Queen Elizabeth National Park Holidays

Chimp trekking, tree-climbing lion spotting, and game drives are the biggest reasons to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park but there is much more to do while you’re here. Choose an alternative wildlife experience when you join a research safari to track lions or mongooses, take a hippo census, or assist with a bird count. See wildlife from a new angle when you cruise along the Kazinga Channel or take an early morning hot air balloon ride.

See how salt is extracted from Lake Katwe as flocks of flamingos skim the algae from its surface. Take a nature walk through Maramagambo Forest to find waterfalls, bat caves, and huge columns of marching ants. Discover traditional cultures in an indigenous village. Before you leave, be sure to stand on the equator, with one foot in each hemisphere, and let a guide demonstrate the science that proves your location.

After Kibale Forest and Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of Uganda’s best chimp trekking destinations with two distinct locations to choose from. Populations are more abundant in Kalinzu Forest but the otherworldly atmosphere of the densely packed trees within Kyambura Gorge creates a movie-like feel as grunts and hoots from not-yet-seen primates echo around.

Even if you don’t see chimps on your trek, the search itself is an experience not to forget. QENP doesn’t just have one star animal, it has two. Tree-climbing lions can only be found in two places on Earth, and the park’s Ishasha sector is one of them. Take a safari to see the king of the jungle surveying its territory from the raised perch of a fig tree branch in the safety of the park’s quieter southern edge.

Game drives are one of the most popular activities across Africa and Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the few places where you can spot wildlife in a different habitat each day. Begin among elephants, buffalos, and warthogs in the Mweya Peninsula grasslands before sailing along the Kazinga Channel to spot hippos, Nile crocodiles, and water birds.

Search for chimps in the Kyambura Gorge or Kalinzu Forest then travel south to the Ishasha sector with your camera ready to capture tree-climbing lions in the less-visited landscape favoured by zebras and kobs. Nocturnal safaris offer chances to see hyenas and leopards while flamingos can be found gathering at the Lake Katwe crater. Every day in QENP has a new landscape and a new set of animals to find.

Temperatures in Queen Elizabeth National Park are consistent throughout the year at around 26°C to 30°C during the day and around 10°C cooler at night. Game viewing and chimpanzee trekking can be enjoyed at any time but the wet and dry seasons offer distinctly different experiences. Visit in January, February, June, or July for the driest and sunniest days with the best game viewing.

If your holiday time is flexible, the early months are often much quieter offering a more exclusive atmosphere. Peak season for arrivals is June to September. While the park feels rich and lush during the wet seasons, heavy storms and some persistent drizzle can affect outdoor activities and even leave some routes impassable. If you’re a birder, May to September are the best months for native species while migratory flocks visit between November and April.