Kidepo Valley National Park
Uganda's most remote and most beautiful park - vast, empty, and unlike anywhere else in the country.
Overview
Kidepo sits in the far north-eastern corner of Uganda against the South Sudan and Kenya borders, 1,442 square kilometres of open savannah ringed by mountains, and it looks and feels nothing like the rest of the country. The Narus and Kidepo valleys are broad, dry, golden grasslands under the Morungole range - a landscape that belongs more to the Horn of Africa than to green Uganda. Because of its isolation it receives a fraction of the visitors of the western parks, and you can spend a day without meeting another vehicle. It also holds species found nowhere else in Uganda: cheetah, caracal, greater and lesser kudu, and Guenther's dik-dik. Lion, elephant, buffalo herds of a thousand or more, and over 470 bird species including the Karamoja apalis are all here. The Karamojong pastoralists live around the park, and the Ik people, one of the smallest ethnic groups in Uganda, live on the Morungole slopes.
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What Kidepo Valley National Park costs
All-in on the ground, per person per day, excluding international flights. Ranges rather than a single figure, because accommodation and group size move the total more than anything else.
| Style | Per person, per day |
|---|---|
| Camping or budget lodge, shared vehicle | $200 – $300 |
| Mid-range lodge | $300 – $520 |
| Luxury camp, private vehicle | $650 – $1,300 |
Of that, $40 – $60 a day is government fees set by Uganda Wildlife Authority. Every operator pays the same, so a quote below this floor is not a better deal — it is a different trip.
Add this to a whole-trip estimate
Indicative figures checked for 2026. Park fees are revised annually and some are quoted before VAT — confirm current rates with your operator or the park authority before you book.
When to visit Kidepo Valley National Park
Month by month: wildlife, weather and how busy it gets.
October
Short rains — brief afternoon storms, green landscapes, fewer visitors.
- Wildlife
- Wildlife: 4 / 5
- Weather
- Weather: 4 / 5
- Crowds
- Crowds: 2 / 5
- Rainfall
- 60 mm
- Temperature
- 17–34 °C
Show all twelve monthsHide the full table
| Best time to visit | Wildlife | Weather | Crowds | Rainfall | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryPeak seasonKidepo runs opposite to the rest of Uganda — this is its dry season. | Wildlife: 5 / 5 | Weather: 5 / 5 | Crowds: 2 / 5 | 5 mm | 17–35 °C |
| FebruaryPeak seasonPeak dry season — the best game viewing and the highest prices. | Wildlife: 5 / 5 | Weather: 5 / 5 | Crowds: 2 / 5 | 10 mm | 18–36 °C |
| MarchDry season — good roads, thinner bush, animals gathering at water. | Wildlife: 5 / 5 | Weather: 4 / 5 | Crowds: 2 / 5 | 40 mm | 18–35 °C |
| AprilWet month — expect rain most days, and lush, difficult country. | Wildlife: 4 / 5 | Weather: 3 / 5 | Crowds: 1 / 5 | 110 mm | 18–33 °C |
| MayWet month — expect rain most days, and lush, difficult country. | Wildlife: 3 / 5 | Weather: 2 / 5 | Crowds: 1 / 5 | 130 mm | 17–32 °C |
| JuneWet month — expect rain most days, and lush, difficult country. | Wildlife: 3 / 5 | Weather: 3 / 5 | Crowds: 1 / 5 | 100 mm | 16–31 °C |
| JulyWet here while the rest of the country is dry; roads can close. | Wildlife: 3 / 5 | Weather: 2 / 5 | Crowds: 1 / 5 | 130 mm | 16–31 °C |
| AugustLong rains — some tracks impassable and some camps closed. Lowest prices. | Wildlife: 3 / 5 | Weather: 2 / 5 | Crowds: 1 / 5 | 150 mm | 16–31 °C |
| SeptemberWet month — expect rain most days, and lush, difficult country. | Wildlife: 4 / 5 | Weather: 3 / 5 | Crowds: 2 / 5 | 110 mm | 16–32 °C |
| OctoberShort rains — brief afternoon storms, green landscapes, fewer visitors. | Wildlife: 4 / 5 | Weather: 4 / 5 | Crowds: 2 / 5 | 60 mm | 17–34 °C |
| NovemberPeak dry season — the best game viewing and the highest prices. | Wildlife: 5 / 5 | Weather: 5 / 5 | Crowds: 2 / 5 | 25 mm | 17–35 °C |
| DecemberPeak seasonPeak dry season — the best game viewing and the highest prices. | Wildlife: 5 / 5 | Weather: 5 / 5 | Crowds: 2 / 5 | 5 mm | 17–35 °C |