All activities / Wildlife Safaris / Queen Elizabeth National Park
Wildlife Safaris in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Uganda's most popular savanna park, spanning the Rift Valley floor between the Rwenzori foothills and Lake Edward. Famous for the Kazinga Channel boat cruise and the tree-climbing lions of the Ishasha sector.
Why here
Queen Elizabeth is Uganda's great savanna theatre, set on the Rift Valley floor with the Rwenzori snowline behind it. The Kazinga Channel, a natural waterway linking Lakes Edward and George, draws one of the highest concentrations of hippo and Nile crocodile in Africa, and a boat cruise along it runs a gauntlet of elephant, buffalo and enormous flocks of waterbirds. On the Kasenyi plains, lion and leopard hunt herds of Uganda kob, and in the remote southern Ishasha sector lions famously drape themselves in the branches of fig trees through the heat of the day. Prime Uganda Safaris and Kabiza Wilderness Safaris run game drives and the Kazinga launch as part of guided Uganda circuits.
Best months
The park is open year-round. The dry months of June to September and December to February concentrate game around water and give the easiest driving, though the equatorial climate means rain is never far off. The Kazinga Channel cruise is reliable in any season; the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha are a chance sighting rather than a guarantee.
Getting there & around
Queen Elizabeth is about six hours from Kampala and links easily with Kibale to the north and Bwindi to the south on a classic western Uganda loop. Game drives and the Kazinga Channel launch are booked through operators or the Uganda Wildlife Authority. The Ishasha sector is a two-hour drive south of the main Mweya area, often done on the way to gorilla country.
Skill levels: beginner
Schools & guides (2)
Kabiza Wilderness Safaris
GuideA Kampala-based operator building tailor-made Uganda safaris, Kabiza Wilderness Safaris covers Queen Elizabeth National Park game drives and Kazinga Channel launches alongside gorilla and chimp tracking elsewhere in the country. It focuses on private, guide-led itineraries and handles permits, park fees and lodge bookings for independent travelers.
Prime Uganda Safaris
GuideAn indigenous Kampala destination company established in 2008, Prime Uganda Safaris runs game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park, boat trips on the Kazinga Channel and visits to the tree-climbing lions of the Ishasha sector. Licensed through the Uganda Wildlife Authority and a member of ATTA and AUTO, it arranges permits, guiding and lodges across the country's parks.