Queen Elizabeth National Park

Pros & Cons

• Top wildlife viewing includes four of the Big Five (no rhino)
• Boat trips on the Kazinga Channel are a highlight of any Uganda safari
• Tree-climbing lions inhabit the Ishasha Plains
• Chimp trekking is possible in Kyambura Gorge and nearby Kalinzu Forest Reserve
• Excellent birding with at least 610 species recorded
• The Mweya Peninsula and Kasenyi Plains can be busy in high season
• A main road bisects the park and people live along the boundaries

Wildlife

Queen Elizabeth NP offers the most reliable lion viewing in Uganda. These iconic big cats are most easily located on the Kasenyi Plains, which lies in the northeast of the park bordering Lake George. They can also be seen on the Ishasha Plains in the far southwest, where they regularly climb trees. Huge herds of buffalo and elephant might be encountered anywhere. You’re certain to see large numbers of hippo and other grazers on the Kazinga Channel. Lucky visitors might also spot more unusual creatures such as leopard or giant forest hog.

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Scenery

Queen Elizabeth NP is bisected by the equator below the Rwenzori Mountains. This is Africa’s third-highest massif, and on cloudless days its glacial peaks provide a spectacular backdrop to the Kazinga Channel and Kasenyi Plains. Most of the park comprises open savannah, but you can also visit Kyambura Gorge (a popular chimp trekking venue) and the extensive Maramagambo Forest. Other features include Lakes Edward and George, and around a dozen small crater lakes.

Activities

Most popular is a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel. This offers a wonderful opportunity to watch hippos, elephants, crocodiles and waterbirds in action. Game drives usually focus on the Kasenyi Plains, where lion and buffalo are common. Drives can also be undertaken in Ishasha to look for tree-climbing lions. Other guided activities include tracking chimps in Kyambura Gorge, banded mongooses on the Mweya Peninsula, and radio-collared lions and leopards with the Queen Elizabeth Predator Project.

Weather & Climate

Queen Elizabeth NP’s nearness to the equator ensures consistently warm temperatures throughout the year. Heavy rain that can make some minor roads impassable is a feature of the two Wet seasons, from March to May and August to December. Although there’s no official Dry season, rainfall decreases somewhat (though not entirely) over January to February and June to July.

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Best Time To Visit

Brief but drenching rainstorms often characterize the days of the Wet seasons (March to May and August to December), but this is when the environment is at its most beautifully lush. It’s also when migratory birds pass through the region (from November to April). For chimp trekking, it is best to visit in the drier months (January to February and June to July), when trails are more solid underfoot.

• More about the best time to visit

Want To Visit Queen Elizabeth NP?

595 Queen Elizabeth NP Safaris

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