Best time to visit Queen Elizabeth national park

Best time to visit Queen Elizabeth national park

Best time to visit Queen Elizabeth national park.

The best time to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park The second biggest and most popular protected area in western Uganda, including the districts of Kasese, Kamwenge, Rubirizi, and Rukungiri, is Queen Elizabeth National Park. Founded in 1952, the national park is home to more than 95 mammal species, including the tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector, buffaloes, elephants, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, hippos, topi, giant forest hogs, Nile crocodiles, primates like chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and more than 612 species of birds.

When is the best time to go to Queen Elizabeth Park?

At any time of year, such as during the rainy or dry seasons, Queen Elizabeth National Park is open for visits.

Spending time at Queen Elizabeth National Park while it is dry

In Queen Elizabeth National Park, the best time to visit is during the dry season, also referred to as the peak season, which occurs in June, July, August, September, December, January, and February. Little to no rainfall occurs during this time, so the vegetation is short and thin, allowing you to see a variety of wildlife species.

Hiking routes and game drive tracks are muddy and treacherous during the rainy season, but during the dry season, nature walk trails, game drive tracks, and chimpanzee trekking paths will be dry and navigable, making trekking and game drives simple.

Because there is a shortage of water in the park during the dry season, many animals congregate around water features to drink, providing you with a chance to see a lot of creatures and get stunning images.

Traveling to Queen Elizabeth National Park in the rainy or wet season

During March through May and October through November, Queen Elizabeth National Park is open for visits during the rainy season. Rainfall during the wet season muddys and slickens game drive paths, nature walk trails, and chimpanzee trekking trails, making it challenging to drive through the park during game drives and treks. However, there are some benefits to the rainy season. For example, there are fewer visitors, so you may explore the national park in peace.

Best time to visit Queen Elizabeth national park
The greatest time to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park is during the rainy or wet season, when the foliage is lush and green and birdwatchers may see migratory and colorful bird species.

In order to attract visitors, several lodges offer discounts during the rainy and wet season, which appeals to those on a tight budget.

In addition to being one of the top national parks to visit, Queen Elizabeth National Park provides a variety of exciting safari activities, including

Things to do while on safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park

A trained driving guide will accompany you on game drives where you may explore the savannah plains in a cozy pop-up safari vehicle. You can see buffaloes, elephants, lions, leopards, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs, topi, giant forest hogs, and hyenas, among other animals, while on game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park. You will travel along various game tracks, such as those in Kasenyi Plains, Mweya Peninsula, and Ishasha Sector.

The Kazinga Channel, which links Lake Edward and Lake George, is a popular destination for boat cruises. In Queen Elizabeth National Park, boat cruises are offered in blocks, such as morning (starting at around 9:00 am) and afternoon (beginning at approximately 2:00 pm). On the boat journey, you may see a lot of hippos and Nile crocodiles in the water, as well as buffaloes, elephants, warthogs, and waterbucks along the shoreline. You can also see aquatic birds like bee-eaters, hornbills, and cormorants.

You may spend an hour with chimpanzees in their natural environment during chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge. This offers you the chance to see their routines, behaviors, and how they eat, nurse, play, relax, hunt, fight, mate, as well as capture pictures and films.

A guided nature walk allows you to go around the park while being accompanied by a knowledgeable park guide and an armed park officer to keep you safe.

cultural excursions that allow you to engage with the locals that reside in nearby areas.

How Queen Elizabeth National Park may be reached

Queen Elizabeth National Park lies in western Uganda and is accessible by car. It takes around seven to eight hours to get there from Kampala via the Masaka-Mbarara or Mubende-Fort Portal roads.

Through regular or charter flights from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airfield to Mweya or Kasese Airstrip, you may also reach Queen Elizabeth National Park by air. From there, you can take a car journey to the park headquarters.

Packing tips for Queen Elizabeth National Park safaris

Among the many things you should bring for your Uganda safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park are hiking shoes, long-sleeved shirts and pants, bug repellent, a rain jacket or poncho, binoculars, a camera and additional batteries, bottled water, and a backpack.