Queen Elizabeth National Park Guide: Uganda’s Tree-Climbing Lions & Kazinga Channel

Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s most visited safari destination and one of Africa’s most underrated. At 1,978 km² straddling the equator between the Rwenzori Mountains and Lakes Edward and George, it delivers one of the continent’s most varied ecosystems: open savannah, Maramagambo Forest, volcanic crater lakes, and the extraordinary Kazinga Channel — a 36-kilometre natural waterway connecting the two lakes that holds the largest concentration of hippos anywhere in the world outside the Okavango Delta. The park is also home to Africa’s only reliably observable tree-climbing lion population in the Ishasha sector, where lion prides spend their days draped in fig trees watching the Uganda kob move below them. Sense of Adventure includes Queen Elizabeth National Park in all Uganda circuits between Kibale and Bwindi, and this guide covers every reason it deserves 2+ nights of your Uganda itinerary.

The Ishasha Sector — Tree-Climbing Lions

The Ishasha sector in Queen Elizabeth NP’s south is one of Africa’s most distinctive wildlife environments. The lion prides of Ishasha have developed the habit of resting in fig trees during the day — draped over branches 5–8 metres above ground, watching the Uganda kob grazing on the open plains below with the specific expression of animals who have mastered their environment entirely. Tree-climbing lions are documented in only two places in Africa with any consistency: the Lake Manyara lions in Tanzania and the Ishasha lions in Uganda. The Ishasha lions are more reliably sighted and more spectacularly positioned — typically multiple pride members in a single tree, sometimes eight or nine animals distributed across the branches like the world’s largest and most dangerous fruit. Sense of Adventure routes Uganda guests through Ishasha en route from Queen Elizabeth to Bwindi.

The Kazinga Channel Boat Safari

The 2-hour afternoon boat trip on the Kazinga Channel is the centrepiece of every Queen Elizabeth visit. The channel connects Lake George to Lake Edward and carries, at any given moment, more hippos per kilometre than almost any waterway in Africa — open-mouthed pods, territorial battles audible from 200 metres, calves balanced on their mothers’ backs. The banks hold Uganda kob, waterbuck, and elephant at the waterline; the sky is constantly full of African fish eagles and Goliath herons; and the channel’s clarity reveals crocodiles lurking motionless in the shallows with a patience that is deeply unsettling. The boat trip at Queen Elizabeth is consistently rated by guests as one of their most wildlife-saturated two hours in Africa.

The Crater Lakes Drive — Volcanic Uganda

Queen Elizabeth NP’s northern section sits in a landscape of interconnected volcanic crater lakes — perfect circles of water in deep volcanic vents, some freshwater with fish eagles and kingfishers, others soda-alkaline with flamingos. The Crater Lakes Drive between Kasese town and the main park delivers one of Uganda’s most visually extraordinary road experiences: the craters appear suddenly on both sides of the road, each lake a different colour depending on its chemistry, the Rwenzori Mountains visible to the north. Sense of Adventure includes the crater lake drive on all Queen Elizabeth itineraries of 2+ nights.

Queen Elizabeth in the Uganda Circuit

Queen Elizabeth sits geographically between Kibale Forest (north — 2 hours) and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (south — 3 hours via Ishasha). The standard Sense of Adventure Uganda circuit: Kibale chimps → Queen Elizabeth game drives and Kazinga boat → Ishasha tree-climbing lions → Bwindi gorillas. This 7–9 day circuit covers Uganda’s three signature wildlife experiences and includes two of Africa’s most celebrated and unusual animal encounters in a single well-organised road trip.

There were seven lions in one fig tree. Seven. The guide had to count them twice because we kept losing track. A male at the top, just watching everything with absolute contempt. I have seen lions in Kenya ten times. I have never seen anything like this.

— Sense of Adventure guest, Ishasha Sector, April 2025

Frequently Asked Questions — Queen Elizabeth National Park

Is seeing tree-climbing lions guaranteed at Ishasha?

Tree-climbing lion sightings at Ishasha are not guaranteed — like all wildlife, the lions move on their own schedule. However, the Ishasha prides are well-known to the guides and are sighted on the majority of visits. Sense of Adventure routes guests through Ishasha in the morning, when the lions are most likely to still be in the trees before the day heats and they descend to shade. Spending one morning at Ishasha produces a sighting on most visits.

How do I combine Queen Elizabeth with Bwindi gorillas?

The most efficient combination: 2 nights at Queen Elizabeth main area (Kazinga boat trip, game drives), then drive south via Ishasha for the tree-climbing lion morning, then continue 3 hours to Bwindi for 2 nights and the gorilla trek. Total circuit: 5–6 nights, all three headline Uganda experiences. Sense of Adventure designs this as a standard Uganda itinerary and handles all logistics and accommodation bookings.

What is the best time to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park?

June–September and January–February are the driest periods with the easiest game drive conditions. The park receives year-round visitors — the Kazinga Channel boat trip and Ishasha tree-climbing lions are accessible in any season. Heavy rains (March–May and October–November) can make some tracks muddy but do not close the park or prevent wildlife sightings. Sense of Adventure advises on current conditions for every Uganda departure.