Many tourists visit Kidepo Valley National Park throughout the year due to various tourism activities surrounding the park.
An increasing number of tourists visit Kidepo Valley National Park annually due to several tourist activities located in and around the park.
The national park is home to some of Africa’s big five. It’s popularly liked for its cheetahs, lions, elephants, and buffalo. Tourists are however more thrilled when they spot the majestic Kidepo Valley lions.
For proof, you have to see them in person! If they aren’t lying under trees or resting on rocks they’re probably hunting. The park also has over 475 bird species.
Let’s explore the tourist activities around Kidepo Valley National Park that you might want to try out.
Safari Game Drives
Safari game drives have always been the most preferred tourist activity around Kidepo Valley National Park. The activity allows tourists to see the park’s most prized animals.
Game drives can happen at any time, sometimes in the morning, and other times in the evening. A tourist may choose to go on a guided walking safari with an armed ranger guide from the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
Or, they may choose to go on guided game drives from a 4 x 4 WD safari vehicle. This allows them to see a variety of wildlife such as lions, elephants, buffalo, zebras, jackals, warthogs, and other antelope species, including the stunning klipspringer.
Nature Walks/Hikes
The top tourist activities around Kidepo Valley National Park include hiking and nature excursions. The Lomej Mountains, which are accessible on foot, can as well be reached by these hikes and walks.
Starting at 7 am, the hike lasts four hours. There are shorter, guided treks available that last approximately two hours and cover a 5-kilometre radius around the Apoka Tourism Center in the Narus Valley.
The Namamkweny Valley, which is accessible from Apoka in an hour, or the lovely Kidepo River Valley may also be explored by tourists on Uganda Wildlife safaris in Kidepo.
A trip to the IK tribe’s Morungole Mountains, which are beyond the national park, is another option for Kidepo Valley National Park visitors.
Cultural Visits
Local Karamajong and IK communities are found everywhere around the park. Therefore, one of the best things to do at Kidepo Valley National Park for visitors is to take a cultural tour.
The Lorukul Cultural Group or other cultural groups bordering the park can help you learn about the distinctive culture of this remote tribe since the Karamajong and IK are comparable to the Masai of Kenya.
Birding in Kidepo valley national park
One of the best tourist activities around Kidepo Valley National Park is bird watching. About 475 different bird species may be found in the park. Visitors who come for bird watching are continuously finding new ones.
In Kidepo Valley National Park, visitors will observe the exceptional golden ostrich, Abyssinian Roller, Purple Heron, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, and Clapperton’s Francolin, which is only seen here.
In the mornings and the night, one can witness a variety of birds at Apoka Rest Camp, Narus Valley, and Namamukweny.
The best time to visit Kidepo Valley National Park
The Kidepo Valley National Park is open all year round for tourism-related activities. But if you want to see wildlife, September to March is the greatest time to go.
This is because animals congregate in the Narus Valley to drink water and also because it’s the dry season. The wettest months in the region, April and May, are the worst for travelling to Kidepo Valley National Park.
September, October, November, and March have the nicest weather and are the busiest times of the year. Between December and February, the park is quite hot and dusty.
How to get to the Kidepo Valley National Park
You have three options for your road trip to Kidepo Valley: a self-drive using your vehicle, a tour operator vehicle, public transportation, or by air.
When utilizing a vehicle on the road, you can take several different paths, including the following:
Eastern route across the Karamoja region to Kidepo National Park
Taking this route will take you from Kampala city through Mbale, Nakapiripirit, Moroto, Kotido, and Kaabong before arriving at the park’s headquarters.
If you want to shorten the trip and continue to the park the following morning, you can make stops at Sipi Falls and spend the night in Kotido town.
This route covers about 740 kilometres and takes about 12 hours to complete.
Western Route Via Murchison Falls National Park, to Kidepo National Park
The most popular route to Kidepo Valley National Park departs from Kampala through Karuma, Gulu, Kitgum, and so on. Visitors using this route can also stop at Karuma Falls, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, and Uganda’s largest and busiest national park, Murchison Falls National Park.
The route is 571 kilometres long and takes approximately 10 hours to complete. Visitors that take this route can spend the night in Kitgum to shorten the trip and proceed to the park the next day.
Travelling by air to Kidepo Valley National Park
For travellers who want to avoid the tiresome drive to Kidepo Valley National Park, the national park can alternatively be reached by plane. From Entebbe airport or Kajjansi airfield, there are domestic airlines like Aerolink Uganda limited that run regular and chartered flights to Kidepo airstrip.
Every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, there are flights to the national park that leave from the Entebbe airport at 12:30 and arrive at Kidepo airstrip at 14:45.
The return flight leaves the Kidepo airstrip at 15:00 and arrives at the Entebbe airport at 16:30.
Conclusion
Are you excited to visit the Kidepo Valley National Park? There are several tourist activities around Kidepo Valley National Park that you may partake in.
As we’ve shared, these include guided game drives where you will witness a variety of animal species either early morning or during nighttime.
You may explore the area on foot while taking in the cool wind by going on nature hikes in Kidepo Valley National Park. The park offers opportunities for birdwatching, where you can see migratory and unique bird species such as the Kori bustard and ostrich, among others.
To gain access to the park, tourists are required to pay a fee of $40 (UGX152,8211) per person. This is a 24-hour park entrance charge, so you can enjoy the entire day.
