Queen Elizabeth National Park Gates (Entry Points to queen elizabeth NP )

The gates of Queen Elizabeth National Park serve as the entry and departure points to the park. Queen Elizabeth National Park is among the oldest and most frequented national parks in Uganda. Founded in 1952, Queen Elizabeth National Park was originally designated as Kazinga channel, receiving its current name following the visit of Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning monarch of Great Britain. Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in western Uganda, situated on the floor of the western rift valley, with an area of 1,978 square kilometers. Queen Elizabeth National Park encompasses portions of the districts of Rubirizi, Rukungiri, Kamwenge, and Kasese. Designated as a world biosphere reserve due to its diverse ecosystems, including lakes, wetlands, savannah grasslands, and shaded humid forests, which host a wide variety of wildlife species, attracting numerous travelers to Queen Elizabeth National Park for various activities to observe them. Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to more than 76 recorded mammal species, including elephants, lions—particularly the tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector—buffaloes, giant forest hogs, bushbucks, aardvarks, kobs, chimpanzees in the Kyambura Gorge, colobus monkeys, hippos, crocodiles, and topis. In addition to the numerous mammals that flourish in the park, the avian species of Queen Elizabeth National Park also attract travelers to the area. Approximately 600 avian species have been documented in Queen Elizabeth National Park, including shoebill storks, Abdim’s storks, kingfishers, slender-tailed mourning doves, northern pochards, malachite and pied kingfishers, greater and lesser flamingos, Eurasian wigeons, corncrakes, common teals, collared pratincoles, and knob-billed ducks, among numerous others. Queen Elizabeth National Park offers numerous attractions and activities for travelers, including game drives, bird watching, boat safaris on the Kazinga Channel, nature walks, lion tracking, chimpanzee tracking, and community visits, among others. Accessing Queen Elizabeth National Park is facilitated by several designated gates, allowing travelers to enter and relish their experience during a safari tour in Uganda. The following are the different access gates to Queen Elizabeth National Park for travelers:

Kabwe Entrance

Kabatoro Gate serves as the primary entry to Queen Elizabeth National Park, located in the northwestern region of the park. Kabatoro gate is the most accessible entry point for travelers wishing to explore the Kabatoro settlement, Katwe salt lake, and Lake Munyanyange for activities such as bird watching, cultural interactions, and local salt mining operations.

Katunguru Gate

Katunguru Gate is one of the most frequented entrances to Queen Elizabeth National Park, utilized by visitors engaging in various activities within the park. Katunguru Gate is located in the northern region of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Katunguru Gate is located 115.5 miles from Fort Portal, requiring a trip of 2 hours and 30 minutes, 382 km from Kampala, and about 40 km from Kasese. Katunguru Gate is optimally positioned for travelers exploring the Mweya Peninsular area. The Mweya Peninsula is a picturesque region in Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park, located on the northern bank of the Kazinga Channel, which connects Lake Edward to Lake George and is teeming with diverse aquatic fauna, including birds and terrestrial animals. The presence of hippos, crocodiles, reptiles, and mammals such as elephants and buffaloes drinking at the banks of the Kazinga Channel enhances the appeal of the Mweya Peninsula as a destination. Travelers using the Katunguru gate are greeted with spectacular views of the diverse animals en route to their accommodations, frequently the Mweya Safari Lodge.

Ishasha Gate

Ishasha Gate is one of the access points to Queen Elizabeth National Park for travelers. The Ishasha gate is located in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, renowned for its tree-climbing lions and diverse wildlife, including buffaloes, antelopes, and warthogs. Ishasha gate is the second most frequented entrance to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The Ishasha gate is optimal for travelers planning to explore the Ishasha area of Queen Elizabeth National Park, located within a two-hour drive from the Mweya peninsula. The Ishasha gate serves as a conduit for travelers to access Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for gorilla safari excursions.

Crater entrance

The crater lake is located in the northeastern section of Queen Elizabeth National Park and is most accessible for travelers using the Mbarara-Fort Portal highway. Tourists from Fort Portal and Mbarara may opt to utilize the Crater gate among the other entrances to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Queen Elizabeth National Park is an exceptional national park in Uganda that travelers can explore for remarkable and unforgettable animal safaris. Contact us to arrange your Uganda safari and see the myriad offerings of Queen Elizabeth National Park, along with the other attractions of Uganda. You may utilize any of the park's access gates for entry.