The companies on the route, what they charge, and how the border crossing works, for the 8 to 10 hour trip from Rwanda into Uganda.
← Part of our Rwanda travel guide
Kigali to Kampala is about 500 km by road, and the bus takes 8 to 10 hours including the border. Several companies run the route daily from Nyabugogo bus park, by day and overnight, for roughly $10–25 one way. Set your watch an hour forward when you cross: Uganda is one hour ahead of Rwanda.
| Company | Reported fare, one way | Departures | Kampala arrival |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaguar Executive Coaches | About $11–20 | Daily, including night buses | Namayiba bus terminal |
| Trinity Express | About $10–20 | Several a day | Trinity bus terminal |
| Volcano Express | About $6–14 | About three a day | Kisenyi bus terminal |
| Modern Coast | About $20–25Executive class | Night buses | Kampala city centre |
| Bebeto | RWF 40,000VIP class | Launched in 2026 | Kampala city centre |
Every Kampala bus leaves from Nyabugogo, Kigali's main bus station, a short taxi or moto ride from the city centre. Each company has its own office and waiting area.
Buses arrive at their own company terminals in the busy centre of Kampala, such as Namayiba or Kisenyi.
The bus stops at the border and everyone gets off. You collect a Rwandan exit stamp at Gatuna, walk across, then get a Ugandan entry stamp at Katuna while the bus is cleared. Allow about an hour, longer at busy times.
Some buses cross further east, at Kagitumba in Rwanda and Mirama Hills in Uganda. It is a one-stop border post, where both countries' officers work in one building, and it was set up to run 24 hours.
Doing it in stages: take an intercity bus from Nyabugogo to Kagitumba, at RURA's official fare of RWF 7,900 (April 2026). Cross on foot, then take onward transport from Mirama Hills to Mbarara and a bus from Mbarara to Kampala. Fares on the Ugandan side are paid in shillings and aren't published, so carry some cash.
The staged route suits travellers heading to Lake Mburo or western Uganda. For Kampala, a direct coach is simpler.
Swap some Rwandan francs for Ugandan shillings at the border or in Kampala, for your first taxi and a meal.
Uganda is one hour ahead of Rwanda. Check which country's time your arrival is quoted in.
A Rwandan SIM roams expensively in Uganda. A regional eSIM covers both countries.
eSIM optionsWater, snacks and a warm layer: the road climbs through cool hills, and night buses run the air-conditioning.
RwandAir flies from Kigali to Entebbe, Uganda's international airport, in about an hour. Its own fare page showed return economy fares from about RWF 365,000 for November and December 2026. Entebbe is about an hour's drive from central Kampala.
The bus costs a fraction of that and shows you the hills of northern Rwanda and southwest Uganda on the way; the flight saves most of a day.
Sources: Rome2Rio, Turkana Wildlife Safaris (July 2025), Tiketi and KT Press (Bebeto, 2026) for fares; Bus Planet for routes; KT Press on Kagitumba; Umunota for RURA's intercity fares; Diary of a Muzungu on visas; ATTA on yellow fever; RwandAir for flights. Checked 31 October 2026. Confirm before you travel.
Gorillas in Bwindi, the Nile at Murchison Falls and the safari parks of the west.
Uganda guide