Getting to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Getting to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a very important aspect to consider during your Bwindi gorilla safari planning process. Whereas some travellers think that all one needs is to get a gorilla tracking permit to see the gorillas in Bwindi, some do not put into consideration the aspect of getting to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi impenetrable forest is located in south western Uganda, just within reach of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is renowned for gorilla trekking, for the park hosts almost half the total world population of the mountain gorillas with the rest being shared by the remaining three gorilla destinations of Volcanoes National park Rwanda, Virunga National Park of the Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park of Uganda. For this reason (hosting mountain gorillas) and great biodiversity, Bwindi Impenetrable forest is a UNESCO world heritage site and is visited by many.

While anticipating getting to Bwindi Impenetrable forest, travellers should know that the park has four gorilla sectors namely Buhoma gorilla sector, Rushaga, Ruhija and Nkuringo gorilla sectors. Depending on where your gorilla trekking adventure is booked, be sure you head to that sector, having booked your accommodation in Bwindi Impenetrable forest or nearby earlier.

Getting to Bwindi Impenetrable forest is nowadays much easier with the well-developed road network (to an extent) and the growing aviation industry in Uganda. One can get to Bwindi Impenetrable forest by both road and air.

By Road

Getting to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park by road is much cheaper monetary wise, but takes a much longer time as compared to any other means. Bwindi Impenetrable forest is 463.7km from Kampala, taking one 8-9 hours of road drive to reach the park. Though the drive is long, getting to Bwindi Impenetrable forest by road is a great way to explore Uganda as you shall see a number of things that you may have otherwise missed if you travelled by say air. You shall see scenic areas and the locals going about their various activities of the day say going or retuning from school, older people gardening, grazing animals, local markets and small towns among so many others. Though most parts of the roads to Bwindi Impenetrable forest are tarmacked, some sections are not and for that reason having a 4WD vehicle is highly recommended. There are a number of routes a traveller can take when getting to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, with most of them converging to Butogota only 17kms from the Buhoma entrance area. Some of the most common routes include;

Kampala-Ntungamo-Rukunjiri-Kihihi-Buhoma

For travellers heading to Buhoma sector of Bwindi Impenetrable forest, this route is considered by many as the easiest to use. The route has travellers driving from Kampala to Ntungamo and then branching off the highway to connect to Rukunjiri via Kihihi, rewarding travellers with some of the best views on a road transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Kampala-Kabale-Kanungu-Buhoma

This route is commonly used by travellers getting to Bwindi Impenetrable forest, especially in the Buhoma sector. This route has a tarmacked highway to Kabale which is about 5-6 hours’ drive, with the rest of the drive taking about 4 hours to get to the park.

Kampala-Kabale-Nkuringo

This route is used by travellers getting to the Nkuringo sector of Bwindi Impenetrable forest. This route entails a 4 hours’ drive from Kabale town to the mountainous road, passing through some communities giving an experience to remember.

Kampala-Kabale-Ruhija

For travellers visiting Ruhija sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, this route is the best to take for it takes you some great communities rewarding you with an experiential road drive despite the long distance. 

Queen Elizabeth National Park-Kihihi-Buhoma

Most travellers do have gorilla trekking as their climax of a Uganda safari package. In this case, for those travellers in Queen Elizabeth National Park, it is only 160kms from Mweya to Bwindi Impenetrable forest, while Bwindi is only 54kms away from the Ishasha sector renowned for the tree climbing lions.

By road, Bwindi Impenetrable forest can also be accessed from Rwanda. Travellers can fly into Kigali International Airport and then embark on a road transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable forest via Cyanika border, for about 4 hours. The drive has you enjoying the amazing rolling hills of Rwanda, and a great much more. Be sure to have an East African visa to be able to access both Rwanda and Uganda without hardship.

By Air

Getting to Bwindi Impenetrable forest by air has travellers getting to the park much faster, without wasting much time on the road. Travellers can fly from Entebbe or Kajjansi to the various airstrips in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. With the availability of a number of domestic airlines in Uganda, one can access Bwindi all throughout the week. Aerolink and Fly Uganda are commonly used to get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Kayonza and Kihihi airstrips serve the northern sectors of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park including Buhoma and Ruhija, while Kisoro airstrip best serves travellers heading to the southern part of the park, i.e. Nkuringo and Rushaga sectors of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

It is important to note that the total flight time is usually 2 hours and flights are subject to the prevailing weather conditions, and that the maximum luggage per person is 15kgs with any extra luggage coming with an extra cost. Travellers often times have their driver guides transfer their luggage by road to the park. Once you do land at the respective airstrips, you shall be picked by your driver-guide and transferred to your respective gorilla sector and lodge, in about 2 hours’ time.

Bwindi Impenetrable forest is a great gorilla destination, and one of Uganda’s prime destinations that sees a number of visitors year after year. Irrespective of the way you do get to Bwindi, be sure that you shall enjoy your stay and time in this gem, for there are a number of activities you can do including gorilla trekking, gorilla habituation, Batwa cultural experience among so many others, all the while staying in some of the best accommodation in Bwindi Impenetrable forest, depending on your budget. Do not worry about getting to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, your tour operator has it all sorted, if you got the knowledgeable and honest one that is.