Queen Elizabeth National park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is a true medley of wonders, boasting of breathtaking landscapes and a huge collection of wildlife. Queen Elizabeth Game Park is an enchanting destination, a great place for all nature enthusiasts to experience something unusual. Visitors on Uganda safaris to Queen Elizabeth National Park have numerous opportunities to explore the park’s iconic attractions, enjoy exciting activities/experiences, and much more.

Location & size of the Park

Queen Elizabeth Game Park lies in Western Uganda and is Uganda’s second-largest park, covering over 1,978 sq. km. The Park derives its name from Queen Elizabeth the second and today, it remains the most popular Protected Area in Uganda. Queen Elizabeth National Park lies in the area where you can appreciate the stunning views of the majestic Rwenzori Mountains and also the scenic shores of Lake Edward. The extensive Queen Elizabeth Park comprises a lush savanna, wetlands, forests, and spectacular volcanic craters.

Queen Elizabeth National Park was declared a National Park in Uganda in 1952 and is also a recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Park is set at an elevation of 914 to 1350 meters. The Katwe Explosion Craters mark the highest point of Queen Elizabeth Park and Lake Edward lies in the lowest section.

The key areas that make up Queen Elizabeth National Park include Kasenyi Plains, Ishasha sector, Mweya Peninsula, Kyambura Gorge, and more.

Attractions in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park supports a diverse range of attractions making it one of the favorite destinations to explore on a Uganda safari. Over 95 mammal species, 620 species of birds, and reptiles are confined in the diverse habitats in Queen Elizabeth Game Park.

Wildlife to encounter

The popular animals to explore on a tour in Queen Elizabeth National Park include African elephants, Cape buffalo, leopards, lions (including the tree-climbing lions), warthogs, and hippos. Additional species of wildlife to explore here include giant forest hogs, Uganda Kobs, spotted hyenas, topis, waterbucks, chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, sitatunga, bushbucks, and olive baboons.

Bird species

A total of about 620 species of birds make Queen Elizabeth Park a home and they reside in diverse habitats like lakes, forests, wetlands, and savannas. Each of the habitats features its diverse species of birds. Top bird species to spot on a birding tour in Queen Elizabeth National Park include the African jacanas, papyrus gonoleks, Great white pelicans, African fish eagle, black crake, saddle-billed storks, and black-headed gonoleks. The other birds include pied kingfishers, malachite kingfishers, Great blue turacos, long-crested eagles, martial eagle, lappet-faced vultures, African skimmers, lappet-faced vultures, and several of migratory species that confine in the Park around April.

Activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park

The main safari activities to engage in Queen Elizabeth National Park include game drives, boat or launch cruise, bird-watching/birding, nature walks, chimpanzee tracking, and community tours/encounters.

Game drives

Embark on a journey to explore 4 of the Big 5 game in Queen Elizabeth National Park. A guided game drive presents you with a remarkable opportunity to witness the small and big game in Queen Elizabeth National Park’s savannas. The main locations to visit for game drives include Kasenyi plains and Ishasha sector. In addition to the Big game, guided game drives get you exposed to the diversity of antelope families including Uganda Kobs plus many bird species.

Boat/Launch cruise

If you are interested in aquatic wildlife encounters, then a boat or launch cruise should be a must-include in your travel plan. A launch cruise at Queen Elizabeth Park takes place twice a day. Visitors can choose the morning or afternoon session and each session is expected to take about 2 hours. On the Kazinga channel launch cruise, a myriad of aquatic species await you to catch a glimpse. The must-see animals on a boat cruise on the Kazinga channel include hippos, crocodiles, and water birds. Diverse bird species to spot on the Kazinga channel boat cruise include saddle-billed storks, pelicans, yellow-billed storks, goliath heron, African skimmers, African fish eagle, black crake, African jacanas, African spoonbills, and long-tailed cormorants, etc.

Lion tracking/trekking

Lion trekking offers visitors a close view of lions in their natural environment. Lion tracking is unique in the sense that you have adequate time to have a deep insight into the behaviors of lions. You embark on a journey to search mainly for the collared lions and accompanying you will be the researchers assigned to you by Uganda Wildlife Authority. The entire experience runs for about 2 to 3 hours and you can engage in the morning or afternoon session.

Guided nature walks with experts

Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the best places to consider for guided nature walks in Uganda. Nature walks guarantee you an intimate experience and close interaction with your favorite attractions. The key locations where nature walks begin in Queen Elizabeth National Park include Maramagambo Forest, Mweya Peninsula, the Crater Lake area, and Kyambura Gorge. The Crater Lake walks allow you to explore the ancient volcanic formations. You get a chance to explore the scenic and off-the-beaten path. Expect to explore amazing geological formations in the Crater Lake region and ecological richness with an experienced guide.

Kyambura Gorge (the Valley of Apes) is not only popular for chimpanzee treks but also for normal nature walks. Visitors get to immerse themselves in the lush and steep Kyambura Gorge with a higher possibility of spotting diverse primates and birds.

Maramagambo Forest –A guided nature walk through Maramagambo takes you close to nature. This lush natural rainforest boasts of its diverse wildlife, especially primates, flora, and birds. It is also known for its bat cave- the best spot to find multiple fruit bats.

Mweya peninsula- Lying in the area overlooking the Kazinga channel and Lake Edward, Mweya Peninsula features a diversity of animal species and birds. The common birds to find in the Mweya Peninsula include among others African jacanas, black bee-eaters, swamp flycatchers, Verreaux’s eagle owl, malachite kingfishers, black-headed gonoleks, and more.

Chimpanzee tracking

At Queen Elizabeth National Park, chimpanzee tracking is done in the Kyambura Gorge. The Kyambura Gorge offers thrilling chimp treks twice a day with the first phase often starting in the morning and at 2 pm for the afternoon session. Overall, you can take about 2 to 4 hours on a search for the chimpanzee community and once you have found it, the official allows you to stay with these apes for a maximum of 1 hour. The 1-hour for your face-to-face encounter includes observing closely how chimpanzees behave in the natural environment.

Banded mongoose tracking (best for researchers)

Queen Elizabeth National Park is an ideal location to embark on a mongoose census. The banded mongoose census mainly involves tracking and exploring more about the beautiful mongooses. The banded mongoose tracking is done on the Mweya Peninsula where approximately 400 banded mongooses reside in about 12 social groups. The mongoose is among the interesting small mammals. Tourists interested in mongoose tracking pay USD 30 per person that is for foreign non-residents, USD 25 per person for foreign residents, while East African citizens are charged UGX 30,000 per person.

Hippo census

Hippo census in Queen Elizabeth National Park is perfect for researchers. It is conducted once after 2 years and the focus is mainly to monitor the hippo population. Foreign non-residents pay USD 100 per person for the hippo census, USD 80 per person for foreign residents, and UGX 100,000 per person for Ugandans/East African citizens.

The Best Time to Travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park for a Safari

It is possible to plan and embark on a tour in Queen Elizabeth National Park at any time of the year. However, the dry months offer more favorable weather conditions suitable for game viewing. The dry months happen from June to September and another phase begins from December, January, to February. During the dry months, there is relatively low or rainfall experienced with the ground kept drier making it easier to navigate through on a guided game drive.

The wet months start from March to May and the last phase runs from October to November. These are characterized by heavy rain and the floor tends to be slippery or muddy.

5 Popular Accommodation Options to Stay in and Around Queen Elizabeth National Park

The 5 popular accommodation options to consider for an overnight stay in and around Queen Elizabeth National Park include Kyambura Gorge Lodge, Elephant Plains Lodge, Mweya Safari Lodge, Buffalo Safari Lodge, and Enganzi Game Lodge.

How to get there

Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in Western Uganda and visitors can drive directly up to this park. Visitors can set off from Entebbe or Kampala through the Masaka-Bushenyi route and this is the longest route that can take you about 7-8 hours. The other access route is the Kampala-Mityana-Mubende-Fort Portal City-Kasese route which can take you about 6-7 hours. A memorable road trip to Queen Elizabeth National Park is best done using a 4×4 tourist vehicle.

Visitors can also take a flight –the fastest access option to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The domestic flights set off from Entebbe International Airport to Kasese or Mweya Airstrip.