Bujumbura.orgBurundi city guide

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Getting to Bujumbura

Almost every international trip to Burundi begins in Bujumbura. The airport sits just north of the city; road borders connect to Rwanda, Tanzania and the DR Congo; and Lake Tanganyika itself is a working transport corridor to Tanzania and Zambia.

Routes in detail

Melchior Ndadaye Airport

Airlines, arrival visas, the taxi ride into town and what to expect at Burundi's international gateway.

By road

The main overland routes: Kigali via Kayanza, Kigoma-side crossings from Tanzania, and Uvira in DR Congo.

By lake

Cargo-and-passenger boats down Tanganyika, the historic MV Liemba route, and what lake travel really involves.

The short version

By air

Melchior Ndadaye International Airport (BJM, renamed from Bujumbura International in 2019) is about 11 km northwest of the centre. Regional carriers — typically Ethiopian Airlines via Addis Ababa, Kenya Airways via Nairobi, RwandAir via Kigali, plus others that change season to season — provide the connections; there are no direct intercontinental flights. A taxi into town takes 15–25 minutes.

By road

The Kigali–Bujumbura run (around 6–8 hours depending on the border) is the most used international route when the Rwanda–Burundi border is open — its status has changed several times in recent years, so verify before planning. From Tanzania, routes run via Kobero or up the lakeshore from Kigoma.

By water

Passenger service on the lake is irregular and mostly piggybacks on cargo. It is slow, memorable and only for flexible travelers.

Border rules, visa availability and route security change. Check current conditions in our visa guide and safety guide, and with your embassy, before overland travel.