Getting Your Bearings
Juba is the capital and largest city of South Sudan, sitting on the White Nile and also serving as the capital of Central Equatoria State. For a visitor, the most useful thing to understand is that the city is spread out across three distinct areas — Juba Town, the government ministries, and the Nile camps — and the distances between them are long, hot, and dusty. That geography shapes every transport decision you'll make here.
Walking
In theory, Juba is a small town and you could walk through most of it in a few hours. In practice, walking is not recommended because of the high risk of crime, and the spread-out layout means the walk between the main districts is long and uncomfortable. Treat walking as a way to cover short hops within a single area rather than as your main way of getting around.
Rail, Metro and Trams
There is no rail, metro, or tram network in Juba. The city's historic transport links were river-based — it is a river port and the southern terminus of traffic along the Nile — but the river harbour is no longer in use due to disrepair, and the highways that once connected Juba to Kenya, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have also fallen out of use. For a visitor today, none of these historic modes are practical options.
Buses and Public Transport
Juba has no meaningful local bus or public transport network for getting around the city. The overland buses that do exist are long-distance services connecting Juba with neighbouring countries rather than city transport. Daily buses run from Kampala, taking a minimum of twelve hours when the roads are dry — though a single broken-down truck or a deep, flooded pothole can add hours to the trip. One service departs Kampala at 03:00 from Nile Coach near Gateway in the city centre, with an overnight stop in Yumbe; another daily service with Sudanese ownership runs the same route through Gulu and Atiak without the overnight stop. No regular buses run to Kenya, although some trucks make the journey, and most Kenyan traffic routes through Uganda because the roads there are in better shape.
Taxis and Motorbike Taxis
The practical way to move around Juba is by road. A large number of boda bodas — motorbike taxis — run during the day, and these are the most accessible option for short trips. If you are coming to live and work in the city, a car is essential for getting around. The roads are mostly unsealed, but you can get by in a saloon car in normal conditions; after heavy rain, however, a 4x4 is the only realistic choice. The road network is improving rapidly, with much grading and tarring underway. If you need a reliable vehicle with a driver, Wiltins Transporters at MTC Centre offers 4-wheel-drive vehicles suited to the muddy roads, with experienced and friendly drivers and attractive rates.
Note that the source material does not describe a ride-hailing app operating in Juba, so plan on arranging transport through your hotel, employer, or a known local operator rather than expecting to hail a car from your phone.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Juba International Airport (JUB) is the main entry point by air. It has historically been rated among the worst airports in the world, but an upgraded terminal building has now opened. While it is far from international standards, it is a vast improvement on the previous experience: there are a few shops and reasonable cafés before and after security, and the gate areas have seating, air conditioning, and televisions.
Direct commercial flights from Nairobi (Kenya Airways and others) and Addis Ababa (Ethiopian Airlines) are the most popular entry routes. Multiple daily flights also arrive from Khartoum and Entebbe, and charter and UN flights are available from Lokichokio. Egyptair flies direct twice a week from Cairo, and Turkish Airlines twice a week from Istanbul. For travellers coming from Europe, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, and Egypt Air offer the most convenient single-carrier routes, usually without a lengthy stopover.
On arrival, be aware that your passport may be checked for a Sudan visa if you are flying down from Khartoum, even though you don't need a separate visa beyond the standard Sudanese one. Most visitors need a visa to enter South Sudan; while visas are theoretically available on arrival at Juba airport for US$100, the rules around their issue are unclear and officials often invent rules to suit their own needs. It is better to obtain a visa in advance from a South Sudanese embassy — London, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Washington DC, Paris, Berlin, Geneva, Brussels, Delhi, and Beijing among them. An e-visa system is in operation as of 2026 and works well, though you can only apply one week before arrival. All visitors must also register their presence in the country within 72 hours of arrival, in person, with a passport photo and a fee; the registration office is in an unmarked office on the first floor of a commercial building in East Juba, off Konyokonyo Road — look for the crowd on the pavement outside.
Practical Tips
- Plan your day around the three main districts — Juba Town, the ministries, and the Nile camps — and avoid trying to walk between them.
- Use boda bodas for daytime short trips, but arrange a car and driver for anything more substantial.
- If you're here long-term, buy a car; a saloon works most of the year, but expect to need 4x4 capability after heavy rain.
- Pick up a good map of Juba at Jit Supermarket, or use OpenStreetMap online.
- If cost isn't the deciding factor, fly from Entebbe rather than taking the bus — though the bus is described as a great cultural journey, secure but dusty, with fine countryside views on the southbound daylight trip.