Overview–uganda

Queen Elizabeth National Park

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 (rhinos are absent) and chimp tracking is available.

Scenery

The park is set against a backdrop of the Rwenzori Mountains. Additional scenic points are the Kazinga Channel between Lake Edward and Lake George and at least 10 crater lakes. The most accessible part of the park is the 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.

Best Time to Visit

Queen Elizabeth National Park is open all year long, but wildlife viewing is at its best from January to February and June to July (the Dry seasons). However, this scenic park is at its most beautiful in the Wet seasons from March to May and August to December. April, May, October, and November are very wet months and during that time, the rain might interfere with your safari.

January to February & June to July –Dry Seasons

Wildlife is easier to spot as vegetation thins and animals gather around water sources
Drier trails make chimp trekking easier
Sunny days are plentiful
The best time for birding is late May to September
Views aren't as good due to the hazy air

March to May & August to December –Wet Seasons

You will see a decent amount of wildlife year-round
The landscape is beautiful and green
Migratory birds can be spotted from November to April
Roads may become inaccessible after heavy rains and forest trails get slippery
Afternoon thunderstorms should be expected, and it might drizzle for days at a time

Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

Jan

Feb

Jul

April

May

Mar

Sept

Nov

Dec

Jun

Aug

Rates

From: $319 to $2000 pp/da

Best Time to Go

From: January to February and June to July (Dry seasons)

High Season

From: June to September (Peak time for Uganda)

Size

From: 1,978km² / 764mi²

Wildlife & Animals

Elephants and buffalo are very common, and lions are surprisingly easy to spot. There are many interesting antelope species, such as Uganda kob, topi, and bushbuck. Hippos and crocodiles are common in the Kazinga Channel. A troop of chimpanzees has been habituated for tracking and nine other primate species are found, including the black-and-white colobus monkey. Giraffes and zebra are absent.

Wildlife Highlights

Tree-climbing lions are a specialty of the Ishasha sector of the park, where they can often be found resting in huge fig trees. Giant forest hogs is unusually easy to see, both on drives and boat trips. Buffalo are particularly attractive as they are often reddish brown due to interbreeding with forest buffalo from the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Chimp trekking is available in the steamy, tropical forest of Kyambura Gorge.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

Queen Elizabeth National Park can be visited throughout the year, but the best times for wildlife viewing are the Dry seasons (from June to July and January to February) when animals are concentrated near rivers and lakes. Some of the roads can become impassable after heavy rain.

General Wheather

The climate in Queen Elizabeth National Park is warm. Temperatures remain uniform throughout the year. Daytime temperatures rise to around 29°C/84°F and slowly fall to around 17°C/63°F at night. Queen Elizabeth NP doesn’t have a real Dry season, so there is always potential for rain. Rain happens less from mid-December through February, with June and July having the least rain.

Dry Seasons –January to February & June to July

January & February – Rain should still be expected even though this time of year enjoys dry weather, in general. Rains can even happen for days at a time.
June & July – There is a slight potential for rain during these months, the driest months. Daytime temperatures average 29°C/84°F, and nighttime temperatures average 16°C/61°F.

Wet Seasons –March to May & August to December

March, April & May – Rain peaks in April during this time of increased rainfall. Temperatures are pleasant (around 29°C/84°F) in the late afternoon and cooler (17°C/63°F) in the morning. Roads can become impassable and trails used for chimp tracking get slippery.
August, September, October, November & December – This time of year is similar to March through May, with rain peaking in November.

Prons

Top wildlife viewing
Boat trips on the Kazinga Channel are available
Tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector
Chimp trekking available
Excellent birding with 600 species recorded

Cons

The Mweya peninsula area can get busy in the high season
The main road bisects the park and people live along the boundaries

How To Get There

Queen Elizabeth National Park is located about 410km/255 mi west of Kampala. The direct drive takes at least 7 to 8 hours*, but your itinerary will most likely include some stops on the way.

You will enter Uganda at Entebbe International Airport (EBB), about 46km/29 mi from Kampala, the capital city. Generally, your tour operator will arrange for your pick up from the airport, and organize any further transportation required as part of your safari package.

*Driving times are only a rough indication. You should always consider the possibility of significant delays.

Airlines & Ticket Prices

Please check Skyscanner to see which airlines can take you to Entebbe International Airport (EBB), and what tickets would cost.

www.skyscanner.com

Domestic Flights

It is possible to fly to any of the nearby airstrips of Kasese, Mweya, or Kihihi (for Ishasha) by scheduled or chartered aircraft from Entebbe International Airport (EBB) or Kajjansi Airfield near Kampala. These flights are usually booked by your tour operator. The following airlines run scheduled flights to airstrips near Queen Elizabeth National Park: