Getting to Queen Elizabeth national park; Queen Elizabeth national park is the second largest and one of the most visited national park in Uganda located in western region in Kasese, Rukungiri, Kamwenge and Rubirizi districts. The national park covers a total land area of 1,978 square kilometer which is comprised of different vegetation types like savannah grassland and woodland which act as habitat for different wildlife species including the tree climbing lions in Ishasha sector, elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, hippos, spotted hyenas, leopards, waterbucks, warthogs, giant forest hogs, Nile crocodiles, primates like chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, olive baboons and over 600 bird species. Queen Elizabeth national park is blessed with different attractions like Kyambura gorge, Mweya peninsula, Ishasha sector, Lake Katwe, Maramagambo forest, Lake Edward and Lake George.
Getting to Queen Elizabeth national park
Queen Elizabeth national park is located in western part of Uganda and can be accessed by both road and air transport means.
Road transport means to Queen Elizabeth national park
When using road transport means, you will drive from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara or via Mubende, Fort Portal to the park headquarters which takes about 7 to 8 hours’ drive in a 4 WD safari vehicle.
- From Kasese it takes about 1 to 2 hours’ drive to reach Queen Elizabeth national park
- From Mbarara it takes about 3 to 4 hours’ drive to reach Queen Elizabeth national park using Mbarara-Kasese road.
- From Fort Portal it takes about 2 to 3 hours’ drive to reach Queen Elizabeth national park
- From Kibale forest national parks it takes about 2 to 3 hours’ drive to reach Queen Elizabeth national park.
- From Semuliki national park it takes about 2 to 3 hours’ drive to reach Queen Elizabeth national park
- From Lake Mburo national park it takes about 3 to 4 hours’ drive to reach Queen Elizabeth national park using Mbarara-Kasese road.
- From Bwindi impenetrable national park it takes about 3 to 4 hours’ drive to reach Queen Elizabeth national park via Ishasha sector
- From Rwenzori national park it takes about 1 hour drive to reach Queen Elizabeth national park
Queen Elizabeth national park can also be accessed from Kigali Rwanda whereby you will drive from Kigali via Katuna border through Ntungamo-Kasese road which takes about 4 to 5 hours’ drive.
You can also access Queen Elizabeth national park by bus transport means whereby you will board a bus from Kampala Bus Park to Fort Portal or Kasese and then hire a private taxi to the park headquarters. Using public means of transport to Queen Elizabeth national park is however not recommended as buses have many stopovers which make the journey long and tiresome.
Accessing Queen Elizabeth national park by road is tiresome and time consuming but rewarding in that you will be able to enjoy stunning views of the beautiful scenery along the way, country sides, views of the crater lakes, Rwenzori peaks, tea and banana plantations among others.
Air transport means to Queen Elizabeth national park
Queen Elizabeth national park can also be accessed by air transport means whereby you will book charter or scheduled flights with Aero link Uganda or Bar Aviation limited from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airfield to Kasese or Mweya airstrips and then connect to the park headquarters or lodge where you will be staying during your safari. Scheduled flights to Queen Elizabeth national park depart three times a day for example at 7:00am, 10:15am and 12:00 noon. Domestic flights to Queen Elizabeth national park can be booked by your trusted tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris and flights should be booked in advance. Using air transport means to access Queen Elizabeth national park is the best option to use for clients who do not like travelling long distance journeys as it’s quick and less tiresome.
Queen Elizabeth national park has a number of interesting safari activities that you can engage in upon arrival in the park including Game drives where you will be able to view different animals, boat cruise on Kazinga channel where you will enjoy large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, bird watching where you will be able to view variety of bird species, nature walks where you will be able to explore the national park on foot and chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge where you will be able to spend one hour with the chimpanzees in their natural habitat.
Best time to visit Queen Elizabeth national park
Queen Elizabeth national park can be visited anytime throughout the year though the best time is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February because during this period, there is less or little rainfall in the park therefore vegetation will be thin which helps you to have clear views of different wildlife animals, access roads, game drive tracks and trekking trails will be dry and passable.
Getting to Queen Elizabeth national park is very easy as long as you know the right procedures to follow and you can combine a safari in Queen Elizabeth national park with gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park. For more information, you can contact us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website for various Uganda safari packages.
