Queen Elizabeth National Park paired with Kalinzu Forest offers one of Uganda's best combinations of open savannah and deep rainforest. Over three days, this trip takes you from the central hub of Kampala down through the Western Rift Valley. You will explore predator-rich plains, glide down a natural water channel teeming with wildlife, and walk into a tropical forest to observe wild chimpanzees up close. It is a straightforward, balanced route that covers three distinct habitats without feeling overly rushed, giving you a comprehensive taste of the country's landscape, birdlife, and mammals in a single short journey.
Tour highlights
Spotting lions in Kasenyi
Seeing hippos along Kazinga
Tracking chimpanzees in Kalinzu
Crossing the Uganda Equator
Viewing herds of elephants
Cruising past Nile crocodiles
Exploring volcanic crater lakes
Photographing native Uganda kobs
Watching vibrant forest birds
Scenic Western Rift drive
Detailed 3 Days Queen Elizabeth national park safari & Kalinzu chimpanzee tracking
Day 1: Kampala / Entebbe to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Your driver picks you up early at 7:00 AM to get ahead of the morning traffic out of Kampala or Entebbe. The drive southwest takes roughly seven hours, cutting through small towns, rolling farmland, and roadside markets. You will pause at the Equator crossing in Kayabwe for a brief leg-stretch, water experiments, and photos before heading toward Mbarara for a sit-down lunch. As you approach the park in the late afternoon, the scenery shifts toward open grasslands and distant crater lakes. Depending on your arrival time, you can take a quiet drive through the crater region or head straight to your lodge to check in, settle down, unpack, and enjoy dinner while preparing for an early morning start on the plains tomorrow.
Day 2: Kasenyi Game Drive & Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise
The day starts at 6:30 AM with a drive into the Kasenyi Sector, the park's primary hunting ground for big cats. Lions and leopards often use the dirt tracks to move through the wet grass, while herds of Uganda kob, elephants, and Cape buffalo gather in the open fields. After a few hours on the tracks, you return to the lodge for breakfast and a midday rest. At 2:00 PM, you head down to the mweya jetty for a two-hour boat trip along the Kazinga Channel. The natural waterway connects Lake George and Lake Edward, drawing massive clusters of hippos, Nile crocodiles, and thirsty elephant herds to its banks, alongside dozens of waterbird species. You return to shore by late afternoon for dinner.
Day 3: Kalinzu Chimpanzee Tracking & Return Drive
After an early 7:30 AM breakfast, you drive roughly forty minutes to the neighboring Kalinzu Central Forest Reserve. Rangers conduct a quick briefing on forest guidelines before leading you on foot into the canopy to track habituated chimpanzees. The walk lasts anywhere from one to four hours depending on where the group nested the night before. Once located, you spend an hour watching them groom, feed, and swing through the branches. Afterwards, you return to the vehicle, meet your driver, and begin the journey back to Kampala or Entebbe. You will stop for lunch along the highway in Mbarara, arriving back at your destination or the airport by late evening to wrap up the trip.
Tour Includes 🟢
- 🚘 4x4 safari vehicle transport
- ⛽ Fuel for entire journey
- 👤 Professional English-speaking driver guide
- 🏨 2 nights accommodation
- 🍽️ All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- 🦍 Kalinzu chimpanzee tracking permit
- 🚢 Kazinga Channel boat cruise
- 🎟️ National park entry fees
- 🦒 Kasenyi morning game drive
- 💧 Bottled water in vehicle
Tour Excludes 🔴
- ✈️ International flight tickets
- 🛂 Uganda entry visa fees
- 🍷 Alcoholic and soft drinks
- 🧳 Personal travel insurance
- 🪙 Tips for drivers and guides
- 🧼 Laundry and personal expenses
- 🏨 Pre/post safari accommodation
- 📸 Souvenirs and personal items
