Queen Elizabeth National Park Safari

Queen Elizabeth National Park is, naturally, the most popular place for tourists to visit in Uganda. Ten species of primates, including chimpanzees, and over 645 species of birds can live in the park’s different environments, which include a wide savanna, shaded, humid woods, sparkling lakes, and lush wetlands. Beautiful views in the park include dozens of huge craters carved dramatically into rolling green hills, the Kazinga Channel, whose banks are lined with hippos, buffalo, and elephants, and the endless Ishasha plains, where lions wait in the trees to pounce on herds of Uganda kob that aren’t paying attention.

Along with its beautiful natural features, Queen Elizabeth National Park has a rich culture history. People from outside the country can connect with tourists and enjoy activities like dance, music, stories, and more. The park’s listing has made sure that its ecosystems are protected, which is good for the neighborhood next door.

The national park is mostly made up of open grasslands and woodlands. The west is wetter and has more trees than the east. This grassland dweller is mostly made up of thorny Acacia trees, and there are a lot of candelabra shrubs, which are cacti that grow along the Kazinga River and on the Kasenyi plains.

At least 95 kinds of animals live in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Twenty of them are hunters, like lions, leopards, side-striped jackals, and spotted hyenas. Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda is full of amazing things. You can find the park in western Uganda, in the districts of Kamwenge, Rukungiri, Rubirizi, and Kasese. It is now possible to see about 764 square miles of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

The park goes into Virunga National Park in the Congo and shares a border with Kibale National Park in Uganda. The Kyambura Gorge, the Maramagambo forest, the Kazinga Channel, and parts of Lakes George and Edward are all in the park. When it was first created in 1952, the park was known as Kazinga National Park. The park was named after British Queen Elizabeth II because her visit in the early 1950s made the government so happy.

A Safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park

The views from Queen Elizabeth’s many crater lakes are stunning. Take a break at Nyamunuka crater lake, which is also known as the animal hospital. Because the water includes sulfur, many people come here to get their wounds treated or to see old animals. You should see the salt mine sites, Lake Katwe, and Lake Bunyampaka.

Take in the view of the Rwenzoris as the sun goes down over Lake Edward. The famous tree-climbing lions of Queen Elizabeth National Park live in the Ishasha part of the park. After a meal at night or early in the morning, they like to rest on the branches of acacia trees.

Another great thing about the trees is that they block the sun so people can enjoy the cool air. Queen Elizabeth National Park never has long droughts like the Maasai Mara or Serengeti because it is in the rain shadow of the Rwenzori mountain ranges. Because of this, the area there is green for most of the year. No matter what kind of animals were not in the park, people would still be amazed by its huge forests, fields, lakes, rivers, gorges, and other volcanic features like craters and cones.

A Safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park

There are 95 different kinds of mammals that have been seen in the park. These include waterbuck, warthogs, topi, Uganda Kobs, spotted hyenas, sitatungas, Serval cats, mongoose, leopards, large forest pigs, L’Hoest’s monkeys, Jackals, hippopotamus, genial, elephants, crocodiles, civets, chimpanzees, buffaloes, and black and white colobus monkeys.

The national park is a wildlife refuge for lions and is home to about 200 of them, some of which are very interesting because they can climb trees. People have seen more than 645 kinds of birds in the park. Queen Elizabeth National Park is close to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, and Mgahinga National Park. This means that tourists will be able to mix a full safari with trekking for gorillas in Bwindi Forest.

In Queen Elizabeth National Park, what can I do on a ride?

Uganda is known as “the pearl of Africa,” and Queen Elizabeth National Park is one place that lives up to its name. The park has woods, forests, Savanna, marshes, lakes, rivers, craters, gorges, and terrain. There are always things to do in this park for people from all over the world. It might be hard for you to finish all of them. The main things to do are nature walks, wildlife drives, boat trips, chimpanzee trekking, watching lions climb trees, and watching birds.

Drives Games

This is the most popular thing to do because you can see 95% of the park’s animals that you would see in the Serengeti, but the scenery is more beautiful and varied. You can see forests, savanna grasslands, marsh areas, acacia woods, crater lakes, gorges, and the nearby Rwenzori Mountains. You will go on a 3–4-hour game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

The drive starts early in the morning and takes you to one of three areas: the Kasenyi plains near the Kazinga Channel, the Ishasha sector (where tree-climbing lions live), or the Katwe crater fields. The area around the crater lakes has a beautiful landscape with huge holes and salt lakes that formed thousands of years ago.

During the dry season, giant flamingos, flamingos, and other species can get water from the crater floors. The Kasenyi fields in the north of Queen Elizabeth National Park are without a doubt the most beautiful and best places to see animals. Uganda Kobs use the fields as places to nest. The fields are also home to other types of antelope, buffalo, elephants, and predators like hyenas and lions.

This makes it a great place to see fights between big cats and animals that eat plants. No matter which section you choose for the game drive, you can expect to be driven by guides and park rangers to the best places to see wildlife from the safety and comfort of a four-wheel drive car.

The morning game drive is very interesting because you can see nocturnal hunters like hyenas and leopards going back to their dens after eating meat at night. Nocturnal game drives are the best way to see lions, leopards, hyenas, and birds that come out at night in motion. Game drives cost $30, and they cost an extra $20 if a Uganda Wildlife Authority guide goes with you.

Your Queen Elizabeth National Park safari will be better if you move with both your tour company guide and a park guard. As well as showing people the best places to see wildlife, game guards can also tell them about the different animals they come across. For the night game drives, you might need to add $20 to your budget to rent a torch. You can only pay at the Mweya Information Center or the park gates.

Watching birds on your safari through Queen Elizabeth National Park.

People from all over Uganda like to go to Queen Elizabeth National Park to watch birds. Your Queen Elizabeth National Park safari will also include time to watch birds in the park. You can do this while on a game drive, a boat ride, or a nature walk tour. The Bird Observatory at Mweya has a list of all the birds that live in the park.

Birdwatchers on tours of the national park will be amazed at how many different kinds of birds live in the Kanga Channel, the woods, and the fields, craters, and gorges. During certain times of the year, millions of migratory birds come to Queen Elizabeth National Park to get away from the hard winters in Europe. This makes the park a real birder’s paradise.

Things to keep an eye out for in the bird world are Yellow-backed and Yellow wagtails, the Yellow-throated Cuckoo, the Yellow-backed Weaver, the Wood sandpiper, and the Carruthers Cisticola. The Water Thick-knee, the Verreaux’s Eagle Owl, Spur-winged and African Wattled Plovers, Spotted Redshank, Slender-tailed Mourning Dove, Slender-billed and Shoebill Storks, Sedge Warblers, Saddle-billed Storks, Ringed Plover, Red-chested Sunbirds, Pink-backed Pelican, Papyrus Gonolek, Papyrus canary, Open-billed Stork, Northern Pochard, Martial Eagle, Malachite and Pied Kingfishers, Little Stint, Lesser Masked Weavers, Lesser and Greater Flamingo, and more.

Take a boat cruise tour to see Kazinga Channel.

In the Kazinga Channel, this boat tour will take place. This is one of the best places in Africa to see animals. This stream connects Lake George and Lake Edward and is where most of the animals in the park drink, hunt, and rest. There are more kinds of birds here than in North America during the migration season. The sheer number and range of animals along the Kazinga waterway will amaze even people who have been on many safaris.

Hippos, water birds, and crocodiles control the rivers. In the channel’s shallows, elephants, antelopes, and predators like leopards drink water. This event costs $30, and you can buy tickets at the Mweya Visitor Information Center. During the day, the action is planned in shifts, and people can choose to use either the cheaper public boats or the more expensive private boats that Mweya Safari Lodge rents out.

In Ishasha Sector, look for the well-known Tree Climbing Lions.

Lions that live in the Ishasha area of Queen Elizabeth National Park are very rare because they climb trees. There is no difference between them and the lions that live in the Kasenyi area or other Ugandan national parks. Lions in this area have learned to spend their time climbing the many fig trees after a morning hunt or during the middle of the day when it’s too hot to move. While scientists still don’t know why these lions climb trees, some think it’s to get away from bugs and parasites like Tsetse flies that live on the ground.

The goal of planned game drives to the Ishasha area is to see lions perched high in the trees. In the Ishasha area, you can also find warthogs, buffaloes, and elephants. The Ishasha area is close to the road that leads to Bwindi, which makes it a great place to stop for people who want to see lions and gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

Chimpanzees can be seen in Kyambura Gorge.

One of the most interesting animals in the world is the chimpanzee. The smartest animals in the world aren’t even close. The Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park is a good place to see chimpanzees. It is in the western part of the park. The Kyambura Gorge is a hollow or valley made by the strong waters of the Kyambura River. There are 16 kilometers of the Gorge, 100 meters of depth, and 500 meters of width.

At the moment, dense forests and water streams circle the gorge. This underground forest is home to baboons, black-and-white Colobus monkeys, and red-tailed monkeys, among other primates. From the perch above the gorge, you can see a lot of the species in the wide valley. In addition to monkeys, people who visit the river can see birds, snakes, butterflies, and other bodies of water.

It’s also a chance to learn about animals and plants that can’t be found anywhere else on Earth. Chimpanzee tracking in the Kyambura Gorge lasts for two to four hours and costs $50. Each day, only eight passes are given out for chimpanzee tracking. The chimps in the valley are all used to people, and you can make reservations at the Mweya Information Center. It’s pretty likely to see chimps in the morning, but not as likely as in Kibale National Park.

Walks through the Maramagambo Forest

Birdwatchers love to go to the Maramagambo forest in Queen Elizabeth National Park. People can go on nature walks in this big forest to learn about how to protect forests and see birds, monkeys, small crater lakes, and other forest animals. The Maramagambo forest is home to nine different kinds of monkeys, such as baboons, chimps, L’Hoest’s monkeys, Vervet monkeys, bush babies, and red-tailed monkeys.

One of the paths leads to a group of holes where a lot of bats live. Big rock pythons like these bats and eat them. From a safe place, you can see both the bats and the pythons. But the chimpanzees in the Maramagambo forest aren’t completely used to humans yet. You can still see them on long treks into the middle of the jungle. It takes $30 to go on a hike with a guide through the Maramagambo forest.

Go to Katwe Salt Mine.
One of the few salt lakes in East Africa is Lake Katwe. There are no animals in the lake because it is too salty. In spite of this, the area around the lake is very busy, especially during the dry season when lots of people come to clean the salty water. Katwe has a history of salt mining that goes back many generations. It used to be very successful until other supplies and ways to mine were found. Most of the salt used in Ugandan homes comes from Lake Katwe.

Even though the deadly salt water is dangerous, salt is still typically dug out by hand. By going to the mines, tourists can learn about the salt mining business and meet other miners in the area. The miners take the rest of the salt home with them, while most of it is sold to makers.

While you’re on safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park, you can go on community cultural tours.
A trip to Africa, and especially Uganda, would not be complete without meeting a member of one of the local tribes.

On a safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park, you can stop by the Kikorongo Equator Cultural Group to see and take part in traditional dances, plays, and fire-making. If you go to the Kikorongo Equator Cultural Group, you can learn how to make local arts and crafts, like weaving baskets out of natural fibers. A lot of these things can be bought for reasonable prices.

After giving the group a tour, the guides will take you to different homes to see how the locals cook, take care of their fields, make household items, and build homes out of grass thatch. There are a lot of opportunities to do cultural things, and almost every vacation and hotel plans trips for its guests. The Kikorongo culture ensemble is often asked to play in the lodges of the park. You can also learn about other cultures by walking through Katwe Village, going to local schools, and going to the Nyanz’ibiri Cave Community.

How do you plan to spend your time in Queen Elizabeth National Park?

You can stay at any of these lodges if you book your safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park through a tour operator: Park View Lodge, Ishasha Wilderness Camp, Enganzi Lodge, Elephant Plains Lodge, Simba Safari Camp, Elephant Hub Lodge, Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge, Queen Elizabeth Safari Camp, Lake Chibwera Camp, Kyambura Tented Camp, Mweya Hostels and Cottages, Katara Tented Camp, Mweya Hostels and Cottages, Katara Lodge, Ishasha Tented Camp, Ishasha Jungle Lodge, and Ishasha River Camp, among others.

Check out our Queen Elizabeth National Park Safari for 3 Days.
Day 1: Get picked up and go to Queen Elizabeth National Park.

On the first day of your three-day Queen Elizabeth National Park safari, your driver guide will meet you wherever you are in Kampala. They will have been given to you by your tour operator. First, your driver guide will tell you about the tour. Then, you will begin your trip to Queen Elizabeth National Park. When you leave Kampala, it will be around 7 or 8 a.m., with a stop in Kayabwe for breakfast at the equator.

You’ll get to see beautiful views of the scenery, tea plantations, and the Rwenzori Mountain ranges along the way. You’ll also have a chance to stop for lunch along the way. After lunch, you’ll continue your trip to the park. When you get there, you’ll go on an evening game drive to see animals like elephants, buffalo, Uganda kobs, and waterbucks. After the drive, you’ll have dinner and spend the night at your chosen camp.

Days 2: A game drive in the morning, with the possibility of tracking a lion, and a boat cruise in the afternoon.
On the second day of your three-day Queen Elizabeth National Park safari, you will have an early breakfast and then meet your driver guide for a morning game drive. During this drive, you will have the chance to see elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, leopards, Uganda kobs, and many species of birds, as well as take beautiful pictures of the landscape and sunrise. You will go back to the camp for lunch after the wildlife drive.

You will go on an exciting boat tour on the Kazinga canal, which is a body of water that links Lake Edward and Lake George, after lunch. The planned boat cruise lasts for two to three hours and lets you take clear pictures, float just meters away from large groups of hippos and Nile crocodiles in the water, and see animals like elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, and others drinking water along the shores. You can also see different kinds of birds in the water and fisherman getting their gear ready for night fishing, among other things. The boat ride was fun, and you’ll be glad to get back to the lodge for dinner and the night’s stay.

Day 3: Leave for Kampala
After a leisurely breakfast on the last day of your three-day safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park, you will check out of the camp and meet your driver guide to start the trip back to Kampala. Lunch will be served on the way. After lunch, you will continue your trip with another stop near the Equator. There, you can buy handmade goods and take pictures before continuing to Kampala, where you will arrive early that evening. Your driving guide will drop you off anywhere you want when you get there.