Queen Elizabeth National Park safari self-drive — Uganda’s most visited national park, 390 km southwest of Kampala — combines three distinct wildlife experiences in a single park circuit: the open savannah game drives on the Kasenyi plains (lion, buffalo, Uganda kob in enormous herds), the Kazinga Channel boat trip (hippo, crocodile, and water-edge elephant at close range on a 2-hour boat cruise), and the Ishasha sector 90 km south (the world’s only tree-climbing lion population outside of Lake Manyara, Tanzania). This guide covers the Queen Elizabeth National Park safari self-drive for 2027/2028.
Queen Elizabeth NP Safari: The Three Experiences
- Kasenyi plains game drive (north sector): 30 km of open savannah north of the Kazinga Channel — Uganda kob herds of 200 to 500 animals, lion prides hunting the kob, buffalo herds of 50 to 150. Best game drive 6 am–9 am.
- Kazinga Channel boat trip: Departs from Mweya jetty at 9 am and 2 pm daily. USD 35/person, 2 hours. The channel banks hold 2,000+ hippo — the highest hippo density per km of waterway in Africa — plus Nile crocodile, water mongoose, and elephants at the water’s edge.
- Ishasha tree-climbing lions: 90 km south of Mweya via a partially unsealed road. The Ishasha sector’s fig trees along the Ishasha River hold 2–4 lion prides that regularly rest in the tree branches at 3 to 8 metres — a behaviour documented in only two places in the world. Best viewing in the afternoon when the lions climb to avoid ground heat.
Queen Elizabeth NP Safari Logistics
- Distance from Kampala: 390 km, 6–7 hours via Mbarara
- Park entry fee: USD 40/person/day
- Best timing: June–September (dry season) and January–February
- Minimum stay: 2 nights at Mweya (1 day Kasenyi + boat) + 1 night Ishasha for tree lions
See the Queen Elizabeth circuit or book your Uganda safari vehicle.
