Queen Elizabeth National Park
Your Queen Elizabeth National Park safari with us
Queen Elizabeth National Park or simply “Queen” is the most famous safari park in Uganda. It is home to a wealth of wildlife, from giant African bush elephants and beautiful warthogs to the rare tree-climbing lions and endangered chimpanzees. The landscape is also incredibly diverse. One moment you are driving through a typical African savanna, the next you are standing 100 meters deep in a gorge with a tropical rainforest.
Let's start with some facts
Before we tell you all about Queen Elizabeth National Park, we’ll first list some interesting facts:
- Queen Elizabeth National Park is enormous: near 2000 square kilometers.
- The park is a UNESCO Man and Biosphere reserve, there local communities inside it.
- There are 95 mammal species and over 600 bird species – it’s one of East Africa’s most diverse parks.
- You can visit the unique tree-climbing lions.
- The park has a gorge with a tropical rainforest in it – you can do a chimpanzee trekking there.
- The park shares boundaries with Kibale National Park to the north. It is near Rwenzori Mountains National Park and Semliki National Park. The gorilla-trekking Eden of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park lies about 150km to the south.
- Formerly known as Kazinga National Park, the park was renamed to commemorate a visit from Queen Elizabeth II in 1954, while Uganda was still under colonial rule.
A diverse and surprising landscape
Queen Elizabeth National Park mostly features a classic savanna landscape. You can see for miles across grassy plains dotted with acacia trees.
There’s plenty of water. The Kazinga Channel runs through the park, connecting Lake Albert and Lake George. Along the channel, you can spot hippos, crocodiles, and many other animals. The park also has several crater lakes, which are quieter but very scenic.
One of the park’s most unique spots is the 100-meter deep Kyambura Gorge. This gorge features a lush tropical rainforest hidden inside. You start your hike on the open savanna, then descend into the rainforest. Along the river, you will see hippos floating, and you can trek further to encounter chimpanzees in their natural habitat.
This mix of savanna, water, and rainforest makes Queen Elizabeth National Park a truly diverse and unforgettable wildlife destination.
Lots of animals In Queen Elizabeth Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to a huge variety of wild animals.
You can spot lions, leopards, large herds of elephants, hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, warthogs and countless waterbirds, including flamingos with their deep pink plumage. One truly special sight is the tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector, in the south of the park.
Along with Lake Manyara National Game Park in Tanzania, this is one of only two places on Earth where you can see lions resting in trees.
The park also has bushy and forested areas, which are perfect for primates. Here you will find black-and-white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, red-colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, and even chimpanzees.
With such diverse habitats and incredible wildlife, Queen offers a safari experience like no other, combining open savanna, lush forests, and unforgettable animal encounters.
Activities In Queen Elizabeth National Park
There are so many things to do in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The park boasts a diverse landscape that you can explore in a variety of ways:
1. Game Drive
A game drive is a must-do at Queen Elizabeth National Park. You could take three or four drives and see a different landscape each time; the park is that large and diverse.
For a more special experience, try the “lion tracking experience.” You’ll visit a pride of lions being monitored for research. Your guide will explain the research and why the lions are being studied. You’ll get closer to wild lions than anywhere else, while they continue their daily activities. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of them with their prey. This is a unique chance to see lion behavior up close, safely, and with expert guidance.
2. Boat Safaris
You can enjoy a leisurely boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. You will see many hippos floating about. Some of the world’s largest concentrations of hippos is found here. You will also see elephants bathing, crocodiles lying in icy silence on the bank and a wealth of birds.
3. Chimpanzee Trekking
The forest Kyambura Gorge is one of the most special places in Uganda to do your chimpanzee trekking adventure. One moment you are driving across the savannah and seeing elephants, antelopes, and lions. The next, you are in the middle of a tropical rainforest.
4. Visit the salt flats
For many visitors on Queen Elizabeth National Park safaris, the focus is on nature. But you can also experience a lot of culture and daily life in and around the park. For example, you can tour the Katwe salt pans. You will learn all about salt mining and how it is done locally.
5. Visit to the crater lakes
On the northern side of Queen Elizabeth National Park, you will find many crater lakes. You can drive past them. The landscape around the lakes is grassy, rugged, and somewhat drier. This makes the crater lakes stand out. It is a truly beautiful and impressive landscape.
fAQs About Queen Elizabeth National Park
1. Is Queen Recommended as a Safari Destination?
Yes! Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of Uganda’s most popular safari destinations. It is easily accessible from Kampala or Entebbe International Airport and is ideal for travelers who also want to see gorillas, as it lies close to Bwindi, Uganda’s top gorilla trekking site. The park’s Ishasha sector is famous for tree-climbing lions, making it one of the most unique wildlife experiences in Africa.
For travelers planning a stand-alone safari without gorilla trekking, Murchison Falls National Park may be a better choice. It is over 100 km (60 mi) closer to Kampala, reducing driving time by around 2 hours each way. Plus, the Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch is conveniently located on the way, making it easy to visit for a rhino tracking experience en route to Murchison Falls.
2. Is 2 days enough for a Queen Elizabeth Safari?
Two days can work for a stand-alone safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park. However, with at least 7 hours of driving from Kampala or Entebbe each way, two days becomes very rushed. You will miss out on much of what the park has to offer.
For a better experience, we recommend a minimum of 3 days, and ideally 4 days for a stand-alone safari. If your trip also includes gorilla trekking, plan for at least 4 days, with 5 days or more being ideal. This allows enough time to enjoy both the wildlife and the landscapes without feeling rushed.
3. Can I Combine Queen with Gorilla or Chimp Trekking?
Yes! A safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park can easily be combined with gorilla or chimp trekking. For gorilla trekking, the most convenient destination from Queen Elizabeth NP is Buhoma, on the northern edge of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Depending on your lodge in the park, it’s a 2–4-hour drive. Other trekking sites in Bwindi or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are possible but usually take 5–7 hours on the road.
Queen is even more convenient for chimp trekking. Popular sites like Kyambura Gorge and Kalinzu Forest Reserve border the park and can be done as a day trip.
Kalinzu has a slightly higher success rate. For a longer safari, you can also visit Kibale National Park, Uganda’s top chimp trekking destination. It is more expensive than Kyambura or Kalinzu and busier with tourists, but offers a high success rate for chimp sightings.
4. When is the best time to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park?
While Queen Elizabeth National Park can be visited year-round, the best time to visit for optimal wildlife viewing and chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge is generally during the drier months, typically June to September and January to February.
The highest rainfall in April, May, October, and November can lead to road closures in the south of the park and potentially delay safari activities.