9 Days Kidepo and Murchison Falls National Park Safari
This 9 Days Kidepo and Murchison Falls National Park Safari gives you the opportunity to experience Uganda’s stunning wildlife and unique cultural heritage. Get an opportunity to see the highly sought after Shoebill Stork bird in Mabamba Swamp, white rhinos at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and enjoy exclusive wildlife viewing in Kidepo Valley and Murchison Falls National Parks.
Highlights for 9 Days Kidepo and Murchison Falls National Park Safari
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Hotel
Day 2: Birding in Mabamba Swamp
Day 3: Ziwa Rhino trekking and Transfer to Gulu
Day 4: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park, Game Drive
Day 5: Morning game drive and Hot springs visit in Kidepo Valley
Day 6: Morning game drive and cultural tour
Day 7: Drive to Murchison Falls national park
Day 8: Morning game drive and boat cruise
Day 9: Transfer Back to Kampala/Entebbe.
Detailed Itinerary for 9 Days Kidepo and Murchison Falls National Park Safari
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Hotel
Following your arrival at Entebbe airport, our company representative together with the guide will be waiting to welcome you and transfer you to your lodge where you will spend a night. Dinner and overnight stay at your selected hotel.
Day 2: Birding in Mabamba Swamp
Breakfast will be served at your lodge in the morning. You will then meet up with your driver guide and head out to Mabamba swamp for bird watching. You will get to see a variety of bird species including the prehistoric shoebill stork. Head back to your hotel for lunch and spend the rest of your evening at leisure. Dinner and overnight stay at your hotel.
Day 3: Ziwa Rhino trekking and Transfer to Gulu
Considering the journey requires about 11 hours; pick up will be at 7:00 am and make an early start on your journey to Gulu. En route to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for Rhino trekking for 2 -3 hours’ Kidepo national park is far placed – northeast of Uganda, bordering Kenya to the east and South Sudan to the North. The journey can be very exhausting to drive directly to the park thus making it necessary to break the journey in Gulu and proceed the next day!
You will have stopovers along the way to enjoy fruit or snack and stretch out. Lunch and arrive at Gulu late afternoon. Dinner and overnight at your selected hotel.
Day 4: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park, Game Drive
On the fourth day of the safari, we shall make our final trip to Kidepo Valley National Park. Wake up to a hot cup of coffee/tea and embark on a 3 hours’ drive to Kidepo national park where you will embark on a game drive in Kidepo valley in anticipation of seeing herds of buffalos, zebras, elephants, giraffes, hyenas, and cheetahs. You will enjoy a slow drive and you can be sure to seize picture moments while on your game drive and you can have stops at any moment you please.
Return to the lodge and spend the evening at leisure admiring the wilderness. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 5: Morning game drive and Hot springs visit in Kidepo Valley
Have breakfast and brace yourself for another thrilling game drive in the vast savannah of Kidepo Valley intercepted by patches of Borassus palm and the rising scenic hills. Enjoy the stunning views of the morning sun shining over the hills of Lomej, the Lotukei Mountains to the north close to the Sudan border, the Morungole range to the southern boundary of Kidepo before the rays strike down to the endless valleys of Kidepo and Narus valley.
Return to the lodge for lunch and unwind a bit before embarking on a drive to Kidepo valley close to the South Sudan border to visit the hot springs and you can encounter Ostriches within the region although their numbers are highly threatened by poaching by south Sudanese. Dinner and overnight at lodge as above.
Day 6: Morning game drive and cultural tour
On the sixth day of the safari, you will have breakfast and meet up with your driver guide to go for another morning game drive which gives you an opportunity to view animals that you will have missed during the previous game drive.
During the game drive you will visit Kanagorok hot spring which is situated between hard rock with boiling water which heats beyond 50 degrees Celsius and flows at 1 liter per second. While at the hot spring you will have great views of the mountains, animals, interact with different people who come to pay homage, offer sacrifices and seek blessings among others. After the game drive you will drive to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch you will go for cultural tour around the park where you will visit the Karamojong people in their community. The Karamojong are fierce warrior pastoralists living at the borders of southern Sudan and Kenya. During the cultural tour you will view the Karamojong instruments like spears, knives, beads, bows, the Manyatta homesteads, learn about their culture where men marry as many wives as they can as long as they can pay dowry for them, view half naked people decorated in tribal markings, listen to old stories, be entertained through cultural songs, dances, music among others. After the cultural tour you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay as above.
Day 7: Drive to Murchison Falls national park
Very early after breakfast, depart Kidepo via Gulu district for lunch then proceed to Murchison falls national park. This is a full-day drive entering the park through one of the gates. Drive directly to the top of the falls where you will enjoy great views of the waterfall and later connect to your lodge for a night rest at your selected lodge.
Day 8: Morning game drive and boat cruise
After breakfast, connect for a morning game drive where you will be able to view different animals like elephants, buffaloes, Jackson’s hartebeest, waterbucks, oribi, giraffes, warthogs, view predators like lions and leopards if you are lucky among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch, you will connect for an afternoon boat cruise along the Nile which will give you an exciting panoramic view at the bottom of the mighty Murchison falls. Along the cruise, you will encounter crocodiles, hippos, and birds on the river banks like kingfishers, cormorants, and bee-eater. Return to the lodge with an en-route evening game drive to find some animals. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 9: Transfer Back to Kampala/Entebbe.
After having breakfast at your lodge, check out and meet up with your driver guide. You will then embark on your drive back to Kampala/Entebbe with a stopover for lunch enroute. Upon our arrival in Kampala/ Entebbe, your driver guide will drop you off at a hotel of your choice or Entebbe international airport as you will advise!
End of 9 Days Kidepo and Murchison Falls National Park Safari!
