Lions in the fig trees, Ishasha

At a glanceOn land

How longOne or two game drivesA morning or an afternoon drive; a night in the sector

How hardLightVehicle-based, on rough tracks

SeasonYear-roundThe drier spells make the southern tracks easier

Ishasha is the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park: open grass, watercourses lined with fig trees, and far fewer vehicles than the north. It is known for lions lying up in those trees through the heat of the day, draped along a horizontal branch with legs and tails hanging into the air.

Known for, not scheduled for. You are looking for a tail hanging out of a fig tree, and mostly you are looking at fig trees. The guides work the same handful of drainage lines each drive and read who has been where overnight, which is why a night in the sector beats a pass-through on a transfer day.

The sector sits on the road south towards Bwindi, so it slots into a Uganda route without a detour. Even on a morning the prides stay in the grass, it is quiet, open country with elephant, buffalo and topi in it, which is the honest reason to spend the night rather than the lions.

Good to know

The lions are wild and the behaviour is not on a timetable. We build the itinerary so the sector is worth the night either way.
A late-afternoon drive plus an early-morning one is the sensible minimum, which means sleeping in or near the sector.
Track conditions in the south change with the rains, and the wildlife authority sets park entry and vehicle rules. We confirm both for your dates.
Ishasha and the northern sector’s Kazinga Channel are a long way apart within the same park: treat them as two stops, not one.

Park entry fees, the sector's vehicle rules and current track conditions between the northern and southern sectors of Queen Elizabeth National Park are set by the wildlife authority and vary by season. We confirm what applies to your dates in writing before you pay anything.

You are looking for a tail hanging out of a fig tree, and mostly you are looking at fig trees.

Where to do it

Where we arrange the tree-climbing lions

Start from the destination, and we will build the days around this.

Uganda

Or browse every itinerary andthe rest of the experiences.

Questions we are actually asked

Are you guaranteed to see a lion in a tree?

No, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling. Ishasha is known for the behaviour rather than scheduled for it: the lions are wild, they move, and some visitors drive the sector twice and see none. We say this before you book so the day is not built on it.

Why do the lions climb?

Nobody has settled the question. Shade, a breeze off the ground, relief from biting flies and a better view over the grass are all offered as explanations, and the guides will give you their own. What is agreed is that the behaviour is unusual and that Ishasha's prides do it reliably enough to be known for it.

Where exactly is Ishasha?

The southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, well away from the busier northern sector and its Kazinga Channel. It sits on the way south towards Bwindi, which is why it usually earns a night rather than a detour.

How long should we spend there?

A night in or near the sector gives you a late-afternoon drive and an early-morning one, which is the sensible minimum: a single pass-through on a transfer day is a lottery. Two nights buys you more chances without much more travel.

Is there anything else to see there?

Plenty. Ishasha is open, quiet country with fig trees along the watercourses, and the sector holds elephant, buffalo, topi and good birding. It is a calmer place to drive than the north even on a day the lions stay in the grass.

Keep reading

Where to go next

Each of these answers one of the questions this page opens.

The Tree-Climbing Lions

Good to know

Where we arrange the tree-climbing lions

Questions we are actually asked

Where to go next

Ask us about the tree-climbing lions

Plan your journey

Thank you, it’s with us.

Plan your the tree-climbing lions