3 days queen Elizabeth national Park wildlife safari
The 3 days queen Elizabeth national Park wildlife safari takes you to Uganda’s most frequented national park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, which spans an area of 1,978 square kilometers and is located in the western region of the country, roughly 376 kilometers from Kampala. It is categorized among many ecosystems, including vibrant lakes, the Kazinga Channel, expansive savannahs, moist forests, and verdant marshes.
The park hosts over 100 mammal species and roughly 606 bird species, providing opportunities to observe numerous antelopes, crocodiles, hippos, elephants, and buffaloes on game drives and boat cruises along the Kazinga Channel that traverses the park. The park hosts climbing lions in the Ishasha Sector, chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge, and different birds and monkeys in Maramagambo Forest
Highlights of 3 days queen Elizabeth national Park wildlife safari
- Visit Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Safari excursion
- Afternoon boat excursion around the Kazinga Channel
- The Equator
- Journey to Kampala
Comprehensive itinerary for 3 days queen Elizabeth national Park wildlife safari
Day 1: Journey from Kampala to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 1 of 3 days queen Elizabeth national Park wildlife safari, Awaken early, partake in a morning breakfast at the hotel, after which your guide will collect you at 7:30 am to provide a briefing before commencing the six-hour journey to Queen Elizabeth National park. During the journey, there will be brief stopovers at the Equator, where you will capture numerous images, and in Mbarara town at Agip Motel for lunch.
Subsequently, continue to the Park while traversing the magnificent terrain marked by expansive grasslands, Ankole long-horned cattle, tea plantations, the Rift Valley Escarpment, and diverse woods. Arrive at the park in the late afternoon and embark on a game drive en route to your lodge. Dine and subsequently spend the night there.
Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation alternatives: Katara Lodge/Mweya Safari Lodge (Luxury), Kasenyi Safari Camp/Ihamba Safari Lodge (Moderate), Simba Safari Camp (Budget)
Day 2: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Safari
0n the day 2 of 3 days queen Elizabeth national Park wildlife safaris, Commence your day with a delectable cup of coffee or tea prior to embarking on a wildlife drive over various trails in the park, including the Kasenyi path.
The Kasenyi route offers an excellent opportunity to observe diverse wildlife, including waterbucks, Uganda kobs, elephants, buffaloes, lions, warthogs, and several bird species. Upon completion of the drive, return to your lodge for breakfast and lunch. In the afternoon, you will enjoy a two-hour boat safari along the Kazinga Channel, which links Lake George and Lake Edward. During the excursion, you will observe a variety of wildlife, including hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, warthogs, elephants, and kobs, as well as an array of birds such as malachite kingfishers and pink-backed pelicans along the banks and in the trees. Dine and stay overnight.
Meal Schedule: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Accommodation alternatives: Katara Lodge/Mweya Safari Lodge (Luxury), Kasenyi Safari Camp/Ihamba Safari Lodge (Moderate), Simba Safari Camp (Budget)
Day 3: Departure for Kampala
On the last day of 3 days queen Elizabeth national Park wildlife safari, With the delightful recollections of the past two days, you will relish a substantial and flavorful breakfast. Upon checking out of the resort, you may go for a primate walk in the park or decline. Relish your lunch en route, then make a stop at the Mpambire Drum Centre to observe the local craftsmanship in drum production and purchase souvenirs. Continue to Kampala, where you will be dropped off at your hotel in the evening, ths mark the end of 3 days queen Elizabeth national Park wildlife safaris,
Tour inclusions: Touring and photography, full-time English-speaking tour leader, transportation, accommodation (full board). Packaged potable water
Exclusions from the tour include visas, international flights, gratuities, laundry services, accommodation costs in Kampala, beverages, and any other optional activities
Queen Elizabeth National Park is among the most renowned wildlife parks in Uganda and East Africa. It is situated in the western region of Uganda, approximately 376 km from Kampala. Queen Elizabeth National Park is renowned for its diverse fauna, much of which was decimated during the Uganda-Tanzania war. The park serves as a genuine nature hub, featuring numerous natural attractions that render it an ideal choice for Uganda safaris. It possesses volcanic characteristics, including volcanic cones and deep craters, as well as the Maramagambo Forest, along with many wildlife species within its boundaries.
Wildlife in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park is renowned for its tree-climbing lions.
Queen Elizabeth National Park hosts a variety of animals and avian species. It is recorded to possess over 95 mammal species and 612 bird species. The diversity merits a visit to the park. The park is inhabited by various animal species, including the Uganda kob, warthog, elephant, waterbuck, giant forest hog, leopards, lions, and hyenas. Topi inhabit Ishasha, while primates are located in Maramagambo Forest and Kyambura Gorge.The park is renowned for its tree-climbing lions. The National Park is home to 612 bird species, including the martial eagle, black-rumped buttonquail, African skimmer, Chapin’s flycatcher, pink-backed pelican, white-winged warbler, papyrus canary, and papyrus gonolek, among others. The park is a paradise for every avian enthusiast.
Game drive in Queen national Park
The park is conducive to game observation throughout the entire year. The optimal periods for visitation are the dry seasons of June to September and January to February, since wildlife congregates near water sources, facilitating easier observation. The vegetation is less dense than it would be during the wet season. This is the ideal time for anyone interested in trucking chimpanzees. Wildlife viewing in the park is also available during the rainy seasons of October to December and March to May. The tracks are treacherous and challenging to traverse. Wildlife observation may be disrupted by rainfall.
Activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park
The park is replete with intriguing attractions and activities. Guided walks are available to explore the secluded areas of the Mweya Peninsula, and one can visit the Kazinga Channel, a 40-kilometer waterway connecting Lake George and Lake Edward. A plethora of wildlife is observable along the channel’s shoreline. Notable features within the park encompass the Katwe explosion craters, the Queen’s pavilion, and the equator. In Ishasha, one can observe the tree-climbing lions. Boat rides on the Kazinga Channel, chimpanzee trekking in the Kyambura Gorge, and appreciating the picturesque scenery are also available activities.
Queen Elizabeth National Park may be accessed from Kampala by plane or by car. The park can be accessed from Kampala via the south through Mbarara, a distance of 420 kilometers, or from the north via Fort Portal, a distance of 410 kilometers. The park is served by three airstrips: Kasese, Ishasha and Mweya airport.
This 2,056 square kilometer park was established in 1952 when the two wildlife reserves of Lakes George and Edward were amalgamated to become Kazinga National Park. Two years later, it was renamed Queen Elizabeth National Park in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Uganda. It is one of Uganda’s oldest national parks and has been designated by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve for Humanity. This park, together with Kyambura and Kigezi game reserves, ranks among the most diverse ecosystems on the African continent.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is undeniably captivating and merits a visit with family or a significant other; nevertheless, prepare to appreciate everything anew, as the park boasts stunning landscapes and attractions that provide an action-packed trip.
The park receives approximately 1250mm of precipitation, primarily from March to May and again from September to November. The thawing glacial waters of Mountain Rwenzori create an extensive wetland system with two principal lakes: Lake George and Lake Edward. Lake Edward was named by the early explorer Henry Morton Stanley in honor of the Prince of Wales, King Edward VII. The two lakes are connected by a 40-kilometer waterway, bordered by thousands of hippos and many bird species year-round.
The park serves as a sanctuary for both dedicated ornithologists and novice bird watchers. The compilation of avian species encompasses 612 varieties, including the rare Shoe Bill, Martial Eagle, Eagle Owl, Papyrus Gonolek, Lesser and Greater Flamingoes, White-tailed Lark, and Verraux’s Eagle Owl. There are around 95 species of mammals, in addition to countless kinds of butterflies.
Activities to enjoy include a launch cruise on the Kazinga Channel, providing an opportunity to observe animals. You will navigate past substantial groups of hippos and observe diverse wildlife, including colossal elephants near the shoreline. The launch cruise is regarded as the premier tourist activity in the park, conducted in the morning and afternoon. In the open savannah, interspersed with Acacia and Euphorbia trees, one can encounter lions, Uganda kobs, leopards, buffaloes, as well as topi, large forest hogs, and waterbucks.
Visitors gain access to the park via over 200 km of well-maintained tracks, including routes that traverse the famous mating grounds of the Uganda kob. The Kasenyi region, located on the eastern side of the Kasese road, is famous for lions that prey on numerous Uganda kobs, while the iconic tree-climbing lions can be observed lounging in the expansive fig trees of the Ishasha area, approximately 100 km south of the upscale Mweya Safari Lodge.
A significant feature is the Kyambura Gorge, a steep ravine formed by the tumultuous waters of the Kyambura River. It offers a green riverine forest home to the amazing chimpanzees, black & white Columbus monkeys, red tailed monkeys as well as olive baboons.
The park also has one of the largest expanses of tropical forest in Uganda, known as the Maramagambo forest, which translates to “the forest beyond description.” Bat caves provide as habitats for pythons that feast on the bats, and these pythons are readily observable. The park features remarkable crater lakes, with the Katwe Explosion Crater being the most prominent. This cluster of extinct volcanoes located north of the Mweya peninsula can be traversed by the 27 km serpentine crater route, providing spectacular vistas of the craters.