3 Days Queen Elizabeth National Park Wildlife Safari

Safari highlights

• Game drive on the Kasenyi Plains, a favourite area for lion sightings
• Boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel with large concentrations of hippos, buffalo, elephants and waterbirds
• Scenic views from the Mweya Peninsula
• Stop at the Equator on the drive from Kampala
• More than 600 bird species recorded in the park

Itinerary route map

1. Kampala
2. Masaka
3. Mbarara
4. Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 01
   Day 1 Kampala / Entebbe to Queen Elizabeth National Park

   Your journey begins early with a drive south-west on the highway through Mpigi and Masaka. A short distance beyond Masaka you cross the Equator at Kayabwe, where there is a famous monument for photographs and a row of craft shops. The drive then continues through Mbarara, the largest town in western Uganda.

   Lunch is taken in Mbarara or along the road, and you then continue through Bushenyi and Ishaka towards the park. The scenery becomes more dramatic as you approach the Rift Valley, with rolling hills and glimpses of the Rwenzori Mountains on clear days. The total drive takes about six to seven hours.

   You arrive at your lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park in the late afternoon. If time allows, you can start with a short sunset drive or simply relax with a view over the plains. Dinner is served at the lodge, and you rest before an early start tomorrow for a game drive.

2. 02
   Day 2 Kasenyi game drive and Kazinga Channel cruise

   Wake early for a sunrise game drive on the Kasenyi Plains, one of the best places in the park for seeing lions. The open grassland attracts large herds of Uganda kob, which in turn draw predators. You may also see elephants, buffalo, warthogs and a variety of birds, including crowned cranes and martial eagles.

   After breakfast and a rest, you drive to Mweya Peninsula for the afternoon launch cruise on the Kazinga Channel. This 32-kilometre waterway links Lake George and Lake Edward and hosts one of the highest concentrations of hippos in Africa. The cruise lasts about two hours and is led by a guide who explains the wildlife.

   From the boat you often see elephants and buffalo at the water's edge, Nile crocodiles basking on the banks and numerous waterbirds such as pelicans, African spoonbills and fish eagles. It is relaxed and excellent for photography. You return to your lodge for dinner, tired and happy after a rich day of wildlife viewing.

3. 03
   Day 3 Queen Elizabeth to Kampala / Entebbe

   After breakfast you check out and, if time and conditions allow, take a last short game drive on the way out of the park. Early morning is a good time to catch elephants or buffalo near the road. Your guide then sets off on the long journey back to Kampala or Entebbe.

   The route retraces the road via Bushenyi, Mbarara and Masaka, with a lunch stop along the way. Another short stop at the Equator gives you a final chance for photographs or souvenirs. The drive takes roughly six to seven hours, so it is helpful to bring snacks and water for the road.

   You arrive in Kampala or Entebbe in the evening, depending on traffic, and are dropped at your hotel or the airport. Your driver-guide helps with luggage and confirms any further plans. The safari ends here, with memories of Uganda's diverse savannah, waterways and wildlife. Thank you for choosing to explore Uganda with us, and we hope to see you again on another safari.