Gaoua is 430 km from Ouagadougou and 240 km south of Bobo-Dioulasso, which is the more practical starting point. The road from Bobo via Pa and Diébougou is largely paved and takes about six hours by car or shared taxi. The bus service from Bobo runs daily — TCV or Rakieta — and gets in late afternoon if it leaves early.
Gaoua has a small airport (XGA) but commercial flights are sporadic. Bring cash: ATMs in Gaoua are unreliable and the closest dependable ones are in Bobo. The drive is rougher in the rainy season (June to September) when stretches can flood. Border crossings to Ghana via the Hamile-Wa road are nearby and reasonably straightforward by 4x4.