Safari experiences

Wildlife safaris

Q: What vehicle will we use?

A private 4x4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof for game viewing, driven by an experienced driver-guide.

Game drives, boat cruises and walking safaris across the savannah parks of Uganda and Rwanda, from tree-climbing lions in Ishasha to giraffes on the banks of the Nile.

Classic African safari

Savannah, rivers and big game

Uganda and Rwanda are best known for their primates, but their savannah parks offer superb classic safaris too. Open grasslands dotted with acacia, lakes and rivers full of hippos and crocodiles, and herds of elephants, buffalo and antelope set the scene, with lions, leopards and other predators never far away. Because the parks are less crowded than many in East Africa, you often enjoy sightings with few or no other vehicles around.

Our wildlife safaris combine morning and afternoon game drives with boat cruises, guided walks and time to simply watch. Every safari is private, with your own 4×4 vehicle with a pop-up roof and an experienced driver-guide who knows where to look.

Summary

Top parksQueen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls, Akagera, Lake Mburo, Kidepo

ActivitiesGame drives, boat cruises, walks

Best timeDrier months: Jun–Sep & Dec–Feb

Ideal length2–3 nights per park

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s most popular savannah park and one of its most varied. It stretches from the Rwenzori foothills to the shores of Lake Edward and includes open plains, crater lakes, swamps and forest. The Kasenyi plains in the north are the best area for game drives, with herds of Uganda kob, buffalo and elephants, and a good chance of lions hunting in the early morning. In the remote southern sector of Ishasha, lions are famous for resting in the branches of large fig trees, a sight that is rare elsewhere in Africa.

The highlight for many visitors is a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, a natural waterway linking Lake George and Lake Edward. The banks attract some of Africa’s highest concentrations of hippos, as well as crocodiles, buffalo, elephants and a remarkable variety of water birds. The Kyambura Gorge, a sunken forest within the savannah, adds chimpanzee tracking, and the crater lakes around Kikorongo and Katwe offer dramatic scenery. Read our Kazinga Channel boat cruise guide.

Murchison Falls National Park

Murchison Falls is Uganda’s largest national park, divided by the River Nile. At its heart, the Nile forces its way through a gap in the rock only a few metres wide before plunging into the pool below, one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world. North of the river, the Buligi game tracks wind through grassland and borassus palms, where you can see Rothschild’s giraffes, elephants, buffalo, Jackson’s hartebeest, oribi and Uganda kob, with lions and leopards also present.

A launch trip upstream from Paraa towards the base of the falls passes hippos, crocodiles and elephants drinking at the water’s edge, while a trip downstream to the delta is excellent for birding and offers a chance of the shoebill. Many itineraries include a hike to the top of the falls and a stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary on the way from Kampala, where you can track white rhinos on foot.

Akagera National Park, Rwanda

Akagera in eastern Rwanda is a story of remarkable recovery. Once badly affected by poaching and habitat loss, the park has been restored through a partnership between Rwanda Development Board and African Parks. Lions were reintroduced in 2015 and rhinos in 2017, making Akagera Rwanda’s only Big Five park. Its landscape of rolling hills, savannah, woodland, lakes and papyrus swamps supports elephants, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, topi, impala and many other species. Boat trips on Lake Ihema bring you close to hippos and crocodiles, and Akagera is one of the few parks in the region where guided night drives are offered.

Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo is the closest savannah park to Kampala and Entebbe and a perfect stop on the way to the gorilla parks of the south-west. It is the best place in Uganda to see plains zebras and impala, and it is also home to eland, buffalo, topi, warthogs and leopards. Because there are no lions, walking, cycling and horseback safaris are possible, and a boat trip on the lake adds hippos, crocodiles and water birds.

Kidepo Valley National Park

In Uganda’s far north-east, Kidepo Valley is one of Africa’s most remote and beautiful wilderness areas. Rugged mountains surround the Narus Valley, where permanent water attracts large herds of buffalo, elephants and zebras, along with lions, leopards and other predators. Kidepo is also home to species found nowhere else in Uganda, such as cheetahs and ostriches. Because of its distance, most visitors fly in on a scheduled or charter flight, and the reward is a true sense of wilderness with very few other visitors. Combining Kidepo with visits to Karamojong communities makes a memorable extension to a Uganda safari.

What to expect on a game drive

Most game drives take place early in the morning and late in the afternoon, when animals are most active and the light is softest for photography. A typical day starts with coffee before sunrise and a drive of three to four hours, a return to the lodge for brunch and a rest during the heat of the day, and an afternoon drive or boat cruise until sunset. Your driver-guide opens the pop-up roof so you can stand and scan the landscape, and stops whenever there is something to see. Guides keep in touch with each other and with rangers, and they read tracks, alarm calls and the behaviour of other animals to find predators.

Patience is part of the experience. Some of the best moments come from waiting quietly at a waterhole, watching a lioness stalk a herd of kob, or simply enjoying the sounds of the savannah. Binoculars, a camera with a zoom lens and a sense of curiosity are the most important things to bring.

Boat cruises and walking safaris

Water-based safaris are a highlight in both countries. The Kazinga Channel, the Nile below Murchison Falls, Lake Mburo and Lake Ihema in Akagera all offer boat trips that bring you close to hippos, crocodiles, elephants and birds. Walking safaris, offered in places such as Lake Mburo and Murchison Falls with an armed ranger, give a completely different perspective, focusing on tracks, plants, insects and smaller creatures that you would miss from a vehicle.

When to go on a wildlife safari

Wildlife safaris are possible all year. The drier months, roughly June to September and December to February, are generally best for game viewing, because grass is shorter and animals gather near permanent water. The wetter months, roughly March to May and October to November, bring green landscapes, newborn animals, fewer visitors and excellent birding, although some tracks can become muddy. Temperatures are warm throughout the year on the savannah, with cooler mornings.

Combining wildlife safaris with gorillas

The great advantage of a safari in Uganda or Rwanda is how easily savannah wildlife combines with primates. Queen Elizabeth links directly with Bwindi through the Ishasha sector, so gorillas and tree-climbing lions fit naturally into one loop. In Rwanda, Akagera combines well with gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park and a few days on Lake Kivu. See our gorilla trekking and Big Five experiences pages for ideas.

Responsible wildlife viewing

We follow park rules and good safari practice: staying on designated tracks, keeping a respectful distance, never feeding or calling animals, and keeping noise to a minimum. Our guides put the welfare of the animals first, which also means better, more natural sightings for you.

Animals you may see

Sightings are never guaranteed, but these are some of the animals our guests most often see on wildlife safaris in Uganda and Rwanda:

Predators: lions, including the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha, leopards, spotted hyenas, side-striped jackals and, in Kidepo, cheetahs.
Large mammals: African elephants, Cape buffalo, Rothschild’s giraffes in Murchison Falls and Lake Mburo, Masai giraffes in Akagera, hippos and rhinos at Ziwa and in Akagera.
Antelope: Uganda kob, topi, Jackson’s hartebeest, waterbuck, bushbuck, oribi, impala, eland and sitatunga in the swamps.
Others: plains zebras, warthogs, giant forest hogs, olive baboons, vervet monkeys, Nile crocodiles and monitor lizards.
Birds: fish eagles, saddle-billed storks, grey crowned cranes, ground hornbills, kingfishers and, with luck, the shoebill.

Sample wildlife safari itineraries

3 days Queen Elizabeth: game drives in Kasenyi, a Kazinga Channel cruise and a search for the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha. See our 3-day Queen Elizabeth safari.
3 days Murchison Falls: rhino tracking at Ziwa, the top of the falls, game drives and a Nile cruise. See our 3-day Murchison Falls safari.
6 days gorillas and wildlife: Lake Mburo, Queen Elizabeth and gorilla trekking in Bwindi. See our 6-day gorilla and wildlife safari.
8 days Rwanda: Akagera, Nyungwe and Volcanoes National Park. See our 8-day Rwanda wildlife safari.

Where you stay

Safari lodges and camps in the savannah parks range from simple bandas and tented camps to luxury lodges overlooking rivers, lakes and plains. In Queen Elizabeth, many lodges sit on the Mweya peninsula or near the crater lakes, while in Murchison Falls there are options on both banks of the Nile. We choose locations that keep driving to a minimum and maximise time in the park, and we match the style to your budget.

Photography tips on safari

The golden hours after sunrise and before sunset give the best light, so make the most of early starts and late afternoon drives. A zoom lens in the 100–400 mm range is ideal for wildlife, while a wider lens captures landscapes and boat-cruise scenes. A beanbag resting on the pop-up roof steadies long lenses better than a tripod. Bring spare batteries and memory cards, as charging may be limited in remote camps, and keep a dust cover for dry-season drives. Most of all, anticipate behaviour: watch how animals move, and be ready before the action happens.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the best park for a wildlife safari in Uganda?

Queen Elizabeth National Park offers the widest variety, including the Kazinga Channel cruise and tree-climbing lions. Murchison Falls is excellent for giraffes, elephants and the dramatic falls, and Kidepo is the wildest.

Can I see lions in Uganda and Rwanda?

Yes. Lions live in Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls and Kidepo in Uganda, and in Akagera in Rwanda.

How many days do I need for a wildlife safari?

Plan two to three nights per park. A week allows one savannah park plus gorilla trekking; ten days or more allows two or three parks.

What vehicle will we use?

A private 4×4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof for game viewing, driven by an experienced driver-guide.

Are night game drives available?

Guided night drives are offered in some parks, including Akagera. Availability depends on park regulations, and we can arrange them where permitted.