Best time to visit Queen Elizabeth national park; Queen Elizabeth national park is the second largest and one of the most visited protected area located in western part of Uganda in Kasese, Kamwenge, Rubirizi and Rukungiri districts. The national park was gazetted in 1952 and it’s a home of over 95 mammal species including the tree climbing lions in 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 over 612 recorded bird species.

Best time to visit Queen Elizabeth national park

Queen Elizabeth national park can be visited anytime throughout the year for example during the dry season or the rainy season.

Visiting Queen Elizabeth national park during the dry season

The dry season which is also known as the peak season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February is best time to visit Queen Elizabeth national park because during this time, there is less or little rainfall in the national park therefore vegetation will be thin or short which allows you to have clear views of different wildlife species.

During the dry season nature walk trails, game drive tracks and chimpanzee trekking trails will be dry and passable which makes trekking and game drives easy compared to the rainy season when the hiking trails and game drive tracks are muddy and slippery.

During the dry season there is scarcity of water in the park therefore many animals gather around the water bodies to drink water which gives you an opportunity to view abundant animals and take beautiful pictures.

Visiting Queen Elizabeth national park during the wet/rainy season

Queen Elizabeth national park can also be visited in the wet season during the months of March to May and October to November. The wet season is characterized by rainfall which makes chimpanzee trekking trails, nature walk trails and game drive tracks muddy and slippery hence making it hard to drive through the park during the game drives and also chimpanzee trekking difficult. The wet season however has some advantages like few tourists in the park therefore you will be able to explore the national park with few crowds.

The wet/ rainy season is also the best time to visit Queen Elizabeth national park because during this period vegetation will be green and lush and it’s the best time for bird watching where bird lovers will be able to view migratory and colorful bird species.

During the wet/rainy season, many lodges offer discounts as a way of attracting tourists which favors budget travelers.

Queen Elizabeth national park is one of the best national parks to visit and it offers a number of interesting activities to engage in during the safari including

Activities to engage in during the safari in Queen Elizabeth national park

Game drives where you will be able to explore the savannah plains in a comfortable pop up safari vehicle with a professional driver guide. During the game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park, you will follow different game tracks like Kasenyi plains, Mweya peninsula and Ishasha sector where you will be able to view animals like buffaloes, elephants, lions, leopards, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs, topi, giant forest hogs, hyenas among others.

Boat cruise on Kazinga channel a water channel that connects Lake Edward and Lake George. Boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth national park is done in sessions for example the morning session which starts at around 9:00am and the afternoon session which starts at around 2:00pm.  During the boat ride, you will be able to view large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view buffaloes, elephants, warthogs, waterbucks along the water shores, view aquatic bird species like cormorants, hornbills, bee-eaters among others.

Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge where you will be able to spend one hour with the chimpanzees in their habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their behaviors, habits, watch them feed, breastfeed, play, rest, hunt, fight, mate, take photos and record videos.

Bird watching where you will be able to view variety of bird species.

Guided nature walk where you will be able to explore the park on foot with the company of an experienced park guide and an armed park ranger to protect you from any danger.

Cultural tours where you will be able to interact with the local people who live in the neighboring communities.

How to get to Queen Elizabeth national park

Queen Elizabeth national park is located in western park of Uganda and can be accessed by road transport means whereby you will drive from Kampala via Masaka-Mbarara road or Mubende-Fort Portal road which takes about 7 to 8 hours’ drive.

Queen Elizabeth national park can also be accessed by air transport means whereby you will book scheduled or charter flights from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airfield to Mweya or Kasese airstrip and then connect to the park headquarters by road.

What to pack for your safari in Queen Elizabeth national park

There are a number of items that you should pack for your Uganda safari in Queen Elizabeth national park including hiking shoes, long sleeved shirt and trouser, insect repellent, rain jacket/ poncho, a pair of binoculars, camera and extra batteries, bottled drinking water, back pack among others.

For more information about the best time to visit Queen Elizabeth national park, you can contact us at Achieve Global Safaris.