3 Days Queen Elizabeth Wildlife & Kazinga Channel
3-Day Queen Elizabeth Wildlife & Kazinga Channel
Game drives on the Kasenyi Plains, a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel and a community visit. A short safari from Kampala that suits families and first-timers.
Tour Overview
Queen Elizabeth is Uganda's best-known safari park, with savannah, wetlands, crater lakes and the Rwenzori foothills all in one place. In three days from Kampala you'll go on a game drive in the Kasenyi Plains, take a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel and visit a local community. It's short, easy and a great first safari.
Trip Highlights
Kasenyi Game Drive
Lion country, with elephants, buffalo, topi and big herds of Uganda kob on open plains.
Kazinga Channel Cruise
Hippos, crocodiles and elephants at the water's edge, plus fish eagles, pelicans and storks.
Katwe Salt Lake
Watch salt harvested by hand from a crater lake, or visit a women's craft group instead.
Optional Lion Tracking
Join the Uganda Carnivore Programme team in the evening to find radio-collared lions. Extra cost.
Plan Your Queen Elizabeth Safari
Tell us your dates and group size and we'll confirm availability and send you a quote.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Kampala → Queen Elizabeth National Park
Leave Kampala by 6:00–7:00 am. The road climbs through hill country and banana plantations, passing small trading towns along the way. Stop at the Equator monument at Kayabwe for photos and a local demonstration of how water drains on either side of the line, then have lunch in Mbarara. At the lodge you'll check in, get a briefing on tomorrow's plan and have dinner as the sun sets over the park.
- Early departure by private 4×4
- Equator stop at Kayabwe
- Lunch in Mbarara, then lodge briefing and dinner
Game Drive & Kazinga Channel Cruise
After an early breakfast, head straight into the Kasenyi sector, the park's lion country and home to its famous tree-climbing lions. Expect elephants, buffalo, topi, waterbuck, warthogs and large herds of Uganda kob on open ground that's ideal for photography. Your guide reads tracks, circling vultures and kob alarm calls to find the animals.
After lunch and a rest at the lodge, you board the afternoon boat on the Kazinga Channel, the 32 km waterway linking Lake George and Lake Edward. Hippos, crocodiles and elephants come right to the bank, with fish eagles, pelicans and storks above. For many guests, it's the highlight of the trip.
Optional evening add-on (extra cost): lion tracking with the Uganda Carnivore Programme team, using telemetry to find radio-collared lions. Book ahead.
- Morning game drive in Kasenyi
- Afternoon Kazinga Channel boat cruise
- Optional evening lion tracking
Community Visit & Return to Kampala
After breakfast and check-out, choose your community visit. At Katwe Salt Lake, workers still rake and harvest salt by hand, and your guide interprets as they explain the work and life around the lake. Or visit a women's handicraft group, where weavers make baskets and mats and you can buy directly from them. Then drive back to Kampala with lunch on the way. We drop you at your hotel or the international airport.
- Katwe Salt Lake or women's craft group visit
- Lunch stop on the way
- Drop-off at your Kampala hotel or the airport
What's Included
Included
- Private transport with expert driver-guide
- 2 nights midrange safari lodge (full board)
- Park entrance fees and all game drives
- Kazinga Channel boat cruise
- Community visit and interpreter fees
- Bottled drinking water throughout
- Airport and hotel transfers in Kampala
Excluded
- International flights and Uganda visa
- Travel, medical and evacuation insurance
- Optional lion tracking and night game drive
- Tips for guide, lodge staff and boat crew
- Alcohol and premium drinks
- Souvenirs and personal purchases
Price Per Person
| Group Size | Price per Person | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $880 | Private vehicle and guide |
| 2 people | $610 | Per person |
| 3 people | $550 | Per person |
| 4 people | $510 | Great for families |
| 5 people | $490 | Per person |
| 6 people | $470 | Best group value |
Before You Book
Good to Know
- The drive: About 6–7 hours each way on paved roads, then park tracks. You travel in a 4WD safari vehicle, and no special fitness is needed.
- When to go: The park is open all year. June to October is driest and best for wildlife. The rains (March–May and October–November) turn the park green and are popular with birders.
- Photography: Early morning on the game drive and late afternoon on the channel give the best light. Bring a telephoto lens for wildlife, a wide-angle for the Rwenzori and crater lakes, and a polarising filter for the water.
- Health: A yellow fever vaccination is required to enter Uganda. Malaria tablets are strongly recommended, so see a travel clinic at least 4 weeks before you leave. Travel and medical insurance is essential.
- Cash: Carry some Uganda shillings and USD for tips, optional activities and purchases at community visits. Cards are rarely accepted outside Kampala. Your guide will suggest tip amounts at the end of the trip.