Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda
Unlike Kruger, the Serengeti or the Masai Mara, Queen Elizabeth National Park is hardly a household name. But not only does its wildlife rival that of any other African national park, its volcanic backdrops put safaris here into a whole other league. Yes, it has four of the Big Five strolling across its bright green savannah, but it also has crater lakes, flocks of flamingos, and a chimp-inhabited underground forest. The trumpeting of elephants echoes around ancient craters, and bounces off the steep walls of the Kichwamba Escarpment. Buffalos cluster in huge herds, framed by the dark, knuckle-like silhouette of the Rwenzori Mountains – the ‘Mountains of the Moon’. Come to Uganda for its gorillas, by all means, but don’t fall for the idea that there is nothing else to see.
Most tours enter the park from the north, taking you through the Kasenyi region, a favourite for game drives, and onto the Kyambura Gorge. Pause at Mweya Peninsula for views across the park and Lake Edward, and an afternoon cruise up the Kazinga Channel. Continuing south through Ishasha, you’ll seek out the tree climbing lions and topi. Tours that spend several days in the region may also venture out to visit neighbouring Toro and Ankole communities. The area around the park is lush and heavily populated, and you can meet craftspeople and salt harvesters, learn how to weave baskets or make recycled paper jewellery, and enjoy colourful cultural performances with lively dancing to the sound of hand carved wooden xylophones.
Our Uganda Holidays
Gorilla Safari & the Masai Mara
Superb safari and trip to see gorillas
From
£3199
18 days
ex flights
Uganda wildlife holiday
This you cannot miss while in Uganda -The wild and beautiful!
From
£2650
8 days
ex flights
Gorilla and game safari in Uganda
The great Silverback Gorilla & wildlife all in one package!
From
£3050
10 days
ex flights
Uganda wildlife and activity holiday
Experience the Pearl of Africa...true African adventure!
From
£4450
15 days
ex flights
Best of Uganda wildlife tour
Chimpanzees, mountain gorillas, tree-climbing lions & more
From
£5250
7 days
ex flights
Gorillas and big game, Nairobi to Kigali tour
See classic African game and gorillas
From
£5199 to £5399
18 days
inc UK flights
Gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda
Incredible wildlife experience in Uganda and Rwanda
From
£3075 to £3810
8 days
ex flights
Uganda gorilla safari and Murchison Falls holiday
Explore two of Uganda's iconic conservation areas
From
US $4891 to US $5337
8 days
ex flights
Uganda primate trekking and community holiday
Community focused gorilla and chimpanzee safari
From
US $6431 to US $7035
10 days
ex flights
Privately guided Uganda holiday
Gorilla habituation, volcanic crater lakes and safari
From
US $5741 to US $5933
9 days
ex flights
Tailor made gorilla and chimp tracking safari, Uganda
The Ultimate Primate experience in the Jungle!
From
£1850
4 days
ex flights
Uganda gorilla tracking and wildlife safari holiday
A wonderful gorilla and wild life experience in Uganda
From
£1700
10 days
ex flights
Gorilla safari and game parks, Uganda
A wildlife experience like no other
From
£2525 to £2860
16 days
ex flights
Primate tour in Rwanda and Uganda
Track down mountain gorillas and chimps in Uganda & Rwanda
From
£4595
11 days
ex flights
Mountain gorilla project in Uganda
Work towards conservation of the majestic gorilla in Uganda
From
£2995
14 days
ex flights
Uganda highlights tour
Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi & Murchison Falls National Parks
From
£4950
12 days
ex flights
Small group adventure holiday in Uganda
Experience the fresh waters, wilderness & Jungle in Africa!
From
£2380
7 days
ex flights
4 day gorilla safari in Uganda
Enjoy the Ultimate Wildlife Tick-List Experience!
From
US $2162 to US $2372
4 days
ex flights
Classic Uganda safari and gorilla trekking
Gorilla and Wildlife Safari in South West Uganda.
From
£3995
10 days
ex flights
Uganda gorilla express tour
A six day gorilla safari in Uganda
From
£1970 to £2360
6 days
ex flights
Nairobi to Harare overland tour, 41 days
From mountain gorillas to blue waters of Zanzibar
From
£1795
6 weeks
ex flights
Horse riding safari in Uganda
Follow the Nile on horseback where it leaves Lake Victoria
From
£3250
8 days
ex flights
Gorilla and Chimp safari in Uganda
See Gorillas and Chimps in the Ugandan rainforest.
From
£4801 to £4942
13 days
inc UK flights
Kenya, Uganda & Rwanda overland tour
Overland tour of East African National Parks
From
£695
13 days
ex flights
Cairo to Cape Town overland tour
Epic 17 week overland journey from Cairo to Cape Town
From
£4795
17 weeks
ex flights
Best of Uganda holiday
An easy-paced trip tracking Gorillas in the Ugandan forests.
From
£3185 to £4150
10 days
ex flights
Uganda tailor made tour
A nature lover’s wonderland, where savannah meet jungles
From
£3395
10 days
ex flights
Uganda holiday, gorillas, chimps & game
An 8 day tailor made safari in Uganda
From
£3075
8 days
ex flights
Queen Elizabeth National Park highlights
Kazinga Channel
The Kazinga Channel provides a truly unique wildlife experience. Flowing between Lake Edward, which borders the Congo in the west of the park, to little Lake George in the northeast, this narrow channel is perfect for lazy boat cruises that let you sit back and gaze at the widescreen wildlife passing by. Most abundant are the hippos, which absolutely cram themselves in along the shoreline. Top tip: keep your camera strap around your neck. If one lurches out the water as you’re trying to take a picture, there’s a good chance you’ll drop your camera.The riverbanks attract plenty of other species, from open-jawed Nile crocodiles to enormous buffalo and grazing herds of elephants. There are plenty of birds too – almost 600 species – with giant kingfishers, bee-eaters, weaverbirds, saddle-billed storks and fish eagles most commonly seen.
Ishasha
The more remote southern sector is known for one thing: its tree-climbing lions. Climbing trees is very rare behaviour for these felines. Not only are there no other tree-climbing lions in Uganda, there is only one other population known to do this – and they live hundreds of miles away in Tanzania. It’s been speculated that Ishasha’s lions lounge in the branches to scan the horizon for prey, to take advantage of the breeze, or perhaps to escape the tsetse flies that hover closer to the ground, but in reality this behaviour remains a mystery. Either way, it makes them easier to spot on game drives, as you look out for their silhouettes in the gnarled fig trees, and their twitching tails dangling from the branches.Kyambura Gorge
This ‘underground forest’ is a tree-filled chasm that runs down the east of Queen Elizabeth National Park, some 100m deep and a kilometre across at its widest point. As a geographical feature it’s pretty impressive, but the real reason to descend into its depths are the resident chimpanzees that live in the rainforest canopy. Some of the chimps have been habituated and can be tracked with a Uganda Wildlife Authority guide, but keep in mind that sightings here are far less frequent that in other regions (for this reason the price tag, at just US $50, is a lot lower, too). Even without seeing chimps a walking safari here is enjoyable, and you can keep a lookout for black and white colobus, vervet and red monkeys, as well as abundant birdlife, including colourful bee-eaters and the aquatic finfoot.Our top Uganda Holiday
Gorilla Safari & the Masai Mara
Superb safari and trip to see gorillas
From
£3199
18 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2021: 27 Jun, 12 Sep
2021: 27 Jun, 12 Sep
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Uganda or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
How to visit
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Most of our Uganda holidays follow an anticlockwise itinerary, starting and ending in Kampala. You’ll head west to track chimps in Kibale, then take game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park, before continuing south to seek out the gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Some longer routes also swing further north, taking in Murchison Falls National Park.
Thanks to Uganda’s small size, holidays rarely include domestic flights, although do be prepared for some long and often bumpy drives between the various highlights. Fortunately, the scenery is lovely enough to keep you more than occupied, even on a full day’s journey. Small group tours typically spend two to four days exploring the different sectors of the park, with a mix of walking tours, game drives and river cruises. A longer tour might also include visits to local villages.
Thanks to Uganda’s small size, holidays rarely include domestic flights, although do be prepared for some long and often bumpy drives between the various highlights. Fortunately, the scenery is lovely enough to keep you more than occupied, even on a full day’s journey. Small group tours typically spend two to four days exploring the different sectors of the park, with a mix of walking tours, game drives and river cruises. A longer tour might also include visits to local villages.
Uganda is not a self drive destination, so holidays here are either tailor made with your own driver, or – more commonly – small group tours with a driver guide who’ll transport you in a 4x4. These guides are invaluable on game drives, as they can spot snoozing lions you would otherwise have missed, and share plenty of information about the wildlife you’ll encounter here.
The safari lodges in Queen Elizabeth National Park are particularly charming, and there is an excellent range to suit all budgets. Lower end safari camps have thatched tents or cottages with en suite bathrooms, and open air dining areas that might overlook a crater lake or hippo-filled river. Higher end lodges are truly luxurious, while still keeping you immersed in the bush, as warthogs and baboons amble across the lawns in front of your room, and sunbirds flit past the window. Even if the glorious Mweya Safari Lodge is out of your budget, you can still enjoy a lunch here, on a tranquil deck high above the Kazinga Channel. Meals everywhere are hearty and of high quality – generally more international cuisine than local dishes.
When to go to
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Sitting squarely on the equator, Queen Elizabeth has little temperature variation throughout the year. The rainiest months are March to May, with gentler rains in October to November, although this should not hinder wildlife viewing at all. The animals here are not migratory so can be seen all year round; there really is no best time to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park. Do bear in mind, though, that if you are continuing on south to track gorillas, you may wish to avoid the rainy seasons, although tracking permits are sometimes discounted at this time (typically April, May and November – but do check with your holiday company).
More about Uganda
Visitors come to Uganda for the endangered mountain gorilla - but what really ends up capturing their hearts is the warmth of the Ugandan people, the breathtaking volcanic scenery and the safaris by road and river.
The best time to visit Uganda is pretty much all year round. The country straddles the equator so there are no true seasons, although March to May an October to November are wetter.
Uganda map & highlights. Uganda highlights with maps and itineraries to help you make the most of your time in Uganda. See all of Uganda's highlights with our responsible travel guide.
Things to do in Uganda stretch far beyond gorilla tracking - though that is still top of our Uganda wishlist.
Gorilla tracking in Uganda is the highlight of any trip to this equatorial nation, whose densely forested mountainsides shelter over half the world's mountain gorillas.
Seeing chimpanzees in the wild is an exciting experience. We explain all you need to know about seeing chimps in Uganda, from permit fees to packing tips.
With 10 national parks spanning savannah, forest and waterways, wildlife in Uganda thrives in a huge variety of beautiful landscapes.
Murchison Falls is Uganda’s largest national park, and it feels like one of its wildest.
The eponymous peaks of the Rwenzori Mountains National Park straddle the border between Uganda and the DR Congo.
While its notorious rapids draw keen rafters in from around the world, anyone can enjoy white water rafting on the Nile.
Uganda has some of the harshest anti-LGBT laws in the world. Some homosexuals face life imprisonment, and Pride parades and other events are shut down.
Our Uganda experts have shared their top Uganda travel tips with us, from exploring the culture to seeing gorillas and remembering wildlife exists beyond the great apes!
Uganda is brimming with natural and cultural riches - yet many of its inhabitants are incredibly poor, with electricity and running water still scarce in many regions.
protection
