Small Group • Uganda
2 Days Queen Elizabeth National Park Safari
The Kazinga Channel by boat and the Kasenyi plains at first light
Overview
About this journey
- Region
- East Africa
- Duration
- 2 days
- Departures
- Fixed dates
- Party size
- Up to 6
Queen Elizabeth sits in south-western Uganda at the foot of the Rwenzori, with more than 95 mammal species and over 600 birds. In two days you get its two best things: an afternoon boat along the Kazinga Channel, which holds one of the largest hippo concentrations in Africa, and a dawn game drive across the Kasenyi plains for lions, elephant and buffalo.
The first day is mostly the drive from Kampala or Entebbe, with a stop at the Equator at Kayabwe and lunch at the lodge before the boat. The second is the game drive and the drive home, arriving in the evening.
A short safari for anyone with a weekend and a wish to see the big animals without a week away.
Highlights
What you'll experience
The Kazinga Channel by boat
One of the largest hippo concentrations in Africa, with crocodiles, buffalo and elephant along the banks and the sun setting over the water.
Kasenyi plains at first light
The park's best game-viewing ground, driven in the early hours when lions and hyenas are still about.
Tree-climbing lions
Where the route takes in the Ishasha sector, the lions that rest in the fig trees are the thing to look for.
Standing on the Equator
A stop at Kayabwe on the way west for the photograph and the craft stalls.
Why choose us
Why choose a Small Group Journey?
Both sides of the park in two days
The channel by boat and the plains by vehicle are Queen Elizabeth's two signature experiences, and this trip fits both without hurrying either.
Small group, clear view
No more than six travel together, so the pop-up roof is never crowded when the lions appear.
Everything in the park included
Entrance fees, the boat, the game drive, the lodge, meals, the vehicle and guide and drinking water are all in the price.
Itinerary
Your day-by-day journey
Day 1
West to the park, and the Kazinga Channel by boat
We collect you early from your Kampala or Entebbe hotel and drive west through villages, tea and rolling hills, stopping at the Equator crossing at Kayabwe for photographs and crafts. The road runs through Mbarara and reaches the park in the afternoon.
After lunch and a rest at the lodge, the afternoon is the Kazinga Channel boat, on the waterway between Lake George and Lake Edward. Hippos in their hundreds, Nile crocodiles, buffalo and elephant at the water's edge and a long list of water birds, with the sun going down over the channel on the way back. Dinner at the lodge.
Meals · Lunch, Dinner
Day 2
Kasenyi plains at dawn, then back to Kampala
An early breakfast, then out onto the Kasenyi plains while the predators are still moving. Lions, elephant, buffalo, hyena, Uganda kob, warthog, bushbuck and giant forest hog are the regulars, with leopard if you are lucky. Where the route includes the Ishasha sector there is a chance of the tree-climbing lions resting in the fig trees.
After the drive we head back east, with a lunch stop on the way, arriving in Kampala or Entebbe in the evening for drop-off at your hotel or the airport.
Meals · Breakfast, Lunch
Inclusions
What is and isn't included
Included
- Park entrance fees
- Boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel
- Game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Accommodation as indicated
- Meals as listed in the itinerary
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- Bottled drinking water during the safari
Not included
- International flights to and from the region
- Entry visas and any transit visas
- Gorilla and chimpanzee permits, unless listed as included
- Travel and medical insurance, which is mandatory
- Alcoholic drinks and premium beverages
- Laundry, telephone and other items of a personal nature
- Tips and gratuities for your guide, drivers and lodge staff
- Optional activities not listed in the day-by-day itinerary
Pricing
Fixed departures
A shared departure of up to 6 guests. Rates are per person in USD.