Queen Elizabeth is Uganda's most varied savannah park, running from the foot of the Rwenzori Mountains to the Ishasha plains on the Congo border. At its centre is the Kazinga Channel, a natural waterway linking Lake George and Lake Edward, where hippos, buffalo and elephants gather at the water's edge in remarkable numbers.
The park changes character as you move through it. The Kasenyi plains are open grassland with herds of Uganda kob and the lions that follow them. The Mweya peninsula looks over the channel and the lake. Crater fields rise near Katwe, and Kyambura Gorge hides a sunken rainforest with its own chimpanzees. Far to the south, Ishasha is known for lions that rest in the branches of fig trees.
We usually split a stay between two areas, perhaps Mweya Safari Lodge or Kyambura Gorge Lodge in the north and Ishasha Wilderness Camp in the south, so you see the park at its best.
Queen Elizabeth holds elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, hippo, Uganda kob, waterbuck, topi and giant forest hog. Ishasha’s lions are famous for climbing fig trees, and the Kasenyi plains are the best place for lions on the ground, often around the kob breeding grounds. Kyambura Gorge has a small community of chimpanzees, and Maramagambo Forest holds several monkey species.
More than 600 bird species have been recorded, one of the highest counts of any park in Africa. The Kazinga Channel is excellent for pelicans, kingfishers, African skimmers and fish eagles, and shoebill are occasionally seen in the Lake George wetlands.
Chance of seeing
Our estimate for a stay of two or three nights with a good guide. Wildlife is wild, so nothing is promised.
The park is a patchwork of open grassland, acacia woodland, papyrus swamp and dense forest, with the Rwenzori Mountains on the northern horizon on clear days. The Mweya peninsula sits high above the Kazinga Channel, while the crater fields around Katwe are pocked with extinct volcanic cones and small lakes. Kyambura Gorge drops suddenly from the savannah into a ribbon of rainforest 100 metres deep.
Activities here
Lying on the equator at lower altitude than the forest parks, Queen Elizabeth is warm, with days of around 26°C to 29°C and nights around 17°C to 18°C. The main rains fall from March to May and from September to November, and the park stays green for much of the year.
| Month | Day °C | Night °C | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 18 | 30 |
| Feb | 29 | 18 | 50 |
| Mar | 28 | 18 | 90 |
| Apr | 28 | 18 | 120 |
| May | 28 | 18 | 90 |
| Jun | 28 | 17 | 40 |
| Jul | 28 | 17 | 30 |
| Aug | 28 | 17 | 60 |
| Sep | 28 | 17 | 90 |
| Oct | 28 | 18 | 110 |
| Nov | 28 | 18 | 110 |
| Dec | 28 | 18 | 60 |
Approximate long-term averages. Higher ground is cooler, and forests can rain in any month.
June to September and December to February are the drier seasons. Days are warm to hot, around 27°C to 30°C, and nights are mild. The grass is shorter, animals gather near the Kazinga Channel and the lakes, and the tracks to Ishasha are at their best.
The rains fall from March to May and from September to November, usually as afternoon storms. The plains turn green and some tracks, especially in Ishasha, can become muddy and slow. Game is more spread out, but the boat trips run as normal and migrant birds arrive from November.
The dry seasons, June to September and December to February, are best for game viewing, as animals gather around permanent water and tracks are easier. The rains turn some roads muddy, especially in Ishasha, but bring lush scenery, migrant birds and fewer visitors.
Best time to visit Jan to Feb, Jun to Sep
Queen Elizabeth is about 6 to 7 hours by road from Entebbe or Kampala, or 2 to 3 hours from Kibale. Ishasha is about 3 hours south of Mweya and roughly 2 hours from Buhoma in Bwindi, which makes the park an easy link between the two. Scheduled and charter flights serve Mweya and Kasese airstrips.
Chimp tracking in Kyambura Gorge requires a permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority, and the number of trekkers each day is small, so we book it ahead. The lion tracking experience is also limited and booked in advance.
Queen Elizabeth is a malaria area, so antimalarials are advised. A yellow fever certificate is needed to enter Uganda, so please carry it with your passport. Bring sun protection and drink plenty of water. Do not swim in the lakes or the Kazinga Channel, where hippos and crocodiles live. Chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura gorge is on steep, slippery ground, so wear sturdy shoes.
National ParkBwindi Impenetrable National ParkMountain gorilla trekking
National ParkKibale National ParkChimpanzee tracking
National ParkMurchison Falls National ParkThe Nile forcing through a seven-metre gorge
National ParkKidepo Valley National ParkRemote savannah wilderness
National ParkLake Mburo National ParkWalking safaris among zebra and eland
National ParkMgahinga Gorilla National ParkGorillas and golden monkeys on the Virunga volcanoesOur take
“Head south to Ishasha”
Many itineraries only touch the north of the park, but we think Ishasha deserves a night or two of its own. It feels far more remote, you may have the fig trees and their lions to yourself, and it sits neatly on the way to Bwindi. We also like to take the Kazinga Channel boat in the late afternoon, when the light is warm and the elephants come down to drink.
Safaris from
US$1,626 per person
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