Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in south-western Uganda and its Uganda’s second largest National Park. Established in 1952 as Kazinga National Park, the park was renamed as Queen Elizabeth National Park after Queen Elizabeth II of England. The park covers 1978 square kilometres with a beautiful land scape and ecosystem, the kasenyi crater lakes, savannah grasslands, woodland and acacia. Queen Elizabeth National Park just Like Bwindi is a UNESCO world heritage park. The parks altitude has of 900 meters up.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to over 95 mammals, which can be observed while on game drives and at some safari lodges. It inhabits chimpanzees both in kyambura gorge and kalinzu forest, in the park the Kazinga Channel joins Lakes George and Lake Edward and the zone is a harbours a congregation of wildlife such as hippos in a profusion of wildlife as well as birds species enjoyed while on a boat safari.

The parks mammals include elephants, hyenas, Uganda kobs, Topi, buffaloes as well as lions that can be spotted some times. Some of the big cats in the park are lions and leopards which may observed while on game drives.  While in Queen Elizabeth National Park we also look out for tree climbing lions of Ishasha sector

Queen Elizabeth national park is home to over 600 bird species with birding spots like the kasinga channel, the kasenyi craters, kyambura gorge area and other areas with in the park. The kazinga channel which is explored on a boat safari gives us an opportunity in birding and viewing a number of wildlife at the shores

Queen Elizabeth is also surrounded by a number of fishing villages neighbouring like Hamukungu one area loved by elephants, crater lakes such as Nyamununka Crater Lake, Lake Katwe.

How to get to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth national park can be accessed from Kampala via Masaka Mbarara highway which take approximately 7 – 8 hours. It can also be accessed from Kampala Mubende through Fort portal and Kasese.

From Entebbe international airport using scheduled/charter flights

Best Time to Visit Queen Elizabeth National Park

During the dry season it’s the best time to visit the park December to February and June to September.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is near the equator and it has two rainy seasons that is wet from March to May and September to December. 

Activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Game Drives, Boat Safaris Bird Watching, Chimpanzee Tracking in the Kyambura Gorge and the Kalinzu forest.  Lion Experiential Tourism which involves tracking the lions with the Uwa doctor off the beaten tracks of the park, as well as Nature and Forest Walks.

Game Drive Safari

Queen Elizabeth National Park is a unique national park with a number of wildlife that can be sighted with in the park on the different tracks while on a game drives that mostly occur on the northern side of the park. Day and Night game drives are organized.  While on your game drive a number of animals may be seen such as the nocturnal like   Leopards, Lions, spotted hyenas, Jackals.

Elephants, Cape buffalo, Hippopotamus, Topis, water buck, Uganda Kob, bush buck while on your game drive on the different tracks. You shall be mesmerised by the wonders of the wild as you come across herds of elephants crossing through the different tracks while on your game drive and elephant cross through some lodges giving you a great feel and view while on your safari experience. Elephants are also sighted at the shores of the Kazinga Channel.                                                     

Ishasha Sector Game Drive (Tree Climbing Lions)

The southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park is famous known tree-climbing lions that attract a number of tourist to visit the area while on a safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The climbing lions of Ishasha are spotted hanging on huge fig trees.

Hot Air Balloon Safari

Hot air ballooning is one of the unique activities one must not miss on a visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The hot air balloon flight takes about 1 hour giving you an opportunity to have epic views of the park. While on the game drive you get to view the entire park from above. A number of animal and the kazinga channel. With Hot air ballooning the passengers must be at the starting point by 5:30 am.  After the hot air balloon experience you shall go catch bush breakfast. This is an amazing activity for honey mooners and group visitors.

Kazinga Channel Boat cruise / Safari

Kazinga Channel is within Queen Elizabeth National Park where lakes George and Edward join to form the Kazinga which is also a congregation area for a number of wildlife. Boat safaris usually start from the Mweya peninsular, boat safaris are booked for the morning and the afternoon boat safari which is usually at 3:00 pm. While on the kazinga channel you shall get to see both land mammals at the shores as well as aquatic animals such as schools of Hippos in a profusion of crocodiles. Elephants, buffalos, watersbucks, and antelopes. Birding is also largely done with sight of a number of species. The boat safari lasts 2 hours

Crater Drive / Kasenyi Craters

Queen Elizabeth National Park is blessed with a number of scenic craters both empty craters covered by savannah, and those filled with sreams of water forming crater lakes along aside the serene scenic land scape.

Chimpanzee Tracking at Kyambura Gorge

Kyambura Gorge is located in the eastern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park surrounded by savannah grass land. Kyambura gorge is covered with dense forest and it’s about 12 km long and home to Kyambura River. The gorge is inhabited by a number of habituated chimpanzees in the forest. The time taken while observing the chimps is one hour, while tracking the chimps we find them from their loud sound and looking out for their nests along the different tracks. In kyambura gorge you may come across animals such as buffalos, primates, elephants, bushbucks. 

Salt Lakes / Community Visit

Salt Lake Katwe in Kasese district is located within the lakes in blend of other salt lakes near Lake Katwe. The lake has existed for a million years and salt is extracted locally by the local community. Other salt lakes include Munyangange which is a good birding haven.

Bird Watching Tour

Queen Elizabeth National Park has over 600 different species of birds. The park is home to a diversity of bird species with in all areas of the park and unique birds that are endemic to the park. Sacred Ibis, Hadada Ibis, , African Pied Wagtail, Village Black-headed Weaver, Spectacled Weaver Red-necked Spur Fowl, Egyptian Goose, Yellow-billed Stock, , African Spoon Bill, Great White Egret, Great White Pelican, White-backed Vulture, Ruppel’s Griffon Vulture, Black-chested Snake Eagle, Brown Snake Eagle, the Grassland African Pipit, African Skimmer, Martial eagle among others. Some birding spots include the mweya peninsula, Lake Katwe with the rare flamingos and the Katunguru area.

Lion Experiential

On this drive the search for the big cats, we get escorted by the park’s Uwa Doctor off the main tracks looking for a close view of the lions. The experience takes about 1 to 3 hours tracking the cats on the unbeaten tracks of the park

Cultural Encounters

We get to visit a number of communities around Queen Elizabeth national park blending into a feel of culture with the locals of the area. This kind of activity is done in the nearby villages like around katwe salt lake were we get to learn how slat is mined and the ways of living in the area, engage in traditional activities like weaving baskets, mats , cultural dances and performances among others. We may also visit communities along the kazinga

Cultural groups in the area include katwe tourism information centre and kikorongo women community.

Nature Walks / Hiking

The land scape of the park can also be explored on foot with chance to view a number of wildlife such as mammals and birds as well as tree species. A number of guides trails can be hiked, visit to maramagabo forest giving you views of cater lakes caves such as the bat cave with a big numbers of bats.

Sample trips for Queen Elizabeth National Park

3 Day Queen Elizabeth National Park Safari

7 Day Wildlife and Primate Safari