Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda's best-known savannah park, lying in the west between Lake George and Lake Edward with the Rwenzori Mountains on the horizon. It is where most Uganda itineraries add a classic safari element alongside gorilla and chimp trekking.
The park's centrepiece is the Kazinga Channel, a natural waterway linking the two lakes. A boat cruise along it brings you close to large numbers of hippos, crocodiles and waterbirds, with elephant and buffalo often drinking at the banks. On land, game drives cover open grassland, crater lakes and woodland.
In the far south, the Ishasha sector is known for lions that rest in fig trees. Queen Elizabeth sits between Kibale Forest and Bwindi, so it fits naturally into a western Uganda route.
Open grassland and scattered euphorbia trees cover the northern plains around Kasenyi. The Mweya Peninsula juts into the lake at the Kazinga Channel. Explosion craters and crater lakes dot the Katwe area, and Kyambura Gorge is a forested ravine cutting through the savannah. Ishasha in the south has open grassland and fig trees along its river.
Uganda kob are everywhere on the northern plains, and lion often hunt them there. The Kazinga Channel has one of the highest densities of hippos in Africa, plus crocodiles, pelicans, kingfishers and fish eagles. Elephant and buffalo are common near water. In Kyambura Gorge, a small habituated chimpanzee community can be tracked on a separate permit.
Kazinga Channel boat cruise, about 2 hours
Morning and afternoon game drives on the Kasenyi plains
Ishasha game drive to look for tree-climbing lions
Chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge (separate permit)
Crater lakes drive in the Katwe area
A stay here usually combines an early game drive, a relaxed midday at the lodge and an afternoon cruise on the channel. The boat cruise is a highlight for most people - you see a huge amount of wildlife without moving far, and it is a nice change from the vehicle.
Year-round. The dry seasons, roughly June to September and January to February, make game drives easier and concentrate wildlife near water. Wetter months are greener and quieter, with muddier roads, especially in Ishasha.
Read our full guide: Gorilla Trekking in Uganda: How It Works and How to Prepare »
About 5-6 hours by road from Kampala or Entebbe, or a scheduled flight to an airstrip in the park in around 1-1.5 hours. It is a natural stop between Kibale and Bwindi.
Lodges and tented camps, mid-range to luxury, inside and around the park, several overlooking the Kazinga Channel. Ishasha has a few camps of its own.
Boat cruise and Kyambura chimp tracking have their own fees
Ishasha is a separate sector, usually visited on the way to or from Bwindi
Malaria-risk area - take medical advice
Official park info: Uganda Wildlife Authority
There is no guarantee, but Ishasha's lions are known for this behaviour and guides know which trees they favour.
Yes. It gives close, water-level views of hippos, crocodiles, birds and elephants that you cannot get from a vehicle.
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