QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK IN UGANDA
Overview
Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s most popular and biodiverse safari destination, offering breathtaking landscapes, abundant wildlife, and rich cultural heritage. Straddling the equator, the park features monuments marking the exact spot where it crosses latitude 00, adding to its uniqueness.
Originally founded as Kazinga National Park in 1952, it was renamed in 1954 to commemorate a visit by Queen Elizabeth II of England. Today, it stands as one of Africa’s greatest wildlife havens, home to over 95 mammal species and an astonishing 600+ bird species—making it a paradise for nature enthusiasts.
The Queen National Park, covering 1,978 square kilometers, is renowned for its diverse wildlife, including African elephants, buffalo, kobs, hippopotamus, topi, waterbuck, warthogs, spotted hyenas, chimpanzees, and lions. The park has 95 mammal species and over 600 bird species. The Ishasha area in Rukungiri District is renowned for tree-climbing lions with black manes.
Queen Elizabeth National Park and Virunga National Park were designated as a 'lion conservation unit' by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) in 2006. The area is a potential lion stronghold in Central Africa if poaching is curbed and prey species recover. The Uganda Carnivore Program and Uganda Wildlife Authority actively monitor the lion population using radio collars and other conservation initiatives.
There is quite a lot interesting activities that you can engage in when you visit Queen Elizabeth National Park, plus, the cultural encounters will enlighten your understanding of the diversity of African Culture.
Kazinga Boat Cruise
The Kazinga Channel community boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park offers an immersive wildlife experience, allowing guests to observe diverse bird species, including hippos, crocodiles, and elephants. Guided by local experts, the 32-kilometer channel connects Lake George and Lake Edward, showcasing the region's natural beauty and cultural heritage, making it a must-do for Ugandan visitors.
Game Drives
Queen Elizabeth National Park offers a top attraction for wildlife viewing, where tourists can explore the park in a comfortable 4WD pop-up safari vehicle with a professional driver guide. These drives are typically conducted in Kasenyi plains, Mweya Peninsula, or Issa sector, and can be conducted early in the morning or afternoon. Participants can view various animals such as elephants, waterbucks, buffaloes, Uganda Kobs, lions, leopards, bush bucks, warthogs, giant forest hogs, and hyenas. Queen Elizabeth National Park offers night game drives with armed ranger guides and spotlight torches for a nightly exploration of nocturnal animals like lions, leopards, serval cats, civets, hyenas, jackals, genets, hyenas, bush babies, and hippos. The drive starts at 6:00 o 7:00pm.
Game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park can be conducted anytime of the year, but the best time is during the dry season in June, July, August, September, December, January, and February, as access roads and game drive tracks are dry and passable.
Chimpanzee tracking
Chimpanzee tracking in Queen Elizabeth National Park is quite easy; as the Kyambura forest gorge has a well-developed tracking network of trails rising right from top of the gorge running down the forest and the river, providing you with a beautiful scenic view over the varying forest vegetation. To track chimpanzees, you must wake up early and report to the starting point by 8:00 am which is the morning tracking time while 2:00pm is the afternoon time for late trackers. Tracking chimpanzees in Kyambura gorge can be engaged in at any time of the year.
Birding
Queen Elizabeth National Park is a fantastic destination for birding, boasting over 600 bird species. The park offers diverse habitats, including savannas, forests, and wetlands, making it a haven for various birdlife. Birding is good year-round, but the best time is generally from late May to September, during the drier months, when there is less rain and more food available. Migratory birds are also present from November to April.
There are various bird species such as malachite, black-ramped buttonquail, Collard Pranticles, papyrus canary, and more, all of which can be heard in the morning echoing in tree branches. Other notable species include the Martial Eagle, African Skimmer, White winged terns, White-winged Warbler, shoebill, and other birds.
Lion tracking
Lion tracking experience only is applied in Queen Elizabeth National Park in the northern section of the park “Kasenyi section” where under the guidance of researcher’s trackers follow lions with lion calls tracing the signals of trackers which are tied on the neck of the lions. When on a lion predator tracking experience, trackers here can drive off truck to in order to find the predators whenever the signals would be directing.
Lion tracking involves learning much more about the habits of the king of the wild in natural plain of Kasenyi with in the national park. Lion tracking one of the most interesting experimental tourism activities in Uganda.
Culture encounters
Queen Elizabeth National Park offers diverse cultural encounters that complement its abundant wildlife. Visitors can engage with local communities through guided tours, cultural performances, and craft workshops, experiencing the rich traditions of the Banyabindi, Bakonzo, and Basongora tribes.
Hiking and Nature Walks
Queen Elizabeth National Park offers fantastic opportunities for hiking and nature walks, allowing visitors to explore its diverse landscapes and wildlife on foot. Popular areas include the Mweya Peninsula, Maramagambo Forest, Kyambura Gorge, and the Ishasha River area. Guided nature walks are available, with armed park rangers and experienced guides to ensure safety and provide insights into the park's flora and fauna.
Kyambura Gorge which is located within Queen Elizabeth National Park is a popular hiking and nature walk location known for its stunning scenery and chimpanzee tracking. Maramagambo Forest offers diverse trails, allowing visitors to spot various primates, birds, and wildlife. Mweya Peninsula offers scenic views and opportunities for wildlife viewing, including mongoose tracking. Ishasha River offers opportunities to observe wildlife, including hippos. Kasenyi plains offers savanna landscapes and wildlife species. The Crater Lakes Trail offers panoramic views and birdwatching. Kalinzu Forest is another great option for nature walks and primate viewing.
Best time to Visit Queen Elizabeth National Park. The Dry season that runs from January to February and from June to September is considered the best time to visit with the peak safari time in Uganda being from June to September, while Migratory species arrive in August to December, and March to May offering the best birding time. You may contact us on beyondtravel.africa@gmail.com