Best Place to See Lions in Uganda

Best Place to See Lions in Uganda

Uganda is not the first name most travellers associate with lions, and that is exactly why a sighting here feels so hard-won. The country’s savannah parks hold small, closely watched populations, and finding a pride at rest on the plains or draped across a fig branch is one of the great rewards of a Ugandan safari.

This guide sets out where your odds are best, drawing on the latest science and on the tracks our guides work every week. It covers Murchison Falls — the country’s undisputed lion stronghold — alongside the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha, the resilient prides of Kidepo Valley, and the timing that turns a hopeful drive into a proper encounter.

How many lions are left in Uganda

Recent numbers matter, because they explain why some parks deliver and others disappoint. A 2024 nationwide carnivore survey, led by researchers working alongside the Uganda Wildlife Authority, produced the first comprehensive count in almost two decades — and the results were sobering.

The study estimated roughly 240 lions in Murchison Falls, around 39 in Queen Elizabeth (a fall of over 40% since 2018), and just 12 in Kidepo Valley, down from an estimate of about 132 taken some 15 years earlier. Snare poaching, retaliatory poisoning and habitat pressure are the chief culprits, and in 2025 Uganda launched a ten-year strategy to reverse the decline. For visitors, the headline is simple: Murchison now holds five to ten times more lions than the other parks combined.

Murchison Falls: Uganda’s lion stronghold

If you want the best chance of a sighting on a single trip, come to Murchison Falls. The survey put lion density here at around seven per 100km² across the sampled area — the highest in the country — and the wildlife is concentrated on the open savannah of the northern bank, where the Victoria and Albert Niles run out toward Lake Albert.

The heart of the action is the Buligi circuit, a sprawling network of roughly 120–170km of tracks beginning about 7km north of Paraa and running toward the delta. UWA monitoring has noted higher lion densities along the mid-Buligi stretch, particularly near the junctions with the Queens and Albert tracks, where prides shadow the herds of Uganda kob, hartebeest and buffalo.

The Pakuba and Albert tracks are also productive — lions are often found waiting near the Nile shoreline as prey comes down to drink, and around Pakuba airstrip and lodge. A morning game drive here, ideally departing by 6:30am, regularly turns up prides, and Murchison also carries one of Africa’s highest recorded leopard densities as a bonus. See our Murchison Falls game drive guide for track-by-track detail.

Ishasha: the famous tree-climbing lions

The southern Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to one of only a handful of lion populations in Africa that habitually climb trees. Here they drape themselves across the broad boughs of sycamore figs and acacias, tails swinging, paws hanging over the branches — a behaviour thought to help them escape ground heat, biting tsetse flies and offer a better view of the plains.

The catch is scarcity. With Queen Elizabeth’s lions now numbering fewer than 40, Ishasha’s tree-lions are genuinely rare, and sightings take patience. The Ishasha River floodplain, with its riverine fig corridors, gives the most consistent results, and guides know the individual trees by name and history.

Work the fig circuits slowly during the warmer hours — late morning through early afternoon is when lions most often retreat to the canopy — and scan the limbs carefully with binoculars, as a tawny body blends easily into bark and shadow. Ishasha sits en route between Queen Elizabeth’s main sectors and Bwindi, making it a natural stop on a longer loop. Our Murchison versus Queen Elizabeth comparison helps you weigh the two parks.

Kidepo Valley: wild, remote and rewarding

Far in the north-east, on the South Sudan border, Kidepo Valley is Uganda’s most remote and arguably most beautiful savannah park. Its lion population is small — around a dozen animals — but the ones that remain are famously visible, often resting on the rocky outcrops and isolated trees scattered across the Narus Valley.

Narus is the ecological core of the park: permanent water draws dense concentrations of buffalo, kob and elephant, and the resident prides stay close. The open grassland means that when lions are found, they are usually seen well and at length. Kidepo is reached by a nine-to-ten-hour drive from Kampala or, far more sensibly, a charter flight to Kidepo airstrip. Give it three or more nights to do it justice.

Best time to see lions in Uganda

Lions are resident year-round in all three parks, so there is no closed season — but the dry seasons deliver the best conditions. Across Uganda that means roughly June to September and December to February, when grasses are short, tracks are firm, and prey concentrates around shrinking water, pulling the predators with it.

Time of day matters as much as the month. Plan drives for the cool, active hours — out by 6:30am and again from around 4:00pm — when lions hunt and move. The exception is Ishasha, where the midday heat is precisely what sends the tree-lions up into the canopy. For a fuller seasonal breakdown, see our best time to visit Uganda guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the best place to see lions in Uganda?

Murchison Falls National Park, which holds around 240 lions — by far the largest population in the country. The Buligi tracks on the northern bank offer the most reliable sightings, especially on an early-morning drive.

Where are the tree-climbing lions?

In the Ishasha sector in the south of Queen Elizabeth National Park. They rest in fig and acacia trees, most often during the heat of late morning and afternoon. Sightings are special but not guaranteed, as the population is very small.

Can you still see lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park?

Yes, but numbers have fallen sharply to fewer than 40 individuals. Ishasha’s tree-climbers remain the star attraction, though patience and an early or midday start improve your chances.

Are lion sightings guaranteed on a Uganda safari?

No wildlife sighting is ever guaranteed. In Murchison and Kidepo the odds are good with an experienced guide and a dry-season, early-morning drive; Ishasha’s tree-lions require more luck and patience.

Is Kidepo worth it for lions?

Kidepo has only about a dozen lions, but they are often superbly visible in the open Narus Valley. The park’s remoteness and scenery make the long journey rewarding for those with time.

Plan Your Safari

Uganda’s lions are few, which makes each encounter genuinely memorable — and Murchison Falls gives you the strongest odds of all. Talk to us about building a trip around morning Buligi game drives, an add-on to the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha, or a fly-in adventure to remote Kidepo, and we will time your drives to give you the best possible chance of watching a pride at home on the plains. Start with our Murchison Falls travel guide to shape the wider itinerary.