Uganda's most visited savannah park: tree-climbing lions in Ishasha, elephants and hippos on the Kazinga Channel, chimps in Kyambura Gorge and more than 600 bird species.
Queen Elizabeth National Park spreads across 1,978 km² of the western Rift Valley floor between Lake George and Lake Edward, with the Rwenzori Mountains on the northern horizon. It was gazetted in 1952 and renamed after Queen Elizabeth II's visit in 1954. The park records about 95 mammal species and more than 600 bird species, the highest bird count of any protected area in East Africa. Its mix of savannah, crater lakes, wetlands and forest makes it the natural midpoint between Kibale's chimps and Bwindi's gorillas.
| Location | Western Uganda, on the Rift Valley floor between Lake George and Lake Edward |
| Size | 1,978 km² |
| Established | 1952, as Kazinga National Park, renamed in 1954 |
| Wildlife | About 95 mammals and more than 600 birds |
| Famous for | Ishasha's tree-climbing lions, the Kazinga Channel, Kyambura Gorge chimps |
| Nearest airstrips | Mweya and Kasese |
| Area | What you see |
|---|---|
| Kasenyi plains | Morning game drives among Uganda kob breeding grounds. Lions hunt here, and elephants, buffalo and warthogs are common. See Kasenyi plains. |
| Kazinga Channel | A 2-hour afternoon boat cruise along a 32 km channel packed with hippos, buffalo, elephants, crocodiles and waterbirds. See Kazinga Channel cruise. |
| Ishasha sector | The southern plains where lions rest in fig trees, plus topi and buffalo. It lies on the road to Bwindi's Buhoma sector. See Ishasha lions. |
| Kyambura Gorge | A 100 m-deep forested gorge with a habituated chimpanzee community. See Kyambura Gorge. |
| Explosion craters and Katwe | A crater-lake drive, and traditional salt mining at Lake Katwe. |
| Maramagambo Forest | Forest walks and a bat cave where pythons hunt. See Maramagambo. |
Lions are found across the park, and Ishasha's tree-climbing prides are among the few in the world that habitually rest in trees. Leopards are seen on night and early-morning drives around Mweya and Kasenyi. The UWA lion-tracking experience, with researchers and collared lions, can be booked for a small number of visitors.
By road it is 6–7 hours from Entebbe, 2–3 hours from Kibale and 3–4 hours to Buhoma. Mweya airstrip takes charter flights. Two nights let you do a morning game drive, the afternoon cruise, and either Kyambura or Ishasha on the way south.
Queen Elizabeth's variety of habitats supports an unusually wide range of animals. On the savannah: elephants, buffalo, Uganda kob (the park's most common antelope, and Uganda's national emblem), topi in the south, waterbuck, bushbuck, warthogs and giant forest hogs on the forest edges. Predators include lions, leopards and spotted hyenas. Hippos crowd the Kazinga Channel and lake shores, and Nile crocodiles are numerous. Primates include chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge and Maramagambo Forest, black-and-white colobus, red-tailed monkeys and baboons.
With more than 600 species, birding is outstanding. Along the channel you will see pelicans, African skimmers, saddle-billed storks, pied and malachite kingfishers, and huge flocks of cormorants and gulls. On the plains, martial eagles, grey crowned cranes and black-bellied bustards. In the papyrus, shoebill sightings are possible in the Lake George wetlands. See birding safaris.
The best early-morning drive, among the Uganda kob breeding grounds where lions hunt. Leave at dawn for the best chance of predators. See Kasenyi plains.
A 2-hour trip from the Mweya peninsula along the 32 km channel linking Lake George and Lake Edward. Expect hippos in their hundreds, buffalo and elephants drinking at the shore, crocodiles, and remarkable birdlife. Afternoon cruises catch animals coming to drink. See Kazinga Channel cruise.
In the remote southern sector, lions rest in the branches of fig and acacia trees, possibly to catch a breeze, avoid biting flies or keep watch over the plains. Ishasha is on the route between Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi's Buhoma sector, which makes it an easy stop. See tree-climbing lions.
A 100-metre-deep, 16 km-long gorge full of forest, surrounded by savannah. Guided treks follow the gorge floor to find a small habituated community. It is atmospheric but less predictable than Kibale. See Kyambura Gorge.
The Explosion Craters Drive passes dozens of volcanic craters. At Lake Katwe, salt has been harvested by hand for centuries, and a community walk shows how.
UWA runs experiential tracking with researchers who monitor collared lions and other predators. Places are very limited, so ask us when booking.
Our 4-day Queen Elizabeth and chimpanzee tour covers this with Kibale.
The park is excellent all year. The dry seasons (June–September and December–February) give short grass and animals gathered near water. During the rains, the park is green and dramatic, and birding is at its best. Ishasha's roads can become challenging after heavy rain.
Queen Elizabeth sits at the centre of Uganda's western safari circuit. To the north, Kibale National Park (2–3 hours) offers chimpanzee trekking, and the Rwenzori Mountains rise just beyond Kasese. To the south, the road runs through Ishasha to Bwindi's Buhoma sector (3–4 hours) for gorillas. That is why almost every classic Uganda safari, from our 6-day primates and wildlife safari to the 13-day Uganda tour, spends one or two nights here.
UWA charges a daily park entry fee per person, plus fees for the boat cruise, Kyambura chimp trekking, nature walks and experiential activities. Vehicle entry is charged separately. On our tours, fees for the listed activities are included in the price. We confirm the current UWA tariff for your travel dates in your quotation.
Related reading: Kibale and Queen Elizabeth safari, Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi gorilla safari and Maramagambo Forest.
Yes, in the Ishasha sector in the south. Sightings are frequent but never guaranteed. Our guides check the fig trees along the Ishasha loops.
It is one of the best wildlife experiences in Uganda: two hours at water level among hippos, elephants and hundreds of birds.
Two nights for the main areas. Add a night for Ishasha or Kyambura Gorge chimps.
The Kasenyi plains in the early morning, and the Ishasha sector for tree-climbing lions.
Yes, in Kyambura Gorge, although sightings are less predictable than in Kibale.
Yes. The boat cruise and game drives suit all ages, and there are no age limits for most activities except chimp trekking (12 years).
About two hours. Departures are usually in the morning and afternoon from the Mweya peninsula.
Yes. It is 3–4 hours through the Ishasha sector to Buhoma, and longer to the southern sectors.
Lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, hippos, crocodiles, Uganda kob, topi, waterbuck, warthogs, chimps in Kyambura Gorge, and more than 600 bird species.
Excellent. It has more than 600 recorded species, the highest for any protected area in East Africa.
Mweya peninsula for the boat cruise and Kasenyi, Kyambura for the gorge and crater lakes, and Ishasha for the tree-climbing lions.
Yes. The boat cruise is charged separately from park entry. On our tours it is included when listed in your itinerary.
Tell us your dates, budget and interests. We reply within 24 hours with a costed itinerary.
