7-Day Kidepo & Murchison Wilderness Safari
Entebbe › Murchison Falls › Kidepo Valley › Entebbe
View itineraryUganda · National park
Kidepo Valley Safaris
Uganda's most remote park, and its wildest.
Discover Kidepo Valley
A Kidepo Valley safari takes you to the far northeast of Uganda, where the park meets the borders of South Sudan and Kenya. Kidepo Valley National Park covers about 1,442 square kilometres of semi-arid valleys ringed by mountains, and few visitors make the journey, so game drives are often yours alone.
The Narus Valley holds water through the dry season and draws large buffalo herds, elephant, zebra, giraffe and the lions that follow them. Kidepo is also the only park in Uganda with cheetah, and its dry-country species, such as ostrich and bat-eared fox, are found nowhere else in the country. We usually fly in or out, and pair Kidepo with Murchison Falls.
- Size
- About 1,442 km²
- Borders
- South Sudan and Kenya
- Special species
- Cheetah, ostrich, bat-eared fox
- Getting there
- Charter or scheduled flight, or two days by road
- Ideal stay
- 3 nights
- Best months
- Nov–Mar
What to do in Kidepo Valley
Game drives in the Narus Valley
The valley's permanent water draws buffalo herds that can number in the hundreds, along with elephant, zebra, Rothschild's giraffe, lion and, with luck, cheetah on the open ground.
Safaris visiting Kidepo
Walks with a ranger
Guided walks from the Apoka area give a closer look at the smaller life of the valley, with views across to the mountains on the South Sudan border.
Plan a Kidepo stay
Karamojong culture
The Karamojong are pastoralists who live around the park. Community visits, arranged through local guides, show how families live with their cattle in this dry landscape.
Ask us about community visitsWildlife you may see in Kidepo Valley
Predators
Lion, leopard, cheetah, spotted and striped hyena, caracal and bat-eared fox.
Grazers
Large buffalo herds, elephant, Rothschild's giraffe, zebra, eland, Jackson's hartebeest and oribi.
Birds
Around 470 species, including ostrich, kori bustard, secretary bird and the Karamoja apalis.
The story of Kidepo Valley
Kidepo Valley was gazetted as a national park in 1962. It sits in Karamoja, a semi-arid region whose landscapes and wildlife have more in common with northern Kenya than with the rest of Uganda.
Two valleys shape the park: the Narus, which keeps water through the dry season, and the Kidepo, whose river runs dry for much of the year. Mountain ranges, including Morungole, rise around them.
When to go
Kidepo has one long rainy season, roughly April to October. The dry months, November to March, are the best for wildlife, because animals gather around the remaining water in the Narus Valley. The park can be visited all year, but some tracks are harder going in the rains.
- JanDrier
- FebDrier
- MarDrier
- AprWetter
- MayWetter
- JunWetter
- JulWetter
- AugWetter
- SepWetter
- OctWetter
- NovDrier
- DecDrier
Drier, peak seasonWetter, green season
Where we travel in Kidepo Valley
Luxury lodges in Kidepo Valley
Apoka Safari Lodge
Cottages among granite boulders above the Narus Valley, with a pool cut into the rock.
Ask about this lodgePlanning your visit
Getting there
Most travellers fly from Entebbe to the Apoka airstrip. By road the journey takes more than a day.
How long to stay
Three nights justifies the journey and gives time for game drives, a walk and a community visit.
Where to stay
Lodges near Apoka overlook the Narus Valley, where most of the wildlife gathers.
Combine with
Murchison Falls, on our 7-day wilderness safari that flies out of Kidepo.
Questions travellers ask
How do you get to Kidepo Valley?
Most travellers fly. Charter and scheduled flights from Entebbe land at the Apoka airstrip in the park. By road it is a long journey of more than a day from Kampala.
Can you see cheetah in Kidepo?
Sometimes. Kidepo is the only park in Uganda with cheetah, but they are scarce and sightings are a bonus rather than a promise.
Is Kidepo worth the journey?
For travellers who have seen the busier parks, or who want empty landscapes and wildlife without other vehicles, it is one of the most rewarding places in Uganda.
Is Kidepo Valley expensive to visit?
The flight adds cost, but it saves well over a day of driving each way, so most travellers find it worth it.
More of Uganda
Murchison Falls
Uganda's largest park, where the Victoria Nile drops through a seven-metre gorge. Giraffe, elephant and lion on the north bank.
Discover Murchison Falls
Bwindi Impenetrable
Steep montane forest in the southwest, home to about half of the world's mountain gorillas. Treks start from Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo.
Discover Bwindi Impenetrable
Kibale Forest
Evergreen forest near Fort Portal with 13 primate species and Uganda's most reliable chimpanzee tracking.
Discover Kibale Forest
Something made for you
Any trip can be lengthened, upgraded or combined across both countries. Send your dates and the number of travellers, and you'll get a costed plan within a day.