Getting to the Buhoma Region by Car – How long is it to get to Buhoma from Entebbe/Kampala by Car? How about if i were on a Safari to Queen Elizabeth national park, How long is it to get to buhoma region by car from Queen Elizabeth National Park?
The amount of time it may take for you to get to the buhoma region by car largely depends on where your travel starts
Getting to the Buhoma region by Car from Entebbe: You’ll need to plan and set aside the patience to drive through a distance of approximately 482km – if you take the newly constructed Entebbe – Kampala Express highway which will take you at least 9 – 10 hours to get to the Buhoma Region. This drive follows the Kampala – Masaka – Mabarara – Ntungamo – Rukungiri – Kihihi to buhoma Region.
A great section of your drive from Entebbe/Kampala to the Buhoma region (Northern Bwindi Impenetrable forest National Park) is on a paved road with the last section being a dirt road. The dirt section can get quite messy during the rainy season months of April, May & November and will require the expertise of a local safari guide to help navigate this uneven terrain. We also recommend hiring/using a reliable 4X4 Vehicle to avoid getting stuck.
Learn more about hiring a good 4×4 & driver from Entebbe
Getting to the Buhoma Region from Kampala: Also most similarly (just like driving from Entebbe) the drive to Bwindi from Kampala will last between 9 – 10 hours with the most part of the drive being on a paved road except for the last section which is on an unpaved – dirt road with loose gravel which makes it difficult to navigate especially in the rainy season months of April, May & November. To ensure you are able to make it all the way, we recommend that you hire both a good 4×4 vehicle and an experienced local driver guide – the guides are familiar with the roads and know what to do.
Getting to the Buhoma region from Queen Elizabeth National Park: To get to Buhoma from Mweya or Kasenyi in Queen Elizabeth National park, you will drive through a distance of 158km (3hrs 24mins) to get to the Buhoma region (Northern sector of Bwindi). This drive follows the Hima – Katunguru highway and takes a left turn close to the UWA offices at a signpost indicating ” Ishasha 70km). You will drive this dirt road for approximately 2 hours before getting to the Katookye gate that leads you into the Ishasha Sector – the southern part of the greater Queen Elizabeth National park.
A visit to this sector is worthwhile if you have the time. This sector is popular for sightings of rare tree-climbing lions. If your budget permits, you may consider staying a night at the secluded Luxury Ishasha Wilderness camp overlooking the Ntungwe River.
The drive from the Ishasha sector to Buhoma will take you about 1.5 hours before you get to your accommodation.
Getting to Buhoma region from Lake Mburo National Park: The drive from Lake Mburo National Park to Buhima Region ( Northern Bwindi Forest NP) is only a 6 – 7 hours drive. There are three (03) alternative routes that you can follow to get to Buhoma Region;
- You can opt to follow the Mbarara – Ntungamo – Rukungiri – Kihihi to Buhoma route.
- You could take the Mbarara – Bushenyi – Ishaka – Rubirizi – Katunguru – Ishasha – Kihihi to Buhoma.
- The third route follows Mbarara – Bushenyi – Ishaka – Kagamba – rukungiri – Kihihi to get to Buhoma.
Our opinion: We have tried all three (03) routes and settled for the Mbarara – Ntungamo – Rukungiri – Kihihi to Buhoma route.
Getting to the Buhoma region from Jinja: Buhoma is approximately 586km away from Jinja. This drive could last for 11 – 12 hours – depending on the level of traffic between Jinja and Kampala city. Otherwise, there are three routes to choose from;
- Jinja – Kampala – Masaka – Mbarara – Ntungamo – Rukungiri – Kihihi to finally get to Buhoma (Approximate drive time: 10hrs 40mins/542kms).
- Jinja – Kampala – Fortportal – Kasese – Katunguru – Kihihi to get to Buhoma region (Approximate drive time: 11hrs 18mins/616kms).
Our opinion: We have tried both routes and settled for the Jinja – Kampala – Masaka – Mbarara – Ntungamo – Rukungiri – Kihihi to Buhoma route which is the shortest/quickest route to Buhoma Region.
