Uganda's most remote and, for many guides, most beautiful park: 1,442 km² of mountain-ringed savannah in Karamoja, with cheetahs, ostriches and big buffalo herds.
Kidepo Valley National Park lies in the far north-east of Uganda, on the borders with South Sudan and Kenya. It is a wide, semi-arid valley enclosed by the Morungole and Napore ranges, and it sees only a few thousand visitors a year. Game viewing is concentrated in the Narus Valley, where permanent water draws animals through the dry season. Kidepo has about 77 mammal species, and several of them, including the cheetah, bat-eared fox, caracal, striped hyena and ostrich, are found in no other Ugandan park.
| Location | Kaabong district, Karamoja, north-eastern Uganda, bordering South Sudan and near Kenya |
| Size | About 1,442 km² |
| Established | 1962 |
| Altitude | About 900–2,750 m (Mount Morungole) |
| Wildlife | About 77 mammal species and around 475 birds |
| Unique in Uganda | Cheetah, ostrich, bat-eared fox, caracal, striped hyena, aardwolf, greater and lesser kudu |
| Airstrip | Apoka |
By road it is 10–12 hours from Kampala via Gulu and Kitgum on largely good tarmac, and usually broken with a night in Gulu or combined with Murchison Falls. Scheduled flights from Entebbe to Apoka airstrip take about 2 hours and save two full travel days. A popular compromise is to drive in and fly out. See our Kidepo and Murchison safari.
Kidepo has one rainy season (roughly April to October), and the dry season from November to March is best for game, when animals gather in the Narus Valley. The park is hot and dusty at the peak of the dry season, so plan for early starts.
Karamoja was once known for cattle raiding, but the park and the main access routes have been peaceful and routinely visited for many years. Our guides follow current advice and plan the route accordingly. See Uganda safety guide.
The park is made up of two river valleys. The Narus Valley in the south-west holds water through most of the year, so it attracts the bulk of the wildlife and has most of the game-drive tracks. Lions often lie on the rocky kopjes, buffalo herds move across the grasslands, and elephants, giraffes, zebras and hartebeest graze around the Kakine and Katurum areas. The Kidepo Valley in the north is drier, crossed by the sandy Kidepo River, which flows only after rain. Borassus palms line its banks, and the Kanangorok hot springs lie close to the South Sudan border. The contrast between the two valleys, framed by mountains, is what makes Kidepo feel like nowhere else in Uganda.
Kidepo's lion prides are among the healthiest in Uganda, often seen resting on rocky outcrops in the Narus Valley. It is also the only Ugandan park with cheetahs, found on the open plains, and it has leopards, spotted and striped hyenas, black-backed and side-striped jackals, bat-eared foxes, servals and caracals. Night drives, where permitted, can reveal aardwolves, genets and civets.
Around 475 species have been recorded, and the park has many dry-country birds found nowhere else in Uganda. Highlights include the common ostrich, Kori bustard, secretary bird, Karamoja apalis, Abyssinian ground hornbill, Clapperton's francolin, rose-ringed parakeet, Jackson's hornbill and many raptors, including the Verreaux's eagle and pygmy falcon. See birding safaris.
The Karamojong are semi-nomadic pastoralists whose lives revolve around cattle. A visit to a manyatta (homestead) near the park, arranged with community guides, shows how families live, herd and build. On Mount Morungole, the Ik people, one of Uganda's smallest ethnic groups, live in highland villages reached by a long, steep hike. Visits are best arranged in advance, and the fees go to the communities. See cultural tourism in Uganda.
| Plan | Route |
|---|---|
| 3 nights, fly-in | Fly Entebbe–Apoka, with game drives in the Narus Valley, a Kidepo Valley and hot springs excursion, a Karamojong visit, then fly back. |
| 6–7 days by road | Kampala – Murchison Falls (2 nights) – Gulu – Kidepo (3 nights) – fly or drive back. |
| 8–10 days, north-east circuit | Jinja – Sipi Falls – Pian Upe – Kidepo – Murchison – Kampala. |
We can build any of these; see tailor-made safaris.
Many experienced guides call Kidepo Uganda's most beautiful park. The rewards are space and solitude, rare species, dramatic landscapes and a sense of true wilderness that busier parks can't match. For travellers who have already seen gorillas and Queen Elizabeth, or anyone who wants a wilder Africa, it is the natural next step.
| Flying | Driving | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | About 2 hours from Entebbe to Apoka | 10–12 hours from Kampala, usually split with a night in Gulu |
| Cost | Higher: scheduled or charter flight fares | Lower, but uses extra safari days |
| Experience | Aerial views of the Nile and northern Uganda | Northern Uganda's towns and countryside, and easy to combine with Murchison |
| Best for | Short trips, luxury travellers, time-poor visitors | Longer circuits and travellers on a budget |
A good compromise is to drive in via Murchison Falls, seeing the north on the way, and fly back to Entebbe. See Murchison Falls.
UWA charges daily park entry, with separate fees for guided walks, cultural visits and night drives. Game drives in your own safari vehicle are included in the entry fee, and a UWA ranger guide can join your vehicle for a small fee, which we recommend for finding lions and cheetahs. On our tours, these fees are included in the price.
Related reading: Kidepo Valley National Park (blog) and visiting Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve.
Kidepo's open landscapes, dramatic skies and rocky kopjes make it one of Uganda's most photogenic parks. Early mornings bring soft light over the Narus Valley and mountains. Late afternoons turn the grasslands gold and silhouette lions on the rocks. Dust in the dry season adds atmosphere but means you should protect your camera between drives.
10–12 hours by road from Kampala, or about 2 hours by scheduled flight from Entebbe to Apoka.
Remote wilderness with few other vehicles, dramatic mountain scenery, and species found nowhere else in Uganda, such as cheetahs and ostriches.
At least three nights if driving, two if flying.
Yes. Kidepo is the only national park in Uganda with cheetahs, usually seen on the open plains of the Narus Valley.
Yes, for travellers who want remote wilderness, dramatic scenery, rare species and very few other visitors.
The dry season, roughly November to March, when wildlife gathers in the Narus Valley.
Yes, but it is far from the gorilla parks. Fly between them, or plan a 12+ day trip that covers north and south.
Yes, for families comfortable with long journeys or flights. Game drives and cultural visits suit all ages.
Near Apoka in the Narus Valley, which puts you closest to the best game-viewing areas and the airstrip.
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