The most popular Uganda Wildlife Safari park and tour destination : Queen Elizabeth national park is one of the leading Uganda Wildlife safari destination and the second largest of all Uganda national parks, the park protects a wide variety of fabulous habitats ranging from rolling grasslands, tropical rainforests and moist acacia woodland such as the extensive Maramagambo Forest in the southeast and Kyambura Gorge along the border with Kyambura Game Reserve.
Queen Elizabeth national park is one of the most visited destination among the several Uganda safari destinations, the park was gazetted in 1952 by the British colonial government as Kazinga National park. In 1920’s, Queen Elizabeth national park existed as Lake Edward and Lake George game reserves.
Visiting Queen Elizabeth national park takes you on a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel which is the world’s largest concentration of hippos in one place, you will watch thousands of hippos piled on top of each other in the shallows and also see hippos.
Size of Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park covers an area of 1,978 square kilometers, the park stretches from the foot of the Rwenzori Mountains in the north, along the shores of Lake Edward. The park stretches further to the remote Ishasha River in the South.
Queen Elizabeth national park lies in the shadow of the legendary snow- capped Rwenzori Mountains on the floor of the Great East African Rift Valley, the park has a variety of wetland including open waters and swamp shores of Lake Edward and George. It also hosts the 40 kilometers – long Kazinga Channel that connects Lake Edward and Lake George, there are also several freshwaters and saline crater lakes. About 10 crater lakes lies within the park including the Katwe Cluster in the north of the park.
Location of Queen Elizabeth national park
Queen Elizabeth national park is located in western Uganda spanning the districts of Kasese, Kamwenge, Rubirizi and Rukungiri. The park is located southwest of Kampala, Uganda’s capital city and lies in a distance of approximately 400 kilometers by road.
Kasese town is just outside the northeastern edge of Queen Elizabeth national park and Rubirizi town is just outside the park’s southeastern boundaries, the Katwe explosion crater marks the park’s highest point at 1,350 m while the lowest point is at 910 m at Lake Edward.
Queen Elizabeth national park is one of the most accessible Uganda safari parks and makes a convenient stopover between Kibale National Park – a home of chimpanzees and Bwindi impenetrable national park a home of mountain gorillas and Uganda gorilla safaris.
Queen Elizabeth national park has the highest biodiversity rating of any nature reserve in the world including an incredible checklist of 612 bird species, this makes Queen Elizabeth national park a prime birder’s destination in Uganda, the second in Africa and the sixth in the whole world.
Weather & Climate in Queen Elizabeth national park
Queen Elizabeth national park has a warm climate, the temperatures remain constant throughout the year. Day time temperatures rise to around 29 ̊C/84 ̊F and slowly fall to around 17 ̊C/63 ̊F at night.
Queen Elizabeth national park does not have a real dry season, so there is a potential for rain, rain happens less during December through January with June and July having the least rain.
Why is Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda Special?
Queen Elizabeth national park is amalgamation of a range of wonders including the 45 kilometers Kazinga Channel which connects Lake Edward and Lake George, the deep gorge of Kyambura which has go a lush tropical forest below sea level supporting populations of chimpanzees, the mature tropical rainforest of Maramagambo, the tree- climbing lions that dwell in the savanna of Ishasha and salty lake – Katwe among other traditions.
Wildlife in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth national park hosts 95 mammal species comprising of carnivores, primates, herbivores and reptiles. Major animals in Queen Elizabeth national park include African elephant, African buffalo, Ugandan Kob, Hippos, Topis, Waterbuck, Warthog, Giant Forest Hog, Nile Crocodile, Mongoose, Oribi Bushbuck, Sitatunga, Chimpanees, Vervet monkeys, Blue monkey, Red Tailed Monkeys, Black and White Colobus Monkeys, Lions, Leopard, Spotted Hyenas, Jackal, Vivet, Genal and Serval Cats.
Birdlife in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth national park is a home to a variety of birdlife which is due to its rich variety of habitats from the dense tropical forest of Kyambura Gorge to the wetland habitats of Lake Edward and George, the park hosts over 600 bird species that have been recorded.
Birds in Queen Elizabeth national park include Malachite and Pied Kingfishers, White-winged Terns, Swamp Fly-catcher, Grey-capped Warbler, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Collard Pranticole, African Jacana, Pin-tailed Whydah, Martial Eagle, Gabon and Slender-tailed Nightjars, the lovely Black-headed Gonolek, Great and Long-tailed Cormorants, Common Squacco Heron, African Skimmer, African Fish Eagle, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Sedge Warbler, White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, Papyrus Canary, Great White and Pink-backed Pelicans, African Mourning Dove, African Open-billed Stork, Black-rumped Buttonquail, Yellow-billed, open-billed and Marabou Storks, Egyptian.
Safari activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Game drives
Game drive in Queen Elizabeth national park is a mind – blowing Uganda safaris experience you should miss during your visit to the park, on game drives you will be enjoy the park’s natural shimmering beauty with a myriad of crater lakes scattered around long with areas of open savannah and tropical rain forests hosting a variety of primates and birds.
Game drives/ game viewing in Queen Elizabeth national park are best done early in the morning and evening when the animals are most active, game drives in the park are done in Ishasha game drives, circuits in Kasenyi plains, channel drive circuit and crater drive circuit. During the game drives you enjoy watching many animals such as tree climbing lions, leopards, buffaloes, elands, warthogs, bushbucks, topis, waterbucks, elephants among others.
Boat/ Launch Trips
Boat/launch trips in Queen Elizabeth national park are a very popular and amazing experience of 2 hours from a jetty below Mweya safari lodge to the mouth of the Kazinga Channel, the Kazinga Channel is one of the best safari activities to do while on your safari visit in Uganda.
During the boat cruise, visitors get to enjoy various sights and sounds of the rich aquatic life extravagantly in the park including Elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, Uganda kobs, large hippo pods, giant forest hogs and many water bird species such as herons, cormorants among others.
Bird watching
Queen Elizabeth national park is one of the best birding destinations in Uganda and Africa as well with an impressive checklist of 612 bird species, the park is classified as an Important Birding Area (IBA) by Birding International. During Uganda bird watching safari in Queen Elizabeth national park you enjoy watching a lot of birds including Malachite and Pied Kingfishers, White-winged Terns, Swamp Fly-catcher, Grey-capped Warbler, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Collard Pranticole, African Jacana, Pin-tailed Whydah, Martial Eagle, Gabon and Slender-tailed Nightjars, the lovely Black-headed Gonolek, Great and Long-tailed Cormorants, Common Squacco Heron, African Skimmer, African Fish Eagle, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Sedge Warbler, White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, Papyrus Canary, Great White and Pink-backed Pelicans among others.
Chimpanzee Tracking
Chimpanzee tracking in Queen Elizabeth national park is done in several spots including Kyambura Gorge located in the northeastern region of the park and runs for 16 kilometers on the park’s eastern boundary with Kyambura Wildlife Reserve. Kalinzu Forest is another best place to see chimpanzees in Queen Elizabeth national park , the forest host about 300 chimpanzees including a 40-strong chimpanzee community habituated for tourism.
Lion Tracking
Queen Elizabeth national park is one of the best places to see lions in Uganda, the park is popular for hosting the tree climbing lions found in the Ishasha Sector – southern area of the park. Lion tracking Experience is a terrific way to observe lions in their habitat and learn from an experienced research, this experience gives you an up-close and personal insight into the unique behaviors of the lions.
Hiking and Nature walks
Hiking safaris in Queen Elizabeth national park are exciting experience and a unique way to explore the scenic wilderness of the park on foot, this activity allows you to have plenty of time to study smaller ecosystems of the park and your guide will explain to you the ecological significance of plants, insects, small mammals, amphibians, reptiles among others.
People and Community visit
Uganda cultural tours in Queen Elizabeth national park offer you the best insight into the life of the local people living around the park including the Banyaindi, Bakonzo and Basongora, during your visit you will participate in activities like preparing of local dishes, being entertained by local dances and drama.
Where to stay in Queen Elizabeth national park
In the park there is a variety of safari lodges categorized as budget, midrange and luxury, visitors of the park can choose from these lodges depending on their preference.
Luxury/Upmarket lodges
- Kyambura game lodge
- Mweya Safari lodge
- Hippo safari Lodge
- Ishasha Wilderness camp
- Jacana safari Lodge
- Katara safari lodge
- Mazike Valley Lodge
- Elephant Plains Lodge
- Kasenyi Safari Lodge
Mid- range lodges
- Mbogo Lodge
- Buffalo Safari Lodge
- Engazi Safari Camp
- Marafiki Safari Lodge
- Bush Lodge
- Parkview Safari Lodge
- Kikorongo Safari Lodge
- Ishasha Jungle Lodge
- Enjonjo Game Lodge
Budget Lodges
- Simba Safari Camp
- Pumba Safari Cottages
- Kazinga Channel View Resort
- Tembo Safari Lodge
- Topi Lodge
- Elephant Home
- Queen Elizabeth Safari Camp
- Irungu Forest Safari Lodge and Campsite
- Lake Munyanyange Caves Lodge
When to visit Uganda
The best time to visit Queen Elizabeth national park for wildlife viewing is from January to February and June to September which are dry seasons, however the park is open all year and its most beautiful is during the wet season from March to May and August to December.
The very wet months in Queen Elizabeth national park are April, May and October. The rain might interfere with your Uganda safari.
