Murchison Falls

Murchison Falls is a waterfall on the Victoria Nile in northwestern Uganda where the river is forced through a narrow gorge and plunges downstream. The falls are a central feature of Murchison Falls National Park and a major scenic and wildlife attraction.

The river squeezes through a gap that is often cited as being only about 7 m wide before dropping in a powerful single fall of roughly 43 m into a downstream pool. Visitors commonly view the falls from cliff-side viewpoints and by boat trips on the Nile below the fall.

The falls were formed by the Victoria Nile cutting through a resistant rock band and have been integrated into a protected national park that combines savanna, woodland and riverine habitats for large mammals and birds.

Murchison Falls lies on the Nile in northwestern Uganda within Murchison Falls National Park, roughly 100-200 km by road from the nearest large towns depending on route; the park sits where the Nile flows west from Lake Kyoga and toward Lake Albert.

• Narrow gap: At the narrowest point the Victoria Nile is forced through a gap about 7 m wide, creating powerful rapids and a dramatic single plunge.
• Viewing points: Best views of the falls are from lookout points on both riverbanks and from boat trips on the Nile downstream of the plunge pool.