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Queen Elizabeth NP Safari - Compare 546 Tours

4.3/5  –  150 Queen Elizabeth NP Safari Reviews

Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s most popular safari destination. It’s a scenic 1,978km²/764mi² mosaic of moist savannah, tropical jungle, marshy wetlands, open lakes and gaping volcanic craters, all set below the glacial peaks of the Rwenzori Mountains. Wildlife includes tree-climbing lions, habituated chimps and large herds of elephant, while a bird checklist of 600-plus species surpasses any other African park of comparable size. When you consider that Queen Elizabeth is also serviced by a vast range of accommodations and is conveniently close to the country’s most popular gorilla and chimp trekking destinations, it’s little wonder that it features on almost all holidays to southwest Uganda.

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5 Questions About Queen Elizabeth NP Tours

1. Can I see the Big Five on a Queen Elizabeth National Park safari?
2. Will I see tree-climbing lions at Ishasha in Queen Elizabeth NP?
3. Can I combine Queen Elizabeth NP with gorilla trekking?
4. What activities are available at Queen Elizabeth NP?
5. Can I see chimpanzees or other primates during a Queen Elizabeth safari?
 
 

5 Questions About Queen Elizabeth NP Tours

Answered by Philip Briggs

Can I see the Big Five on a Queen Elizabeth National Park safari?

“Four of the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino) are present in Queen Elizabeth NP. Of these, buffalo and elephants are very common and almost certain to be encountered, especially if you do a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel. Lions are most common on the Kasenyi Plains and very likely to be seen on game drives there, especially in the early morning. Leopards are numerous throughout the park but very shy and seldom seen except around the Kazinga Channel, where they most often emerge in the late afternoon. To be certain of seeing lions and leopards, we recommend booking one of the Queen Elizabeth Predator Project’s experiential tourism excursions, which track down certain radio-collared individuals living in and around the Kazinga Channel. The only member of the Big Five absent from Queen Elizabeth NP is the rhino. Once common in parts of Uganda, rhinos were poached to local extinction in the early 1980s. To see them in Uganda today, you need to go to Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch, where an introduced population of several dozen white rhinos can be tracked on foot. Ziwa lies some distance from Queen Elizabeth, but it can be visited as a day trip out of Kampala, and is also easily tagged onto any tour package that combines Queen Elizabeth with Murchison Falls National Park.”

1

Will I see tree-climbing lions at Ishasha in Queen Elizabeth NP?

“The Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth NP is one of the few places anywhere in Africa where lions routinely climb trees. This remarkable behavior most often occurs in the midday/afternoon heat, when you might encounter an entire pride draped over the boughs of a suitable tree. A few years back, tree-climbing lions were seen on almost a daily basis in Ishasha. These days sightings seem to be more erratic, but you are still reasonably likely to see lions on any given day, assuming you travel with a guide who knows which trees they favor.”

2

Can I combine Queen Elizabeth NP with gorilla trekking?

“Yes! It is very easy – and equally common – for Ugandan tour packages to combine a Queen Elizabeth National Park safari with a visit to nearby Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, the country’s premier gorilla trekking destination. The closest gorilla trekking base is Buhoma, which lies on the northern boundary of Bwindi Impenetrable NP. The road distance from Queen Elizabeth NP to Buhoma is between 70km/43mi and 160km/99mi, and the drive takes two to five hours. Buhoma offers access to some of the world’s most habituated gorilla families, which means you are all but guaranteed an excellent close-up encounter with these gentle giants. Note, however, that trekking permits usually need to be booked well in advance. If Buhoma is sold out, there are three other gorilla trekking hubs in Bwindi (Ruhija, Nkuringo and Rushaga). It is also possible to track these magnificent apes in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. All these places lie within a day’s drive of Queen Elizabeth NP and are easily combined with it.”

3

What activities are available at Queen Elizabeth NP?

“Queen Elizabeth NP offers an unusually varied selection of activities. Most popular is the boat trip along the Kazinga Channel, a wide and steep-sided waterway that connects Lake Edward to Lake George. Wildlife viewing along the channel is usually excellent; you can expect to see plenty of elephant, hippo, buffalo, warthog and waterbuck, and lucky visitors might also encounter lion, leopard or giant forest hog. Other attractions include the channel’s spectacular birdlife, which includes flotillas of pelicans and the striking black-headed gonolek, and occasional glimpses of the snow-capped Rwenzori peaks. The most rewarding areas for game drives are the open Kasenyi and Ishasha Plains, both of which are good for lion, buffalo and various antelope. The scenic Katwe Explosion Crater track in the park’s northwest runs along the rim of a series of dramatic volcanic craters, many of which contain pretty lakes. Close to this, the salty Katwe Crater Lakes often attract large flocks of flamingos. An interesting selection of guided activities includes tracking collared lions and leopards on the abovementioned predator tourism excursions. For a good leg stretch, you can join researchers following a habituated troop of around 60 banded mongooses on the Mweya Peninsula, or hike into the lush interior of Maramagambo Forest to see crater lakes, bat caves and a variety of forest birds and monkeys.”

4

Can I see chimpanzees or other primates during a Queen Elizabeth safari?

“Many tours combine a Queen Elizabeth safari with an overnight stay at Kibale National Park, which is the most reliable chimp trekking site anywhere in Uganda, possibly all of Africa. But while Kibale is the first choice of most visitors, it also tends to get very busy, so there is much to be said for trekking at one of two quieter sites closer to Queen Elizabeth NP. These are Kyambura Gorge, which lies on the park’s eastern boundary with Kyambura National Park, and Kalinzu Forest Reserve, which flanks the main Kampala road about 30km/19mi farther south. Two savannah-dwelling primates are commonly seen in and around Queen Elizabeth NP, namely olive baboon and vervet monkey. In addition, troops of acrobatic black-and-white colobus are regularly seen in riparian forests fringing the park’s rivers and lakes, and a wide variety of forest monkeys is resident in the depths of Maramagambo Forest.”

5

Queen Elizabeth NP Safari Reviews

4.3/5 150 Reviews
Expert
Charlotte Beauvoisin  –  
Uganda UG

Charlotte lives in Uganda and is a writer, blogger, volunteer and promoter of birding, conservation and responsible tourism. She writes for Fodor’s, Horizon Guides and Bradt, and runs an award-winning blog.

Queen Elizabeth’s Reign Continues in Uganda’s Best Safari Destination
5/5

If you only visit one national park in Uganda, visit (what is colloquially known as) Queen. Measuring 1,978km² Queen Elizabeth encompasses crater lakes, savannah, forests, plains, forested gorges and rivers. Oh yes, and the equator runs...

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Expert
Mark Eveleigh  –  
United Kingdom UK

Mark is a travel writer who grew up in Africa and has written over 700 titles for Condé Nast Traveller, Travel Africa, BBC Wildlife and others.

Greatest Collection of Mammal Species in Uganda
5/5

The best way to get an early feel for Queen Elizabeth National Park is to join a two-hour boat cruise up the Kazinga Channel, which runs between Lake George and Lake Edward. Birdlife is fantastic but the whole journey, especially if you go...

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Annette  –  
Australia AU
Reviewed: Sep 6, 2026
4/5

In comparison with other safari destinations that we've visited (in Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania), this park lacks the proliferation and diversity of wildlife we've seen elsewhere. It's still a worthwhile destination...

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Brian Ralph  –  
United States US
Reviewed: Mar 15, 2026
4/5

Its a good national park. Going into the gorge to see chimps here was really amazing. I think we liked it more than Kibale, but that could be situational. The park had all the things you were looking for though maybe more limited than say...

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Jose Murguia  –  
United States US
Reviewed: Dec 27, 2024
5/5

In Queen Elizabeth we don't see a big variety of animals but we saw a Lion in real action haunting a Coat if I remember correctly in this park we spot probably 12 Lions but seen one ir realAction was just amazing

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Karen  –  
United Kingdom UK
Reviewed: May 12, 2024
An African adventure I will never forget
5/5

Safari of a lifetime on an affordable budget Accommodation had everything you needed set in stunning waterside location that literally had hypo’s antelope and wart hogs roaming about outside your door Denis is knowledgeable...

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All 150 Queen Elizabeth NP Safari Reviews