Boat Cruising in Queen Elizabeth National Park

With Standard Safaris, you will have a joyful boat cruising safari on the Kazinga Channel. The channel is in the vast Queen Elizabeth National Park situated in the western part of Uganda. The Kazinga Channel is a 32-kilometer-long waterway that connects Lakes George and Edward in the Albertine Rift Valley. You can enjoy the peaceful boat cruising experiences twice a day one at 9 am and the second at 2 pm, especially after your delicious lunch. Boat cruising usually takes 2 hours and offers relaxing experiences of viewing the blue skies, birdlife, wild animals, and beautiful landscapes among others.

The boats are manned by experienced tour guides and crew with some having luxurious services such as refreshments. While on the boat you can spot a variety of physical features including the Kazinga Channel itself which gets its water from the Rwenzori Mountains. Lake George, a water body that spans a land surface area of about 250 square kilometers and is only 2.4 meters deep is another highlight. On the other end of the Kazinga Channel is Lake Edward which gets most of its water from Lake George. It covers a land surface area of about 2,325 square kilometers and a depth of about 17 meters. These 2 lakes are part of the African Great Lakes.

While boat cruising, you can spot numerous wildlife species including mammals, birds, insects, and reptiles. Mammals include hippos, buffalos, waterbucks, bushbucks, elephants, and other antelopes. Birds encompass African fish eagles, pied kingfishers, pelicans, grey-crowned cranes, and flamingos among others. Reptiles are dominated by the Nile crocodiles and very many species of lizards. Numerous colorful butterflies can be seen in the vegetation along the banks.

Cost of the Boat Cruising Tour on Kazinga Channel

The cost of a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel varies depending on your citizenship. For example, a fee of USD 30 is charged for a foreign non-resident, USD 25 for a foreign resident, and UGX 30,000 for an East African citizen. It should be clear that the fee is separate from the park entrance, therefore you should also cater for it. The boat cruising fee can be paid to the Uganda Wildlife Authority through a registered tour company like Standard Safaris. It is better if you book it in advance to avoid any inconvenience on the particular day. Standard Safaris can book this activity on your behalf since we are experienced with the process of booking and the best time to participate in this unique tour experience.

When to Visit

Boat cruising tours can be done on any day of the year depending on your weather preferences, tolerance for crowds, and interest in spotting some wildlife species. If you want to enjoy your boat cruise on a warm sunny day with a low probability of showers, then the dry season is the ideal time for your boat cruising tour. The dry season is especially experienced in January, February, June, July, August, and December. The dry season is also the time when a lot of wild animals converge at the Kazinga channel banks to drink water. This is because water is scarce in other parts of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

However, if you are an avid birdwatcher and would like to see numerous bird species, it is better if you come during the rainy season. This is the period when a variety of bird species swarm the national park, some of which come from Europe and Asia. The rainy season is experienced during March, April, May, September October, and November. You should however be prepared for muddy roads. These are caused by the heavy rains that fall nearly every day. However, the rains lead to dense vegetation cover that makes a beautiful backdrop for your photographs.

Traveling to Queen Elizabeth National Park for Boat Cruising

By road Queen Elizabeth National Park is about 375 kilometers via Masaka, Mbarara, and Kasese. The scenic journey takes 7-8 hours and offers glimpses into some of the natural wonders of the country. These include hills, valleys, escarpments, lakes, rivers, and mountains among others.

A reputable tour company like Standard Safaris can reduce any inconveniences you may face along the way by safely transporting you to the park. With our team of experienced driver guides who drive safari vehicles in perfect conditions, you will have a perfect road trip that is full of comfort and fun. There is also air transportation as an option for a visitor who wants to reach Queen Elizabeth National Park quickly. You will have to board a scheduled flight from either Entebbe International Airport to Kasese Airport which takes an hour.

Packing List

Light clothing including long-sleeved shirt, trousers, etc
Comfortable hiking shoes
Rain jacket or raincoat
Warm sweater
Sun protection items such as wide-brimmed hats, sunscreen, sunglasses, etc
Bug repellent to apply on your skin to avoid mosquitoes from biting you
Camera and Binoculars
Refillable water bottle to carry drinking water throughout the tour
A lunch box to carry some energy-giving snacks
Basic first aid kit

Sándor Jakubinyi

14:31 22 Feb 24

2019 megigazulás

12:45 21 Feb 24

We went on a two-week trip with my family, organised by Coleb from Standard Safaris.

I had my concerns about organised trips, but this one didn’t justify any of those. Everything went very smoothly, even when some problems arose with one of the cars it got fixed by next morning, the accomodations were clean and comfortable, the programs were exciting and well-balanced - everything was done to a truly high standard.

If you plan to visit Uganda and are looking for a guide, I warmly recommend Coleb and his team. In case you have a choice of drivers, go for Godwin, his presence made this trip even more enjoyable - cheerful, helpful, good sense of humour, generally a great person. Just look for the guy with a big smile and big heart:)

Bert Simoens

09:38 08 Jan 24

We recently embarked on a safari adventure with Standard Safaris in Uganda, which was truly exceptional. Our guide, Yonah, was outstanding - his kindness, knowledge, and discretion significantly enhanced our experience. He was the heart of our trip.

The local company's planning was offering a tailor-made journey that matched our interests. We saw an array of wildlife in Murchison, enjoyed rafting at Jinja, and experienced mountain biking at Sipi. A visit to Kidepo National Park was a highlight and comes highly recommended.

The vehicle provided was comfortable and reliable. We highly recommend Standard Safaris for anyone seeking an unforgettable safari in Uganda. Their professionalism and the exceptional guidance of staff like Yonah make them an great choice.

Michał Kostrzewa

00:41 15 Nov 23

We are all extremely grateful Standard Safaris for an incredible East Africa experience. I recently booked a custom trip for group of 8 people, including an 8-year-old boy, from Kampala through Queen Elizabeth National Park and on to Rwanda and Burundi. Coleb delivered on everything that was discussed and agreed upon beforehand.

The car provided was in great condition and our driver Meddy went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable, informed, and had the best possible time. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. All local services were inlcuded in (reasonable) price that we agreed, so there was no need to worry about payments during the 6 day trip. Also Standard Safaris agreed took care about safety and security by helping us organize armed ranger while in the park.

The whole trip was hassle-free and smooth. We saw amazing wildlife in Queen Elizabeth NP, took in the sights of Rwanda and Burundi, and made lifelong memories.

I would happily book with Standard Safaris again in a heartbeat and recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone looking for the best East Africa trip. They provide top-notch service while ensuring you have an incredible, customized experience. If you want a hassle-free, flawlessly organized African adventure, Standard Safaris is the tour operator to book with.

Ivan Nammanda

18:31 27 Oct 23

Very organized travel operator who chose awesome guide to make our trip wonderful.

We booked a nine days trip with Standard Safaris and all was perfect from start to finish. Coleb was very prompt at replying and easy to liaise with ahead of the trip. We had done a lot of research and had an itinerary in mind and Coleb helped us to put everything together to make this happen for a very reasonable price.  On the trip we had a private vehicle for the whole tour which was exactly what we wanted. Bryan was our driver and an amazing guide - really friendly and knowledgable, working hard to find the things that we wanted to see and quickly understanding what was of interest to us/how much information to give.

Would highly recommend a trip to Uganda with Standard Safaris. We are definitely coming back soon!

MUGAIGA KENNETH

18:01 27 Oct 23

The company has very courteous tour guides with wide knowledge of fauna and frola in the whole of East Africa.
The choice of safari Lodges is good with first class treatment.
Game drive security is assured.
Almost The whole of September I was traversing through DRC, Uganda,and Rwanda on a gorilla tour and wildlife expedition.
Everything was arranged and booked perfectly by Standard Safaris.
The owner, Coleb was always helpful whenever we needed to ask questions about this gorilla safari in Uganda and beyond.
It was a complex expedition but Standard safaris and Coleb made it look amazingly easy.
I’ll recommend Standard safaris 200%, for all gorilla safaris in Uganda, Rwanda and wildlife tours in east africa.

travel uganda

16:35 27 Oct 23

This is so far the best gorilla trekking company in Uganda, and africa, by far. I had a wonderful time with Standard Safaris as a solo traveler.
My guide was excellent and our safari planner, Coleb was quick with responses and the prices were very friendly.
I’ll definitely book with Standard safaris on my next gorilla tour in Rwanda and Uganda.

Boat Cruising in Queen Elizabeth National Park

10 Days Best of Uganda Safari – Primates, Wildlife & Leisure Tour

7 DAYS UGANDA WILDLIFE SAFARI ADVENTURE

6 Days Gorilla & Chimpanzee Safari in Uganda

5 Days Gorilla Trekking & Wildlife Tour In Uganda

3 Days Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Tour in Uganda

2 Days Bwindi gorilla trek from Kigali