3 Days Queen Elizabeth Safari
3-Day Queen Elizabeth National Park Safari | Lions & Boat Safari.
This 3 days Queen Elizabeth safari is a short, well-paced trip that covers the best of western Uganda’s most varied parks, with game drives and a boat cruise to view the wildlife.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of Uganda’s most varied parks, in the western part of the country with the Rwenzori Mountains on the horizon. It combines open savannah, crater lakes and the Kazinga Channel, which connects Lake George and Lake Edward. You can expect elephants, buffalo, Uganda Kob, waterbuck and warthog, with lions on the Kasenyi plains and a chance of leopard and hyena.
Hippos gather in large numbers along the channel, while crocodiles, elephants and buffaloes can often be seen along the shoreline, and birds such as pink-backed pelicans, saddle-billed storks and kingfishers add to the boat trip. This Uganda safari plan covers the classic highlights from Kampala or Entebbe.
Highlights
- Day 1: Transfer from Kampala to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
- Day 2: Take a morning game drive, then a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel.
- Day 3: Take an early morning game drive, then transfer back to Kampala.
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Our guide will pick you up from your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe after breakfast and begin the journey west toward Queen Elizabeth National Park via Masaka road. Stop at the Equator line at Kayabwe for photos and a short break, then continue to Mbarara for lunch. The journey is long, roughly six to seven hours with stops, and the road passes hills, farmland and crater lakes as you approach the park. Arrive at your lodge in the evening, check in, and have dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Morning game drive and boat cruise
You will wake up early, have breakfast and head for a game drive across the Kasenyi plains and the Queen’s Mile track, one of the best areas for big game. Early morning is the most active time, and you can look for lions, elephants, buffalo, Uganda Kob, waterbuck and warthog.
After lunch, take the two-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. The Kazinga Channel is famous for its large concentration of hippos, along with crocodiles, elephants and buffaloes along the shoreline, and elephants and buffalo often drink at the shoreline while crocodiles rest on the banks. The cruise also passes local fishing communities and is excellent for birdwatching. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Morning game drive and transfer back to Kampala
After an early breakfast, set out for a final morning game drive through the park, searching for wildlife missed on the previous days. After the game drive, begin the journey back to Kampala or Entebbe, with an en route lunch in Mbarara. Expect to arrive in the evening.
End of 3 days Queen Elizabeth Safari
Accommodation options
- Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge
- Mid-range: Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge, Enganzi Game Lodge, Marafiki Safari Lodge
- Budget: Engiri Game Lodge & Campsite
Ask each lodge how far it is from the Kasenyi plains and the Mweya boat launch, since that affects the early starts on Days 2 and 3.
Includes
- 2 nights’ accommodation with meals as per the itinerary
- Transport in a 4×4 safari vehicle with a driver-guide
- Park entrance fees
- Two morning game drives
- Kazinga Channel boat cruise
- Drinking water during the safari
Excludes
- International flights and visas
- Travel insurance
- Optional activities such as chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge
- Drinks and personal expenses
- Tips for guides, drivers and lodge staff.
