Kidepo Valley National Park holds at least 86 mammal species, 475 bird species, and 692 plant species, making it one of the most wildlife-rich destinations on the continent. The park entry fee for foreign non-residents in 2026 is $40 USD per adult, while children aged 5 to 15 pay $20 USD. Foreign residents pay $30 USD for adults and $10 USD for children aged 5 to 15. Activity fees are charged separately on top of park entry. Located in Uganda’s remote north-eastern corner, approximately 700km from Kampala and positioned between the borders with Sudan and Kenya, Kidepo Valley is Uganda’s most isolated national park. That remoteness is precisely what keeps visitor numbers low and wildlife sightings high.
| Activity | Duration | Difficulty | Cost (Foreign Non-Resident) | Best Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game Drive (Day) | 3–5 hours | Easy | Included with park entry + vehicle fee | Dec–Mar |
| Night Game Drive | 2–3 hours | Easy | Arranged at Apoka HQ | Year-round |
| Guided Nature Walk | 2–5 hours | Easy–Moderate | $25 USD | Dec–Mar |
| Bird Watching | Half or full day | Easy | $30 USD | Mar–May, Nov |
| Mount Morungole Hike | 5–9 hours | Strenuous | Hiking fee applies | Dec–Mar |
| Kanangorok Hot Springs | Half day | Moderate | Included with game drive | Sep–Mar |
| Cultural Community Visit | 2–4 hours | Easy | Arranged locally | Year-round |
Game Drive Safaris in Kidepo Valley and Narus Valley
There are two sections in Kidepo Valley National Park where game drive safaris are conducted: Narus Valley and Kidepo Valley. These two areas offer very different safari experiences, and most visitors plan at least one drive in each. Situated south of Apoka, the Narus Valley is the park’s prime game viewing area, as wildlife congregates here for much of the year, and wildlife is more abundant during the later dry season from January to March when the Narus River is the only reliable water source in the park.
Narus can be explored along two road loops, both around 15 to 20km long, that run south of Apoka. These are the Kakine Circuit, whose centrepiece Kakine Rock (also known as Lion Rock) is often frequented by lions, and the Katurum Circuit, named after a cliffside lodge built in the Amin era. Other large mammals you will see in Narus Valley include Burchell’s zebras, Rothschild’s giraffes, warthogs, elands, Jackson’s hartebeests, Bohor reedbucks, and oribi.
Compared to Narus, the dry Kidepo Valley is short on large game but big on scenery. The hour-long drive to Kanangorok hot springs passes some significant landscapes, 30 kilometres north of the park’s tourism hub at Apoka, where the road crosses the dry sandy bed of the Kidepo River to enter an expansive plain lined to the east by the Morungule mountain range and to the north by the looming, 2,975m-high Jebel Lotuke in South Sudan. For safety, all travellers are accompanied by an armed Uganda Wildlife Authority park ranger during game drives within Kidepo Valley National Park.
The park also offers night game drives where you drive around with spotlight torches for clear viewing of nocturnal animals. During night game drives you can spot hyenas, leopards, lions, bat-eared foxes, aardwolves, and side-striped jackals, which are among the animals hunting at night.
Walking Safaris and Nature Walks in Kidepo
For visitors seeking a closer look at the park’s ecological dynamics, guided walks offer details often overlooked during game drives, such as animal tracks, insect activity, and plant adaptations to the arid environment. These guided walks range from short nature walks around Apoka Rest Camp to longer walks through the open grasslands of East Kakine and a hike through Rioname Trail to the southern side of the Narus Valley.
Most of the walking trails take 2 to 3 hours and wind through the Narus Valley. The walk through the Narus Valley is popular as its short 5km radius is comfortable for most visitors. Narus Valley walks focus on observing herbivore behaviour, identifying spoor and droppings, and understanding predator-prey interactions, while Kidepo Valley walks explore dry riverbeds and remote sections of the park where you can see rare bird species and desert-adapted flora. The cost for guided nature walks is $25 USD for foreign non-residents, $20 USD for foreign residents, and 20,000 Uganda shillings for East Africans.
Bird Watching Safaris in Kidepo Valley National Park
Kidepo Valley National Park is the second leading birding site in Uganda after Queen Elizabeth National Park, with about 480 bird species recorded. The bird list currently numbers 470 species, and 60 of these are recorded in no other national park in Uganda. This density of exclusive species makes Kidepo a serious destination for birders.
The park is home to over 100 bird species which are only residents of northern Uganda and Kenya, including endemic species to the Kidepo region such as rose-ringed parakeets, Clapperton’s francolin, and Karamoja apalis. Other notable species include the ostrich, secretary bird, kori bustard, red-throated bee-eaters, Abyssinian roller, and Abyssinian ground hornbill. Fourteen raptors are unique to this park in Uganda, and five species of hornbill are represented. Some of Africa’s rarest and most sought-after birds occur here, including the Karamoja apalis and black-breasted barbet.
Travellers to Kidepo are among the only visitors in Uganda who can see the common ostrich, which is found only in Kidepo in the whole of Uganda. Uganda Wildlife Authority has put strategies in place to ensure all ostrich eggs are harvested for breeding purposes, aimed at increasing the population of this bird species in the country. Bird watching can be done throughout the entire year, though the best period is from March to April and November, which is particularly good for raptors with over 50 species on record.
Hiking Mount Morungole and the Lamoj Hills
The Morungole Mountain range rises at 2,975 metres above sea level from the Kidepo valley plains to the northeast of Apoka. Mount Morungole is the highest point in the park and the source of both the Narus and Kidepo Rivers. It is also home to the smallest ethnic group in Uganda, the IK tribe. Hiking here requires a full day and a reasonable level of fitness.
Hiking activities are done in the early morning before the heat peaks, and the hike takes about 5 to 9 hours depending on your stopping point. While going for a hike, you need to be equipped with a walking stick, insect repellent, enough drinking water, a first aid kit, binoculars, a camera, sunscreen, and some packed lunch. Wearing safari clothing, sunglasses, and hiking shoes is advised to ensure safety from insect and snake bites. A nature walk into the Lamoj Hills offers visitors an opportunity to spot wildlife within the adjacent valleys, and for photography the walk through the Lamoj Hills provides an opportunity to capture strong photographs.
Visiting the Kanangorok Hot Springs
The Kanangorok geothermal feature holds temperatures going over 50 degrees Celsius. Travellers on safaris in Kidepo typically explore Kanangorok hot spring during guided nature walks in the Kidepo Valley region, and the hot spring is just 11km from the Kidepo River on the South Sudan border. The word “Kanangorok” comes from the Karamojong language and means “place of black stones,” and this is the only hot spring in the Karamoja region.
Within the thickets around the hot spring, visitors can spot greater kudus, speckle-fronted weavers, secretary birds, Jackson’s hornbills, and even ostriches. Local people believe that the hot spring water contains healing powers or spiritual cleansing, so expect to find locals bathing within. The best time to visit Kanangorok hot springs is during the dry season, from September to March, when the roads in Kidepo are easier to pass, the trails for nature walks to the springs are clearer, and wildlife is easier to spot as animals gather near the water.
Cultural Visits: The Karamojong and the IK People
The Karamojong are nomadic people surviving in the north-eastern part of Uganda and in areas around Kidepo National Park. The Karamojong people are related to the Maasai people of Kenya, and their lives are mostly centred around their animals. During a safari in Kidepo Valley National Park, you can visit the Lorukul Village and interact with the Karamojong people. During the cultural tour you can interact with the Karamojong and the IK people who live on top of Morungole Mountains, visit their homesteads, learn about their culture and traditions, engage in cultural experiences like child naming, learn how to cook traditional meals, enjoy traditional dances and songs, and buy handmade souvenirs like beads, stools, and jewellery.
The IK tribe is one of the community interactions available while on a safari in Kidepo Valley National Park. They are one of the smallest tribes in the Karamoja region, living in the Morungole mountains. This is one of the tribes that was not significantly affected by the colonial era. They are mainly hunters who also grow a few crops for home consumption. In community visits, travellers interact with local people and stay in their manyattas, which makes them feel part of the local community. Travellers are allowed to take part in local activities such as milking, grazing, and preparing local foods, which provides an understanding of traditional local life.
What It Costs to Safari in Kidepo Valley National Park in 2026
Planning your budget before travelling to Kidepo requires accounting for park fees, activity fees, vehicle costs, and accommodation separately. The fees paid for entering Kidepo National Park are valid for 24 hours from the time of entry, and no cash payments are accepted when making this payment. Below is a full breakdown of the main costs you will encounter.
| Cost Item | Foreign Non-Resident | Foreign Resident | East African Citizen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park Entry (Adult, per day) | $40 USD | $30 USD | UGX 20,000 |
| Park Entry (Child 5–15, per day) | $20 USD | $10 USD | UGX 5,000 |
| Guided Nature Walk | $25 USD | $20 USD | UGX 20,000 |
| Bird Watching Activity | $30 USD | $30 USD | Arranged locally |
| Vehicle Entry (Tour Company 4WD) | $150 USD | $150 USD | UGX 30,000 |
| Vehicle Hire (per day) | $100–$300 USD | $100–$300 USD | $100–$300 USD |
| Budget Accommodation (per person) | $50–$100 USD | $50–$100 USD | $50–$100 USD |
| Mid-Range Accommodation (per night) | $150–$300 USD |
