as the wildlife on the river banks. It should be noted that for purposes of safety, you will not sail too close to the bottom of the falls.

Safety At the Boat

All boats have life jackets. Though this is the main safety precaution, you will also need insect repellents more so for the tsetse flies. Without these repellents, your boat experience might become a nightmare given the discomfort that comes with the tsetse fly bites.

Best Time For the Boat Trip

In case you are opting for a scheduled trip, the two options remain; that is the morning boat cruise and the afternoon boat. The choices between the two would highly depend on what you wish to do after the boat trip. For instance, some people prefer the morning boat trip because it gives them enough time to spend their afternoon at the pool.

Some people prefer the afternoon boat trip because of the afternoon breeze as well as the likelihood of seeing more animals come to the river banks to drink water. Both morning and afternoon boats are good; you simply have to be in the know of the weather forecast so that you opt for a boat outside the rainy timeline.

A boat trip in Murchison Falls remains one of the top must-do activities for anyone considering visiting this national park. However if you must choose between a boat trip to the bottom of Murchison Falls and a boat trip at Kazinga Channel, then check out our article about Murchison Falls Boat Vs Kazinga Channel Boat.