5 Days Explore Queen Elizabeth National Park
Our 5 days safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda begins and ends in Kampala and is a fascinating introduction to the country. You will have the chance to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda’s second-largest national park after Murchison Falls National Park, as part of the Uganda safari.
Elephants, lions that can climb trees, leopards, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, hippos, and crocodiles, among many other animal species, can all be seen during the safari’s game drives and boat cruises along the Kazinga Channel. In Kyambura Gorge, also referred to as the valley of the apes, you will have the opportunity to spend an hour with endangered chimpanzees.
Highlights of the 5 days Explore Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 2: Morning game drive/ lion tracking and afternoon boat cruise
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking and crater lakes
Day 4: Full day game drive in Ishasha sector
Day 5: Departure to Kampala
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
On the first day of the five days spent exploring Queen Elizabeth National Park, your driver-guide will pick you up, give you a briefing on the safari, and then begin the trip to the park in western Uganda, depending on where you are in Kampala. You will stop for lunch en route in Fort Portal before continuing your journey with breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape, which includes the Rwenzori Mountains, tea and banana plantations, crater lakes, and more.
Upon arrival, you can choose to go on an optional evening wildlife drive where you can see a variety of creatures, including elephants, buffalo, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, and warthogs. You will go to the lodge for dinner and the night after the game drive.
Day 2: Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive.
On the second day of your 5-day exploration of Queen Elizabeth National Park, your driver-guide will pick you up from the lodge after an early breakfast and take you on a morning game drive or lion tracking excursion in the Kasenyi plains. The big four mammals, lions, leopards, elephants, and buffaloes, as well as other creatures like waterbucks, bushbucks, and Uganda kobs, will all be visible during the game drive, along with several bird species. You will return to the lodge for lunch following the game drive.
Afternoon boat cruise
After lunch, you’ll drive to the landing area near the Mweya Safari Lodge to board a boat for an unforgettable trip down the 40-kilometre-long Kazinga Channel, which connects Lake George and Lake Edward. You can see a lot of hippos and Nile crocodiles in the water during the boat trip, which lasts for about two hours. You can also see buffalo, elephants, and warthogs drinking water along the banks, as well as a variety of waterbirds, including the yellow-billed stork, cormorants, hornbills, African skimmer, kingfishers, and fish eagles.
Along the coastlines, you may observe fisherman setting up their gear for night fishing and watch them snap lovely shots, among other things. After the boat tour, you’ll embark on an evening game drive to see some of the animals you missed in the morning. You’ll then head back to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay while on a safari in Uganda.
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking and crater lakes tour
You will meet your driving guide on the third day of your 5-day exploration of Queen Elizabeth National Park to transfer to Kyambura Gorge, commonly known as the Valley of the Apes, where you will receive training on the guidelines for chimpanzee trekking. Following the briefing, a park guide will be assigned to you and you can begin trekking into the forest in search of the habituated chimps. Because they prefer to wander from one location to another in quest of food, chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge can take anything from 30 minutes to 4 hours.
When trekking, you’ll see baboons, black-and-white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, a variety of beautiful birds, including the African kingfisher, blue-headed bee-eater, falcons, and African finfoot, as well as other mammals, including elephants, as well as many plant and tree species. Once the chimpanzees have been located, you will be permitted to spend an hour with them in their natural environment. This will allow you to see their daily routines, such as feeding, nursing, playing, hunting, and resting, as well as take pictures and record the events. Once you’ve spent an hour with the chimpanzees, you’ll hike back to the beginning, where your driving guide will be waiting to take you back to the lodge for lunch.
You will meet your driving guide after lunch to travel on a Crater Lake trip, during which you will see Katwe Crater Lake. You will have the chance to speak with locals on the tour who are using the lake’s rock salt extraction as a source of income, visit Nyamunuka Crater Lake, also known as the hospital for animals, Lake Bunyampaka, and Nyamunuka, among other places. You will drive back to the resort for an evening of relaxation, dinner, and lodging after the Crater Lakes tour.
Day 4: Game drive in Ishasha sector
On the fourth day of your 5-day exploration of Queen Elizabeth National Park, meet your driver guide after breakfast and head out for a full-day game drive in the Ishasha region. The Ishasha area of Queen Elizabeth National Park is noted for housing the well-known tree climbing lions, which may be seen there when on a game drive.
The lions that climb trees can be observed in the Ishasha sector lazily lying up in the branches of acacia and fig trees and gazing at other animals, like Uganda kobs, waterbucks, buffaloes, and elephants, among others. You will return to the lodge for dinner and the night after the wildlife drive.
Day 5: Departure to Kampala
The final day of your 5-day exploration of Queen Elizabeth National Park will begin with a leisurely breakfast before you check out of the lodge and meet your driver/guide for the trip back to Kampala. You will make a lunch break at the Igongo Cultural Centre on the way, and then continue your adventure with a stop at the Equator, where you may shop for crafts, artwork, paintings, and photography.
You will travel from the Equator to Kampala, where you will arrive in the early evening. Your driver guide will then leave you off wherever is most convenient.
End of 5 days Explore Queen Elizabeth National Park
Quotation includes
- Permit for trekking chimpanzees
- Entry fees for parks and game drives
- Cost of tracking lions
- cost of a boat ride
- entire time English-speaking chauffeur
- Accommodation
- Kampala pick-up and drop-off
- Safari vehicle with 4WD and fuel
- water in containers
Tour excludes
- Tickets for flights and visas
- optional pursuits not included in the schedule
- Personal expenses include, for example, the purchase of drinks, crafts, souvenirs, laundry services, and tips.
