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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
March to May & August to December –Wet Seasons
From: $319 to $2000 pp/da
From: January to February and June to July (Dry seasons)
From: June to September (Peak time for Uganda)
From: 1,978km² / 764mi²
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.
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
Wet Seasons –March to May & August to December
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.
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:
Passport, Visa & Other Entry Requirements
Please check our Getting There – Uganda page to learn more about passports, visas, COVID-19, and other entry requirements.
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