Top 5 Best Things to do in Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda
There is boundless list of adventurous things to do in Queen Elizabeth National Park of Uganda. One can indulge in some of the fancy thrills at the park such as game drives, boat cruise or engage in conservation and educative exploits.
But, what are those best 5 experiences Queen Elizabeth National Park has to offer? Based on what most travelers ask for when visiting Queen Elizabeth Park and overall reviews about the park, we have compiled a list of the top Things to do in Queen Elizabeth national park you should never miss.
Top 5 Things to Do in Queen Elizabeth Safari Park
- Game Drives – Wildlife Game Viewing
The size of Queen Elizabeth park makes it impossible for travelers to explore her flora and fauna if not for the game drives. Wildlife exploration by driving in a custom safari vehicle tops the list of things to do in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Game drives are the most popular activity giving you a better viewing point of the mammals, the park’s landscape that includes savanna grasslands, swamp lands, acacia woods, crater lakes, gorges and the nearby mountain of the moon, Rwenzori Mountains.
The best time for game drive in Queen Elizabeth Park is between the morning and evening times when the animals are most active. A game drive can last for up to 4 hours.
There are several sectors you can drive through while in Queen with Mweya peninsula and Kasenyi plains offering the best wildlife experience in Queen Elizabeth National Par. You can as well drive to crater lakes region for beautiful landscape or Ishasha sector known for the unique Tree-climbing lions.
These game drives give you the opportunity to see herds of buffaloes and elephants, antelopes, waterbucks, warthog, birds such as flamingos, lions, and so much more. In order to see nocturnal animals like leopards and hyenas or lions hunting, you better book a night game drive.
For an excellent Queen Elizabeth Safari experience, ensure that you book with us so that we assign you a guide well conversant with multiple trails of Queen’s sectors. Travel in a 4×4 safari vehicle that can easily cruise through the bumpy trucks of the park. These safari cars are also equipped with open-roof tops and sliding windows for better view.
- Launch Cruise/Boat Ride
It’s an exhilarating experience riding on a boat in the middle of the jungle during the noontide or afternoon. Launch cruise safaris in Queen Elizabeth national park happens at Kazinga Channel, a 32-kilometre long waterway that links Lake Edward and Lake George.
The boat cruise offers a vantage view of aquatic life and of different animals that flock the banks of the waterway to quench their thirsty during the day. Animals such as Hippos, crocodiles, elephants, water lizards, buffaloes and water birds are common guests to the channel.
Kazinga channel is another Birders haven as it hosts a significant number of bird species (more than that of the North America) during the bird migration seasons. It should be on your list of Things to do in Queen Elizabeth Park.
There are 2 boat cruise operators in Queen Elizabeth National park; Uganda Wildlife Authority and for a more comfort boat ride, Mweya Safari lodge all cruising for up to 2 hours.
During our Uganda safaris to Queen Elizabeth national park, we include an evening launch cruise at Kazinga channel for you to enjoy the various sights and sounds of this extravagantly rich waterway (channel).
- Birding / Bird Watching Safaris
Uganda as a country is a home to more than 50% of all bird species that can found in Africa. With over 619 bird species recorded in the park, Queen Elizabeth national park is one of the 16 Important Bird Areas of Uganda.
Birding in Queen Elizabeth national park is unmatched due to numerous bird species found there from migratory birds to woodland and forest dwellers to wetlands and water birds to savannah birds.
Among the species to look out for are the; flamingos, Kingfishers, Grey-headed Gull, Grey-capped Warbler, Grey Kestrel, Great-white and Pink-backed Pelicans, Greater Swamp and winged Warblers, Open-billed Stork, Northern Pochard, Slender-billed, shoebill stork, Black Crake, Black Bee-eater, Bateleur and African Fish Eagle among others.
- Chimpanzee Trekking
Trekking to encounter human’s distant cousins, Chimpanzees is one of the eventful things to do in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Chimpanzee trekking occurs in the Valley of Apes, Kyambura Gorge.
Kyambura gorge was formed with strong waters of River Kyambura and it is currently covered in a thick forest, commonly referred to as the underground forest. It stretches to about 16km and it goes down 100 meters with ground width of approximately 500 meters.
The chimpanzees in Kyambura gorge are well habituated for you to encounter. On your way in and out of the gorge, you may encounter other awesome primates’ species such as baboons, Black-and-white Colobus and Red tailed monkeys which also call Kyambura a home.
The chimpanzee permits for Kyambura goes for USD $50 and can be booked at the park offices at Mweya.
The gorge besides primates, hosts vegetation types that cannot be found elsewhere on earth, unique snake species, butterflies and insects that are worth learning about.
- Hot air balloon Safaris
Hot air balloon safari is a new wildlife experience in Queen and it is arguably the most amazing things to do in Queen Elizabeth national park. Although it is priced highly compared to game drives, hot air balloon safari is a once in lifetime adventure you should never miss when in Queen.
Hot air balloon experience starts very early in the morning with a briefing at Kasenyi park entrance where you also witness the preparations being done on the rides.
You will then board the balloon basket and start floating over witnessing the fauna of the park from the sky.
Visit Queen Elizabeth National Park any day of the year and enjoy unsurpassed wildlife experience in Uganda with one of our well-thought Uganda safaris to Queen Elizabeth. You can as well opt for Bespoke Uganda Safaris to Queen.
To fully enjoy Things to do in Queen Elizabeth, understand the best time to visit the park. Out of experience, the dry season (June to August and December to February) is the best time to visit the park and so, enjoying the activities there. The wet season is also good for travelers who seek tremendous discounts, less congestion and watching butterflies.
Our Top 3 Uganda Safaris to Queen Elizabeth National Park:
2 Days Queen Elizabeth Safari
This tour lets you enjoy wildlife game drive along Kasenyi Plains and a boat cruise on Kazinga Channel of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The park is the second largest Uganda Safari park offering unforgettable… View Tour
3 Days Queen Elizabeth Wildlife Safari
This is an exceptional Uganda wildlife tour trip ushering you into the pristine savannas of Queen Elizabeth National park, western Uganda. This short Uganda wildlife exploration includes a game drive and boat cruise… View Tour
5 Days Uganda Gorilla and Wildlife Safari
This tour takes you through a lifetime gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, 2 game drives and boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park. At Queen Elizabeth Safari Park, you have… View Tour
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Other Things to do in Queen Elizabeth National Park;
- Tree-climbing Lion
- Wildlife Conservation and Research Safaris
- Visit Lake Katwe Salt fields
- Nature Walks at the Maramagambo Forest
- Cultural Tours
Well, I think Queen Elizabeth National Park should be on every travelers’ bucket list.
This guide really explains well every activity in this beautiful park. Well done!!