Bunagana border

Bunagana border : The Bunagana border is one of the connecting border posts of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Uganda. Bunagana border post is also a connecting border for the guests looking at visiting the Virunga national park from Uganda. The Bunagana border is on the end of the Bunagana town, a small town located on the western part of Uganda crossing into the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Bunagana town is found in the Kisoro district which is located at the extreme end of Uganda in the south west. The Bunagana border is an internationally recognized border for Uganda and the Democratic republic of Congo. This border is not far from the Kabale district, a big district in the Kigezi region.

The point is an estimated 87 kilometers away from Kabale which is equal to 54 miles away and this makes it accessible after a mountain gorilla trekking experience from the Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park or even the Mgahinga gorilla national park in the Kisoro district. By road, the border is 13 kilometers approximately 8 miles to the west of Kisoro district with coordinates of °17’40.0″S, 29°35’59.0″E (Latitude:-1.294444; longitude:29.599722).

The Bunagana Town is at an altitude of 1,941 meters above sea level which is approximately 6,368 feet above sea level. This Bunagana border post being internationally recognized caters for the needs of a number of people both the commercial road users and non-commercial road users.

The guests who cross into the DR Congo from the Bunagana border can use the straight road to the Goma city, the hub for the tourists headed to the Virunga national park for a Congo safari. The Goma city is a small town having a population of about 400,000 people and this town also doubles as the capital of the Northern Province of the large DR Congo. The Grande Barrier border building border post is closer to the Goma town though.

The population of people on the Ugandan side of the Bunagana border is estimated at 54,000 and the road connecting both towns is a marram road but now currently being worked on to achieve a tarmacked road. There is a 2 day safari package that connects the guests to the Virunga national park via the Bunagana border.

The 2 day Virunga safari package connecting via the Bunagana border takes guests on a walk through the Jomba community living at the border to the park and back. The Bunagana-Rutushuru-Goma road is a 101 kilometer long road from Kabale to Bunagana. The new road construction currently at the Bunagana for a One Stop Border Post by the Ugandan authorities is estimated at a budget of 1.3 million US dollars.

How to get to the Bunagana border

From Kampala;

From Kampala to Bunagana, it is 7 hour road transfer by private vehicle or even by public means such as bus. There are a number of buses that connect to that side of the country such as Baby coach.

You may opt to fly to Kihihi from Entebbe on a 1 hour and 30 minute flight and continue to the border and some of the domestic flights you may take on are the aero link or the Bar Aviation.

If you would like another flying option, you can get on a flight from Entebbe to Kasese airstrip with the aero link or Bar aviation and drive 3 hours or so to the Bunagana border.

From Kigali;

Kigali is the closest capital city to this border however you will have to cross via a land border of Cyanika-Gyanika from Rwanda into Uganda. By road, this is a 5 hour road transfer to the border and there are no flights between Kigali and Kisoro.

This border was once seized by a rebel group that has camped nearby causing insecurity in the area thus the closure of this border as a tourism border. The Bunagana border is currently still closed for tours headed to the Virunga via Uganda but the authorities continue to maintain security at this border post. Reach out for the latest on this border to get to enjoy the 2 days Jomba community gorilla trek in the Virunga national park.