Hiking and nature walks in Queen Elizabeth national park

Hiking and nature walks in Queen Elizabeth national park; Queen Elizabeth national park is the second largest and one of the 10 national parks in Uganda located in western region. The national park is famously known for harboring the tree climbing lions which are found in Ishasha sector and other animals like buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, elephants, bushbucks, hippos, Nile crocodiles, warthogs, primates like chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys and variety of bird species.  Nature walk is one of the interesting activities in Queen Elizabeth national park where visitors will get an opportunity to explore the national park on foot with the company of an experienced park guide and an armed park ranger to protect you from any danger to thrill while on Uganda Safaris . Nature walk in Queen Elizabeth national park is done in different areas including,

Nature walk in Kyambura gorge

Kaymbura gorge also known as the valley of apes is located in eastern part of Queen Elizabeth national park. Nature walks in Kyambura gorge can either be done very early in the morning or in the afternoon with the company of an experienced park guide who will help you to spot chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, view mammals, colorful butterflies, bats, different tree species and variety of bird species. During the nature walk in Kyambura gorge, you can also engage in chimpanzee trekking where you will be able to spend one hour with the chimpanzees in their natural habitat.

Nature walk in Maramagambo forest

Maramagambo forest is located in southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park in Bushenyi district. Nature walk in Maramagambo forest starts very early in the morning and takes about 2 to 6 hours depending on your level of fitness. During the guided nature walk, you will be able to view different wildlife species like elephants, chimpanzees, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, baboons, bats, crater lakes like lake Kyasanduka and Nyamasingiri, view river Kajojo and Kilyantama waterfall, view different tree species, birds among others.

Nature walk in Mweya peninsula

Mweya peninsula is one of the major areas located in north eastern part of Queen Elizabeth national park. During the nature walk in Mweya peninsula, you will be able to view different animals like elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, warthogs, enjoy views of the Rwenzori mountain ranges, Kazinga channel, crater lakes like Lake Katwe, Lake Edward among others. During the nature walk in Mweya peninsula, you can also engage in mongoose tracking which takes about 3 hours and gives you an opportunity to observe and monitor the banded mongoose.

Nature walk along the Ishasha River

Ishasha River is situated in Ishasha sector which is one of the famous areas located in southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park. Ishasha sector is known for harboring the tree climbing lions and during the guided nature walk along the Ishasha sector, you will be able to spot different wildlife species like hippos, elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, spot different bird species among other.

Nature walk in Kasenyi plains

Kasenyi plains is located in north western part of Queen Elizabeth national park one of the nature walk areas where you will be able to explore the open savannah plains on foot. During the nature walk in Kasenyi plains, you will be able to view large herds of Uganda kobs, warthogs, elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, hippos, lions and variety of bird species, Hiking and nature walks in Queen Elizabeth national park.

Best time to go for nature walks in Queen Elizabeth national park

Hiking and nature walks in Queen Elizabeth national park can be done all year round though the best time is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February. During the dry season, there is less rainfall in the park therefore nature walk trails and access roads to Queen Elizabeth national park will be dry and passable which makes hiking easy compared to the rainy season when the hiking trails are muddy and slippery.

How to get to Queen Elizabeth national park

Queen Elizabeth national park can be accessed by road transport means whereby you will drive from Kampala via Mubende Fort Portal or Mbarara Masaka to the park headquarters which takes about 6 to 7 hours’ drive.

Queen Elizabeth national park can also be accessed by air transport means where you will book scheduled or charter flights by bar aviation or Aero link Uganda from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airfield to Mweya or Kasese airstrips and then connect to the park headquarters by road.

Other activities in Queen Elizabeth national park

Apart from the guided nature walks, Queen Elizabeth national park offers other interesting activities that visitors can engage including

Game drives in Kasenyi plains and Ishasha sector where you will be able to view different animals like elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs among others.

Boat cruise on Kazinga channel where you will be able to view large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view other animals like buffaloes, elephants, warthogs among others along the shores, view water birds among others.

Bird watching where you will be able to spot variety of bird species

Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge where you will be able to spend one hour with the chimpanzees in their natural environment.

Community tours where you will be able to interact with the local people who live in the neighboring communities, learn about their culture, tradition, way of living among others.

Where to stay in Queen Elizabeth national park

Queen Elizabeth national park has a wide range of accommodation facilities ranging from budget, midrange and luxury where you can stay during your hiking or nature walk safari including Elephant plains lodge, Lake Munyanyange cave resort, Irungu forest safari lodge, Marafiki safari lodge, Ishasha jungle lodge, Savannah resort hotel, Mweya safari lodge, Kasenyi safari camp, Ishasha wilderness camp, Mweya safari lodge, Pumba safari cottages, Parkview safari lodge, Enganzi lodge, Elephant hab lodge, Simba safari camp, Queen Elizabeth bush lodge, Lake Chibwera camp, Kyambura tented camp, Katara lodge, Kyambura gorge lodge, Ishasha tented camp, Ihamba safari lodge, Ishasha Ntungwe River camp among others.