Uganda
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Crater lakes, boat safaris and varied wildlife beneath the Rwenzoris.
Know before you go
Welcome to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Uganda's most visited savannah park, spread between crater lakes, grassland and the Kazinga Channel, with the Rwenzori mountains behind on a clear day. The tree-climbing lions of the Ishasha sector are its best-known oddity.
Plan with confidence
Make Queen Elizabeth National Park work for you
Highlights
- The Kazinga Channel boat trip, with one of the densest hippo concentrations anywhere and elephants coming down to drink
- Tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector in the south - unusual behaviour and not guaranteed
- Crater lakes in the north of the park, dramatic and good for walking
- Chimpanzee tracking in the Kyambura Gorge, a forest slot cut into the savannah
- Over six hundred bird species, among the highest counts of any protected area in Africa
Getting around
- A long drive from Kampala, or light aircraft to Mweya or Kasese.
- Frequently combined with Bwindi to the south - Ishasha is on the natural route between them.
- A 4x4 is needed; the park is large and the sectors are far apart.
Good to know
- Two to four nights, and treat Ishasha as a separate base rather than a day trip from the north.
- Do the Kazinga Channel boat in the afternoon, when animals come down to the water.
- Tree-climbing lions are a behaviour, not a species - some days they are simply not in the trees.
- It pairs naturally with Bwindi, which is why most itineraries include both.
Hippo are numerous and dangerous on land at night - follow lodge guidance. Stay in the vehicle on game drives, and in the boat on the channel.
Plan around it
Book nearby
We don't yet have stays or experiences listed in Queen Elizabeth National Park. These places in the same country are on M-Talii now, and pair naturally with a visit here.
Before you book
Queen Elizabeth National Park questions, answered
Will I see the tree-climbing lions?
Sometimes. The Ishasha lions do climb, but whether they are up a fig tree on the morning you visit is genuinely a matter of luck.
Is the boat trip worth it?
It is the highlight for most visitors - hippo in enormous numbers, elephant, buffalo and exceptional birdlife, all from the water.
Orientation
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