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3-Day Queen Elizabeth National Park Safari Uganda – Wildlife, Boat Cruise & Big Game Experience

Private Journey • Uganda

3-Day Queen Elizabeth National Park Safari Uganda – Wildlife, Boat Cruise & Big Game Experience

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Overview

About this journey

Located in western Uganda approximately 376 km from Kampala, Queen Elizabeth National Park covers nearly 1,978 square kilometers of diverse ecosystems including open savannah plains, crater lakes, tropical forests, wetlands, and the famous Kazinga Channel. The park is home to an extraordinary concentration of wildlife with over 95 mammal species and more than 600 bird species, making it one of Africa’s top safari destinations for wildlife viewing, birdwatching, photography, and nature experiences. During this Uganda wildlife safari, expect incredible opportunities to spot:

African elephants, Buffaloes, Lions, Leopards, Uganda kobs, Warthogs, Waterbucks, Giant forest hogs, Nile crocodiles, Hippos,,Tree-climbing lions in Ishasha, Chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge, Hundreds of bird species. This safari combines exciting game drives, a scenic boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, breathtaking landscapes, and unforgettable wildlife encounters.

Best wildlife viewing months: June to September, December to February. Dry seasons provide easier game viewing as wildlife gathers near water sources and vegetation is thinner.

Rainy seasons from March to May and September to November offer beautiful scenery and excellent birding opportunities.

Safari Highlights

Wildlife game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kazinga Channel boat safari, Uganda Equator experience, Scenic road trip through western Uganda, Bird watching opportunities, Big game viewing experience, Optional chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge, Beautiful crater lakes and Rift Valley scenery.

Safari Includes

Park entrance fees

Game drives

Kazinga Channel boat cruise

Professional English-speaking guide

Transport in a 4x4 safari vehicle

Accommodation on full board basis

Bottled drinking water

Photography opportunities

Safari Excludes

International flights

Uganda visa fees

Travel insurance

Laundry services

Alcoholic beverages

Tips and gratuities

Personal expenses

Optional activities not mentioned

Highlights

What you'll experience

  • A two-hour cruise along the channel where the Nile flows between Lake George and Lake Edward. Nile crocodiles bask on the banks, great white pelicans raft in the shallows, and buffalo come down in the hundreds to drink at dusk.

  • In the southern Ishasha sector, lions regularly rest in the spreading branches of wild fig trees — behaviour rare almost anywhere else on the continent. Morning drives here carry the particular electricity of scanning canopy instead of grass.

  • The Kasenyi plains host one of Uganda's densest concentrations of Uganda kob. Where the kob gather, so do lions, spotted hyenas, and the occasional African leopard stepping out of the euphorbias at first light.

  • Over 600 bird species have been recorded in the park. A slow morning along the water's edge rewards you with African skimmers, pied kingfishers, and the unmistakable flash of a malachite kingfisher — a jewel smaller than your fist.

  • A guided walk through the forest corridor on the park's eastern edge brings you face-to-face with olive baboon troops and a cave system haunted by thousands of Egyptian fruit bats — and the pythons that come to feed on them.

Why choose us

Why choose a Private Journey?

Queen Elizabeth is Uganda's most varied park — woodland, savanna, crater lakes, wetland, and forest in a single boundary. We combine its best sectors across three days so you are never trying to see everything and always seeing something worth stopping for.

Guides Who Know the Park by Memory

Our lead guide Patrick Mugisha has worked in Queen Elizabeth for eleven years. He knows where the Ishasha pride slept last week and which fig tree they prefer when the grass is long.

Private Vehicle Throughout

You share your safari vehicle with your own group only. Game drives start when you want them to start, and the boat cruise seat is yours alone — no racing other vans to the channel jetty.

Sensible Pace, Real Encounters

Three days is enough to cover Kasenyi, the channel, and Ishasha without feeling hurried. We build rest time in so that afternoons on the water feel like pleasure rather than schedule.

Itinerary

your day-by-day journey

Day 1Kampala to Queen Elizabeth — Afternoon Arrival & Crater Drive

Your safari begins early in the morning with pickup from your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe by your professional safari guide. Begin your journey westward through Uganda’s countryside with scenic views of traditional villages, rolling hills, tea plantations, and local communities. Enjoy a stop at the Uganda Equator crossing for memorable photography and an opportunity to explore local craft shops. Continue toward western Uganda with a lunch stop in Mbarara before proceeding through beautiful landscapes characterized by: Ankole long-horned cattle, Tea plantations, Rift Valley escarpments, Open grasslands, Woodlands and crater landscapes. Arrive at Queen Elizabeth National Park in the late afternoon. Enjoy an evening wildlife drive as you head toward your safari lodge. Keep watch for wildlife species that may appear along the park tracks. Dinner and overnight stay at your selected lodge.

Accommodation Options

Luxury: Katara Lodge. Mweya Safari Lodge

Mid-range: Kasenyi Safari Camp, Ihamba Safari Lodge

Budget: Simba Safari Camp, Tembo Safaris Lodge

Meal Plan: Lunch & Dinner

Lunch, Dinner

Day 2Kasenyi Game Drive & Kazinga Channel Cruise

Wake up early for breakfast before heading out for an exciting morning game drive through the Kasenyi Plains, one of the best wildlife viewing areas in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The Kasenyi sector is famous for predator sightings and large populations of Uganda kobs that attract lions and other carnivores. Wildlife commonly seen during the morning drive includes: Lions, African elephants, Buffaloes, Uganda kobs, Waterbucks, Warthogs, Hyenas, Giant forest hogs, Various antelope species, Numerous birds. Return to your lodge for relaxation and lunch. In the afternoon, prepare for one of the highlights of your safari — a boat cruise along the famous Kazinga Channel. The Kazinga Channel is a 40-kilometer natural waterway connecting Lake George and Lake Edward and is known for having one of Africa’s highest concentrations of hippos. During the boat safari you may spot: Hippos, Nile crocodiles, Elephants, Buffaloes, Waterbirds, African fish eagles, Pelicans, Kingfishers, Monitor lizards

The shoreline attracts numerous animals, making the boat cruise one of Uganda’s best wildlife viewing experiences. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3Ishasha Tree-Climbing Lions, Then Home

Wake up and enjoy breakfast surrounded by the peaceful wilderness of Queen Elizabeth National Park. After checking out, begin your scenic drive back to Kampala or Entebbe.

Optional activities can be arranged depending on time availability, including:

Community experiences, Cultural visits, Short nature walks, Souvenir shopping. Along the route, enjoy lunch and a stop at the traditional drum-making center where local artisans demonstrate Uganda’s cultural craftsmanship. Continue your journey to Kampala with arrival expected in the evening. Drop-off at your hotel or Entebbe International Airport.

Meal Plan: Breakfast & Lunch

Breakfast, Lunch

Extensions

+2 Days

Add Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale Forest

Two hours north of Queen Elizabeth, Kibale National Park holds one of Africa's highest densities of chimpanzees. Bolt on two days and a chimpanzee tracking permit to turn this into Uganda's complete primate and big-game combination.

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+3 Days

Extend into Bwindi for Gorilla Trekking

Continue south from Ishasha into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for a mountain gorilla trek — one of the most singular wildlife encounters in East Africa. Three additional days, one permit, one hour with a habituated family in the forest.

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+2 Days

Lake Bunyonyi & Cultural Immersion

Finish the trip on the terraced shores of Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda's deepest lake. A morning canoe across the water, a visit to a Bakiga community homestead, and two nights of genuine quiet before the flight home.

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Dates & Prices

Prices in USD, including internal air, per person, double occupancy.

  • Jun 10 – Jun 12
    $1,490Available
  • Jul 8 – Jul 10
    $1,490Available
  • Aug 5 – Aug 7
    $1,490Available
  • Sep 16 – Sep 18
    $1,490Available
  • Oct 14 – Oct 16
    $1,490Available
  • Dec 9 – Dec 11
    $1,620Available

Minimum Age

5 years for game drives and boat cruise; Ishasha walking tracks not suitable for under-12s

Safari Duffel

Soft-sided bags strongly recommended; hard suitcases can be stored at the lodge

First Group Event

Departure from Kampala/Entebbe hotel, Day 1 at 07:00

Last Group Event

Drop-off at Kampala/Entebbe hotel, Day 3 by 19:30

Guaranteed Departures

All listed departures are guaranteed to run from a minimum of 1 guest

Alternate Sightseeing

Crater lake stop on Day 1 may be adjusted to evening depending on road conditions; Kazinga cruise timing shifts seasonally

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