Uganda-Rwanda land border crossing via Katuna and Kyanika

Uganda-Rwanda land border crossing via Katuna and Kyanika

Is the Uganda-Rwanda land border open for tourists and other travelers?

Yes, Uganda-Rwanda land borders are open for tourists and other travelers, the commonly used land borders between Uganda and Rwanda are Katuna also known as Gatuna, and Kyanika also known as Cyanika, the two main Uganda-Rwanda land borders are currently popular for tourists crossing from Kigali to Bwindi forest for cheaper gorilla trekking safaris because of the differences in gorilla permits prices between Uganda and Rwanda.

Currently, an Uganda gorilla permit costs $700 per person while a Rwanda gorilla permit costs $1500 per person which is double if you compare with Uganda permit prices which have increased the number of tourists and other travelers crossing from Rwanda to Uganda via Kartuna and Kyanika for gorilla trekking in Bwindi and other wildlife safaris.

Crossing from Rwanda to Uganda via the Kyanika border in Kisoro or Katuna border in Kabale

Depending on where you are, on the Uganda side, it’s called Kyanika while on the Rwanda side it is known as Cyanika, and Gatuna on Rwanda while on Uganda side its Katuna but whichever way you call it people in both Uganda and Rwanda will understand what you mean, Kyanika border is commonly being used by tourist crossing from Rwanda to Uganda for the growth of gorilla tourism in the Kisoro area which is home to both Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park.

Due to the fact that 5 years ago, Rwanda doubled its gorilla trekking permits price many tourists prefer flying to Kigali and crossing using the land border to Uganda for the cheaper gorilla permits, Katuna border is busier because most of the buses traveling between Kampala and Kigali uses Katuna border while Kyanika border crossing takes in more tourists coming from Rwanda to Uganda and few individual travelers than the Katuna border.

This is because the Kyanika border in the Kisoro area connects the main mountain gorilla tourism hubs in Africa and in the whole world, Kisoro district connects all travelers 4 gorilla parks which include Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, Virunga national park in DR-Congo and both Mgahinga gorilla national park and Bwindi impenetrable forest National Park in Uganda, this makes Kisoro the center gorilla trekking in Africa.

Tourists and other travelers coming through Kigali airport in Rwanda can easily cross via the Kyanika border in Kisoro and go gorilla trekking in either Bwindi Forest or in Mgahinga gorilla National Park in Uganda at affordable prices, on the same note tourists who are in Uganda and wish to visit Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda can cross from Uganda to Rwanda through the Kyanika border in Kisoro, because the drive from Kyanika border to Volcanoes national park takes only about 30munits.

Checkout below some of our simple itineraries of Uganda gorilla and wildlife safaris starting from Kigali Rwanda:

1. 2 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking from Kigali Rwanda
2. 3-Day Fly into Kigali Rwanda Tracking Gorillas in Uganda
3. 4 Days Uganda Volcano hiking, and gorilla trek from Kigali Rwanda
4. 5 Days Gorilla Habituation and Chimp trekking Safari in Uganda from Kigali
5. 5 Days Uganda Gorilla and Chimpanzee Tracking Safari Starting from Kigali Rwanda
6. 7 Days Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari Starting from Kigali Rwanda
7. 8 Days Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari Starting from Kigali Rwanda
8. 11 Days Gorilla Habituation and Chimp trekking Safari from Kigali

Still talking about the Uganda-Rwanda land border crossing via Katuna and Kyanika, the Kyanika border is just about 130km from Kigali international airport in Kigali city and about 80kms from Kigali to Katuna border in Kabale. For those who want to use public transport from Kigali to the Katuna border, there are daily public buses from Kigali city to the Katuna border in the Kabale district.

For those connecting from Kigali to the Kyanika border in Kisoro, there is no direct public transport from Kigali to the Kyanika border in Kisoro Uganda, one has to first go from Kigali to  Musanze/Ruhengeri town then from here you can use public buses and small taxis traveling to Kisoro Uganda via Kyanika border, from here in Musanze/Ruhengeri town to the Kyanika border in Kisoro takes about 30 to 45minutes. 

Use an East African tourist visa for Uganda Rwanda land border crossing via Katuna and Kyanika?

Kisoro Tours Uganda Ltd recommends to tourist crossing using the land borders of Uganda and Rwanda use an East African tourist visa which allows them multiple entries into both countries using one single visa, the east African tourist visa allows you to stay or is valid for 3 months (90 days)starting from the date of issue, during this period you can cross to Uganda, Rwanda or Kenya as many as you want using one single East African tourist visa.

This kind of visa costs only $100 per person and you can apply for it online without the need to visit an Embassy also you easily pay for it on the arrival at the airport or online. For those who fail to obtain East Africa tourist vias using the online system and wish to get it at the airport or at the border entry point, at Kisoro Tours we recommended that you move $100 in cash to pay for it at the entry point because you may think that you are going to use your credit card and find the network is not good which can delay you as you wait for the network to stable.

For more about Uganda-Rwanda land border crossing via Katuna and Kyanika, you can reach us at info@kisorotoursuganda.com or call us at +256785790925 also on WhatsApp for free information or a free quote