When is the Ideal Time to see Lions in Uganda?

Ideal Time To see Lions in Uganda: When is the ideal time to see lions in Uganda? When is the best time to travel to Uganda to see African lions? Nothing ignites visitors’ travel spirits like getting up close and personal with the African lions in the savanna plains of Uganda National Parks. It is every traveler’s desire to see lions in the wild while on any of Uganda safaris, specifically a big game tours. But what leaves many uncertain is when is the ideal time to visit Uganda to see these incredible creatures.

Uganda National Parks are open to all tourists on wildlife safari all year long. But for incredible lion watching in the sweeping savanna plains, you must wake up early to undertake a guided game drive or embark on an afternoon game viewing session. The morning and late afternoon game viewing sessions provide higher chances of you finding lions.

For a memorable lion-watching tour, you should consider planning your trip around the dry season. Each year, most Ugandan National Park record 2 phases of the dry season: the long and shorter dry seasons. The long dry months are experienced starting from June, July, and August to September and the 2^nd phase begins from December, January to February.

During these two phases of the dry season, almost all the parks receive no or little rain thus making it easier to drive through the game tracks while in search of lions. Besides lion viewing, there is plenty of other wildlife to be spotted including the cape buffaloes, elephants, leopards, and plenty of antelope families, birds, etc.

Lions and their habitats (Ideal Time To see Lions in Uganda)

Up close and personal with lions in the wild is such a mind-blowing experience you should expect on Uganda safari. The typical African lion (Panthera Leo) resides in the grassland and savannas. Lions are among the big cat family and an adult can weigh between 150 and 250 kg. Lions can run for more than 60 meters in a space of 6 seconds. They sleep for 20 hours each single day

Where to find lions in Uganda, Ideal Time To see Lions in Uganda

The main places to find lions on Uganda wildlife safari include Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, and Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP).

Kidepo Valley National Park

Located in Northeastern Uganda, Kidepo Valley National Park is one of the best places to find African lions as they roam freely in the savanna plains. This park was gazetted in 1962 and has a land area of 1442 sq. km with a total of about 132 lions. These can be spotted while on a guided game drive, especially along the Narus Valley or Kidepo Valley. In addition to lions, there is a chance to see other wildlife such as striped hyenas, gazelles, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, giraffes, zebras, Uganda Kobs, hartebeests, roan antelopes, and more.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park lies in Western Uganda, a destination with a unique landscape characterized by forested woods, savanna grassland, Crater Lakes, and gorges. On wildlife tours in this park, there are 95 mammal species to be spotted and including African lions which also include tree-climbing lions.

The Kasenyi plains allow you to search for lions in its savanna plains and tree-climbing lions are only spotted along Ishasha sector of the park. As you search for lions, other distinct animal species will also be spotted including the elephants, cape buffaloes, leopards, antelopes, birds and the park is composed of up to 620 bird species. You can encounter lions during the normal game drives or book and explore the park on a lion trekking/tracking experience.

Murchison Falls National Park

Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s biggest park, home to diverse wildlife including African lions. These mammals can be spotted during the early morning sunrise or late afternoon game drives. Murchison Falls National Park is sitting in Northwestern Uganda and protects up to 76 mammal species and 451 bird species.

These can be spotted while you are searching for lions. The park shelters several of large mammals like elephants, cape buffaloes, and leopards, plus small & large antelopes including oribis, Uganda Kobs, Jackson’s hartebeest, and more. 3 Days or more are enough for you to visit Queen Elizabeth & Murchison Falls National Park is perfect to explore lions and other wildlife.