7-Day The Glorious North Murchison Falls & Kidepo Valley

Get away from it all and head off the beaten track to the north of Uganda. After rhino trekking and the magnificence of the Nile at Murchison Falls NP, keep going north to the wonderful Kidepo Valley NP. This remote beautiful wilderness is rated by CNN travel as the most picturesque national park in Africa. Home to lion, leopard, hyena, elephant, eland, zebra, ostrich, giraffe and simply colossal herds of buffalo and set among the rugged scenery of Karamoja. No one knows Kidepo better than us.

Day 1

Entebbe to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

Morning departure from Entebbe or Kampala, you travel through the villages of rural southern Uganda to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in time for lunch. You will have a while to explore the visitor centre, cool off in the lodge pool and settle into your accommodation before we go Rhino Trekking in the late afternoon after the sun has lost its intensity. This is a great opportunity to see these magnificent beasts on foot in a controlled natural environment where the Rhinos are free to roam within the huge sanctuary but are guarded 24/7. The fee you pay goes 100% to Rhino Fund Uganda, in support of their work to establish a viable Rhino population here so the under threat Rhino can be reintroduced into Uganda’s national parks. Dinner is provided at the your lodge and we will spend the night in this splendid reserve, which is also home to bushbuck, hartebeest, a fantastic array of birdlife and even the occasional leopard and cerval.

Day 2

The Thundering Murchison Falls

After breakfast at Ziwa we head into Murchison Falls. You will irst travel through the ancient Budongo Forest before reaching the edge of the Albertine Rift Valley and the expansive views across the savannah and woodland of Murchison Falls NP. You will take your packed lunch at the ‘top of the falls’, where the mighty Nile shakes the ground beneath your feet as it rushes, tumbles and froths its way through a seven metre gap in the escarpment. After exploring the area for a while you will explore the wooded honeymoon game drive track on your way to your lodge for the evening.

Day 3

Game drives and River Cruises at Murchison Falls

An early wake up and a quick cup of coffee and some fruit before we cross the Nile to the delta area for your morning game drive. There may be lions, elephant, giraffe, and possibly leopard and hyena. You’ll return to your lodge for lunch and in the afternoon board the Wild Frontiers river launch and begin your cruise to the foot of the falls. It take around an hour and a half to reach the falls and on the way we’ll scour the riverbanks, together with your first rate highly experienced guide, for wildlife. You will see hippos and crocodiles naturally and a wide variety of spectacular waterbirds and on the banks there’s a chance of seeing buffalo, warthog, elephant and various antelope. Once at the foot falls we moor briefly to a large rock to wonder at the power of the mighty river before slowly drifting back down into the late afternoon sun, contemplating the explorers and adventurers who saw what we are seeing now.

Day 4

Journey through the north to Kidepo Valley

One last chance to see some wildlife as we head out of the north-eastern corner of the park en route to the bustling ‘capital of the north’, Gulu for lunch. After lunch we take the road north to Kitgum and conditions dictate our progress but we expect to take around 2 hours through the rural north before a quick break in Kitgum. From Kitgum we head north-east to Kidepo. This is a stunning drive as we head into increasingly mountainous terrain before finally bursting through the mountain pass with the beautiful Kidepo Valley National Park laid out before us. We arrive at your lodge in the early evening and will then take the opportunity to stretch your legs and climb Amapuis Rock viewpoint for a sundowner.

Day 5

Big Game and Big Scenery at Kidepo

Wake up in the middle of the action and watch the sunrise over the Morongole mountains with a coffee and some fresh fruit. Then we begin our day of game viewing with a visit into the Narus valley in search of lion, elephant, giraffe, eland, zebra, and leopard and to marvel at the sight of the huge herd of buffalo grazing in the wetland. After lunch at the lodge you will head towards the seasonal Kidepo river in search of cheetah and ostrich. You can take a cooling drink among the Barassas palms at the Kidepo river, from which the area take their name before returning to your lodge in the mid evening.

Wake up in the middle of the action and watch the sunrise over the Morongole mountains with a coffee and some fresh fruit. Then we begin our day of game viewing with a visit into the Narus valley in search of lion, elephant, giraffe, eland, zebra, and leopard and to marvel at the sight of the huge herd of buffalo grazing in the wetland. After lunch at the lodge you will head towards the seasonal Kidepo river in search of cheetah and ostrich. You can take a cooling drink among the Barassas palms at the Kidepo river, from which the area take their name before returning to your lodge in the mid evening.

Day 6

Stunning scenery of Karamoja

p in time for sunrise again and breakfast before the long journey ahead. Depending on road a weather conditions, our route will either take us through the eastern section of Kidepo and south through the stunning Karamoja landscape via Moroto or back via Kitgum and Soroti. Our target is to visit the vast reserve of Pian Upe on the southern Karamoja plains and to have one final opportunity to see ostrich, cheetah and hyena. However, road conditions are quite frequently very poor here so we do not guarantee that we can reach here.

Day 7

Return to Entebbe

You will have the opportunity for a short game drive in this seldom visited, but very pleasant reserve before continuing your journey to Entebbe, arriving in the evening.