Game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park Uganda : Game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park are among the popular activities done during safaris at the destination. Queen Elizabeth national park is located in the south western part of Uganda and it is one of the famous safari parks covering about 1978 square kilometers consisting of savannah plains, forests and also wetlands.
This activity is carried out during the morning and in the afternoon hours and can also take place for a full day during safaris in Queen Elizabeth national park. During game drives, tourists can explore the wilderness of the park, see many animals in the savannah plains and also enjoy the views around the national park.
Game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park carried out in the morning start as early as 6:00 am and tourists also get to watch the sunset over the savannah plains as they search for the different wildlife species in the national park such as elephants, buffalos, waterbucks, impalas, warthogs among others.
For full day game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park, tourists get to explore the national park early in the morning and spend the rest of the day exploring different parts of the national park in search of the wildlife species.
Before taking part in game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park, park entrance fee is charged to tourists during their safaris at the destination. Park entrance fee for Queen Elizabeth national park is 40 USD for foreign nonresidents, 30 USD for foreign residents and 20,000 Uganda shillings for East Africans.
Other activities in the national park may also be charged independently from park entrance fees for Queen Elizabeth national park such as 30 USD for boat rides on the Kazinga channel, 100 USD for lion tracking experience, 50 USD for chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge among others.
Wildlife species which can be seen during game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park include elephants, lions, leopards, buffalos, waterbucks, topi, impalas, bushbucks, hippos, warthogs, hyenas and many others. The national park is also famous for tree climbing lions which can be seen in the ishasha sector and for having 4 of the big 5.
Game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park take place in the Kasenyi plains and also around Mweya. The ishasha sector is also visited during game drives around the southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park. Other attractions around the national park include the Kazinga channel for boat rides, the Maramagambo forest and also Kyambura gorge.
The type of vehicles used during game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park are 4×4 safari vehicles which have pop up roofs which make it easy to see the wildlife species during a safari. These vehicles can be owned by tour operators or tourists can book a game drive in the national park in the UWA vehicles.
Self-drives also take place during safaris in Queen Elizabeth national park and it is advised to go with a ranger guide during this type of game drive to avoid going off the tracks or getting lost in the national park.
There are many rules and regulations put in place by Uganda Wildlife Authority to be followed during game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park and they include no littering, avoiding noise, avoiding feeding the animals, avoiding leaving the safari vehicles during game drives, keeping a safe distance from the animals, avoiding driving off the tracks, maintaining the speed limit during game drives in the national park among others.
Best time for game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park
Best time for game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park is the dry season from June to October and also around December, January and February. The dry season is considered a good time for safaris because the vegetation is thinner making it easy to see the wildlife in the plains and they can also be seen as they gather to drink at the water points in the national park.
Game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park can also be done during the rainy season which is also the green season. Photography during this season is amazing and bird species of a variety are also best seen in the rainy season which takes place around March, April and May and also around November.
Depending on the time of the year you travel, some of the items to pack for the safari around Queen Elizabeth national park include long sleeved shirts and trousers, a safari hat, sunglasses, mosquito repellant, binoculars, snacks and water, comfortable shoes, camera and extra batteries among others. Light clothing is also recommended during the dry season due to the heat during the day time although at night it sometimes gets cold.
How to get to Queen Elizabeth national park
Queen Elizabeth national park can be accessed by flight and also by road during safari in Uganda.
There are 2 routes which can be used to access Queen Elizabeth national park by road and they include Kampala to Masaka to Mbarara to Kasese route and also the Kampala to Mubende to Fort Portal to Kasese route.
A much faster way to get to Queen Elizabeth national park during Uganda wildlife safaris is by flying from Entebbe airport to Mweya airstrip or Kasese airstrip.
The game drives can also be combined with other activities around Queen Elizabeth national park during a safari and these activities include boat rides on Kazinga channel, chimpanzee trekking, community visits, visiting the katwe salt mines and also bird watching.