Ultimate Guide to Walking Safaris in Kidepo Valley National Park
Kidepo Valley National Park in Uganda is amazingly one of the best places that guarantees unforgettable wilderness experiences. Guided walking safaris in Kidepo Valley National Park present a lifetime opportunity for you to have a close interaction with nature. Embarking on a walking tour involves penetrating deep into the wilderness to unearth the wonders from the park’s enriching game trails hardly accessed by a 4×4 safari vehicle.
Kidepo Valley National Park is a vast protected area with extensive savanna plains in the Kidepo and Narus Valleys. The park’s location is in the remotest northeastern part of Uganda, near the South Sudan border. Kidepo boasts of its exceptional landscape, which favors walking excursions.
Areas of interest for Hiking and Walking Safaris in Kidepo
Kidepo features a unique landscape with varied natural features for visitors to encounter. To have the best of guided walking safaris, expect to penetrate through the various trails, including the Narus Valley walk, the Nine-mile ridgeline trail, the Kidepo River Valley, the Namamukweny Valley, and others.
A guided walk through the Narus Valley involves spending 2-3 hours trekking through the enriching sites in the Narus. This offers short walking experiences and rewards with great sights of wildlife and birds.
Nine-mile ridgeline–this is an extensive trail to explore and introduces guests to the rugged slopes. It also guarantees guests spectacular views of the Kidepo River Valley and Kanangorok hot springs.
Visitors can also embark on shorter walks around the Apoka Rest Camp. Along the Apoka Rest Camp, expect to enjoy exceptional views of hartebeests, reedbuck, and zebras.
You can enjoy long walking excursions via the open grassland in the East Kakine where you can come across buffaloes, giraffes, elephants, and other species.
Other enriching spots to explore on a nature walking tour include the 15 km Rionomoe trail on the Southern end of the Narus Valley.
If you desire something a little challenging, then consider conquering Lonyilli Mountain lying close to the park on the South Sudan border. Guided nature walks and hikes through this mountain get visitors mesmerizing views of the stunning Montane forest canopy and the Kidepo Valley.
Nature walking fees in Kidepo
Visitors must pay a fee to be allowed to engage in guided walking safaris. The guided nature walking experience costs USD 25 per person under the category of foreign nonresidents, USD 20 per visitor under the category of foreign residents, and UGX 20,000 per person for East African Community citizens. The cost excludes the park entry fee of USD 40 per person for foreign non-residents, USD 30 per person for foreign residents, and UGX 20,000 for East African Community Citizens.
What to pack for a Walking Safari in Kidepo?
Only essentials are required when packing for your walking safari in Kidepo Valley National Park. The items to carry include waterproof hiking boots/shoes, long-sleeved shirts, pants, a good camera, a safari hat, a medical kit or first aid kit, toiletries, a daypack, sunscreen, sunglasses, trousers, and many others.
When to go for a Nature Walking Safari in Kidepo
Kidepo enjoys semi-arid kind of climatic conditions. Long droughts are common, and the dry months fall around September to March, preferably the best time for safaris in the park. January and February feature as the warmest months of the year, with a record daytime temperature rise of 32 degrees Celsius, and in the morning, temperatures fall to 18 degrees Celsius.
The wet season starts from April to August. When planning for a safari, the dry season is the most ideal for you to experience the best of guided walking excursions in Kidepo National Park.
Is Kidepo safe for a safari?
Kidepo National Park is safe for visitors to engage in different activities, like walking safaris. The safety and security in Northeastern Uganda, where Kidepo Valley National Park lies, has improved, making it possible for tourists to enjoy guided walking tours.
When planning your Kidepo walking tour, expect to have an experienced guide to lead you through the trails. The armed park ranger guides in Kidepo have had extensive training, and they are well-versed in the area.
What else to do in Kidepo
Bird-watching
Kidepo Valley National Park’s up to 475 bird species make it a great birding destination. This park holds the second-highest concentration of birds and comes just after Queen Elizabeth National Park.
A birding tour in Kidepo lets you search and spot birds such as Egyptian vultures, pygmy falcons, tawny eagles, dark chanting goshawks, bateleur eagles, white-headed vultures, African rose-ringed parakeets, Karamoja apalis, secretary bird, yellow-billed storks, superb starling, black coucal, Abyssinian ground hornbills, African jacanas, white-faced whistling ducks, fox kestrel, Abyssinian rollers, white-billed go-away, ostriches, black-breasted barbets, and Northern carmine bee-eaters.
Other birds include speckled-fronted weaver birds, little green bee-eaters, Abyssinian scimitar bill, golden pipit, chestnut, and kori bustards, to mention but a few.
Game drives
Kidepo should be a must-visit for you to experience an unmatched game-driving tour in Uganda. Kidepo game drives are best done along enriching tracks such as Narus Valley and Kidepo Valley. The Narus Valley in Southern Apoka is the leading game track worth exploring for game viewing in Kidepo Valley National Park.
The extensive 15-20 km long Narus Valley gets you incredible sights of wildlife, including cape buffaloes, lions, elephants, leopards, and birds. Additional mammals to expect to spot here include bongo reedbuck, Rothschild giraffes, elands, warthogs, oribis, Jackson’s hartebeest, zebras, and others.
Kidepo Valley boasts of its breathtaking scenery and quick game drives. Unlike Narus, the Kidepo Valley introduces visitors to the Kanangorok hot springs. It is an ideal spot to find most of the ostriches compared with mammals.
You can also enjoy night game drives in Kidepo. During the night game drive, expect to have a clear view of nocturnal species, including leopards, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, and lions. A 4×4 tourist car is the best option for all guided game drives in Kidepo, regardless of the track you intend to explore.
Cultural experiences
Next to the Kidepo, there are some communities worth visiting for a cultural tour. They include the Karamojong and IK communities. A visit to any of these communities allows you to have a close interaction with residents, unearth their unique traditions, lifestyles, and cultures, etc.
Where to stay in Kidepo Valley National Park?
Kidepo features a good number of accommodation options, including budget, midrange, and luxury. They include the Apoka Rest Camp, Adere Safari Lodge, Kakine and Nagusokopire Campsite, Nga Moru Wilderness Camp, Kidepo Savannah Lodge, and others.
The safari lodges and camps come with lots of facilities and services to make the visitor’s stay memorable. Solar power, a fully stocked bar, swimming pools, a restaurant, Wi-Fi, a spa, free parking, and more are all featured at those lodges and camps.
How to get to Kidepo
Kidepo Valley National Park is lying in the far Northeastern Uganda. Getting to Kidepo can be by road or air. By road, expect to set off from Kampala and spend up to 10-12 hours driving. Or take a flight from Entebbe International Airport (EBB) up to the airstrip found in Kidepo Valley National Park.
To summarize, explore Africa’s most secluded wilderness with truly immersive wildlife walking safaris in Kidepo Valley National Park. You will discover something new every moment, from encountering iconic species like giraffes and zebras up close to learning about local cultures and following animal tracks with expert rangers. For an authentic, wild safari experience, Kidepo’s walking safaris are unmatched.
Shall we explore Kidepo Valley National Park on foot? Book your Kidepo Valley National Park walking safari today and experience the wilderness unprecedentedly.
