3 DAYS · 2 NIGHTS · FROM $500 PER PERSON
Queen Elizabeth
National Park
Tree-climbing lions. The Kazinga Channel. Crater lakes at golden hour.
THE EXPERIENCE
Nobody fully understands why the lions climb trees here. What matters is they do.
The Ishasha sector in the south of Queen Elizabeth is where you find them. Lions draped across fig branches ten feet off the ground, watching everything and doing nothing. Researchers have studied this behaviour for decades without a definitive answer. You get to sit underneath them and form your own theory.
The Kazinga Channel connects Lake Edward and Lake George and holds one of the highest concentrations of hippos in Africa. The boat cruise runs three hours. In that time you will be closer to more wildlife than most people see in a week of game drives.
The drive from Kampala takes 5 to 6 hours. Queen Elizabeth consistently delivers more variety per day than almost any other park in Uganda.
TRIP SUMMARY
Duration · 3 Days 2 Nights
Group Size · 2 to 6 people
Price Per Person · From $500
Solo Supplement · From $280 extra
Difficulty · Easy
Best Season · Dec–Feb, Jun–Sep
Drive from Kampala · 5 to 6 hours
Departure · Kampala or Entebbe
BOOK THIS TRIPDAY BY DAY
Three days in Queen Elizabeth.
DAY ONE
Kampala to Queen Elizabeth.
Depart Kampala at 7am heading southwest. The road climbs through the tea estates of Fort Portal before dropping into the rift valley. Arrive early afternoon. Check in and head straight out on an afternoon game drive in the northern Kasenyi sector — this is prime lion and elephant territory. Sundowners on the crater lakes rim. Dinner at lodge.
DAY TWO
Kazinga Channel and the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha.
Morning game drive in Kasenyi before the heat rises. Back for breakfast. 10am Kazinga Channel boat cruise — three hours of hippos, crocodiles, buffalo, and waterbirds in extraordinary concentrations. After lunch drive south to Ishasha sector. This is a 90-minute drive through the park. Afternoon in Ishasha looking for lions in the fig trees. If they are up, you will know before you see them — other vehicles cluster underneath. Evening return to lodge.
DAY THREE
Crater lakes and return.
Morning walk or drive around the crater lake circuit before departure. These lakes sit inside old volcanic craters and the colours shift from emerald green to deep blue depending on algae concentration. Depart by 10am. Back in Kampala by 4 to 5pm.
INCLUDED
✓ 4×4 safari vehicle and driver-guide
✓ All UWA park entry fees
✓ Kazinga Channel boat cruise
✓ Accommodation as listed
✓ All meals unless stated
✓ Bottled water throughout
NOT INCLUDED
✗ International flights
✗ Travel insurance
✗ Personal items and tips
✗ Alcoholic beverages
✗ Visa fees
MOST ASKED
What time of day do the lions climb trees in Ishasha?
Early morning and late afternoon are the most reliable windows. Lions use the trees to escape ground-level heat and insects, so midday when it is hottest is when they are most likely to be up. There is no guarantee — this is wild behavior, not a performance. We have had travelers find lions in the trees within twenty minutes of entering Ishasha. We have had others spend four hours searching. That uncertainty is exactly what makes it real.
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