This 8 days Fly-in safari to Kidepo and Murchison Falls will take you to the north of Uganda to explore both Kidepo Valley National Park and Murchison Falls National Park. This one of the best flying safaris that you will ever have as you explore the game views and immerse into the culture of people that are surrounding these beautiful National Park. Yes, Kidepo Valley National Park is one of the best national Park for the for safaris game drives, offering scenic views in Uganda and then go to Murchison falls National Park for game activities and then have the boat cruise at the river Nile

8 days Fly-in safari to Kidepo and Murchison Falls highlight

Day 1: Domestic flight to Kidepo Valley National Park

Day 2: Morning and evening game drives in Narus Valley

Day 3: Morning game drives in Narus Valley and afternoon visit to Kidepo Valley National Park

Day 4: Ik community and Karimojong community experience

Day 5: Domestic flight to Murchison Falls National Park and drive to the Top of the Falls

Day 6: Morning Game drive and afternoon boat cruise to the bottom of the falls

Day 7: Morning Delta cruise on bottom of falls and afternoon game drive

Day 8: Domestic Flight back to Entebbe through the Rhino sanctuary flight out

Safari expectations

Game drives in Kidepo valley and Murchison falls National Park

The community encounters

English speaking guide

Community experience especially the Ik people

Accommodation for the 7 nights

Internal flights & airstrip transfers

Detailed itinerary 

Day 1: Domestic flight to Kidepo Valley National Park

You will drive to Entebbe International Airport for you to catch the domestic flight to the Kidepo Valley National Park and you will find your safari guide and drives you to your lodge for short relaxation and later drive to the park for the game drives before returning to your lodge for relaxation, dinner and night overstay

Lodging options: Adere Safari Lodge (Luxury), Kidepo Savannah Lodge (Midrange).

Meal: Full board

Day 2: Full day Game drives in Narus Valley

After having an early morning breakfast, you will drive to Narus Valley for an early morning drive. The Narus Valley is famously popular for very interesting mammals such as giraffes, antelopes, birds, zebras, and some elephants. Narus Valley features are known for having some natural water even when it is the dry season and most of the animals concentrate to drink water and graze and this is very important especially for the large herds of buffaloes. There are bigger chances of spotting the big cats and you may spot cheetahs on your lucky day you may spot the cheetah for this of your interesting trip. After, this you will go back and relax to the lodge and then return for the Narus Valley to carry out the evening game drive.

Lodging options: Adere Safari Lodge (Luxury), Kidepo Savannah Lodge (Midrange).

Meal: Full board

Day 3: Game drive in Narus and Hot springs visit in Kidepo Valley National Park

 Still, drive to the Narus Valley and do an extra game driving and spot wildlife that you could have missed on the previous two game drives. Having many game drives in Kidepo valley National Park is so interesting and you will not be disappointed as the park is full of wildlife species. There are a lot of spots in the park where you can stand and observe the spectacular scenes of the National Park and continue to visit the hot springs near the Uganda southern Sudan border and its this route where your likely to see the ostriches and after you will return to your lodge for the dinner and the overnight stay.

Lodging options: Adere Safari Lodge (Luxury), Kidepo Savannah Lodge (Midrange).

Meal: Full board

Day 4: community experience with the people of the Karamajong

The final experience in Kidepo valley National Park will be completed with the visiting encounters to the community as you explore the dance drama and the unique culture ranges adjacent to Kidepo valley National Park. You will miss a lot if you miss out on this wonderful and glorious opportunity. The Ik community lives in fences villages and communities to avoid intruders and the danger of wild animals. They will entertain you with dancing and you will take through the culture and buy the crafts for them. After visiting the Ik people and in the Afternoon, you will head to the community to visit the homesteads of the Karamajong commonly known as Manyatta. However, you will be able to interact with the leaders and you will get to know the special uniqueness and culture and lifestyle. You may voluntarily decide to donate anything towards improving the social ware of the people. This will be as fantastic as you appreciate the cattle grazing land and therefore after you will return to the lodge for relaxation and overnight stay.

Lodging options: Adere Safari Lodge (Luxury), Kidepo Savannah Lodge (Midrange).

Meal: Full board

Day 5: Domestic Flight to Murchison Falls National Park

After taking breakfasts, you will drive to your domestic flight to Murchison falls National Park and you will enjoy the routine game drives especially in the northern region of the Murchison falls National Park which is known as the para where you have a glimpse at various animals and if you are lucky, you will be able to see big cats hunting. Here you will check on at your Lodge and if the time allows you will go for the evening game drive.

Lodging options: Paraa Safari Lodge (Luxury), Pakuba Safari Lodge (midrange), and Hornbill Bush Lodge (Standard)

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and dinner

Day 6: Morning game drives and evening boat cruise

Wake up early in the morning from your lodge and take breakfasts and drive to the park for the wonderful game drive views via the morning game drives. While driving through well-established trails within the Murchison falls National park, you will be rewarded with the interesting sightings of buffaloes, elephants, hartebeest, lions, buffaloes, elephants with unique bird species within the park and these include secretary birds, open billed stork, marabou stocks, Abyssinian, black-bellied bustards among others. After returning from the morning game drives, you will drive back to your lodge, relax and have lunch, and after lunch head for the boat cruise at the lodge that goes up to the bottom of the forest and experience the wonderful tranquil magnificence that is formed by the waterfalls with water squeezing through the narrow gorge which about 43 meters. The boat cruise safari will lead you close to various animals surrounding the River Nile such as the Hippopotamus, Nile crocodiles, buffaloes, elephants that come to the river for drinking water, and after all, you will get back to the lodge for relaxation dinner and overnight stay.

Lodging options: Paraa Safari Lodge (Luxury), Pakuba Safari Lodge (midrange), and Hornbill Bush Lodge (Standard)

Day 7: Morning Delta cruise on bottom of falls and afternoon game drive

Early morning departure from your lodge after taking breakfast you will take an early boat cruise to the jetty point. While you’re on the boat cruise, you will be able to spot different animals such as Uganda kobs, elephants, giraffes, Jackson’s hartebeest, and other several animals that converge at the River Nile for water drinking without forgetting several bird species that can be spotted while on the boat cruise and after then, you will drive back to your lodge for relaxation and as you enjoy the scenes of the park.

Lodging options: Paraa Safari Lodge (Luxury), Pakuba Safari Lodge (midrange), and Hornbill Bush Lodge (Standard)

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and dinner

Day 8: Domestic Flight to back to Entebbe International Airport to end the trip

After having breakfast, you fly back to Entebbe internal airport using the domestic flight. Visitors may as well be pass through Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to track rhinos before flying to Entebbe International Airport and this marks the end of your 8 days Fly-in safari to Kidepo and Murchison Falls

The price for 8 days Fly-in safari to Kidepo and Murchison Falls include;

Park entrance fees

Our professional guide

Accommodation for 7 nights

Ground transport in a 4×4 safari vehicle

Park activities fee

Domestic or internal air flights

The price for 8 days Fly-in safari to Kidepo and Murchison Falls excludes;

Soda sodas and alcoholic drinks

International Air ticket and Visa extra activities outside the itinerary

Laundry services, personal items, or expenses

What to bring for 8 days Fly-in safari to Kidepo and Murchison Falls

Comfortable hiking shoes

Rain jacket

Insect repellant

Sunscreen

Sun hat

Kidepo Valley National Park Vs Murchison Falls National park.

Here we look at both parks and we determine which one is better to visits. Of course, it’s incumbent upon as a professional tour operator to elaborate more information about these parks that is important for you to decide when and which park to visits between the two.

Kidepo and Murchison Fall National parks are among the top three national parks in Uganda that you must explore on your vacation to Uganda as they provide a memorable experience. The parks must be visited separately because each of the two has distinct or unique features that differ from one another and all are interesting upon seeing them.

The park is however similar in such a way that they all contain the big 4 mammals of Africa which you can explore on your game viewing drives or tours within these parks. These big four-game animals include lions, leopards, elephants, and buffaloes. Still, you will spot the zebras, giraffes, hyenas, Oribi, Uganda kobs, and waterbucks upon visiting all the parks. This means that you can see these animals in bother parks whether in Kidepeo valley national park or Murchison falls national park.

However, visitors visiting Kidepo Valley national park will get a chance in finding and spotting the unique animal species. It is only in Kidepeo valley National park where you will spot cheaters and the rare bird called the ostrich. Ostriches are ranger birds in Africa but a visit to Kidepo will make you spot this bird species. These can be explored on game drives within the park. Remember that cheetahs are the fastest animals and the ostrich also runs very fast on land. All these are found in Kidepo valley National park and you cannot find them anywhere else in Uganda even in Murchison falls national park.

Still, Kidepo National park is a semi-arid park characterized by a savannah-like type of vegetation harboring over 77 species of mammals. It is rounded by mountains that border Kenya and South Sudan with a natural valley where wild animals can be easily spotted.  Kidepo Valley National Park features the two valleys of Kidepo and Narus valet which are not present in Murchison Falls National park.

Narus Valley has a permanent water source and therefore most of the animals are always sighted here and in big numbers. The presence of the Narus River ensures the maximum provision of water to the valley which is vital for the animals. The most animal spotted here include the herds of buffaloes, elephants, zebras that wonder in big numbers

The Kidepo River is also influential as it forms an important feature in the names of Kanangorok hot springs on the northern side of the park. Kidepo valley is also sustained by the Kidepo River which also forms the Kanangorok hot springs in the extreme north of the park in Lotukei, adjacent South Sudan border. The host spring provides sustainable water sources to wildlife animals and in these areas, you will find most of the animals situated there as you do you game drive safaris or hiking and the animals spotted here include lions, cheetahs, ostriches, elephants, giraffes among others.

Therefore in comparison to Murchison falls national park, Kidepo valley national park has been accredited and recognized as one of the top ten destinations on the African continent and it was further ranked by CNN as the 2^nd beautiful national park on the African continent and this is attributed to the conservation efforts that have seen Kidepo having an abundance of wildlife species. Most people before this had not explored the park but as of today, it is very hard for someone to visit Uganda without taking a trip to the northeastern side of the country to see the magnificence of Kidepo National Park.