Queen Elizabeth National Park

Savannah, crater lakes, and lions that sleep in trees.

Best time

Dec-Feb and Jun-Aug are drier

Budget

Mid-range to luxury

Ideal stay

3 days

Last checked

2026-10-19

Queen Elizabeth National Park packs several worlds into one. There are open plains, crater lakes, forested gorges and the long, shining Kazinga Channel, where hippos, buffalo and elephants gather at the water's edge while you glide past in a boat. In the southern Ishasha sector, lions are known for resting in the branches of fig trees, a sight few places can offer (though it is never guaranteed). Elsewhere, Kyambura Gorge hides a forest of chimpanzees, and a visit to the salt lake at Katwe shows a different side of life: families who have harvested salt here for generations. Come for the animals and stay for the changing scenery. By late afternoon the light turns the crater lakes copper, and you remember why people keep returning.

Getting there

Western Uganda, roughly a day's drive from Kampala. It pairs well with Kibale Forest and Bwindi.