Mbarara: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Mbarara is a city of 221,300 people in Uganda (Western Region), 1,422 m (4,665 ft) above sea level.
Key facts
Daylight in Mbarara runs from about 12 h 7 min a day in late June to 12 h 12 min in late December (computed for -0.6° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
No airport with scheduled passenger service sits within 100 km of Mbarara in the OurAirports register, so flying in means a longer transfer from the nearest served city.
Buses to Mbarara · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Kampala, 238 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Kigali, 163 km (Rwanda)
- Mwanza, 328 km (Tanzania)
- Bukavu, 290 km (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
- Bujumbura, 340 km (Burundi)
- Nansana, 235 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Kira, 247 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Bunamwaya, 233 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Uvira, 353 km (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
- Bunia, 245 km (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Common questions
How big is Mbarara?
About 221,300 people live in Mbarara (GeoNames).
What time zone is Mbarara in?
Africa/Kampala, currently UTC+3.
What currency is used in Mbarara?
The Shilling (UGX). Traffic drives on the left.
Which cities are near Mbarara?
Kampala (238 km), Kigali (163 km), Mwanza (328 km), Bukavu (290 km), Bujumbura (340 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.