Queen Elizabeth National Park is among the 10 magnificent national parks situated in southwestern Uganda. Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda's second-largest protected area after Murchison Falls National Park, covers 1978 square kilometers and features the best hiking trails, including beautiful hiking trails such as the Kyambura gorge, hiking through the Maramagambo forest, exploring two breathtaking crater lakes, enjoying the Bat Cave, encountering several primate species, and endless forest bird species. Click here to view mountain gorilla trekking safaris

The advantage of this hiking or nature walk over the game drive is that it allows travelers to explore and experience different wildlife species and landscapes within Queen Elizabeth National Park. The listed hiking and nature walk trails above explain how unique Queen Elizabeth National Park is. Click here to see our recommended mountain gorilla trekking tour.

Hiking in Maramagambo Forest

The Maramagambo forest hike takes visitors through the authentic Maramagambo forest, which is one of the quality moments within Queen Elizabeth National Park and the best for bird lovers. The Maramagambo forest protects a variety of bird species, which adds to the attraction of this location. The Maramagambo forest is accompanied by crater lakes and the bat cave, which is famous for its thousands of bats and pythons, thick ironwood trees, and numerous bird species.

Hiking within the Kyambura Gorge

Hiking in this mysterious Kyambura gorge that is also known as the Valley of Apes is one of the Queen Elizabeth National park’s real adventures Just imagine hiking within this underground forest, which was referred to in a BBC documentary as the “Lost Gorge." Most tourists enjoy hiking through this vast forest to see the wild chimpanzees in their natural environment. Although sometimes the chimpanzees can hardly be seen, the entire chimpanzee tracking experience at Kyambura Gorge is naturally rewarding and worth your adventure. Besides the chimpanzee tracking experience, travelers who participate in this hiking are rewarded with unmatched views of the different landscapes, many bird species, butterfly species, mammal species, and tree species of different interest.

Hiking at the Mweya Peninsula for Mongoose Tracking

Mweya Peninsula is among the focal points of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Mwyea Peninsula is situated in the heart of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Mongoose tracking takes place within the Mweya Peninsula but is one of the best adventurous tourism activities at Queen Elizabeth National Park. It is not so well known to many travelers but is a riveting activity. Mongoose tracking takes 3 hours and is done in the presence of a Uganda Wildlife Authority park ranger guide, whereby travelers go to the Mongoose Research Area to observe and monitor the banded brothers and study the mongoose habitats and exceptional behavior. Mongoose tracking doesn’t limit travelers to the banded mongoose only; travelers can also view other wildlife species, bird species, and butterfly species along the Mweya peninsula hiking trails as they enjoy the Kazinga Channel.

Hiking along the explosion craters

As evidenced by the Albertine Rift's sparkling volcanic past, Uganda is blessed with 72 round and vast basins well distributed across the Equator corridor, offering "a must-see tourist attraction in this region of impressive geological history." Hiking between Kabatoro gate and Queen's Pavilion offers spectacular views of round lakes, massive craters, the Kazinga Channel, and the Great Rift Valley Escarpment.

Hiking in the Kasenyi Plains

Kasenyi Plains is a vast savannah plain that provides the ideal setting for the ultimate African safari adventure. Hiking in the Kasenyi Plains area rewards every traveler with numerous wildlife species such as antelopes, especially Uganda Kobs, that attract the points of pride of lions, warthogs, hippos, and bird species such as guinea fowl running and huge herds of elephants striding through the plains.

Hiking along the Ishasha River

Ishasha River is located in the remote southern section of Queen Elizabeth National Park, offering visitors to the park the best of Uganda's true uniqueness. The Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park is the only place in Uganda where visitors can see tree climbing lions lying on tree branches, buffaloes, large herds of Uganda Kobs, and elephant herds, among other things. The elusive shoebill stork is another common bird species seen in the Ishasha sector.

Queen Elizabeth National Park occupies the prime wildlife protection center situated in the south-western region of Uganda and is considered the best tourist destination by many visitors that visit the Pearl of Africa (Uganda). The fact that it is near Bwindi impenetrable National Park makes visitors that go to Bwindi for mountain gorilla trekking find it easier to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park and enjoy a number of activities such as game drives, lion tracking research, kazinga boat cruises, mongoose tracking along the Mweya Peninsular, and chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge.

KAZINGA CHANNEL BOAT CRUISE

Kazinga Boat Cruise is one of the activities that invites so many tourists to Queen Elizabeth National Park at a glimpse. A boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel takes place on a 40-kilometer-long channel with an awesome experience where travelers learn so much about African wildlife such as the African elephants, crocodiles, hippos, cape buffaloes, and a variety of bird species. The boat cruise on Kazinga Channel is done twice a day. Tourists can either choose between the morning cruise that begins at 11 a.m. and lasts for 2 hours and the afternoon boat cruise that starts at 2 p.m.

GAME DRIVES

Queen Elizabeth National Park offers the best game drives that tourists can engage in when they visit this park. The best season for Queen Elizabeth National Park game drives is in the dry season, which happens in the months of June to August and December to February. During the dry months, all the driving tracks are dry, and the vegetation is short. On the game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park, tourists get a chance to view tree-climbing lions of the ishasha sector and do some lion tracking research along the Kasenyi Plains. Tourists can also see elephants, buffalo herds, Uganda kobs, warthogs, bushbucks, and antelopes.

BIRDING

Bird watching in Queen Elizabeth National Park takes tourists to see over 619 species of birds, some of which are recognized internationally. Bird watching in Queen Elizabeth National Park is carried out in the wide range of habitats like forest, Savannah woodland such as maramagambo forest, and kalinzu forest, all near Queen Elizabeth National Park and wetlands. Queen Elizabeth National Park bird’s species include cormorants, fly catchers, kingfishers, black bee eaters, and African fish eagles, among others.

LION TRACKING

Lion tracking research in Queen Elizabeth National Park is another interesting activity that can be done by tourists that involves tracking the lions with the use of radiator collars within the Kasenyi Plains. Lion tracking is real research that is conducted by professionals from the Uganda carnivore program.

The best time to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park for wildlife spotting and chimpanzee trekking takes place throughout the year, but its best done from June to September and again from December to February. Queen Elizabeth National Park is located on the Great Lakes rift valley floor in the southwestern part of Uganda.