Gates of Murchison falls national park

Gates of Murchison falls national park: Murchison falls national is located in the northwestern part of Uganda and it’s the country’s largest national park. The national park which was gazetted in 1952 covers a total area of 3893sq.km and is found in three districts which are Bulisa, Masindi, Kiryandongo, and Nwoya.

Murchison falls national park is a very big area and it can’t be accessed from one point. The park has about 5 gates which tourists can use to access the park depending on where they are coming from. Murchison falls national park is divided by River Nile into two sectors which are the northern sector and the southern sector.

The northern side of Murchison falls park can be accessed using three gates while the southern sector of the park can be accessed using 2 gates. Access to Murchison falls national park gives you an opportunity to see most of the attractions within the park. The national park is home to over 76 mammals, 451 bird species, 13 primates, River Nile and Murchison falls national park.

Murchison falls national park is located about 351km from Kampala and this is not a very long journey compared to other national parks. The national park can be accessed in 4-6 hours depending on the route used, the nature of the roads, and the number of stopovers. There are over 5 gates that get tourists to Murchison falls national park and tourists use any of the gates they want depending on the region of the park they are to visit as well as the lodge booked.

From Kampala/Entebbe to Murchison falls national park, there are 2 routes tourists can use while going to Murchison falls national park. The first and shorter route is from Kampala/Entebbe through Luwero, Nakasongola, and then Masindi where tourists chose Bugungu or Kichumbanyobo gate to get to the southern sector of the park

The second route which happens to be the longest but with great views along the way is from Kampala/Entebbe through Luwero, Nakasongola, Kiryandongo to Pakwach where you access the park using any of the three gates. There is Chobe gate next to Karuma falls, Wankar gate near Purongo, and Tangi gate a few kilometers from kara bridge.

Gates of Murchison falls national park

Northern gates of Murchison falls national park: The northern gates of Murchison falls national park are those that are found in the northern part of the park and get you to the areas of Paraa, Pakuba, Chobe, Tangi, and Pendero.

Chobe gate: Chobe gate is located in the northern sector of Murchison falls national park near Karuma falls. The gate is found in the western areas of the park and is used by tourists coming from Kidepo valley national park, Kiryandongo or Gulu. Chobe gare is located near Pakwach and a few kilometers away north of Karuma bridge.

Wankar gate: Wankar gate is found in the northern sector of Murchison falls national park about 10km off the main road at Purongo. Wankar gate is used by tourists who are coming from Gulu and Kidepo valley national park and Olwiyo they will drive to Purongo and then to the gate to access Murchison falls national park.

Tangi gate: This is also found on the northern side of Murchison falls national park and it’s the commonly used gate by tourists visiting Murchison falls national park in the northern side. Tangi gate is found in Pakwach district a few minutes’ drive from Kara bridge. The gate gives tourists access to Paraa region of the park which is one of the areas with several lodges and park activities.

The southern gates: The southern gates of Murchison falls national park are used by tourists coming from Masindi and Bulisa districts. They do give tourists access to the southern side of the national park for example areas of Budongo, Kaniyo Pabidi, Bugugu, and Rabongo.

Bugungu gate: Bugugu gate is found in the southern region of Murchison falls national park and it’s used by tourists accessing Murchison falls park from Masindi town. Bugungu gate is located 135 km from Masindi town and it goes through Budongo forest which is the largest mahogany forest in East Africa. This route gives tourists great views of the forest, rift valley, and Lake Albert.

Kichumbanyobo gate: Kichumbanyobo gate is situated in the southern sector of Murchison falls national park and it’s used by tourists coming from Masindi town. The gate is located only 85km from Masindi town and it goes through Kaniyo Pabidi forest in the south of the park to Paraa area. The route takes tourists through a forest that is home to endangered chimpanzees and over 360 bird species.

Entry fees to Murchison falls national park

To access Murchison falls national park using any of the gates listed above, you need to park the entrance fee which is payable at Uganda Wildlife Authority or the gate. The park entrance fee to any of the areas of Murchison falls national park is $45 for foreign non-residents, $35 for foreign residents, and UGX25,000 East African citizens.

At any of the gates of Murchison falls national park, tourists will need clear documents to access the park. Foreign residents will need to produce a working permit which is valid for 1 year. Tourists will need a well-trained driver guide to drive them through the right routes of the park.

Accessing Murchison falls park by air transport

Apart from accessing Murchison falls national park using road transport, tourists can access the park using air transport. There are flights to Murchison falls national park used by luxury travelers and those that hate traveling for long distances.

Flights to Murchison falls national park are organized by different airline companies such as Fly Uganda, Bar Aviation Uganda, and Aerolink Uganda. There are three airstrips in Murchison falls national park two of which are found n the north side of the park and these are Chobe airstrip and Pakuba airstrip while Bugungu airstrip is found on the south of the park.

Flights start from Entebbe international airport and Kajjansi airstrip and take 1 hour and about 15 minutes to get to any of the airstrips in the park. From the airstrips, tourists will be picked up by their driver guides or lodge vehicles to booked accommodation facilities.