How to get to Bwindi impenetrable national park from Kampala/Entebbe? Bwindi impenetrable national park is among Uganda’s most treasured and most visited national parks and it is located in the Southwestern Uganda near the border of Democratic Republic of Congo near the Virunga national park and at the edge of the Albertine Rift. This article is here to give you the best information about all he routes to reach Bwindi impenetrable national park both by Air and by road.
By Road
You can access Bwindi impenetrable national park by road from Kampala/Entebbe and it is about 540 kilometers from Kampala Uganda’s capital city. You drive from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara and Kabale and then proceed to Ruhija gorilla sector in Bwindi impenetrable national park and then to Buhoma park headquarters. You can also drive from Kampala/Entebbe via Masaka-Mbarara-Kabale-Kanungu-Kanyantorogo-Buhoma headquarters. You can also get to Bwindi impenetrable national park from Queen Elizabeth national park where you will connect to the northern sector and it is about 3hours drive, from Kampala via Mbarara to Queen Elizabeth national park it is about 6 to 7hours drive and all the roads connect at Butogota which is about 17 kilometers from Buhoma sector.
The road trip from Kampala/Entebbe to Bwindi impenetrable national park is long it can take up to 9hours, however the road is so enjoyable with different stopovers for example at Kayabwe where you will have Equator experience, driving in the countryside as you see different homesteads it is so fascinating, stopover for lunch in Mbarara is another fascinating experience to taste Ugandan local foods which are so organic and prepared freshly from the gardens. The terrain from Kampala to Mbarara is so undulating and fascinating and as you get to the park, the terrain becomes rugged but very green and very cold as well. You can also get to Bwindi impenetrable national park from Rwanda, you enter Uganda through Cyanika or Katuna border and it is about 4hours drive. This route is mostly used by travelers who land at Kigali international airport and want Uganda gorilla trekking from Kigali.
Which Popular Routes to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?
Bwindi impenetrable national park is situated nearly at the bottom of Uganda in the southwestern part of the country and it is about 540 kilometers from Kampala/Entebbe. You can access Bwindi impenetrable national park through different directions as stated below;
Kampala-Kabale-Kanungu-Buhoma Park Headquarters
You will drive on a tarmacked highway from Kampala/Entebbe and it is about 414 kilometers about 6hours drive, and then connects to a marram road which stretches to up to 130 kilometers through Kanungu to Kanyantorogo and this takes about 5hours drive.
Kampala-Ntungamo-Rukungiri-Kihihi-Buhoma Headquarter
This is the most used route which stretches on a tarmac for about 390 kilometers to Rukungiri and then connects to Buhoma headquarters on marram stretching about 82 kilometers.
Kampala-Kabale-Ruhija-Buhoma Headquarter
The Kampala-Kabale-Ruhija-Buhoma route stretches about 95 kilometers of marram and it takes about 4hours drive. The terrain is so rugged and the road is not mostly used.
Kampala-Kabale-Nkuringo Route is about 105 kilometers from Kabale and it is about 4hours drive on a marram road and some travelers prefer spending an overnight in Kisoro which is about 35 kilometers to Nkuringo and the driving time normally is between 1hou to 1hour and 40 minutes.
Queen Elizabeth National Park-Kihihi-Buhoma Route
This route connect to Bwindi impenetrable national park through Ishasha sector in Queen Elizabeth national park and it is mainly used by travelers who combined Queen Elizabeth national park safari with gorilla trekking in Bwindi. It is about 160 kilometers from Ishasha sector to Bwindi.
Internal transfer for example from Buhoma to Ruhija, Nkuringo and Rushaga mainly they are arranged by the tour operator or the accommodation where you slept.
By Air
You can get to Bwindi impenetrable national park by Air and this is the most efficient and fastest means of transport to get to the park. this means of transport is mainly used by travelers who do not want tiresome road transport or those that have limited time and want to access the park, do gorilla trekking and then return or retire to other destinations. There are domestic airlines that arrange several flights from Entebbe or Kajjansi to near Bwindi impenetrable national park. Some of the airstrips are; Kihihi and Kisoro airstrip where you can land and then pick a private safari vehicle and connect to the park or to your lodge.
You can fly with Aerolink Uganda, Bar Aviation to these designated airstrips to have an unforgettable experience with mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Flying from Kajjansi or Entebbe international airport takes about 1hour and 50minutes with stunning views of Uganda’s vegetation, terrain and homesteads. Bwindi impenetrable national park has 3 nearby airstrips, depending on which sector you are going to trek the gorillas for example Kihihi airstrip and Kayonza airstrips are in northern part of the park while Nyakabande airstrip in Kisoro is for those tracking mountain gorillas in southern part of the park. Also to NOTE, the park is divided into 4 sectors for example Nkuringo gorilla sector, Rushaga gorilla sector, Buhoma gorilla sector and Ruhija gorilla sector. You just have to talk to you tour operator and see discuss about the sector you are going to track mountain gorillas from and then decide which airstrip to use. Your tour operator will take care of your movements right from the time you board the flight to the park, how you leave the airstrip to the lodge, then to the jungle and then back to the lodge and finally to the airstrip back to Entebbe.
