African buffalo in Queen Elizabeth National Park

3-day Queen Elizabeth National Park wildlife safari

2
Nights
3
Days
Destinations
Queen Elizabeth · Kampala or Entebbe

Journey overview

Queen Elizabeth National Park is the entire focus of this three-day safari. The short route concentrates on the Kasenyi Plains, the Kazinga Channel, Kyambura Gorge and the Katwe crater and salt-mining area rather than trying to add another park. With 95 recorded mammal species and more than 550 bird species, there is enough range here for game viewing, a boat safari and a forested chimpanzee-tracking section within one park.

Key highlights

  • Game drives in the Kasenyi Plains, looking for lions, elephants, buffaloes, antelopes and other wildlife.
  • Kazinga Channel boat cruise for hippos, crocodiles, waterbirds and wildlife along the banks.
  • Chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge.
  • Views of the Rwenzori Mountains and the park’s crater-lake landscape.

Itinerary

3 days of guided travel, planned by our safari team from arrival to departure.

Day 1

Head to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park

The drive from Kampala or Entebbe runs southwest through Mbarara toward Queen Elizabeth National Park. An Equator stop in Kayabwe breaks the journey before the road continues across Ankole farmland and rolling hills. Lunch is taken in Mbarara, then the final section reaches the Katwe Crater Lake and salt-mining area before lodge check-in. The evening is kept light ahead of the early game drive.

Accommodation
Luxury
Mweya Safari Lodge
Mid-range
Parkview Safari Lodge
Budget
The Bush Lodge
Meals

Lunch · Dinner

Day 2

Game drive and Kazinga Channel boat cruise

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Kasenyi Plains is the place to use the cooler morning hours. Your guide will look for lions, elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, antelopes and birdlife, with leopard possible but not predictable. A late breakfast and some downtime follow at the lodge. The afternoon belongs to the Kazinga Channel. The two-hour boat cruise links Lake George and Lake Edward, with hippos, crocodiles, elephants and waterbirds such as pelicans, kingfishers and cormorants possible along the shoreline.

Accommodation
Luxury
Mweya Safari Lodge
Mid-range
Parkview Safari Lodge
Budget
The Bush Lodge
Meals

Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner

Day 3

Chimpanzee tracking at Kyambura Gorge and return to Kampala

Kampala or Entebbe

Kyambura Gorge provides the final activity before the journey home. A small chimpanzee population lives in this forested gorge within the wider savannah landscape, and the guided trek follows the forest trails while the team searches for them. Colobus monkeys and baboons are among the other primates that may be encountered. Once the tracking session is finished, return to the lodge for lunch and check out. The road back to Kampala or Entebbe then runs east past the Maramagambo Forest area.

Meals

Breakfast · Lunch

View all safaris
Lion in the savannah of Murchison Falls National ParkPrivate safariUganda

10-day Uganda safari: Murchison, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi and Lake Mburo

10 days

Ten days is enough to connect Uganda's major western wildlife areas without turning every park into a one-night stop. The route begins with rhinos and Murchison Falls, moves through Kibale and Queen Elizabeth, reaches Bwindi for gorilla trekking, then uses Lake Mburo as the final wildlife stop on the return toward Kampala or Entebbe. The pace stays active. There are long road transfers and several early starts, but each move leads to a different experience: chimpanzees in Kibale, the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth, gorillas in Bwindi and open savannah again at Lake Mburo. It suits travellers who want broad coverage in a limited window and are comfortable changing lodges regularly.

View journey