Queen Elizabeth National Park
Uganda
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s most visited and most varied safari destination, spanning savannah, forest and wetland between the Rwenzori Mountains and Lake Edward. It is best known for the Kazinga Channel’s dense hippo population and the tree-climbing lions of the Ishasha sector, alongside excellent birding and chimpanzee tracking in nearby forest patches.
Game drives run across three distinct sectors — the Kasenyi Plains near the Kazinga Channel, the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha, and the volcanic Katwe Crater Fields — each with its own scenery and wildlife. A two-hour launch cruise on the Kazinga Channel brings you among hippos, crocodiles and elephant herds, while Kyambura Gorge, known locally as the ‘Valley of Apes,’ offers chimpanzee tracking on foot through dense riverine forest.
What to Expect
Most visitors spend two to three nights combining morning and afternoon game drives with the Kazinga Channel boat cruise and a half-day in either the Ishasha or Kyambura sectors. Queen Elizabeth pairs easily with Kibale Forest along the Fort Portal route or continues south toward Bwindi via Ishasha, making it one of the easiest parks in Uganda to build into a longer itinerary.
Activities & Wildlife
From the Kazinga Channel's tree-climbing lions and boat cruise to chimp tracking in Kyambura Gorge, Queen Elizabeth rewards every kind of traveler.
- Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise
- Tree-Climbing Lions of Ishasha
- Chimpanzee Tracking, Kyambura Gorge
- Game Drives, Kasenyi Plains
Cruise past East Africa’s densest concentration of hippos, plus elephant and buffalo herds at the water’s edge, on a two-hour launch along the Kazinga Channel connecting Lake Edward and Lake George.
Getting to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth is roughly a five to six hour drive from Kampala, either via Fort Portal — with a detour through Kibale Forest — or via Mbarara and Bushenyi. Charter flights serve airstrips at Kasese, Mweya and Ishasha. Most visitors spend two to three nights, combining game drives, the Kazinga Channel cruise and time in the Ishasha or Kyambura sectors.
When to Go to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Best Time to Go
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Where to Stay at Queen Elizabeth National Park
Accommodation
Mweya Safari Lodge
Mweya Peninsula, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda
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Kyambura Gorge Lodge
Kyambura Gorge, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda
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Queen Elizabeth National Park Safaris
More of Uganda to explore
- Bwindi Impenetrable ForestHome to about half of the world's mountain gorillas.
- Mgahinga Gorilla National ParkGorillas and golden monkeys on the Virunga volcanoes.
- Murchison FallsThe Nile's most powerful drop, plus big game on the north bank.
