Airstrips near/around Queen Elizabeth National Park

The nearest airstrips to Queen Elizabeth National Park are Kasese, Mweya and Ishasha. Currently direct flights to Queen Elizabeth National Park located in the western part of Uganda land in Kasese and Mweya airstrips. AeroLink Uganda offers the domestic flights from Entebbe International Airport to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Kasese Airstrip is only 25 km away from Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Duration of direct flights from Entebbe International Airport to Queen ranges from 1 hour and 15 minutes to 2.5 hours. You are also offered options on what time of day you can fly to the airstrips near or around Queen Elizabeth National Park. For instance, you could choose an AM flight from Entebbe that starts at 7:00 a.m. Midmorning flights from Entebbe Airport start at 10:15 a.m. and are available in the high season. The PM flights from Entebbe start at noon.

Flights to Queen Elizabeth National Park can also be done from airstrips inside or close to other national parks of Uganda. These airstrips include Kisoro, Kihihi, Chobe, and Pakuba, among others. You can also fly from Mweya and Kasese to other national parks within Uganda. But there are no direct flights from/to other countries at Mweya and Kasese airstrips. You must first fly to Entebbe International Airport, then fly to your preferred destination internationally.

When to fly to airstrips near/around Queen Elizabeth National Park?

These flights are offered daily by AeroLink Uganda. However, during the low season, the schedules are changed for some flights. AeroLonk Uganda reserves the rights to change your flight schedule if considered necessary. This may arise due to unavoidable circumstances such as horrible weather conditions. However, if you book with Standard Safaris, we shall inform you of a slight schedule change and what to do.

What to see in Queen Elizabeth National Park?

Queen Elizabeth National Park is the most visited in Uganda and for good reason. The park has a wide range of attractions to see after flying to the destination. These include,

Birds

Queen Elizabeth National Park has so far recorded at least 612 distinct bird species that call the place home. These colorful creatures can be found inhabiting water bodies, woodlands, forests and crater areas etc. After your flight, you will enjoy birdwatching, launch cruise, forest walk or game drive to see plenty of birds. Examples of birds to see are grey crowned crane, shoebill, saddle-billed stork, giant kingfisher, papyrus gonolek and papyrus yellow warbler etc.

Mammals

With at least 95 known mammal species, you have plenty to spot after your flight to Queen Elizabeth National Park. These mammals occupy plenty of habitats, including open waters, forests, swamps, grassland, and woodland. The most iconic of them all is the tree-climbing lion found in the Ishasha sector. Other key carnivores and herbivores include the cape buffalo, African elephant, side-striped jackal, chimps, spotted hyena, warthogs, and leopards etc.

Geographical features

Queen Elizabeth National Park has some of the best scenes for photographers and nature enthusiasts. There are many unique geographical features in the ecosystem that make exploration memorable. These range from open waters to forests, valleys and grasslands among others. Examples include Kazinga Channel, Lakes George and Edward, Equator crossing, Explosion Craters include Lake Katwe, Maramagambo forest and Mweya Peninsula etc.

What to do in Queen Elizabeth National Park?

After enjoying your flight to Queen Elizabeth National Park, expect to enjoy doing the following activities,

Game drives

These are great experiences done in a pop-up safari vehicle driven by a professional driver guide along specific tracks. These offer once in a lifetime moment of spotting all kinds of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, plants and insects etc. This is the most important way of seeing 4 of the big 5 of Africa. They are lions, elephants, leopards and buffaloes. Birding safaris are also possible while having game drives.

Lion tracking

This is an experiential adventure involving expert lion trackers and researchers. You get the unique chance of driving in a safari car and getting up close to a lion in their natural habitat. You will also witness how research on lions is done. This is a rare opportunity to interact with big cat enthusiasts. You may get a chance to touch a sedated lion since it has almost zero chances of harming you.

Launch cruise

Launch cruise is extremely unmissable for many reasons. One of them is that you get to cruise on a waterway that connects Lakes Edward and George. Then you get to see plenty of aquatic wildlife species. Animals that you can see while on a motorboat include the pied kingfisher, hippo, Nile crocodile, African buffalo, African elephant, long-crested eagle, grey crowned crane, and saddle-billed stork, among others.

Birding excursion

Birding can be done during game drives, boat cruises, forest walks, and exploration of the Explosion craters, etc. During a guided birdwatching excursion, you will spot very different bird species almost every second. You will also need a bird checklist to help you identify some of the Albertine endemic species. In Queen Elizabeth National Park, you will see the great white pelican, palm-nut vulture, collared pratincole, and lesser flamingo, among others.

Photography

This is an opportunity any photographer will take to get some of the most amazing shots of nature. Queen is blessed with vast savannahs, tranquil water, myriad biodiversity, rift valley features and crater lakes etc. These are extremely beautiful and offer amazing vistas or backdrops for taking photos throughout the year. At the Kikorongo equator crossing, you can take photos while standing in both hemispheres.

Forest walk

These forest walks are guided tours and unique in that they offer views of birds, primates, bats, and plenty of insects. Forest walks in Queen Elizabeth National Park are done in Maramagambo Forest and Kyambura Gorge. Forest walks are also good for enhancing the general fitness of your body. This makes your ability to do physical activities even better since your muscles are stretched during the walk.

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.