Experiential Tourism in Queen Elizabeth National Park: Queen Elizabeth National Park offers some of Uganda’s most rewarding safari experiences. Beyond the classic game drives and boat cruises, the park runs a unique set of experiential tourism activities that place you right alongside researchers as they study and monitor wildlife. These hands-on encounters give you a deeper understanding of the park’s ecosystem while contributing directly to conservation efforts. At Anthill Safaris, we include these special activities in our itineraries for visitors who want more than just a standard safari.
Currently, three experiential tourism activities are available in Queen Elizabeth National Park — lion tracking, mongoose tracking, and the hippo census.
Lion Tracking
Lion tracking is the most popular experiential tourism activity in the park. It runs under the Uganda Carnivore Program and takes place in the Kasenyi sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Sessions run in both the morning and afternoon, with each trek lasting between one and three hours.
Researchers use radio trackers to locate the lions, which means you get far closer to these big cats than a standard game drive would allow. As you move through the landscape, your guide teaches you how to read the environment like a researcher. You learn to spot the faint trail of bent grass that signals a lion moving through the savannah. You discover how lions mark their territories by scraping the ground with their feet, leaving parallel soil marks behind. Besides, you also learn how they rub their heads against grass, leaving behind barely visible blonde hairs as territorial signals.
In addition to tracking techniques, you gain an understanding of lion communication — from their nocturnal roars to distress calls from prey animals. Because groups are small, the experience feels exclusive and deeply personal. Photographers also benefit greatly, as being on foot and close to the ground creates unique angles and perspectives that a vehicle simply cannot offer.
Lion tracking costs USD 200 for foreign non-residents, USD 150 for foreign residents, and UGX 200,000 for East African citizens.
Mongoose Tracking
Mongoose tracking takes place on the Mweya Peninsula and supports a research project monitoring over 400 banded mongooses living across 12 social groups. This activity is limited to just four people at a time, making it one of the most intimate wildlife encounters available in Uganda.
You join researchers on foot as they observe and record the behaviour of these highly social and fascinating small mammals. The activity also takes you into areas of the park that are completely off-limits to regular tourists, giving you access to a truly exclusive side of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Despite their small size, mongooses display remarkably complex social behaviour that surprises and captivates every visitor who participates.
Mongoose tracking costs USD 30 for foreign non-residents, USD 25 for foreign residents, and UGX 30,000 for East African citizens.
Hippo Census
The hippo census involves counting hippopotamuses across the water bodies of Queen Elizabeth National Park, including the Kazinga Channel, Lake Edward, Lake George, and the surrounding crater lakes. Depending on the terrain and water depth, researchers conduct the count either by boat or on foot along the shoreline. You participate in the counting process alongside the research team, using binoculars to spot hippos and a data recorder to log the counts. The results feed directly into conservation databases that track hippo population trends over time.
The hippo census costs USD 100 for both foreign non-residents and foreign residents, and UGX 100,000 for East African citizens.
Other Things to See and Do in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s most visited wildlife destination and offers a wide range of activities beyond experiential tourism.
The park’s famous tree-climbing lions are found only in two places in East Africa — the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park and Lake Manyara in Tanzania. Watching these lions rest peacefully on top of fig trees is one of Uganda’s most iconic wildlife sights.
A boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel is another highlight. The channel connects Lake Edward and Lake George and teems with hippos, Nile crocodiles, and an impressive variety of water birds, including kingfishers, cormorants, and hornbills. Cruises depart at 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM daily.
The park hosts over 600 bird species, making it one of Africa’s top birding destinations. Several dedicated birding trails run through different habitats within the park. For primate lovers, chimpanzee trekking in the Kyambura Gorge — also known as the Valley of Apes — offers a thrilling encounter with habituated chimpanzee communities living in the gorge’s dense rainforest. Game drives across the open savannah round off the experience, giving you the chance to spot elephants, buffalo, leopards, hyenas, waterbucks, and antelopes.
Best Time to Visit
The dry seasons — from June to September and from December to February — offer the best conditions for game drives, trekking, and boat cruises. Vegetation is sparse during these months, making wildlife easier to spot. The wet season, from March to May and October to November, is excellent for birdwatching, as migratory birds arrive and the park’s vegetation flourishes.
Getting There
Queen Elizabeth National Park sits approximately 410 kilometres west of Kampala. A direct drive takes between seven and eight hours. At Anthill Safaris, we arrange airport transfers from Entebbe International Airport and provide comfortable safari vehicles for the full journey.
Park Guidelines
Never feed wild animals, litter, or drive off designated tracks. Keep arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times. Wear neutral colours such as khaki or tan to avoid attracting tsetse flies. Do not provoke, mimic, or touch any wild animal regardless of how calm it appears.
Contact Anthill Safaris today to book your Queen Elizabeth National Park safari and include one of these remarkable experiential tourism activities in your itinerary.
