Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of Africa’s most diverse and rewarding safari destinations. Covering approximately 1,978 square kilometres of savannah, wetlands, crater lakes, and tropical forests, the park sits along the equator and straddles the Albertine Rift Valley. It borders the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west and is flanked by Lake Edward and Lake George, two magnificent bodies of water connected by the legendary Kazinga Channel. Whether you are a first-time visitor to East Africa or a seasoned safari traveller, Queen Elizabeth National Park delivers an unmatched combination of landscapes, wildlife, and authentic African experiences that will stay with you long after you leave.

Location and How to Get There

Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in western Uganda, roughly 6 hours by road from Kampala and about 5 hours from Kigali, Rwanda. The main gate, Katunguru Gate, is accessible via the Mbarara–Kasese highway, making it a natural stop on many Uganda safari circuits. Travellers coming from Rwanda typically pass through or near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park before continuing north to Queen Elizabeth, making the park an ideal addition to a gorilla trekking safari from Kigali to Bwindi. Our professional transfer team at Kigali Transfers to Bwindi can arrange seamless road connections from Kigali through to Queen Elizabeth, ensuring you arrive rested and ready for adventure. For those preferring to fly, charter flights from Entebbe or Kigali land at Mweya Airstrip within the park. You can also explore fly-in safari options through Kenlink Tours that combine Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi in a single seamless itinerary.

Wildlife You Will Encounter

Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to an extraordinary array of wildlife, making it one of Uganda’s most biodiverse parks. The park shelters over 95 mammal species and more than 600 bird species, which is one of the highest counts of any protected area in the world. The iconic Kazinga Channel attracts the largest concentration of hippos in Africa, and boat cruises along this waterway offer intimate views of wallowing hippos, enormous Nile crocodiles, African buffaloes, and a spectacular parade of waterbirds. Elephants roam freely through the open savannah of the Kasenyi Plains, while lions, leopards, hyenas, and Uganda kob are regularly spotted on game drives through the Mweya Peninsula and the northern sectors of the park. Uganda kob, the national animal of Uganda, is seen in large herds across the grasslands, providing dramatic scenes during dawn and dusk game drives.

The Famous Tree-Climbing Lions of Ishasha

One of the most unique wildlife spectacles in all of Africa is found in the southern Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. This remote and scenic corner of the park is world-famous for its tree-climbing lions, a rare behaviour exhibited by only two lion populations on the entire planet — the other being in Tanzania’s Lake Manyara. The lions of Ishasha are regularly spotted lounging in the branches of giant fig trees, offering photographers and wildlife enthusiasts an extraordinary and rarely seen sight. Visiting Ishasha is a must for any serious safari traveller, and the sector is easily combined with a visit to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for a multi-destination itinerary. If you are travelling from Rwanda, our transfer services can route your journey through Ishasha on your way to or from Bwindi, allowing you to experience both highlights in one efficient trip.

Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise

No visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park is complete without a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, the 32-kilometre natural waterway that links Lake George and Lake Edward. The afternoon cruise, typically departing from Mweya Safari Lodge jetty, is one of the best wildlife experiences Uganda has to offer. At close range you will observe hippo pods, massive crocodiles, water buffalo drinking at the banks, and hundreds of water-associated bird species including the African fish eagle, pink-backed pelicans, goliath herons, pied kingfishers, and the elusive shoebill stork in nearby wetlands. The cruise lasts approximately two hours and operates twice daily, with the late afternoon outing offering the best light for photography. This iconic experience is featured prominently in Kenlink Tours’ 3-day wildlife safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park, which is one of their most popular short safari offerings.

Primate Tracking in Kyambura Gorge

Often called the “Valley of Apes,” Kyambura Gorge is one of the park’s best-kept secrets. This deep, lush gorge cut into the savannah landscape is home to a habituated community of chimpanzees, making it one of very few places in the world where you can track chimps against the dramatic backdrop of the Albertine Rift. The contrast between the dry savannah above and the riverine forest below is visually striking, and the hike into the gorge itself is a thrilling experience. Alongside chimpanzees, the gorge shelters red-tailed monkeys, black-and-white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, and abundant birdlife. Chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge is a half-day activity that pairs beautifully with a game drive and an afternoon Kazinga Channel boat cruise, giving visitors a truly full day in the park. For travellers who want to combine chimps and gorillas in a single safari, Kenlink Tours offers a range of combined primate safari packages across Uganda’s top parks.

Birdwatching in Queen Elizabeth National Park

With over 600 recorded bird species, Queen Elizabeth National Park is a paradise for birdwatchers. The park’s varied habitats — from savannah and wetlands to montane forests and volcanic crater lakes — support an astonishing diversity of avian life. Among the most sought-after sightings are the shoebill stork, which can occasionally be found in the Maramagambo Forest and nearby wetlands, along with the African skimmer, papyrus gonolek, black bee-eater, yellow-throated cuckoo, and the stunning African pygmy kingfisher. The Maramagambo Forest sector is particularly rewarding, offering forest species not found in the open savannah. Serious birders often dedicate multiple days to the park, and Kenlink Tours can arrange dedicated birdwatching safari itineraries across Uganda for visitors whose primary interest is birds rather than large mammals.

The Crater Lakes of Bunyaruguru

Surrounding the southern portion of Queen Elizabeth National Park is the Bunyaruguru crater lake field, a landscape of more than 30 stunning volcanic craters filled with water and draped in dense vegetation. Some of these lakes shimmer a vivid pink due to the presence of algae and the flamingos that feed on it, while others are a deep emerald green. The scenic drives and walking trails around the crater lakes provide a completely different experience from the open savannah game drives, and the views across the Rift Valley from the crater rims are extraordinary. This landscape is a photographer’s dream, especially during the golden hours of sunrise and sunset. Combining the crater lakes with a visit to Maramagambo Forest, where you can explore a colony of Egyptian fruit bats, makes for an unforgettable day in this section of the park.

Accommodation Options Within and Near the Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park caters to a wide range of budgets and travel styles. At the luxury end, Mweya Safari Lodge sits dramatically on a peninsula overlooking the Kazinga Channel and Lake Edward, offering spectacular sunrise views, fine dining, and guided activities. For mid-range travellers, Pumba Safari Cottage and Jacana Safari Lodge offer comfortable en-suite accommodation with easy access to game drives and boat cruises. Budget travellers and adventurers can opt for the Uganda Wildlife Authority bandas at Mweya or camp under the stars at one of the park’s designated camping grounds. In the Ishasha sector, Ishasha Wilderness Camp is a popular choice for those specifically visiting to see the tree-climbing lions, offering intimate tented accommodation in a remote and beautiful setting.

Best Time to Visit Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is a year-round destination, though the dry seasons offer the most rewarding wildlife-viewing conditions. The primary dry season runs from June to September, and a shorter dry period occurs between December and February. During these months, vegetation is lower, animals congregate around water sources, and game drives are particularly productive. The wet seasons from March to May and October to November transform the landscape into lush green scenery and attract more migratory bird species, making this period excellent for birding even though some tracks can become difficult to navigate. Planning your visit around a larger Uganda circuit — perhaps beginning with a transfer from Kigali to Bwindi for gorilla trekking and then continuing northward to Queen Elizabeth — allows you to make the most of the country’s spectacular wildlife without unnecessary backtracking.

Planning Your Queen Elizabeth Safari with Us

At Kigali Transfers to Bwindi, we specialise in private, comfortable, and professionally guided transfers across Uganda and Rwanda. Whether you are travelling independently or as part of a group, our experienced drivers and safari experts ensure that every kilometre of your journey is safe, smooth, and memorable. Queen Elizabeth National Park is a natural addition to any Uganda safari that includes Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Lake Mburo, or Kibale National Park, and we can coordinate all transfers between these destinations. For fully guided safari packages that include Queen Elizabeth National Park, game drives, the Kazinga Channel cruise, and Ishasha tree-climbing lion excursions, we highly recommend partnering with Kenlink Tours, one of Uganda’s most trusted and experienced safari operators. Together, we offer a complete, end-to-end wildlife travel experience across East Africa that leaves nothing to chance and everything to memory. Contact us today to begin planning your Queen Elizabeth National Park safari.