Kidepo Valley National Park
Overview
Uganda Parks
By Ariadne van Zandbergen
Ariadne is a renowned Africa expert. She and her husband form a team who write and update many Bradt guides, including the guide to Uganda.
Kidepo Valley is in the remote northeast corner of the country. In the past it was seldom visited by tourists, due to security issues, and the expense and difficulty of getting there. In recent years, Kidepo has opened up to tourism, but even so it remains low-key and retains a true wilderness feel and is a great destination for the adventurous traveller. It has excellent wildlife viewing during the Dry season, featuring several species not encountered anywhere else in the country. The large, open plains enclosed by jagged mountains make Kidepo feel more like parks in neighboring countries than in Uganda.
Pros & Cons
Wildlife
The park has a very impressive mammals list. Twenty species of predator are resident, and several don't exist in any other Ugandan park (including cheetah and black-backed jackal). Lion is common and leopard also occurs. Elephant, Burchell's zebra, buffalo and Rothschild's giraffe are all regularly seen, but black rhino has recently become extinct. Twelve antelope species are present – some of which don't occur anywhere else in the country.
Scenery
Two valleys (Kidepo Valley and Narus Valley) on either side of predominantly mountainous terrain dominate the park. There are wide, sweeping views of the Narus Valley from many vantage points. Open grassland is interspersed with acacia trees, desert dates and rocky outcrops.
Narus Valley is where most of the wildlife is located. Kidepo Valley is drier and has suffered from local poaching, although this is improving as the park’s border with South Sudan is now better protected.
Weather & Climate
Kidepo has a semi-arid climate that occasionally invites drought in the Dry season (September to March). Average afternoon temperatures sit around 29°C/84°F, except in the park’s higher-altitude areas where it gets colder. The Wet season lasts from April to August. In these months, keep one eye on the sky in the afternoon, when showers arrive like clockwork.
Best Time to Visit
Sunny days and thin vegetation make the Dry season (September to March) the best time to go wildlife watching in Kidepo. This is also when animals go searching for a dependable source of water. An advantage of exploring Kidepo when the rains come is that the dust and heat tend to get washed away, and the birding is better.
Want to Visit Kidepo Valley NP?
Safari Tours to Kidepo Valley NP
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![9-Day Wild Karamoja, Kidepo and Murchison Falls]()
9-Day Wild Karamoja, Kidepo and Murchison Falls
$1,643 pp (USD)
Uganda: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)BudgetCamping & Guest House
You Visit: Entebbe (Start), Pian-Upe WR, Karamoja, Kidepo Valley NP, Murchison Falls NP, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Entebbe (End)
Buffalo Safari Camps
4.9/5 – 44 Reviews
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![4-Day Kidepo Valley National Park Wildlife Experience]()
4-Day Kidepo Valley National Park Wildlife Experience
$815 pp (USD)
Uganda: Private tour
Mid-range Tented CampYou Visit: Kampala (Start), Kidepo Valley NP, Kampala (End)
Grassrootz Adventures
5.0/5 – 123 Reviews
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![7-Day Exploration of Kidepo, Murchison Falls and Rhinos]()
7-Day Exploration of Kidepo, Murchison Falls and Rhinos
$1,918 pp (USD)
Uganda: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Entebbe (Start), Jinja (Town), Sipi Falls (Highlight), Kidepo Valley NP, Murchison Falls NP, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Entebbe (End)
Mukisa Safaris Uganda
5.0/5 – 46 Reviews
