Bwindi forest national park is located in south western Uganda. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be accessed by both road and air transport whereby with the latter, flights are chartered from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip (in Kampala) to Kayonza, Kihihi and Kisoro (via Nyakabande) airstrips. For tourists planning to visit the Southern sectors of the Park, you can use Kisoro/Nyakabande Airstrip, then drive to the Park (for about 35 kilometers) while tourists heading to the Northern and Eastern side of the Park can use Kihihi and Kayonza airstrips. It takes about 6-10 hours by road to reach this Park, depending on the route used because several routes exist to access this Park and they include;
By Road
The park is about 500 kms from Uganda’s capital Kampala, which is about 8-9 hours drive. Driving to Bwindi from Kampala, one has to go via major towns such as Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale and Ntungamo. From Kabale town, there is an option reaching Bwindi via Kisoro district or Kanungu. Kisoro is the best route for those travelling to Rushaga and Nkuringo, which is the southern sector of Bwindi. However, the best route to Buhoma Bwindi Park Headquarters is through Kanungu town.
There is no direct public transportation from Kampala to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park but instead there are buses that travel on a daily basis from Kampala to Kisoro, Kabale and Kanungu. Upon reaching these towns, a local taxi can be hired for the gorilla tracking exercise. Majority of the tourists travelling to Bwindi prefer to hire tour operators who drive them directly to Bwindi. While this option might sound more expensive, it’s the most convenient way to go for the gorilla tracking adventure.
Quick Directions
Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara-Ntungamo-Rukungiri-Kihihi then to Buhooma sector, and is considered the easiest and fastest route to be used. It is a 390 kilometers tarmac road from Kampala to Rukungiri, but afterwards you proceed via a murram road up to Buhoma hence it is advisable to use 4WD vehicles mostly during the rainy months.
Another route is Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara-Kabale-Ruhija then to Buhooma sector via a murram road (3-4 hours) on a murram road hence a 4WD vehicle is recommended.
A frequently used route for tourists interested in accessing the Southern sector especially Nkuringo is Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara-Kabale then to Nkuringo sector though the Rubugiri murram road (about 105 kilometers from Kabale to Nkuringo for 5 hours) and a 4WD vehicle is used because the murram road becomes muddy during the rainy season.
Tourists who wish to combine game drives in Queen Elizabeth National park with gorilla trekking in Bwindi National park can reach Buhooma sector via Kihihi. It is about 64 kilometers/2-3 hours drive from Ishasha sector to Buhooma.
There are some cases when tourists prefer using public transport means, Buses leave Kampala for Butogota via Rukungiri, Kambuga and Kihihi. You then hire a boda boda from Kihihi to Buhooma gate (if you are tracking gorillas from the Northern and Eastern sectors). Tourists tracking gorillas from the southern sectors can board buses from Kampala to Kisoro via Mbarara and Kabale. Then hire a boda boda from Kisoro to the Park headquarters or the Lodges. To avoid the hurdles, contact the Lodges to find out if they offer any transfers from Kisoro to the Park.
Traveling from Kigali, Rwanda
Another alternative route to plan for your gorilla tracking experience is going through Kigali in Rwanda. Bwindi national park is about 4-5 hours drive from Kigali via Chanika boarder. Rwanda has a fair public transportation, which can be guaranteed from Kigali to Cyanika on the Uganda-Rwanda boarder.
From Cyanika, there are taxis and motors (locally knowns as boda bodas) that go to Kisoro town for a small fee. Kisoro is about 10-20 minutes from Cyanika. Again, the best way to have a fun experience is using a reputable safari company that can arrange transportation for you and be free from the hassle of arranging your transportation.
Need any advice or information on how to get to Bwindi, feel free to write to us: info@visitbwindigorillas.com