5 days Queen Elizabeth safari take you to the most visited national park in Uganda for an amazing set of activities. Queen Elizabeth national park is located in western Uganda. It is a park with amazing biodiversity and stunning physical features like crater lakes and gorges. It is one of those places that reminds one of why Uganda is referred to as the “pearl of Africa”. Some of the wildlife species found in Queen Elizabeth national park are tree climbing lions, common lions, elephants, buffaloes, elands, antelopes, hyenas and different species of birds. These animals can be seen during game drives and nature walks in the savanna plains, Maramagambo forest or the amazing Kyambura Gorge.
The most outstanding water bodies in Queen Elizabeth are Lake Edward, Lake George and the Kazinga channel (A water channel that connects the two lakes together). It is at the Kazinga channel is where the famous boat ride is carried out. The Channel has one of the highest concentration of hippos, crocodiles and other aquatic animals in East Africa. Apart from aquatic animals, the channel also attracts land dwellers like elephants, rhinos and antelopes for a drink or bath. As we already mentioned earlier, Queen Elizabeth stands out because of it amazing volcanic features. One such feature is the Katwe Crater Lake which is famous for salt mining. The Kyambura gorge is home to about 10 species of primates. Chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge is one of the most popular activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
This 5 days Queen Elizabeth Wildlife Safari will be enough to explore the park fully. If you are interested in shorter tours of the park, you can check out our 2 days Queen Elizabeth tour, the 3 days safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park or the 4 days Queen Elizabeth Wildlife safari package. Each of the different Queen Elizabeth packages involves game drives and a chance to experience the natural beauty of the park. Travelers who wish to go for a more comprehensive tour of Uganda can check out our 8 days Uganda safari package or the 11 days Uganda tour. We even have the 12 days Uganda wildlife tour package.
Main Activities
The major activities included in this 5 days Queen Elizabeth tour are: –
- Game drives
- A Launch cruise at the Kazinga Channel
- Nature walk in Maramagambo forest
- Tracking Tree climbing lions in Ishasha
- Sightseeing around the Katwe Salt Lake
- Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge
Summary of the itinerary
Day 1: Airport pick up – Transfer to your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala
Day 2: Travel to Queen Elizabeth – Afternoon game drive
Day 3: Morning game drive – Afternoon Boat ride along the Kazinga Channel
Day 4: Chimpanzee Trekking in Kyambura Gorge – Explore the Katwe explosion crater Lake
Day 5: Game drive to see tree climbing lions in Ishasha – Transfer back to Kampala
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Airport pick up – Transfer to your hotel in Entebbe of Kampala
Our Driver/Guide will be waiting for you at the airport as soon as you arrive in Uganda. If you arrive earlier in the day, the driver will take for a tour of Entebbe or Kampala. The main attractions in Entebbe are the beautiful beaches, Lake Victoria, Entebbe zoo, the Snake Village and the botanical gardens Entebbe. The things to do in Kampala are many and I will not go into all of them in detail. However, the Entebbe zoo is an excellent place to start with. Kampala is excellent for those who are interested in visiting the major cultural and historical sites of Uganda.
Accommodation: The luxury lodges are Serena Hotel in Kigo and Protea Hotel Entebbe. The mid-range lodges are Papyrus Guesthouse Entebbe, Gately Inn Entebbe and Anderita beach hotel.
Day 2: Travel to Queen Elizabeth – Afternoon game drive
After early morning breakfast, you will begin the journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park. It takes 6 hours of driving to get to the park from Kampala or Entebbe. You will have some stopovers to stretch and also get some refreshments. One of the stopping points will be the equator monument along Masaka road. You will take some photos at the monument and also observe the water experiment that confirms that the equator line really passes at the spot. After spending time at the equator crossing, you will proceed to Mbarara city where you will have lunch at the Igongo Cultural Centre.
After lunch, you will follow the Kasese road and branch off to the park. The driver will take you to the lodge for check-in before proceeding for the afternoon game drive in the Kasenyi sector. You will have a chance to see animals like elephants, buffaloes, lions, hogs and much more. After completing the game drive, you will head back to the lodge for relaxation and dinner.
Accommodation: The luxury lodges are Mweya Safari Lodge and Jacana Safari Lodge. The Standard lodges are Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge and Simba safari camp.
Day 3: Morning game drive – Afternoon Boat ride along the Kazinga Channel
After breakfast, you will embark on a morning game drive in the Kasenyi sector to see the early risers and predators going back to their dens after hunting prey in the night. This morning game drive will be longer than the one of Day 2. It will take between 3 to 4 hours. Look out for lions, elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, hyenas, Uganda kobs, reedbucks, bush pigs, mongooses and a variety of bird species. After completing the game drive, you will head back to your lodge for lunch.
After lunch, you will be taken for the Kazinga Channel boat trip. The boat trip starts from Lake Edward and then to the Channel before reaching Lake Edward. As the boat moves in the channel, you will get an opportunity to spot school of hippos floating on water, water bucks, elephants, buffaloes and birds. Once you get to Lake George, the boat will turn back and go through the channel once again ending where you started. The boat cruise starts at 2:00pm and ends at around 5:00pm.
Accommodation: The luxury lodges are Mweya Safari Lodge and Jacana Safari Lodge. The Standard lodges are Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge and Simba safari camp.
Day 4: Chimpanzee Trekking in Kyambura Gorge – Explore the Katwe explosion crater Lake
Chimpanzee trekking starts at 8:00am. You need to wake up early and take breakfast as you wait to be taken to for the briefing in Kyambura Gorge. The Kyambura Gorge is believed to have been formed as a result of secondary faulting along what is known as the East African Rift Valley. Other researchers believe it was formed as a result of erosion. A rain-forest grew in the valley and is now home to primates, birds and other creatures. The key attraction in Kyambura Gorge are the chimpanzees. This group of chimps have now been isolated ever since humans settled in the surrounding areas and cut down a stretch of forest that connected the primates to chimpanzee communities in other forests like Maramagambo or Kalinzu. The chimps are now trapped and inbreeding is a great threat to their long time survival.
While at the Kyambura gorge, you will walk through the forest in search of the chimpanzees. The chimps can be located by following their distant cries and you will find them feeding on the numerous fruits found in the underground forest. Chimpanzees are agile and love to move about a lot. You need to be 
prepared to follow them for a while before getting a good spot to see them. After observing these intelligent primates, you will go back to the lodge for lunch and rest.
At around 3pm, you will go to visit the salt mines in Lake Katwe. There are also amazing geological volcanic features in this area known as the Katwe explosion craters. These stunning landscapes have crater lakes on their summits. They were formed due to volcanic eruptions which occurred in the area millions of years ago. The Katwe explosion craters are great for photography and you should expect to enjoy your time visiting them. The driver will take you back to the lodge in the evening for rest and dinner.
Accommodation: The luxury lodges are Mweya Safari Lodge and Jacana Safari Lodge. The Standard lodges are Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge and Simba safari camp.
Day 5: Game drive to see tree climbing lions in Ishasha – Transfer back to Kampala
This will be the last day of your trip but not before going for another game drive to spot the amazing tree climbing lions in Ishasha sector. Lions are known as ground dwelling cats because of their heavy weight and size. However, the lions in Ishasha have developed the skill of climbing trees. These skills have been passed on from generation to generation. Researchers believe that they do so to escape bites from bugs on the ground. Others believe that they climb trees to observe the location of their prey. Regardless of the reason, the experience of observing them will be one of the highlights of your tour. After your time with the lions, you will drive off to Kampala or Entebbe. The driver will drop you at your hotel or the airport in Entebbe.
Safari Inclusions and Exclusions
The 5 days Queen Elizabeth tour quote will include: –
- Accommodation and meals
- Ground transport and a company driver
- Park entrance
- A launch cruise
- Game drives
- Park Ranger fees
- Meals and refreshments while traveling
- All activities mentioned in the itinerary.
Excluded items: Tips, liquor, souvenirs, laundry services, personal travel insurance, air ticket and visa fees.
Accommodation
Anderita Beach Hotel: If you are looking for a budget hotel near the airport, Anderita beach hotel is the place to consider. It is built on the shores of Lake Victoria in Entebbe. It has many single, double, twin and family rooms. The rooms offer excellent views of the lake and guest can expect clean and fresh air. The rooms are clean and have both cold and warm water. There is also a fine bar and restaurant serving both local and international cuisines. There is also a conference room for business, political and social gatherings. Anderita beach is very close to the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (zoo), Entebbe’s fine beaches and the botanical gardens.
Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge: Bush lodge is a budget/mid-range safari lodge that is built close to the banks of the Kazinga channel. The lodge was built in a forested area and can be considered equivalent to a forest house. Most of the buildings are made of wood with grass thatched roofs. Bush Lodge offers 12 rooms that are in form of bandas and tented camps. Most of them are self-contained but a few have been built for those who are only interested in basic accommodation. The lodge has a dining room where guests gather to enjoy both local and international cuisines.
