Katuna border

Katuna border : Katuna also known as Gatuna is the official land border crossing between Uganda and Rwanda. Katuna is on the Uganda side while Gatuna is on the Rwanda side. Katuna border is located in Kabale district, south-western Uganda. Katuna border is the main border for imports and exports for Rwanda. The administrative division of the Katuna border is the Kamuganguzi sub-county, which is part of the Kabale district local administration system. Katuna is about 80km by road from Kigali city, 28km from the nearby Kabale town, and about 32kms from Lake Bunyonyi.
Immigration and visa processing at Katuna border
Both Rwanda and Uganda have immigration offices at the Katuna border. If you already have a visa, the process of verifying documents takes less time. If a visa is to be obtained at the border point, you will be recommended to carry the Visa application fees in USD in cash. A credit card might not be acceptable by the immigration office.
Tourist attractions around Katuna border
The Katuna border crossing is an essential driver for the growth of gorilla tourism in south-western Uganda. Tourists traveling through Kigali airport in Rwanda can cross the Katuna border and trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. Lake Bunyonyi for famous canoe activities is also a few kilometres from the Katuna border.
Lake Bunyonyi is one of the most beautiful places for relaxation in Uganda located in the south-western part of Uganda near the border with Rwanda in Kabale District. Lake Bunyonyi is one of the most natural lakes in Africa attracting tourists, and honeymooners who wish to get away from the busy city life and enjoy the cool weather on the beautiful lake islands. The Lake is collection of water that filled a valley created by volcanic explosion hundreds of thousands of years ago and today the lake offers great panoramic views from all sides and is a great place to go for meditation and relaxation. The name Bunyonyi locally means “a place with little bird” in reference to the fact that the lake and its islands are home to a variety of bird species. Also Lake Bunyonyi is second deepest lake in East Africa after lake Tanganika. The area generally has cool climate throughout the year with enough rain that support the lush green hills surrounding the lake.

Lake Bunyonyi – Lake Bunyonyi is made up of about 29 islands among which include Bushara, Akampene, Kyahugye, Bwama and Njuyeera among others. The most famous island is the punishment Island (Akampene) which among the Bakiga people in the area was a place where any girl who got pregnant before marriage was taken and abandoned in Akampene Island to die of hunger or drowning (girls were not taught how to swim). Getting pregnant was an abomination because no one would pay bride price for a girl who had gotten pregnant before marriage. The intention of leaving the girl to die in the island was to send a strong message to the rest that getting pregnant before marriage was unacceptable.
Bwindi impenetrable national park – Bwindi Impenetrable national park is well located at the rim of the western arm of the Great Rift Valley that is the Albertine rift valley in South western part of Uganda shared by the three districts of Kabale, Kisoro, and Kanungu. Bwindi impenetrable rainforest is one of the oldest remaining rainforests in Africa that have survived time throughout the last Ice Age and now the forest covers approximately 331 square kilometres with an altitude range between altitude between 1,160 meters and 2,607 meters. The park has a yearly average temperature ranging between 7° C and 20° C with the coolest time of the year being from June to July, the heaviest rains in March, April and November, the rest of the year is normally dry although given the topography of the park as being mountainous, there are whether changes all the time in the forest.
Bwindi impenetrable national park has extensive biodiversity which supports the Eco-Tourism industry in Uganda. The forest is the main habitat to more than half of the total mountain gorilla’s population in the world making Uganda as the leading and main safari destination for Gorilla safari tours in Africa. The opportunity to meet this endangered creatures in-depth look into their appealing beautiful large eyes of these giant peaceful and shy animals is undoubtedly and confirmed as the most fascinating and unforgettable wildlife experience on a Uganda Safari. Bwindi impenetrable national park is home to more than 326 endangered mountain gorillas which is approximately half the total world’s mountain gorilla’s population in the world.

Bwindi impenetrable national park is home to about 120 mammal species such as the bush elephants, 7 species of primates such as the black and white Colobus being the most prominent due to its characteristic beautiful curving white tail hence similarly making the park a thriving Uganda wildlife safari spot. Bwindi forest prides in about hosting 23 greatly localized endemic Albertine Rift species, 360 bird species and 200 species of butterflies, the Afro-montane rain forest possesses a thick undergrowth of shrubs, ferns plus vines and more than 324 species of trees recorded in which about 10 of cannot be found in any other part of Uganda thus making Bwindi a “must trek” for enthusiastic tourists. Hence ranking it among the finest bird watching or birding safari destination in the country. With that background, below are some of the attractions of Bwindi impenetrable national park.
Mgahinga gorilla national park – Mgahinga national park and Bwindi impenetrable national park are the one 2 national parks in Uganda for gorilla trekking experience. Both national parks are situated in the South-western Uganda close to the 2 borders of Katuna and Cyanika. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in bordered by Volcanoes National Park in North western Rwanda and the Virunga National Park in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s smallest protected area covering an area of about 33.7 square kilometres including all the three Virunga Conservation Areas and it was gazetted in 1991 as a national park after the relocation of the forest settlers before namely the Batwa. Mgahinga National Park is between altitudes 2,227 and 4,127 meters above sea level and offers protection to three of the spectacular Virunga Mountains that include Mount Muhavura which stands at 4,127 high, Mount Sabyinyo which is 3,645 meters high and Mgahinga at 3,474 meters high. Mgahinga derived its name from the Kinyarwanda word Gahinga meaning the “pile of volcanic Lava stone heaps where cultivation is conducted while as Sabyinyo means “old man’s teeth”, Muhavura meaning “Guide.”
Similarly, visitors to Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park can travel to Rwanda from Uganda through the Katuna border. Visiting Volcanoes National Park through Katuna border requires driving through Kigali city and onwards to Musanze district in northern Rwanda.
Tourists traveling to Virunga National Park to trek gorillas or hike Mount Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of Congo through the Katuna border via Kigali if traveling from Uganda. The alternative route to Virunga National Park is the Kyanika border in Kisoro district or Bunagana border post. Due to safety and security concerns in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the Kyanika-Musanze-Goma Grand Barriere route is preferred by tour operators.
Katuna Uganda Rwanda border crossing during Covid-19
Travellers must note that since the outbreak of Covid 19 the Katuna land border is still closed, and tourists traveling from Uganda to Rwanda or Rwanda to Uganda are not permitted to cross the border. If you plan to visit Uganda for gorilla trekking via Kigali during this period and we can discuss the best options for your trip.