Kidepo Valley National Park Park

Website: https://www.ugandawildlife.org/

Admission: Entrance fees vary; Uganda Wildlife Authority park fees apply (typically a foreign adult daily park fee - check UWA for current rates)

Kidepo Valley National Park is a protected savannah park in Uganda’s far north, bordering the Karamoja region and close to the South Sudan frontier. The park covers about 1,442 square kilometers and is recognized for its relatively intact savannah ecosystems and remote character.

Grassland plains, wooded savannah and two principal valleys - the Narus and Kidepo valleys - form the park’s landscape, with wildlife including elephants, buffalo, giraffe, lion and many plains species, plus a rich avifauna comprising hundreds of bird species. The park is known for wide panoramic views and seasonally concentrated wildlife in the Narus Valley during the dry season.

The area was set aside for protection in the mid 20th century as part of Uganda’s network of national parks and has been managed for both conservation and local pastoral use. Scientific surveys and conservation work have focused on maintaining wildlife populations and supporting local communities.

Kidepo sits in Uganda’s Northern Region, in a remote corner near the international border with South Sudan and close to the Karamoja subregion. The nearest major urban centers are a long drive to the south and west, which contributes to the park’s low visitor numbers and remote feel.

• Access: The park is remote with limited infrastructure; 4x4 access or small airstrips are commonly used to reach it.
• Best area to see wildlife: Narus Valley offers the highest seasonal concentrations of wildlife and is the most visited internal area for game viewing.

What to See#

• Narus Valley: A long narrow valley that receives seasonal water and supports large concentrations of wildlife, especially during the dry season.
• Kidepo Valley: The park’s northern basin with more arid savannah and scattered hills where larger herds and wide views of the landscape are common.
• Mount Morungole: A rugged massif on the park’s eastern flank rising to high ground and forming a distinctive skyline feature visible from the plains.

Kidepo is reached by a charter flight from Entebbe/Entebbe Airport or via a long overland drive from Kampala (roughly 10-12 hours depending on road conditions) through Kitgum and Kaabong. The park has a small airstrip (Kidepo Airstrip) served by occasional domestic charters; most lodges can arrange transfers. Overland visitors drive along the main route A109 toward Kitgum, then branch northeast on regional roads to Kaabong and the park gates.

• Fly if possible: domestic charters to Kidepo Airstrip cut a 10-12 hour bumpy road trip to 2 hours.
• Stay in Narus Valley lodges rather than the isolated Kidepo camp for easier game drives and stronger mobile signal.
• Ask for a local Karamojong guide - their knowledge of animal tracks and seasonal waterholes changes a game drive into a story.
• Carry hard cash and spare fuel: services are limited and card machines are unreliable.
• Dawn and dusk drives are when predators move; mid-day is for birding and relief from heat.