Our 5 days Queen Elizabeth wildlife safari takes you to the most popular national park in Uganda for an amazing encounter with Africa’s famous wildlife. Queen Elizabeth National Park is not just about wildlife, it is a park with unique scenery, landscape and physical features. From the sprawling savannah grassland, majestic views of Mount Rwenzori to beautiful crater lakes, Queen Elizabeth will satisfy people who love nature. Queen Elizabeth is the most visited national park in Uganda. The park is home to 4 of the big 5 mammals. Its key attractions are the tree climbing lions, the Kyambura gorge, chimpanzees and the boat cruise at the famous Kazinga channel. How is it difficult from the Masai Mara or Serengeti? Queen Elizabeth National Park remains green all year round and stands out because of the incredible scenery. The landscape is different and offers variety which is difficult to find in Kenya or Tanzania.
The park has savanna woodlands but also forests like Maramagambo and the amazing Kyambura gorge. The park has wetlands, 10 crater lakes, Lake Gorge and Lake Edward. Tourist leave the place not only impressed by the wildlife but also the beautiful scenery. Queen Elizabeth is also very close to some of the best primates’ destinations in the world – Bwindi, Mgahinga, Kibale, Mount Rwenzori, the Volcanoes National Park and Virunga National Park. It is therefore possible to go for amazing wildlife and primates’ safari involving mountain gorillas without have to take expensive flights from country to 5 days Queen Elizabeth safari country. What animals will I expect to see in Queen Elizabeth National Park? Expect to see lions, elephants, cape buffaloes, leopards, and chimpanzees, the Uganda Kobs, other antelope species and much more.
Our 5 days Queen Elizabeth safari starts and ends in Entebbe or Kampala. If you are interested in a shorter safari, you can check out our 4 days Queen Elizabeth safari or our 3 days Queen Elizabeth National Park safari package. We even have a 2 days Queen Elizabeth wildlife safari package. To spot all the big five mammals, check out our 6 days Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls tour package.
A Guide from our company will pick you up from Entebbe international airport and transfer you to a hotel in Entebbe or Kampala. If you arrive early, the driver could take you for a tour of either Entebbe or Kampala city. Entebbe is small but very scenic town with amazing attractions like the Uganda Wildlife and Education Center (zoo), botanical gardens and Lake Victoria. The driver will brief you about the tour, what to expect and traveling arrangements for day 2.
Dinner and overnight will be at Papyrus Guesthouse Entebbe, Gate Inn Entebbe and Anderita Beach Hotel.
Afternoon game drive, the tour starts on day 2 with a transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park. Wake up early because the driver will be setting off at 6:00am. Expect to stop at the equator crossing to take photos and buy 5 days Queen Elizabeth National Park souvenirs before proceeding to the park. Uganda is a naturally beautiful country and you will find out why as you travel towards the park. The journey will take you through parts of the East African rift valley, amazing tea plantations, great views of the Rwenzori Mountains, peasant farms, small towns and so much more. You should ask the driver to stop at any interesting point of interest or a few of the local markets to check out some of the fresh fruits. On arrival, you will check in to your hotel and have lunch before being taken for an afternoon game drive in the Kasenyi sector of the park. Expect to see Waterbucks, Lions, Kobs, and Hyenas, Giant forest hogs, Elephants, Bush bucks and Buffaloes among other mammal. If you are a keen birder, you should look out for Pelicans, Jacana, herons, egrets and Cormorants.
Dinner and Overnight at Simba Camp or Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge for budget accommodation. The luxury lodges are Jacana Safari Lodge and Mweya Safari Lodge
Wake up early and go for a morning game drive at the Kasenyi sector. This game drive will target early morning risers and predators heading back to their dens after hunting in the night. Expect to have more encounters with Buffaloes, Bush bucks, Elephants, Giant forest hogs, Hyenas, The Uganda Kobs, Lions and Waterbucks. After the morning game drive, you will be taken back to the lodge for relaxation and lunch as you wait for the afternoon launch cruise.
The afternoon launch cruise at the Kazinga Channel is one of the most anticipated activities while on a safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The 5 days Queen Elizabeth National Park safari channel connects Lake Albert to Lake George and has one of the highest concentration of wildlife in Africa. Many of the park animals come to the channel at some point for a drink or bathing. You will see buffaloes, elephants, hippos, crocodiles, antelopes and predators like prowling leopards or hyenas coming for a drink. The Kazinga channel is one of the greatest birding destinations in Africa. Among the bird species to look out for are Cormorants, egrets, herons, Jacana and Pelicans.
Dinner and Overnight at Simba Camp or Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge for budget accommodation. The luxury lodges are Jacana Safari Lodge and Mweya Safari Lodge
Wake up early and head for the briefing point for chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge. The drive takes you through long stretches of savanna grasslands until you suddenly approach the amazing gorge. The gorge is home to an underground forest which is home to birds, chimpanzees, smaller primates and other mammals. After the briefing, you will descend into the gorge to begin searching for the primates. Although chances of seeing the chimps in the gorge is lower than in Kibale National Park, a walk in the underground forest exposes you to amazing scenery and incredible biodiversity.
After spending enough time with the chimps, you will be taken for lunch and then transferred to Lake Katwe in the Mweya peninsula. Lake Katwe is one of the leading producers of salt in Uganda. The lake is 5 day Queen Elizabeth safari too salty to support wildlife but is a great source of livelihood for communities in the area. The practice of salt mining has been in place since the 16th century with mining skills passed on from generation to generation. Unfortunately, the locals still rely on rudimentary methods to mine the salt and this could be a danger to their health in the long run. The salt is sold to traders from within Uganda and the nearby countries of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. After interacting with the local salt miners and learning about their trade, you will be driven back to the lodge.
Dinner and Overnight at Simba Camp or Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge for budget accommodation. The luxury lodges are Jacana Safari Lodge and Mweya Safari Lodge
After breakfast, the driver will start the journey back to Kampala but through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park for an opportunity to see the tree climbing lions of Uganda. The Ishasha 5 day tour of Queen Elizabeth National Park sector of Queen Elizabeth is not as rich as the Kasenyi plains or Mweya Peninsula in terms of game but it is the only sector with tree climbing lions. The lions spend most of their afternoons on top of fig and acacia trees. About 4 prides of tree climbing lions can be found in the area but visitors can also see about 1000 elephants, Uganda Kobs, Topis, other antelopes and warthogs. After spotting the lions, you will leave the park and begin the journey to Entebbe via Mbarara. In fact, lunch will be in Mbarara town. If you never had the opportunity to stop at the equator on day 2 of the safari, this will be the day to do so. The driver will ensure that he drops you at the airport or in Entebbe town if you are having a flight the next day.
Get in touch with safari vacations and Travel services for update and detailed information about Queen Elizabeth national park, we can assist you in booking for the permits and other services like accommodation and transport and our experienced professional guides will help you plan well for your memorable as we give you guidance and advice on what you can do on your safari.