What to see and do in Queen Elizabeth National Park?

Activities and attractions in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth national park is the second largest national park in Uganda after Murchison falls national park. Queen Elizabeth national park is the most popular savanna national park in Uganda. It is also the best place where you can see tree climbing lion at Ishasha sector which makes it the perfect wildlife destination in Uganda.

Queen Elizabeth national park is located in western Uganda in the districts of Kasese, Rukungiri, Kamwenge, and Rubirizi.Queen Elizabeth national park is approximately 2000 square kilometres in size.

Queen Elizabeth national park is also known for its abundant wildlife. These include; 95 mammal species such as African elephant, African buffalos, kobs, hippopotamus, topi, chimpanzee, lions, spotted hyenas, leopard and over 600 bird species, tree species, crocodiles, waterbuck, warthog, giant forest hog and more others.

History of Queen Elizabeth national park

Queen Elizabeth national park is the second largest national park in Uganda. Its size is approximately 2000 square kilometres making it the second- largest in Uganda. From traditional tales, the land was a hunting ground for the local tribes. These tribes include the Batagwenda and Banyaruguru in Bunyaruguru highlands and Bakonzo on the Rwenzori mountains side. At the creation of the park, this land was never settled due to the infestation of tsetse flies. Due to this, people who used to stay there were moved to the neighbouring landscapes leaving the park to remain an exclusive wildlife habitat.

Later in 1952, the land was turned into a national park as Kazinga national park. The name kazinga national park changed after two years to its current name Queen Elizabeth national park to commemorate the visit of the queen of England. After this place was turned into a national park, hunting reduced but the tribes kept hunting the stray animals that would go to human residential areas since these were equally forested and sparsely settled.

In the year 1979, hunting wild soldiers were permitted in Uganda national parks during the rule Idd Amin as a president. This permission was also practiced in queen Elizabeth national park, this act accounts for a considerable loss of Uganda’s wildlife animals during that time.

Due to successive conservation strategies, the Uganda wildlife population has greatly recovered, making the country one of the leading wildlife havens in Africa. This has qualified queen Elizabeth national park to be preferred destination of wildlife activities and other nature activities in Uganda that no one should miss when he/she decided to make a safari in Africa. Book your Queen Elizabeth National Park safari here.

How can I get to Queen Elizabeth national park?

by ROAD

Driving directly from Kampala or Entebbe International Airport will take 8 hours along tarmac road. There are two routes from Kampala; via Mbarara to the east of the park covering a distance of 250miles. Alternatively; Fort portal to the north which covers 260miles. Most visitors choose to include stopovers at other parks along the way rather than driving directly from Kampala to queen Elizabeth national park. Driving the Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara-Kasese road gives you a chance to explore the Uganda Equator. 

Queen Elizabeth national park is commonly paired with other trips to Kibale national park for chimpanzee trekking or other wildlife activities. From kibale national park takes a 3-hour drive on grave roads

Queen Elizabeth national park can also be paired with Bwindi impenetrable national park for Gorilla trekking. From queen Elizabeth national park, you can drive south from mweya peninsula to buhoma, the entrance town in northern Bwindi. It takes almost 4 hours along gravel roads.Rwenzori mountains national park and Semuliki national park are also within the distance from queen Elizabeth national park.

BY AIR 

Queen Elizabeth national park can be accessed by air from both Entebbe international airport - Uganda's major airport and entry point. Kajjansi Airfield near Kampala is also a flight starting point for travellers to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The closet airport to queen Elizabeth national park is Kasese and Mweya  Airstrips. 

Uganda’s domestic flight network offers a range of scheduled direct flights, and aircrafts can also be chartered. The flight takes 1-2 hours.

Attractions in Queen Elizabeth national park (What to see?)

Mweya peninsula

Mweya peninsular is located in the Rwenzururu sub- region of Kasese district, Mweya peninsula is the most visited attraction in queen Elizabeth national park. Mweya peninsular is situates on the northern bank of Kazinga channel and provides the access to Kazinga channel and Lake Edward. The popularity of Mweya peninsula is due to combination of its transport links via Mweya airport, the availability of quality accommodation and its rich biodiversity. The area is frequented by multiple animal species and is a good area for spotting elephants. Taking on a boat cruise on Kazinga Channel will introduce you aquatic animals of the park. It is an opportunity for you see a Nile crocodile and hippo. This is in addition to several bird species like the African Mourning Dove, Diederik Cucko, and  Squire-tailed Nightjar

Ishasha sector

Located in southern part of queen Elizabeth national park, the Ishasha sector is famous for its tree-climbing lions. Alongside Tanzania, the Ishasha sector is one of only few places in Africa where you can see tree climbing lions. Lion tracking in the Ishasha sector is one of the most sought-after safari activities in Uganda. Taking on a trip in Ishasha sector introduces you to these magical species as they stand on tree branches. The reason behind their climbing of trees is not clearly identified. 

However, it is believed that lions climb trees to get a higher elevation for spotting prey. Other theories suggest that lions climb trees as a way of escaping from fleas and other perturbing small insects found on the ground. Whetever the reason might be, tree climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth national park deserve your time and attention. Talk to a tour consultant now and book yourself a Uganda tree-climbing lion tracking safari. 

The Uganda Equator in queen Elizabeth national park

Queen Elizabeth national park is crossed by the equator at zero coordinates.  Did you know that plant earth is divided into the northern and the Southern Hemispheres? Visiting the Uganda Equator in Queen Elizabeth national park is a chance for you to step in the two hemispheres at the same time. There are several experiments that take place here. Grab an opportunity to partake in one of these experiments during your Uganda Queen Elizabeth national park safari. 

Additionally, the Uganda Equator is a perfect area for photography. It is here that one gets an opportunity to take a memorable picture during their Uganda Wildlife safari. If you miss the picture at the Equator in Queen Elizabeth national park, do not miss one at Kayabwe. At Kayabwe  (Uganda Equator) - a few kilometres from Kampala city, are multiple souvenir shops. It is advisable to grab an item as a reminder of your Uganda safari. 

The scenic landscapes of Queen Elizabeth National park

The land scape of queen Elizabeth national park is breathtakingly cool and beautiful enough to give you the happiness during your Uganda safari. Queen Elizabeth national park is located on the back drop of mount Rwenzori, where you can view the mountain ranges which gives the beautiful scenery during dry season. The lush savannah grasslands of the park bring out the whole picture of a true African wilderness. 

The crater lakes

Queen Elizabeth national park has a number of crater lakes in the area, the story about their formation is an interesting one as told by Uganda Wildlife Authority guides. These crater lakes associated with beautiful scenery good for photography and hiking.

Wildlife in Queen Elizabeth national park

Queen Elizabeth national park is one of the best places where you can go for a game viewing. Queen Elizabeth national park is gifted with 95 mammal’s species such as buffalos, tree climbing lions, hippopotamus, elephants, reptiles a lot of insect species and 600 species of birds among others. The park is home to chimpanzees found in Kyambura Gorge. Mongoose tracking is yet another safari activity in Queen Elizabeth national park that gives you a chance to explore wildlife at length. Here are some of the wildlife itineraries for Queen Elizabeth national park. 

Tree climbing lions

These lions are not just like other lions you have seen on television, tree climbing lions are species of lions that are unique and really few places in east Africa where you can see them that is queen Elizabeth national park and Lake Manyara national park in Tanzania. It is the major attractions that attracts many of visitors in southern part of queen Elizabeth national park. The tree-climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth national park can be easily spotted on a game drive or lion tracking safari in the southern parts of the park. 

Lake Katwe salt works

At Lake Katwe you can visit the historical Germany factory and also find out why the factory stopped operating way back. You can enjoy the salt mining process and narrative stories told by salt miners though it may be emotional story of mining. Salt mining tours in Queen Elizabeth national park give you a chance to interact with the local members the community. It is here that you can dive into the history of the park and appreciate conservation efforts in Uganda as well as harmonious co-existence between man and wildlife. 

The queen’s pavilion

The queens’ pavilion is another attraction in queen Elizabeth national park besides the wildlife. This was constructed for Queen Elizabeth II of England when she was visited Uganda in 1952. It was later renovated for the royal guests from England in 1954. You can have the best photography in this place of Queen Elizabeth national park and the best view of the park.

Activities in queen Elizabeth national park (What to do?)

Game drives 

A game drive involves moving around the park using safari vehicle on demarcated routes and in search of wildlife under the guidance of safari guide or a park ranger. A game drive is considered as the main activity in Queen Elizabeth national park. Queen Elizabeth national park is a home of four out of big 5 mammals that is lion, elephant, buffalo and leopard. The park also has other wildlife such as waterbuck, warthog, kobs, spotted hyenas, elands, bush babies, and smaller primates. Visitors of the park have an opportunity of to spot 95 different species of mammals depending on the luck of the day. Most park drives occur at Mweya peninsular, the Kasenyi plains, the Kazinga plains, the Katwe fields and Ishasha plains

Game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park take 3- 4 hours and normally done during the day so that tourists can see animals clearly.  Night game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park allow visitors to dive into the nocturnal life of the park. Night game drives are strictly under the guidance of a park ranger

Birding in Queen Elizabeth national park

Anyone interested in bird watching should consider visiting queen Elizabeth national park - the home to over 600 species of birds. Queen Elizabeth national park has high concentration of birds in the world. This is a dreamland for birders because birds are allover the place. This makes the park so attractive to birds. It is also a home several waterbodies, swamps, forests and other physical features which gives attractions to birds such as flamingos, warblers, turacos, grey winged robin chat, red chested sunbird, African finfoot, black bee eaters, fish eagles and many others. Some of the birds in the park are migratory and thus can be spotted during particular seasons. On the other hand, the park is home to some of the illusive and endangered bird species as well as the Rift Valley endemics. 

Chimpanzee tracking in queen Elizabeth national park

The Kyambura Gorge is one of the best places for chimpanzee tracking in Uganda. The kyambura Gorge is a large valley covered by an underground tropical forest with wildlife but chimpanzees are the key attractions. Chimpanzees are one of the most intelligent animals in the world. They are closest relatives to humans along with baboons. The chimpanzees in queen Elizabeth national park hide inside the gorge and never come out into savanna for fear of predators. There was a forest corridor connecting them to chimpanzee communities in maramagambo and karinzu forest which was cut off by people.

Maramagambo forest nature walks

This is one of the few tropical rain forests left in Uganda. It is located in southern part of the park and the main activity is forest nature walk. During this nature walk, tourists have an opportunity to spot reptiles, birds, red tailed monkeys, bush babies, vervet monkeys and chimpanzees in Maramagambo are not habituated. You can also use an opportunity to visit the bat and python caves where you can watch the battle between predators and prey from a hidden platform.

Cultural experiences

One of the methods governments used to encourage communities live in harmony with wildlife is to encourage cultural tourism. Tourist are often taken to visit to local communities living near the park. During the visit to local communities visitors learn a lot about the cultural heritage, traditional dances, tradition clothes, traditional food, checking local schools and projects by organisation operating in the area. The Kikorongo equator cultural group even takes the performances to the lodges and hotels in the evening.

Lake Katwe salt mine tours

Salt mining has been carried out in the lake and most of it is used in Ugandan homes. The miners use rudimental methods of mining which they learnt from their ancestors but which can be hazardous to their health. Most miners do not mind because it is a very profitable business for them. The tourist who visits lake Katwe are taken through the different processes of mining salt and also to mingle with local people.

Hot air balloon safaris

This allow tourists to get an aerial view of the park in a gas-filled object which is similar to a parachute. Flying over queen Elizabeth national park is amazing because it lays bare all the great things about the park. This activity is organised early in the morning for the better experience.

Wildlife research tours

This is the great experience that allows tourists to get closer to the wildlife. Tourists are assigned to the researcher who takes them deep inside the park to follow animals of their choice and learn about their behaviours. Wildlife research tours are organised on a special request, bookings can be done in advance such that the research team is ready for you when you arrive.

Lion trekking is possible because some of the lions and lioness have collars put in their necks which have a sensor that allow researchers to monitor their movements remotely.

Tree climbing lions tracking

Lions naturally spend most of their time on ground but the ones in Ishasha sector of queen Elizabeth national park spends their day to top of the trees, it is why they are called tree climbing lions. The game drives to see tree climbing lions are carried out mid-morning or early afternoon after the lions have hunted.

Boat cruise

The boat cruise can be done at kazinga channel when you’re on safari in queen Elizabeth national park because it offers high concentration of both aquatic and savanna mammals coming to drink and take a bath in the water such crocodiles, hippopotamus, and water birds like flamingos, king fishers among others.

Where can I stay in Queen Elizabeth national park? (Accommodation)

Mweya Safari Lodge

This is a government property built over 30 years ago which has been converted into a large hotel. There is a wide range of room choices for the guests at mweya safari lodge. The simplest option is one of the standard rooms each with an ensuite bathroom and private balcony and benefit of air conditioning, deluxe rooms are available, honeymoon suite is found in a private corner of the grounds with a romantic four poster bed, and there are also luxury tents to offer which provide a relaxing romantic atmosphere. For bigger groups, private cottages are available.

The lodge offers a bar with large windows and inviting verandas, gift shop stocked with local crafts, Uganda Wildlife Authority information centre where visitors can learn more about queen Elizabeth national park and business centre.

Visitors can choose to sit either inside in the lodges formal dinning room or outside on the veranda or inside the lodge formal dinning room while enjoying local and international dishes prepared by experienced chefs. In addition, every Saturday evening the lodge hosts special barbecuise with performances by traditional dancers.

Elephant Plains Lodge

Found in the northern escarpment, the elephant plains lodge is one of the newest properties in queen Elizabeth national park. It sits high up on the escarpment offering the view of mile and miles right next to the lodge there is lake kikorongo frequently visited by the herds of elephants.

Elephant plain lodge is made up of a collection of private cottages set around the main compound, a bar and lounge set above the pool, showing off the panoramic scenery around the escarpment. This place offers the sight of grasslands stretching to lake George and easily accessible kasenyi plains where you will often to see the wildlife.

Kyambura Gorge Lodge

Kyambura gorge lodge, found right next to kyambura gorge in the eastern sector of the park, is quickly becoming one of the best accommodation options in Uganda. Due to its location, it is the perfect base for chimpanzee trekking, game drives and boat safaris.

The style of the building is made primarily with wood, stone and thatched roofs which creates an intimate feel. All rooms have a large four poster bed, private veranda and suite bathroom plus sitting area full of simple and unique furniture pieces

The main lodge has a lounge, dinning area and bar which are spacious and feature mix of wooden and tiled floors, large windows, network hug on the walls. The food served in the dinning area is of high standards served by friendly and attentive staff.

Without forgetting that you can also get the swimming pool services and spa for guests to enjoy.

Don’t forget that there is more other hotels and lodges at in queen Elizabeth national park which offers the best services.

Where can I get banking services in Queen Elizabeth national park?

You can access a number of banking service providers in fort portal town banks like Stanbic park, Kenya commercial bank and others plus other towns near queen Elizabeth national park.

In conclusion, Queen Elizabeth national park is not only known for its numerous safari activities and attractions that reward visitors with the unforgettable experience. Queen Elizabeth national park it the best national park you should not miss when you decided to have a safari in Uganda. Now that you are everywhere you wanted to be in knowing Queen Elizabeth national park, Book yourself a safari and enjoy an extraordinary safari experience.