Big game

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Two places on earth have lions that climb trees as a habit, not an accident. One is Lake Manyara in Tanzania. The other is the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, in southwestern Uganda.

Queen Elizabeth covers 1,978 square kilometers and holds 95 mammal species, including lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo, hippo, and chimpanzee. Bird counts run past 550 species confirmed, out of roughly 1,010 recorded across Uganda as a whole. UNESCO lists the park as a full World Heritage Site.

This 1,978 km² savannah park is one of the greatest wildlife spectacles that Uganda has to offer. Game drives, boat rides and nature walks offer a great way to see the parks 95 mammal species and over 600 bird species.

Animals you can see in Queen Elizabeth National Park include hippos, elephants, leopards, lions and chimpanzees.

The area around Ishasha in Rukungiri District is famous for its tree-climbing lions, whose males sport black manes, a feature unique to the lions in this area.

Park size

1,978 sq km

Mammal species

Bird species

Over 550 confirmed

Status

UNESCO World Heritage Site

The tree-climbing lions

No one has settled why Ishasha's lions climb. Some say they escape tsetse flies at ground level, some say they chase a breeze above the heat. What you'll see is a lion draped across a fig tree branch, watching the Uganda kobs below. Ishasha sits off the main tourist circuit, best reached through Kihihi, Ishaka, and Rukungiri with a 4x4. In the rains, ask the park office for a radio update on road conditions before you commit to the direct route from Katunguru.

The Kazinga Channel

A 32-kilometer channel connects Lake Edward and Lake George, and its banks carry some of the densest hippo and Nile crocodile populations in the park. Boat cruises run at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., two hours each, with privately run cruises also departing at 2 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. from Mweya Peninsula. This is your highest-probability wildlife activity in the park. You don't need to spot anything. It comes to the water.

Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge

The gorge holds habituated chimps in groups of 30 to 80. The trek down into the gorge itself, through thick vegetation and past a mix of forest birds, is a different experience from the savanna game drives elsewhere in the park, and it works well as a half-day add-on if Kibale isn't on your route.

Maramagambo Forest

The name means "end of words", from a story about young people lost in the forest so long they came back unable to speak. Seven primate species live here, including chimpanzees, l'Hoest's monkeys, and black-and-white colobus. The Kyasanduka crater lake inside the forest is one of the few places in Uganda where you can kayak between primate sightings.

Volcanic craters and Lake Katwe

North of Mweya Peninsula, a 27-kilometer drive threads through explosion craters formed by past volcanic activity. Lake Kitagata, fed by salty hot springs, sits along the route, and salt has been mined from Lake Katwe for generations. Expect buffalo and elephant sightings on the drive, plus views of the Rwenzori Mountains, Lake George, and Lake Edward from the crater rims.

When to go

Dry season, June to August and December to February, gives you the best game viewing across Uganda's parks. For birding specifically, December and January are the strongest months in Queen Elizabeth.

Things to do

What can you do in the park?

Kazinga Channel cruise

Two hours along a 32 km channel with some of the densest hippo and crocodile populations in the park. Cruises at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., plus private departures at 2 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. from Mweya.

Ishasha tree-climbing lions

Lions draped across fig tree branches, watching the Uganda kobs below. Reached through Kihihi, Ishaka and Rukungiri with a 4x4.

Game drives

Over 200 kilometers of maintained tracks. Morning drives give you the best odds on lions and buffalo, alongside a wide spread of antelope species.

Kyambura Gorge chimp trek

Habituated chimps in groups of 30 to 80, down in the gorge. A strong half-day add-on if Kibale isn't on your route.

Maramagambo Forest

Seven primate species, and the Kyasanduka crater lake — one of the few places in Uganda where you can kayak between primate sightings.

Crater drive and Lake Katwe

A 27 km route through explosion craters, past the salty hot springs of Lake Kitagata and the salt pans worked at Lake Katwe for generations.

Lodging

Where should you stay?

Upmarket
Mweya Safari Lodge on the peninsula overlooking the Kazinga Channel, with a pool, restaurant and private verandas facing the water.
Midrange
Jacana Safari Lodge, set between a crater lake and rolling hills, with a floating pontoon for lakeside meals.
Ishasha sector
Ishasha Wilderness Camp, the only luxury option in Ishasha itself — useful if you're combining tree-climbing lions with gorilla trekking in Bwindi.
Budget
Simba Safari Camp, on a hill overlooking Lake George.

Access

How do you get there?

Queen Elizabeth sits in southwestern Uganda, on the main circuit between Kibale and Bwindi. Ishasha, in the south of the park, is best reached through Kihihi, Ishaka and Rukungiri, and needs a 4x4. In the rains, ask the park office for a radio update on road conditions before committing to the direct route from Katunguru.

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