Search

GBP (£)

GBP (£)
US DOLLARS ($)

+44 207 384 2332 Plan Your Trip

GBP (£)

GBP (£)
US DOLLARS ($)

+44 207 384 2332 Plan Your Trip

+44 207 384 2332 Plan your trip

Uganda

Queen Elizabeth National Park

HIGHLIGHTS
GALLERY
HOTELS
GOOD TO KNOW
ENQUIRE

Why visit Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s most diverse safari destination, known for its open savannah, volcanic craters, wetlands and the wildlife-rich Kazinga Channel. The park is famous for its tree-climbing lions in Ishasha, as well as elephants, buffalo, hippos, crocodiles and large numbers of antelope.

Beyond game drives, You can enjoy boat safaris on the Kazinga Channel and chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge. Birdlife is exceptional too, with over 600 species recorded, making it one of the best birding destinations in East Africa.

Did you know?

The Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park has one of Africa’s highest concentrations of hippos. On a boat safari, you can often see hundreds along the water, with crocodiles and elephants on the banks.

Tree Climbing Lions

Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the only places in Africa where lions are regularly seen climbing and resting in large fig trees? In the Ishasha sector, they can sometimes be spotted draped across branches, a behaviour that still puzzles researchers.

Highlights of Queen Elizabeth National Park

Tree-climbing lions: The Ishasha sector is one of the best-known places in Africa to see lions resting in fig trees.
Kazinga Channel boat safaris: Boat trips along the channel offer close sightings of hippos, crocodiles, buffalo and elephants, alongside large numbers of waterbirds.
Savannah game drives: Open plains support elephants, buffalo, Uganda kob, warthogs, hyenas and leopards, with excellent year-round game viewing.
Chimpanzee trekking: Guided treks in Kyambura Gorge offer the chance to track habituated chimpanzees in a forested gorge setting.
Exceptional birdlife: The park is home to over 600 recorded bird species, making it one of the richest birding areas in East Africa.
Diverse landscapes: A mix of savannah, crater lakes, wetlands and distant Rwenzori views creates some of Uganda’s most varied scenery.

Gallery

Elephants, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Lion, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Cape Buffalo, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Lion, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Kazinga Channel, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Good to know

Getting to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is around six to eight hours from Kampala via the Kampala–Mbarara highway. The route continues through western Uganda towards Kasese or Bushenyi, depending on the sector of the park you are visiting.

Is Queen Elizabeth National Park a good place for families?

Queen Elizabeth National Park is a good choice for families, offering easy game drives across open savannah and relaxed wildlife viewing from a boat along the Kazinga Channel, where hippos, elephants and birds are regularly seen along the water’s edge. Some experiences however, such as chimpanzee tracking, have a minimum age of 15 years.

Which destinations combine well with Queen Elizabeth National Park?

Queen Elizabeth National Park works well with Kibale Forest National Park. The drive between the two is straightforward and creates a strong mix of wildlife and primates in one trip. Kibale is one of the best places in Africa for chimpanzee trekking, with guided walks through forest to find habituated groups. This pairs well with the open savannah of Queen Elizabeth, where game drives and boat safaris offer a very different experience.

It also combines naturally with Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for gorilla trekking. The contrast between the two parks is striking, from open plains and waterways to dense, misty rainforest. It is great to link them in a single circuit, with stops along the way.

When to go

Best time to visit

Good time to visit

Average time to visit

OUR FAVOURITE TIME TO VISIT

The best time to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park is during the dry seasons, from June to September and December to February.

These months offer easier game viewing, as wildlife gathers around water sources and the roads are in better condition for game drives and boat safaris. The scenery is still green early in the dry season, but visibility tends to improve as the months progress.