The short answer
- By road, Kampala to Rushaga takes 8-9 hours through Mbarara. It is a full day, and a scenic one.
- Light-aircraft flights from Entebbe reach Kihihi (for Buhoma and Ruhija) and Kisoro (for Rushaga, Nkuringo and Mgahinga), with a road transfer at the end.
- Kigali is closer to the southern sectors than Entebbe: roughly four to five hours by road, crossing the border.
On this page
Bwindi is in the far south-west of Uganda, close to the Rwandan and Congolese borders, and a long way from the airport at Entebbe. There are three realistic ways to get there. Which one suits you depends on how many days you have, what else you are seeing, and whether you are flying into Uganda or Rwanda.
Driving: a long day, and a good one
Most of our gorilla trips go by road. From Kampala to Bwindi’s Rushaga sector is 8-9 hours: south-west through Mbarara and the Ankole longhorn cattle country, then up into the terraced Kigezi highlands. The main road is tarmac; the final stretch into the park is not. We stop at the Equator at Kayabwe for the photograph, and for lunch on the way.
Nine hours is a lot in one go, so on longer trips we break it. A night at Lake Mburo, roughly halfway, turns the drive into a safari day of its own. Or the route comes in from the north through Queen Elizabeth National Park and its Ishasha sector, which is how our Primates & Big Game Safari reaches the gorillas.
Choose it if: you have the days, you want to see the country between the parks, or you are travelling as a group, where the vehicle is shared anyway.
Flying: two hours instead of a day
Scheduled light-aircraft flights leave Entebbe for two airstrips near Bwindi:
- Kihihi, for the Buhoma and Ruhija sectors.
- Kisoro, for Rushaga, Nkuringo and Mgahinga.
Either way, a vehicle meets the plane for the road transfer to your lodge. The planes are small: luggage allowances are tight and usually limited to soft bags, and flights can be delayed or rerouted by weather. We check the current allowance for your booking.
Choose it if: time is shorter than budget, or you would rather spend two days at a lodge than in a car.
Through Kigali
Rwanda’s capital is closer to the southern half of Bwindi than Entebbe is. From Kigali airport it is roughly four to five hours by road to Rushaga, Nkuringo or Mgahinga, crossing the border at Katuna or Cyanika. It works well if you are flying into Kigali anyway, or combining gorillas in both countries.
You will need entry to Rwanda and a visa for Uganda. The East Africa Tourist Visa covers Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya on one visa. We can help with the paperwork through our visa assistance service, and cross-border transfers need planning, so tell us early. See Rwanda for combining the two.
Side by side
- Drive from Kampala
- 8-9 hours to Rushaga
- You have the days and want to see the country
- Fly from Entebbe
- About two hours, plus the transfer
- Time matters more than budget
- Road from Kigali
- Roughly 4-5 hours
- You are flying into Rwanda anyway
Whichever way you arrive, the ranger briefing is early in the morning, so you need to be at your lodge the night before your trek. Nobody treks on the day they arrive.
Questions we get about this
- How long is the drive from Entebbe to Bwindi?
- From Kampala to the Rushaga sector is 8-9 hours by road through Mbarara. Starting at Entebbe adds the run up past Kampala. On longer trips we break the journey at Lake Mburo.
- Can I visit Bwindi as a day trip from Entebbe or Kampala?
- No. The trek starts with an early-morning briefing, so you need to arrive the day before, even if you fly.
- Is it quicker to reach Bwindi from Kigali?
- For the southern sectors, yes: roughly four to five hours by road from Kigali to Rushaga, Nkuringo or Mgahinga, including the border crossing.
Who writes these
IZ Agency Team, in Kampala: the people who plan and run the trips described here. Permit rules, roads and lodges change. If something here is out of date, tell us on WhatsApp.