Queen Elizabeth National Park
Overview
Uganda Parks
By Ariadne van Zandbergen
Ariadne is a renowned Africa expert. She and her husband form a team who write and update many Bradt guides, including the guide to Uganda.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s most popular savannah reserve and has the widest variety of wildlife of any Ugandan park. The variety of habitats includes grassland savannah, forests, wetlands and lakes. This provides the setting for an extensive range of large mammals and primates. Four of the Big five are present (rhino are absent) and chimp tracking is available.
Pros & Cons
Wildlife
This is the most reliable park in Uganda for lion, which is particularly common on the grassy Kasenyi Plains but is more famous for its tree-climbing antics in the Ishasha sector. Huge herds of buffalo and elephant are found in the savannah areas of the park and an amazing number of hippo inhabit the Kazinga channel on which daily boat trips are conducted.
Scenery
The park is set against a backdrop of the Rwenzori Mountains. Additional scenic points are Kazinga Channel between Lake Edward and Lake George and at least 10 crater lakes. The most accessible part of the park is open savannah, but large forest areas are open to the public. These include the forested Kyambura Gorge and the extensive Maramagambo forest in the southeast.
Weather & Climate
Queen Elizabeth National Park’s nearness to the equator ensures uniformly warm temperatures throughout the year. Heavy rain that makes some roads impassable is a feature of the region’s two Wet seasons (March to May and August to December). Although there’s no official Dry season, the rainfall abates somewhat – though rarely entirely – from January to February and June to July.
Best Time to Visit
Brief but drenching rainstorms often characterizes the days of the Wet seasons (March to May and August to December), but this is also when the park’s environment is beautifully lush and you can greet migratory birds as they pass through. For chimpanzee trekking, though, visit when the park’s trails are more solid underfoot in the drier months.
Want to Visit Queen Elizabeth NP?
Safari Tours to Queen Elizabeth NP
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![12-Day Uganda - Exclusive]()
12-Day Uganda - Exclusive
$7,840 to $8,350 pp (USD)
Uganda: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Entebbe (Start), Kampala (City), Murchison Falls NP, Fort Portal (Town), Kibale NP (Chimps), Queen Elizabeth NP, Ishasha (Queen Elizabeth NP), Bwindi NP (Gorillas), Entebbe (End)
Matoke Tours
5.0/5 – 309 Reviews
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![12-Day Mid Range the Pearl of Africa Adventure]()
12-Day Mid Range the Pearl of Africa Adventure
$3,745 pp (USD)
Uganda: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Guest HouseYou Visit: Entebbe (Start), Murchison Falls NP, Kibale NP (Chimps), Queen Elizabeth NP, Bwindi NP (Gorillas), Lake Mburo NP, Entebbe (End)
Grassrootz Adventures
5.0/5 – 137 Reviews
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![7-Day Best of Uganda Wildlife]()
7-Day Best of Uganda Wildlife
$7,060 to $7,184 pp (USD)
Rwanda & Uganda: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Entebbe (Start), Kibale NP (Chimps), Queen Elizabeth NP, Kazinga Channel (Queen Elizabeth NP), Bwindi NP (Gorillas), Kigali (End)
Wayfairer Travel
4.9/5 – 72 Reviews
