Self-drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park

It is possible to self-drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park and explore its natural wonders. A self-drive involves independent travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park in your own or hired vehicle. You might wish to do a self-drive in the comfort of a 4X4 safari Land Cruiser, which is the most recommended. Reputable tour operators like Standard Safaris have a fleet of safari vehicles in excellent shape.

Standard Safaris also provides excellent drivers to ensure that your scenic trip to Queen Elizabeth National Park is smooth and stress-free. Queen Elizabeth National Park offers plenty of attractions for visitors on a self-drive. Queen Elizabeth National Park hosts over 95 mammals and 600 bird species. Additional attractions include Katwe craters, equator crossing, forests, Kazinga Channel, lakes, savannah woodland, and grassland, etc.

Activities to do during a self-drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park

While on a self-drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park, you can enjoy a variety of activities that include the following.

Game viewing

Queen Elizabeth National Park is renowned for its wide-ranging wildlife, especially the tree-climbing lions. You can do this during a game drive along the tracks in the Kasenyi Plains, Mweya Peninsula, and Ishasha sector. You may choose to do a game drive with a private guide from Standard Safaris or Uganda Wildlife Authority. This is an opportunity to see lions, leopards, savannah elephants, cape buffaloes, spotted hyenas, and Uganda kobs, among others.

Lion tracking

With a normal game drive, you are guaranteed to see plenty of wild animals, but unfortunately, lions might be far away. During lion tracking, however, you are driven and accompanied by expert trackers and park ranger guides. You will locate a lion that was previously fitted with a radio collar. Lion tracking is primarily done within the Kasenyi Plains. In Uganda, lion tracking can only be done in Queen Elizabeth National Park; therefore, experiencing it is very special.

Launch cruise

This is another activity that requires you to step out of your vehicle and, in this case, get aboard a motorboat. This is on the tranquil Kazinga Channel, which links Lake Edward and Lake George. During this peaceful trip, plenty of waterbirds and aquatic animals are present to be sighted. These are massive common hippos and Nile crocodiles. Expect to see birds such as the African fish eagle, saddle-billed stork, black-headed gonolek, glossy ibis, and African skimmer, etc.

Birdwatching

This is a delightful trip that is done while on a game drive, nature/forest walk, launch cruise, and others. A variety of resident or migratory bird species are available to view. Albertine endemic bird species can be identified throughout the park. You could see shoebill storks around Lake Edward or the flamingos very close to the salt lakes of Katwe and Kyambura. Kazinga Channel also provides spectacular views of waterbirds.

Explosion craters exploration

This is one of the most unique experiences Queen Elizabeth National Park provides, since you get to see the geological wonders clearly. During this trip, you will tour the Katwe Salt Lake and Lake Munyanyange. These offer sightings of plenty of birds, especially the seasonal flamingos. Locals extracting salt can also offer opportunities for interacting and demonstrating how they collect salt in the lake. This is also an opportunity to learn about the local folklore of the place.

Forest/nature walk

These invite you to explore the picturesque landscapes of Queen Elizabeth National Park. You will have to park your car and stroll through Kyambura Gorge or even the lush forests of Maramagambo. With various plant and primate species living in these forests, you will have plenty to sight. There are also plenty of open waters flowing through the forests, hence offering attractive backdrops for photography and filmmaking.

How can a self-driving tourist reach Queen Elizabeth National Park?

Since you are using road transportation, you will have to drive to Kasese district from Kampala city. The scenic drive covers about 373.8 km and takes between 7-8 hours, via Masaka, Mbarara, and Kasese. You can also drive from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through the Ishasha sector. The distance from the Buhoma sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to Ishasha is 62.7 km, which takes almost 2 hours.

Best time for self-drivers to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park?

A self-drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park is very exciting during the dry season. This is when the roads to the park and the tracks are dry and fully accessible. The dry season is usually hot and dry, with little to no rainfall received. In the dry season, the low chances of showers contribute to the possibility of having a continuous trip. This is different from the wet season, where heavy rains might lead to interruptions of the trip.

The limited rains in the dry season also cause the savannah vegetation to be less dense. This offers clear views of wildlife since they do not have too much vegetation covering it. Therefore, plan your self-drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park during the dry months of June to August. Another dry season, a short one, occurs from December to February.

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.