5 Days Queen Elizabeth Wildlife Safari
5 Days Queen Elizabeth Wildlife Safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park. It is Uganda’s second largest national park and also one of the most visited savannah parks in the country. During your 5 days Queen Elizabeth Wildlife Special, you will be taking part in a series of interesting wildlife viewing activities such as; guided game drives in the park, launch cruise, lion tracking, chimpanzee trekking and a cultural tour to one of the local communities that live near the national park. Here is what to look forward to during your 5 days Queen Elizabeth Wildlife Special;
Highlights for 5 Days Queen Elizabeth Wildlife Safari
- Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
- Day 2: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Launch Cruise.
- Day 3: Chimpanzee Trekking.
- Day 4: Lion Tracking Experience and Community Cultural Tour.
- Day 5: Morning Game drive and Transfer Back to Kampala.
Detailed Itinerary for 5 Days Queen Elizabeth Wildlife Special.
Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Arrival: On Day 1 of your 5 Days Queen Elizabeth Wildlife Special, meet up with your guide/driver upon your arrival in the country. You can choose have your driver pick you up upon your arrival at Entebbe International Airport or from your hotel in Kampala.
Kampala City Tour: After getting acquainted with your guide/driver, you will proceed with a short tour of Kampala city where you will visit some of the interesting historical and cultural sites like; the King’s Palace, Museum, Idi Amin’s Torture Chambers, Namugongo Martyrs’ Shrine among others. Have lunch and proceed with your journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Transfer to Queen: Queen Elizabeth national park is located in the western part of Uganda in Kasese district. The national park can easily be accessed from Kampala via Mbarara-Bushenyi route leading to the center of the park, passing just 22km from the Mweya Peninsula which is the main tourism hub. Do look out for some of the wildlife animals in the Mweya peninsula such as; warthogs, waterbuck, Uganda Kobs, and Topi among others.
Upon your arrival in the park, check into your lodge for dinner and accommodation.
Day 2: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Launch Cruise.
Morning Game Drive: Have an early morning breakfast and proceed on a morning game drive in the park which begins at 6am. This morning game drive will give you a great chance to view the stunning wildlife in the park like; African savannah elephants, hyenas, Uganda Kobs, heart beasts, giraffes, zebras and many more. Queen Elizabeth National Park is blessed with over 612 bird species thus making it a great destination for birding activities. While on your game drive, you may spot birds like the African skimmer, Chapin’s flycatcher, Shoebill stock, the great flamingos and Pink- backed pelicans. Game drives in the park usually take between 2-5 hours. Later drive back to your lodge lunch.
Afternoon Launch Cruise: Head out for an evening launch cruise on Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The boat cruise starts at exactly 2pm and can take approximately 2 hours. During your boat cruise, you may sight lots of wildlife such as hippos, Nile crocodiles, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, waterbucks and some species of birds like the great flamingos, Shoebill stock, Ibis and so many others.
Drive back to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 3: Chimpanzee Trekking.
Chimpanzee Trekking: Start your day with breakfast early in the morning at your lodge. You will then meet up with your guide and drive to the park headquarters where you will be briefed and given a guide. You will then drive to Kyambura Gorge where your Chimpanzee trekking experience will start. Chimpanzee trekking in Queen Elizabeth national park can take between 1 – 4 hours or more depending on the location of the chimps. You will later have your lunch which you packed from your lodge. Alternatively, simply head back to your lodge for lunch and relax for the rest of the afternoon.
Day 4: Lion Tracking Experience and Community Cultural Tour.
Lion Tracking Experience: Wake up in the morning and have breakfast at your lodge. You will then embark on a lion tracking experience in the park. You will be accompanied by a team of researchers and park ranger on a guided game drive in the park, where you will have an opportunity to see the tree climbing lions in the Ishasha sector of the park. This activity will take about 1-3 hours or more depending on how fast you are able to locate a pride of lions. Drive back to your lodge for lunch and rest for a while.
Community Cultural Tour: Later in the evening you can head out for a tour to one of the neighboring communities outside the national park. You will get an opportunity to mingle with the locals in these communities and learn more about their interesting cultures. Enjoy cultural dance and singing performances from the local dance troupes and also take part in African Art & Craft classes where you will get to learn how to weave traditional baskets and bowls using natural fibers. You will also get to learn how to make colorful beads and necklaces from recycled magazines.
Drive back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Nyanz’ibiri Cave Community and Transfer Back to Kampala.
Nyanz’ibiri Cave Community: After having your morning breakfast, drive to the Nyanz’ibiri Cave Community located a few kilometers outside Queen Elizabeth national Park. This community is popular among tourists because of its famous “Bat Cave.” With the help of local guides, hike to the cave which is tucked away beneath the shady canopy of Maramagambo Forest. The cave is a well-known habitat for bats and pythons. It was once used by locals to offer sacrifices to their traditional god. The cave also served as a hiding place during the rule of Idi Amin. Other attractions in the community include a Cultural museum which is a perfectly preserved Banyaruguru hut that is filled with valuable local artifacts; some of which were once tools of everyday life.
Transfer back to Kampala: Transfer back to Kampala with a stopover at Igongo Cultural center for lunch. Have your driver/guide drop you off at any hotel of your choice upon your arrival in Kampala.
End of the 5 Days Queen Elizabeth Wildlife Safari
