Murchison Falls National Park in May
May closes Uganda’s long rains with a shift you can feel on the ground at Murchison Falls National Park — showers still arrive most afternoons, but April’s heaviest downpours are easing, tracks begin to firm in the second half of the month and the Victoria Nile remains high through the gorge. It is a shoulder month in the truest sense: still squarely wet season, yet leaning toward the drier spell that June and July bring.
This guide covers what May actually delivers across Uganda’s largest national park — roughly 3,840 square kilometres bisected by the Nile — from weather and wildlife behaviour to boat cruises, game drives and road access as the rains taper. For birding detail, see our month-by-month birding guide; here the focus is the full safari experience.
May weather: easing rains, warm days
May sits at the tail end of the long wet season — March through May — and is typically drier than April, the wettest month on the calendar. Long-term averages for the Murchison area show daytime highs around 30–31°C, nights near 19–20°C, and roughly 110–130 mm of rain spread across some 17 days, with about seven hours of sunshine on clear mornings. The pattern guides recognise is unchanged: firm mornings, building cloud from mid-morning and afternoon storms that often break before sunset.
Humidity stays high and the Borassus palm grassland on the northern bank remains vivid green, but by late May many tracks that were greasy in April begin to recover. Murchison sits in a relatively dry belt compared with much of Uganda, so rain rarely shuts the park entirely — though it still shapes how you schedule each day.
Wildlife in May: dispersed, with young on the plains
Game viewing in May follows wet-season logic. When water lies in every depression and fresh grass covers the plains, elephants, buffalo, Uganda kob, hartebeest and the park’s strong population of Nubian (Rothschild’s) giraffe — more than 1,700 individuals recorded in recent Giraffe Conservation Foundation surveys — spread across the northern savannah rather than clustering along the Nile. Sightings take patience, but guides who know Buligi, Pakuba and the Queen’s Track still produce lion, leopard and hyena on morning drives.
Calving continues from April into May, drawing raptors to open patches where antelope young appear. By late May, some herbivores start drifting back toward the Albert Nile as surface water recedes. For how to use the cool hours, see our comparison of morning versus afternoon game drives.
The falls and the Nile at high volume
The Victoria Nile carries strong volume through May — average discharge at the gorge is around 300 cubic metres per second, with wet-season peaks well above that when upstream catchments are saturated. The upstream launch cruise from Paraa — about 17 kilometres each way to the base of the Fajao Gorge — runs year-round and remains dramatic now. UWA boats depart the north-bank jetty at 09:00 and 14:00; the standard tariff is US$30 per foreign non-resident under the July 2024–June 2026 conservation schedule, separate from park entry. Read our bottom-of-the-falls boat cruise guide for route detail.
Planning activities around the rain
May rewards a flexible, morning-first itinerary. Park gates open at 07:00 and close at 19:00; schedule northern-bank game drives to leave as early as the Paraa ferry allows — sailings at 07:00, 09:00, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 18:00 and 19:00 for guests south of the Nile — so you are on the Buligi circuit before clouds build. Kaniyo Pabidi in Budongo Forest offers chimpanzee tracking under canopy cover via Kichumbanyobo Gate. The sealed Masindi–Paraa corridor from Kampala — roughly 305 kilometres and four to five hours — is more reliable than in past wet seasons, though murram tracks beyond Paraa still favour a high-clearance 4×4, or fly via Pakuba Airstrip from Entebbe in about 60 to 90 minutes.
Why travellers choose May — and honest trade-offs
May remains low season. Lodge rates often sit 20–40 per cent below peak dry-season levels, shared launches are less crowded and gorilla permits elsewhere in Uganda drop to US$600 in May, down from the standard US$800. Birders get breeding residents and flooded delta channels that sometimes improve shoebill sightings — see our delta birding guide. Late May, in particular, offers a balance many operators recommend: the park still green, rains lighter than April and animal activity picking up as the dry window approaches.
May is not the month for guaranteed lion-on-a-termite-mound within ten minutes of leaving camp. Long grass hides animals further from the track, black-cotton soils can still turn greasy after overnight rain in early May and game drives take longer — but the park feels private in a way peak season rarely allows. Build buffer time: two full days on the northern bank rather than one rushed loop, and a weather contingency for the delta shoebill cruise.
If your dates fall in the second half of the month, you may gain noticeably firmer tracks without sacrificing green-season scenery. Compare our best time to visit Murchison Falls guide for the wider seasonal picture.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is May a good time to visit Murchison Falls National Park?
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Yes, if you accept wet-season logistics. Wildlife is present but more dispersed, the falls remain impressive, birding is strong and low-season rates make longer stays affordable. Late May often improves track access while keeping the landscape green.
- How much does it rain in May?
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Expect roughly 110–130 mm across about 17 days, usually as heavy afternoon showers with clear mornings. Daytime temperatures stay warm, around 30–31°C, with high humidity. Rainfall is typically lighter than April and often eases toward the end of the month.
- Do boat cruises and game drives still run in May?
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Both operate year-round. Morning game drives and the 09:00 launch cruise are the most reliable slots before afternoon rain. Tracks can be muddy in the first half of the month — a 4×4 and experienced guide are standard.
- Is May cheaper than the dry season?
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Generally yes. Accommodation is commonly discounted 20–40 per cent, and gorilla permits elsewhere in Uganda drop to US$600 in May. Park entry fees at Murchison remain US$45 per foreign non-resident adult per 24 hours regardless of season.
- How do I get to Murchison Falls in May?
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The standard road route from Kampala or Entebbe runs via Masindi and Kichumbanyobo Gate — about 305 kilometres and four to five hours. The Masindi–Paraa road is sealed; game tracks inside the park are murram. Pakuba Airstrip serves fly-in guests. See our Kampala to Murchison Falls routing guide for gate options.
Plan Your Safari
May at Murchison Falls trades easy sightings for raw scenery, high water on the Nile and a park that feels almost yours — with late-month travellers often finding conditions improving week by week. We build wet-season itineraries around early ferry crossings, dawn drives on Buligi and launch cruises when the gorge is at full force. Browse our Murchison Falls safari packages or read the fees guide to budget your May trip.