8 Days Kidepo Valley and Murchison Falls Wilderness Safari

Safari Overview

Discover Uganda’s less-travelled northern savannah with an extended stay in Kidepo Valley National Park, Nile wildlife experiences and spectacular broad landscapes. This is a private safari proposal, with your accommodation choices and activity arrangements agreed before booking. Travel times are indicative and depend on roads, weather, park arrangements and border formalities where applicable.

Suggested route: Entebbe – Murchison Falls – Gulu – Kidepo Valley – Gulu – Entebbe.

Detailed Day-by-Day Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Journey north to Murchison Falls National Park

Leave Entebbe or Kampala early and drive north with comfort stops. Depending on arrival time and the confirmed lodge, there may be time for a short scenic drive. Meet your guide for an evening briefing about the northern circuit and settle into your accommodation for two nights.

Overnight: A suitable lodge or hotel in the overnight destination, chosen after your preferred comfort level and availability are confirmed.

Day 2: Game drives and the Nile boat safari

Begin with an early game drive in suitable wildlife-viewing areas of the park. Look out for giraffes, antelope, elephants and buffalo, while predators remain less predictable. After lunch, board a boat travelling up the Nile to view river animals, birds and the falls from below. Boat times depend on local operations, and your guide will adjust the daily sequence accordingly.

Overnight: A suitable lodge or hotel in the overnight destination, chosen after your preferred comfort level and availability are confirmed.

Day 3: Travel to Gulu for a comfortable overnight stop

Depart after breakfast and travel north towards Gulu. The overland journey introduces northern Uganda’s scenery and trading centres. An overnight stop helps keep the next day’s transfer reasonable. Your driver-guide can suggest a local cultural or food experience if there is time and it can be arranged appropriately.

Overnight: A suitable lodge or hotel in the overnight destination, chosen after your preferred comfort level and availability are confirmed.

Day 4: Continue through northern Uganda to Kidepo Valley

After breakfast drive through changing landscapes towards Kidepo Valley National Park. Arrival timing depends on roads and stops. Check in near the park and enjoy the expansive views over distant hills and grassland. If daylight, park operations and lodge location permit, have a short late-afternoon nature-focused excursion.

Overnight: A suitable lodge or hotel in the overnight destination, chosen after your preferred comfort level and availability are confirmed.

Day 5: Full-day wildlife viewing in the Narus Valley

Spend the early morning on game-viewing tracks in the Narus Valley, where permanent water attracts buffaloes and other plains wildlife. Elephants, lions and giraffes are possible sightings. Rest during the hotter hours, then head out again in the cooler afternoon with your guide. All viewing remains subject to animal movement and park rules.

Overnight: A suitable lodge or hotel in the overnight destination, chosen after your preferred comfort level and availability are confirmed.

Day 6: Kidepo landscapes and optional cultural visit

Explore a different section of Kidepo’s rugged scenery on a guided drive, or arrange a community visit with a suitable local host where available. Cultural encounters should be respectful and arranged with consent, rather than treated as wildlife attractions. Return to the lodge and enjoy a final evening in one of Uganda’s most remote protected areas.

Overnight: A suitable lodge or hotel in the overnight destination, chosen after your preferred comfort level and availability are confirmed.

Day 7: Drive back to Gulu

Leave Kidepo after breakfast, allowing a generous day for the journey back towards Gulu. Enjoy the varied northern landscapes and scheduled comfort stops. Check in for the night, keeping the final day’s southbound transfer manageable rather than attempting the entire return journey in one day.

Overnight: A suitable lodge or hotel in the overnight destination, chosen after your preferred comfort level and availability are confirmed.

Day 8: Return to Entebbe

Travel back to Kampala or Entebbe, stopping for lunch on the way. Arrival can be late depending on traffic. Schedule onward flights conservatively or consider one further overnight stay. Your driver-guide will take you to the agreed hotel or airport drop-off point.

Overnight: Safari ends after the agreed drop-off; additional accommodation can be arranged if required.

What Your Safari Quotation Can Include

• Private vehicle and professional driver-guide for the agreed route
• Accommodation in the agreed category for the confirmed nights
• Meals as specified in your final written quotation
• Park entries and pre-booked activities explicitly listed as included
• Airport, hotel or border transfers listed in the itinerary

Normally Excluded Unless Quoted Otherwise

• International flights, visa costs and personal travel insurance
• Gratuities, extra drinks and personal purchases
• Optional experiences not specified in the confirmed programme
• Gorilla, chimpanzee and golden monkey permits unless clearly included in the final quotation
• Any costs arising from independent programme changes

Important Safari Planning Notes

Gorilla trekking participants must be at least 15 years old. Permit availability is limited and every trek follows the relevant park authority rules. Wild animals move freely, so sightings and trekking durations cannot be guaranteed. Accommodation and activities are proposed options until we confirm space and receive your approval. Please share your travel dates and group size for a current quotation.

Ready to enquire? Use the safari enquiry form below and mention this itinerary. We can discuss preferred lodges, routing and a realistic travel pace before finalising your booking.