Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP), spanning 1,978 square kilometers, is one of Uganda’s oldest and most popular protected areas. Initially gazetted as the Lake George and Lake Edward game reserves in 1925, it was designated as a national park in 1952. Situated on the equator, the park features a pair of concrete hoops marking the equatorial line along the Kasese road. The park boasts a rich biodiversity with over 95 mammal species and more than 600 bird species.

The park’s highest point, at 1,350 meters, is located in the Katwe Explosion Craters, while the lowest point is 910 meters along the shores of Lake Edward. The park’s varied ecosystems, including savannas, forests, lakes, and wetlands, offer habitats for a wide array of wildlife, including big game, forest primates, and numerous bird species. Scenic attractions include the Rwenzori Mountains, volcanic craters, the Kazinga Channel, and the Mitumbe Mountains in the Congo.

Originally named Kazinga National Park, the park was renamed in 1954 to honor a visit by Queen Elizabeth II. The park’s diverse habitats support a rich variety of wildlife, with more mammal species than any other Ugandan park. Visitors can spot elephants, buffaloes, hippos, and, with a bit of luck, lions and leopards, especially in the Kasenyi and Ishasha plains.

Key Attractions and Activities

Mweya Peninsula and the Kazinga Channel

The Mweya Peninsula, 22 kilometers west of the Kasese-Mbarara Road, serves as the park’s main tourism hub. It features an upmarket lodge, budget accommodations, a marina for launch trips, and a Visitor Information Centre with exhibits about the park and its rift valley setting. Visitors can book various activities here.

One of the most relaxing ways to view wildlife is through a launch cruise on the Kazinga Channel. This two-hour round trip from Mweya to Lake Edward offers views of hippos, crocodiles, waterbirds, and occasionally elephants, buffaloes, and antelopes along the channel banks.

Game Drives

Kasenyi Plains

Located half an hour from Mweya, the open grasslands of Kasenyi are a prime game viewing area, home to Uganda kob and their predators, including lions. Experienced ranger guides often help visitors spot lions, and tours with the Uganda Predator Project offer guaranteed predator sightings by tracking collared lions, leopards, and hyenas.

Ishasha

Situated en route to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Ishasha offers a classic game viewing experience. Visitors can expect to see buffaloes, hippos, elephants, and topis. The area is also famous for its tree-climbing lions, often seen resting in fig trees.

Forest Walks

Kyambura Gorge

The forested Kyambura Gorge stretches from the Kichwamba Escarpment to the Kazinga Channel. Visitors can enjoy a view from the edge of the 100-meter-deep chasm before descending to track chimpanzees with guides.

Maramagambo Forest

Located at the foot of the Kichwamba Escarpment, Maramagambo Forest offers shaded walks and sightings of primates and rare birds, such as the forest flycatcher and the Rwenzori turaco. Highlights include Lake Nyamusingire, the copper-rich Blue Lake, and the Bat Cave, home to a python feeding on bats.

Birding

Birding activities overlap with general wildlife viewing. Maramagambo Forest offers easy sightings of various bird species, while Lake Edward Flats in Ishasha is known for shoebill sightings.

Volcanic Explosion Craters

Crater Drive

The landscape north of Mweya features numerous volcanic craters, a reminder of the Albertine Rift’s tectonic history. The 27-kilometer Crater Drive offers breathtaking views around crater rims filled with lakes, forests, and grasslands. The Queen’s Pavilion, located at the Crater Gate, has hosted British royalty multiple times and features an information center and coffee shop. Nearby equator markers on the Kasese highway are a popular photo spot.

Katwe Salt Lake

The people of Katwe town, 12 kilometers from Mweya, have harvested salt from Lake Katwe’s saline waters since the 14th century. Local guides offer tours of the salt extraction process. Nearby Lake Munyanyange is rich in waterbirds, including migrating lesser flamingos from August to November.