Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth at a Glance

The Main Areas of the Park

Queen Elizabeth is large, and its areas feel very different, so it helps to know where each activity happens:

Ishasha is two to three hours’ drive from the Mweya area, so most itineraries visit it on the way between Bwindi and the north of the park. Our guides to the Kasenyi Plains and Mweya Peninsula go into each area in more detail.

Wildlife in Queen Elizabeth

The park holds around 95 mammal species. Game drives regularly find Uganda kob, waterbuck, buffalo, warthogs and elephants, and lions are seen most often on the Kasenyi Plains and in Ishasha. Leopards are present but shy, and spotted hyenas are more active after dark. The Kazinga Channel supports one of the densest hippo populations in Africa, along with large Nile crocodiles. Kyambura Gorge and the Maramagambo Forest hold chimpanzees, black-and-white colobus and other primates.

Queen Elizabeth has the longest bird list of any Ugandan park — more than 600 species, from African fish eagles and saddle-billed storks to pelicans, kingfishers and, occasionally, the shoebill. There are no rhinos or giraffes in the park; for rhinos, visit Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary on the way to Murchison Falls. See birding in Queen Elizabeth and where to see the Big Five in Uganda.

Things to Do in Queen Elizabeth

Game drives on the Kasenyi Plains

The early-morning game drive on the Kasenyi Plains is the park’s classic safari experience: open grassland where lions hunt Uganda kob at first light, with buffalo and elephants nearby. Late-afternoon drives are good too. See the best routes and times for game drives.

Kazinga Channel boat cruise

A two-hour cruise along the Kazinga Channel, which links Lake George and Lake Edward, brings you close to hippos, crocodiles, buffalo and elephants drinking at the water’s edge, with excellent birdlife. Cruises leave from below the Mweya Peninsula, usually in the morning and afternoon; the afternoon trip often has the most animals at the shore. See the Kazinga Channel boat cruise guide.

Tree-climbing lions in Ishasha

In the remote southern sector, lions are often found lying in the branches of large fig trees — a habit seen in only a few lion populations in Africa. They are most likely to be up in the trees during the warmer middle part of the day. See the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha.

Chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge

Kyambura Gorge is a steep, forested valley cut into the savannah, home to a small habituated chimpanzee community. Tracking involves a steep descent and climb, and sightings are less certain than in Kibale, but it is a good option if your route does not include Kibale. See chimp tracking in Kyambura Gorge.

Crater lakes, Lake Katwe and nature walks

The road between Kasenyi and the Katwe area passes volcanic crater lakes with sweeping views of the Rwenzori foothills on a clear day. At Lake Katwe, local communities still harvest salt by hand, as they have for generations, and guided visits explain the work. Guided nature walks and night game drives are also available in parts of the park. See the crater lakes drive.

How Long to Stay and a Sample Plan

Two nights is enough to see the essentials; three gives time for Ishasha or Kyambura without rushing. A typical two-night visit looks like this:

• Day 1: arrive via Ishasha from Bwindi, with an afternoon game drive for the tree-climbing lions, then continue to a lodge in the north of the park.
• Day 2: early game drive on the Kasenyi Plains, rest at midday, then the afternoon Kazinga Channel boat cruise.
• Day 3: morning chimp tracking in Kyambura Gorge or a crater-lakes drive, then continue to Kibale or towards Entebbe.

Best Time to Visit Queen Elizabeth

The park is good all year. In the drier months, June to September and December to February, the grass is shorter, animals gather near the Kazinga Channel and other water, and the tracks to Ishasha are easiest. In the wetter months the park is green and quiet, some tracks can be slow after heavy rain, and birding is excellent, with migrant species present from November to April. See the best time for wildlife in Queen Elizabeth.

How to Get to Queen Elizabeth

• From Kampala or Entebbe: about five to six hours by road, either via Fort Portal or via Mbarara.
• From Bwindi: about four to five hours north, usually through Ishasha with a game drive on the way.
• From Kibale: about two to three hours south through the crater-lake country.
• By air: scheduled flights from Entebbe to Kasese and to the Mweya airstrip save time on short trips.

Where to Stay in Queen Elizabeth

Most lodges are in the north of the park — on the Mweya Peninsula, near Kasenyi, around Kyambura Gorge and on the crater lakes — which is the best base for game drives and the boat cruise. A few camps in the Ishasha sector suit travellers who want a night in the quieter south. Options range from budget bandas to luxury lodges with views over the channel or the gorge. See Uganda’s best luxury lodges.

Combining Queen Elizabeth With Other Parks

Queen Elizabeth sits between the two great primate parks: Bwindi for gorillas to the south and Kibale for chimpanzees to the north, so most itineraries pass through it. See combining Queen Elizabeth with Kibale and Bwindi, the 7-day gorilla and Queen Elizabeth safari and the 10-day itinerary.