4 Day Kidepo Valley National Park Safari By Road

Kidepo Valley National Park is the remotest park in Uganda tucked in the northeastern corner along the border with Kenya and South Sudan within the semi-arid belt of the tropics. It is one of the most naturally authentic and least disturbed wildernesses in Africa, with a scenery that cannot be found anywhere else in East Africa.The park covers an area of 1,442 square kilometers and has an altitude ranging between 914m and 2,750m. Gazetted in 1962, the park was named "Best National Park in Africa for spectacular landscapes and great buffalo herds" by CNN Travel in 2013 and it is populated with plenty of wildlife, a lot of which can not be found in other parks of Uganda. Such wildlife includes animals like Ostriches, Pygmy Crocodiles, Cheetahs and other rare cats. The park's 77 mammals and an estimated 475 species of birdlife altogether make it both an ideal and a perfect destination on your African safari.

Kidepo valley national park contains two rivers; narus and kidepo all of which disappear in the dry season, leaving behind just a small pools of water and wetlands for the plethora of wildlife found within the park. Stroll along the Kidepo River in the dry season and enjoy its 100m bed of white sand between banks covered by borassus palm trees. On this Kidepo Valley National park Safari, you will have community experiences of certain tribes whose traditional beliefs and way of life have been best preserved. Such communities include the Karamojong and the Ik, whose survival is threatened. Unique to this park are the stunning landscapes spanning throughout the entire park; flat valleys enclosed within a continuous ridge of hills and mountain ranges; a clear depiction of an African setting thus “The True African
Wilderness”. You will also have game drives where you will watch animals like Rothschild's giraffes, Burchella's Zebras, elands, hartebeests, lions, hyenas, cheetahs among others. The park excitingly presents a record of having the highest number of African buffalos.

We give you a range of accommodations to choose from, ranging from budget, moderate to luxury.

Activities

Kidepo Valley National Park

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1

Transfer from Kampala/Entebbe to Kidepo Town with a Stopover at Masindi for Lunch

Journey Time: 10 hours
Accommodation: Apoka Lodge (Luxury), Kidepo Savannah Lodge (Mid-range and Budget)
Meal Plan: Lunch (en-route), Dinner

Morning pick up from Kampala at 7am and drive to Kidepo Valley National Park in the northern Uganda, a distance of around 500 kilometres.
Option: Along the way we may visit the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary that is located off the Kampala - Gulu highway in Nakasongola District. The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is home to the only Rhinos in the wild in Uganda. You will set out on a guided trek on the sanctuary to find a family of rhinos plus observe many other wildlife. Continue to Kidepo Valley National Park. While approaching, an initial glimpse gives you a ridge-like terrain; spanning through a long range, over a long distance till it
tends to diminish and blur, blending with the environment further. As you get closer, the further get
closer; inquisitive to know what exists on the opposite end of this landform. The excitement and joy ignited by close approach to the first proximal ridge of this endless stretch of terrain suddenly changes. Dinner and overnight.

Day 2

Game Drives

Full Day Game Drive in Kidepo Valley National Park

Accommodation: Apoka Lodge (Luxury), Kidepo Savannah Lodge (Mid-range and Budget)
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After early breakfast we will go to spend the day in the spectacular wildlerness of Kidepo Valley National Park watching plent of wildlife and amazing landscapes. The Narus Valley is home to many animals, as it is the only water sources in the park during the dry season. Animal sightings may include Buffaloes, Zebras, and Waterbucks among others. You also have sights of a number of birds. Kidepo is known to have 475 bird species, 58 of which are birds of prey. The Karamoja Apalis, Cappatal’s frankolin are bird species endemic to the park. We will retreat back to the lodge for dinner and overnight. The northern Kidepo Valley part is drier than the Narus Valley in the south of the park and therefore has fewer animals. The northern part however has the highest concentration of ostriches.

Day 3

Game Drive

Mt. Morungole Hike

Visiting the Ik Tribe

Hike to Mt. Morungole to visit the Ik Tribe

Accommodation: Apoka Lodge (Luxury), Kidepo Savannah Lodge (Mid-range and Budget)
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After early breakfast, we transfer to trail head of the trek to Mount Morungole in Kidepo. Set out to hike to the mountain which is also home to the IK tribe, a fascinating tribe with unique history and culture. Spend time with a hosting IK homestead and learn their different traditions, cutlures and lifestyle. We return to the lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight.

Day 4

Transfer from Kidepo Valley NP to Kampala/Entebbe

Journey Time: 10 hours
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch (en-route)

After early breakfast, we will embark on the long but very scenic drive back to Kampala.
Option: We can spend another night in Gulu to break the long drive as we did on day one.

General Tips:

Kidepo Valley NP is Ugand's most beautiful savannah park with plenty of wildlife such as elephants, zebras, giraffes, lions, leopards and even cheetas. If you have the time, we suggest to increase tour stay to 5 days.
If time allows, break down the long drive back to Kampala and stay one additional night in Gulu (Possibility of another Game Drive in the Morning before leaving the park) or Masindi.

Domestic Flights:

Please contact us for flight schedules as these depend on the season.
Luggage allowance for domestic flights within Uganda is limited to 15 kg per person in soft bags. For each additional kilo US$ 3 are charges by the airline.
Flights to and from Murchison Falls NP and Kidepo Valley NP operate with a minimum of 4 Passengers. Please note that if the number is less than required 4 passengers, the flight rule of additional top up for missing passengers will apply. Please contact us for more information regarding the domestic flights.

What to bring:

Walking boots for the hike and the game walk.
Sunscreen is recommended.
Insect repellant is advisable.

Game viewing at Kidepo np Taken by Ellington Safaris

Tented kidepo savannah lodge Taken by Ellington Safaris