The Jewel Of Uganda
Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda's most visited and most celebrated protected area — and with good reason. Sprawling across 1,978 square kilometres of the Albertine Rift Valley in western Uganda, it encompasses an astonishing variety of habitats: open savannah, dense forest, volcanic craters, steaming hot springs, the shores of Lake Edward, and the winding Kazinga Channel. The result is a park of extraordinary biodiversity, believed to host more vertebrate species than any other park in the world.
Named in honour of Queen Elizabeth II following her visit in 1954, the park is home to approximately 95 mammal species and over 600 bird species — the highest bird count of any protected area on the African continent. Its most famous residents, the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha, have become legendary in the safari world. These remarkable animals lounge in the branches of giant fig trees, a behaviour recorded in very few lion populations globally.
Activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park
The Kazinga Channel boat cruise is among the finest wildlife experiences in all of Africa. This 32-kilometre natural channel connects Lakes Edward and George, and its banks teem with one of the world's largest concentrations of hippos, along with enormous Nile crocodiles, African fish eagles, goliath herons, and herds of buffalo coming to drink. Dawn and afternoon game drives through the Kasenyi and Mweya sectors reliably produce lion, leopard, elephant, giant forest hog, and Uganda kob. Chimpanzee tracking is available in the Kyambura Gorge — a dramatic forested canyon carved into the savannah floor where habituated chimp families have been studied for decades.
Safari Lodges & Camps in Queen Elizabeth
Mweya Safari Lodge occupies one of the most dramatic positions of any lodge in Uganda — a narrow peninsula at the confluence of the Kazinga Channel and Lake Edward, with water on three sides. Its 56 rooms, tented cottages, and bandas span the peninsula, and hippos and buffalo wander freely through the grounds at night.
Kyambura Game Lodge overlooks the Kyambura Gorge from its elevated ridge position, with sweeping views across the Rift Valley floor to the Rwenzori Mountains. The lodge is ideally placed for chimpanzee tracking and Kazinga Channel excursions and is known for its excellent cuisine and knowledgeable guides.
Ishasha Wilderness Camp is positioned in the remote Ishasha sector of the park — the home of the tree-climbing lions. Six tented suites on the bank of the Ntungwe River offer an atmosphere of genuine wilderness, and the camp's guides have an extraordinary success rate in locating the famous fig-tree lions.
Pumzika Wild Camp is a small, intimate camp at the edge of the savannah that prides itself on personalised guiding and a genuine off-the-beaten-path experience within the Queen Elizabeth ecosystem.
Enganzi Game Lodge sits outside the park boundary on a private conservancy with panoramic Rift Valley views. It combines comfort with authenticity and is particularly celebrated for its community-focused approach and night game drives.