Murchison Falls National Park Entry Fees
Park entry is the first line on every Murchison Falls budget — and the fee that catches self-drivers and first-time visitors off guard when they assume one ticket covers the boat cruise, game drives and vehicle. UWA charges per person, per 24 hours, before any activity begins.
This guide lists the official Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) entrance fees for Murchison Falls National Park under the conservation tariff valid from July 2024 through June 2026. It covers every visitor category, how the 24-hour clock works, vehicle charges paid separately at the gate, children’s rates, annual passes and what your entry ticket actually includes.
Official Park Entrance Fees by Visitor Category
Murchison Falls sits in UWA’s Category A+ tier — the highest park-entry band in Uganda, alongside no other savannah park at the same level. Queen Elizabeth, Kidepo and Lake Mburo fall under standard Category A at US$40 per foreign non-resident adult; Murchison commands US$45, reflecting the park’s scale, visitor volume and ongoing investment in infrastructure such as the Paraa Bridge and anti-poaching patrols across the 3,840-square-kilometre reserve.
Under the current tariff, foreign non-resident adults pay US$45 per 24 hours. Foreign residents with a valid Ugandan work permit pay US$35. Rest-of-Africa visitors pay US$30. East African Community citizens pay UGX 25,000 on presentation of a national ID or passport from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan or the DRC.
Children aged 5 to 15 pay reduced entry: US$25 for foreign non-residents, US$15 for foreign residents, US$10 for rest-of-Africa visitors and UGX 10,000 for EAC citizens. Children under five enter free. Ugandan school groups pay UGX 3,000 per pupil; tertiary students pay UGX 5,000 with valid institutional ID.
How the 24-Hour Ticket Works
A day’s entrance ticket runs 24 hours from the moment you enter, not from midnight. Enter Kichumbanyobo Gate at 14:00 on Monday and your ticket expires at 14:00 Tuesday — not at sunrise. Stay inside the park beyond that window and UWA charges a full additional day per person.
This matters on two-night itineraries. If you enter on day one at 16:00 and leave on day three at 10:00, you cross two 24-hour periods and pay entry twice — even though you slept only two nights. Operators often time gate entry for mid-morning on day one to align the clock with your final departure. Keep all UWA receipts; rangers at activity points and the Paraa ferry check them.
Park gates open between 07:00 and 19:00. Plan to reach your lodge before the gate closes — there is no casual after-hours entry for tourists.
Where You Pay: Gates and Payment Methods
Entrance fees are collected at any of Murchison’s main gates: Kichumbanyobo (the standard approach from Masindi, 16 kilometres east of town), Bugungu and Mubako from the south-western Hoima–Buliisa corridor, and Chobe, Tangi and Wankwar from the northern Albert Nile side. All accept the same tariff. See our Kichumbanyobo Gate guide for the Kampala–Masindi approach.
UWA accepts payment by mobile money (MTN MoMo and Airtel Money), point-of-sale card terminals, bank transfer and the online payment portal — as well as cash in US dollars or Ugandan shillings. Foreign non-residents must present a valid passport. Foreign residents need a work permit valid for at least one year plus passport. EAC citizens show a national ID or EAC passport. UWA may also request a vaccination card under current health regulations.
Registered Ugandan tour company drivers enter free when accompanying paying guests — a useful saving on organised safaris where the driver-guide is part of the package.
Vehicle Entry Fees — Charged Separately
Park entry covers people, not vehicles. Every car, minibus or 4×4 crossing a gate pays an additional vehicle entrance fee per 24 hours, classified by vehicle type. Foreign-registered saloon cars pay US$40; minibuses and pick-ups US$50; tour-company 4x4s and overlanders US$150; buses and lorries US$200.
Murchison applies an extra surcharge on top of the standard vehicle rate: US$10 for foreign-registered vehicles and UGX 10,000 for Ugandan-registered vehicles. A foreign-registered saloon therefore pays US$40 plus US$10 — US$50 per day for the vehicle alone, before any passenger entry. Two foreign non-resident adults on a two-day visit pay US$180 in person entry (US$45 × 2 people × 2 days), plus US$160 per 24 hours for a tour-company 4×4 or US$50 per 24 hours for a saloon.
Motorcycles, trailers and vehicles carrying livestock or flammable goods are prohibited inside protected areas unless UWA grants express approval. Speed inside the park is capped at 40 km/h.
Annual Park Passes for Frequent Visitors
Foreign residents in Uganda and EAC citizens who visit multiple protected areas can buy annual passes valid across all UWA parks — entry only, with vehicle fees still charged separately. Foreign residents pay US$350 individual, US$600 couple or US$800 family (maximum four children). EAC citizens pay UGX 350,000 individual, UGX 500,000 couple or UGX 600,000 family. A corporate pass covering ten people costs US$1,500 or UGX 2,500,000.
Annual passes do not cover activity fees — game drives, boat cruises, chimp tracking and hiking remain separate. Foreign residents need a work permit valid for one year to qualify. For most international safari visitors on a single trip, daily entry at US$45 per adult is the relevant rate.
What Entry Fees Do Not Cover
Entrance buys access to the park’s road network, viewpoints and general areas. It does not include organised activities — and UWA’s tariff states explicitly that entrance is independent of gorilla tracking, chimp tracking, mountaineering, bird watching and other package activities.
At Murchison, expect to pay separately for: a day game drive ranger (US$25 per guide for foreign non-residents), the Nile launch cruise (US$30), the Top of the Falls hike (US$15), night game drives (restricted to in-park guests), chimpanzee tracking at Kaniyo Pabidi (separate permit around US$130 in peak season) and delta shoebill cruises (operator-priced, not on the UWA launch tariff). Full activity breakdowns sit in our guide fees guide and boat cruise fees guide.
A realistic minimum for a foreign non-resident spending one afternoon at Paraa — park entry plus the standard upstream launch — is US$75 in official UWA fees before vehicle charges, transport or tips. A standard two-night northern-bank safari with a game drive, launch and falls hike typically stacks US$45 entry per 24-hour period, US$25 ranger, US$30 launch and US$15 hike on top of vehicle fees. See how much a full safari costs for packaged pricing context.
Practical Tips Before You Reach the Gate
Most mid-range and luxury safari packages include park entry in the quoted price — confirm this when comparing operators. Self-drivers and budget travellers pay at the gate and should carry crisp US dollars and shilling notes; card terminals work at major gates but mobile coverage on the Masindi–Paraa road can be patchy for mobile-money confirmation.
Adjacent reserves such as Bugungu Wildlife Reserve and Karuma Wildlife Reserve fall under UWA Category C at lower rates — they are not covered by a Murchison Falls National Park entry ticket. If your itinerary crosses reserve boundaries, clarify which fees apply. Budongo Forest chimp tracking at Kaniyo Pabidi requires both Murchison park entry and a separate chimp permit.
For cash and card practicalities across Uganda, our Uganda money and ATMs guide covers what to withdraw before leaving Kampala or Masindi — the last reliable fuel and banking stop before the park.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much is Murchison Falls National Park entry for foreign tourists?
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Foreign non-resident adults pay US$45 per person per 24 hours under the UWA tariff valid July 2024–June 2026. Children aged 5–15 pay US$25; under-fives enter free. Vehicle fees are charged separately.
- Why is Murchison more expensive than Queen Elizabeth National Park?
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Murchison is Category A+ at US$45 per adult; Queen Elizabeth is Category A at US$40. The higher band funds infrastructure and conservation across Uganda’s largest national park.
- Does park entry include the boat cruise or game drive?
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No. Entry covers park access only. The Nile launch cruise costs US$30, a day game drive ranger US$25 and the Top of the Falls hike US$15 — all separate charges on top of entrance.
- How long is a Murchison Falls park ticket valid?
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Twenty-four hours from the time of entry, not calendar midnight. Overstaying triggers a charge for an additional full day per person.
- Do I pay vehicle fees as well as person fees?
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Yes. Vehicle entry is per 24 hours by vehicle class, plus a US$10 Murchison surcharge on foreign-registered vehicles. A foreign saloon pays US$50 per day for the vehicle in addition to passenger entry.
- Can I buy an annual pass as a tourist?
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Annual passes are for foreign residents with a valid one-year work permit and EAC citizens only. International visitors on a single safari pay the daily US$45 rate.
Plan Your Safari
Park entry at Murchison Falls is straightforward once you know the numbers — US$45 per adult per day, vehicle fees on top, activities billed separately. Tell us your dates and group size and we will confirm gate timing, ferry crossings and a transparent fee breakdown before you reach Paraa. Browse our Murchison Falls safari packages, read the full Murchison Falls National Park guide, or see Kampala to Murchison Falls for the drive to Kichumbanyobo Gate.