All You Need To Know About Entebbe International Airport

Travelers coming to Uganda by air enter the country through Entebbe International Airport. It is currently the only hub for international flights but connects to a number of national airstrips and airfields across the country. If you are traveling to Uganda by air, Entebbe International Airport will be your first destination before proceeding to any other place in this landlocked country.

Lots of people go through Entebbe airport daily for different purposes. Thousands of tourists fly to Uganda for gorilla trekking, chimp trekking, wildlife viewing, landscape viewing, discovering water sport destinations like Lake Bunyonyi, Victoria and the Nile and to carry on projects of different kinds. It is also through the same point that many travelers exit the country while others fly out for reasons related to work, health and out bound tourism.

Rent A Driver Uganda specializes in organizing affordable airport transfers in Uganda from and to Entebbe airport for all types of travelers and for those who know little about Uganda’s biggest and oldest airport, we will give you all the info you need in this article.

INFORMATION ABOUT ENTEBBE AIRPORT

Location

This airport is strategically located at the shores of Lake Victoria, Uganda’s largest water body and the biggest freshwater lake in Africa. It is found in Entebbe which is situated in Wakiso district. The airport lies about 10 10-minute drive from Entebbe town and approximately 45-minute drive from Kampala city, the capital of Uganda. The driving distance from Kampala to Entebbe International Airport is 40.8km. You can hire a car for airport transfers to or from the airport from trusted car hire companies to enjoy your trip.

Entebbe International Airport has two terminals that handle domestic and international flights. Both scheduled and charter flights are conducted to different parts of the country including national parks by airline companies like Aerolink and Eagle Air. Entebbe Airport also operates with various international airlines which include Ethiopian Airlines, KLM, South African Airlines, Fly Dubai, Egypt Air, Qatar Airways,Kenya Airways, Air Tanzania,Etihad Airways, Fly Emirates, Qatar Airways and Brussels among others. There are daily international flights from Entebbe airport to a number of countries in Africa and other continents like North America, Europe and Asia.

Entebbe International Airport is being expanded so it can accommodate the projected numbers of people that are expected to be travelling to and from Uganda through Entebbe in a few years to come. Things planned to be done during the renovation and construction include establishing a larger passenger terminal that can handle over 900 arrivals and more than 800 departures, expanding the existing cargo area and improving the existing runways.

Getting there

The best way to get to Entebbe airport is privately in a rental car with a driver or self drive. You can easily rent a car in Entebbe City through a car rental agency or book an airport transfer with a trusted tour operator. The rod trip from Kampala to Entebbe usually lasts 54 minutes using the Express highway and about 1 and half hours using the Kampala-Entebbe Rd

Requirements

There are always documents required to be presented by every traveler entering another country and this applies at every designated entrypoint. If you are planning to travel to Uganda, here are the things required of you to access the country;

Passport: you should have a valid passport that still serves for at least six months. Make sure it doesn’t expire while on your trip.

Visa: This is the official document that allows you to access the country. it can be acquired on arrival at Entebbe international airport or earlier before travel online. If you choose to obtain it on arrival, then consider going to the immigration office at the airport which can sometimes have long queues.

Yellow Fever Vaccination Card: during preparation to travel to Uganda, one of the things you must do is get vaccinated for yellow fever and obtain a card to confirm this. Without it, you are not allowed to enter the country until you are vaccinated. There is a provision to get the vaccination on arrival at the airport.

Reason for visiting: you must have a sound reason for the visit with proof. In case you were invited, then show a written invitation and the address of where you intend to spend trip.

Return ticket: just like is states, it is simply the ticket showing a traveler’s dates for leaving the country to get back to their country. It shows how long they are to stay in the country and whether they are coming to stay permanently. They must give reasons for their travel and permanent stay.

Proof of funds: visitors at Entebbe are asked to present documents including their bank statement, and credit card to prove that they have enough money to spend and to sustain them while on their trip in the country.

The process of going through Entebbe International Airport for arrivals

When you start to enjoy the warm weather, watch stunning landscapes and meet beautiful smiles, then know that you have arrived in Uganda the Pearl of Africa. Walk to the arrival terminal where you are asked to present the yellow fever vaccination card. Proceed to the immigration office to show your passport and Visa, they are stamped and then you can pick your luggage from the convoy belts. Go through the security machine and continue to exit the terminal building. If you plan for you safari with a tour operator, the drivers receive you at the exit point and transfer you to your preferred hotel or next destination in the countryside.

Facilities and Services at Entebbe International Airport

Airline lounge: this is where departing passengers wait for their flights. As you relax here, you can grab yourself a drink or snack at an affordable cost. There is internet and a flat-screen to keep you entertained.

VIP lounge: the VIP lounge is mainly used by diplomats and government officials. It has a serene environment and you can also enjoy a soft drink or a cup of coffee while waiting for your flight.

Services for passengers with special needs: People with special needs such as the disabled and elderly among others are offered services and facilities like wheelchairs, lifts, ramps and special walkways. They are also attended to immediately by the staff that handles passengers.

Baby changing facility: change your baby’s diapers or clothes at these washrooms located at Karubuni lounge and also along the departure transit course.

Baggage facility: they help to attach captions with names and addresses of passengers so that in case of misconnection or lost baggage, the property can easily be traced. The service is done at an affordable cost.

Meeting passenger facility: this is where visitors meet their drivers or relatives who have come to pick them and transfer them from the airport to their hotels, home or other destinations. It is located on the ground floor just outside the terminal building. You can also get other services here including restaurant, postal, telephone and the customer care desk.

Airport transfers from Entebbe International Airport

It is recommended to hire a car for an airport transfer from the airport to your home, hotel, business centre or to as far as the national park from a trusted car hire company. Do not just hire any car simply because they are cheap. If you did not book with a car rental company in advance, a better option is to hire an airport taxi which are colored yellow.

For travelers proceeding to distant areas and which to connect by air, here are the domestic airlines at Entebbe International Airport and the locations to which they fly.

Aerolink

This is the most popular domestic airline company in Uganda. it operates scheduled and chartered flights from Entebbe to Kajjansi airfield and to other destinations such as Kisoro and Kihihi airstrip for visitors going to Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Forest National Park, Kasese airfield, if you are traveling to Kasese, Mweya airstrip and Ishasha airstrip in Queen Elizabeth national park, Lamoj airstrip, Chobe airstrip and Pakubaairstrip in Murchison, falls national park. It also conducts flights to Kidepo Valley National Park which is the most remote protected area in Uganda.

EagleAir

Eagle air also operates both scheduled and chartered flights at any time of the year. It conducts its flights from Entebbe International Airport to various destinations including Kitgum, Arua, Adjummani, Soroti, Moyo, Gulu, Jinja, Pakuba, Mweya, Kaseseand others.

Attractions in Entebbe / Things to do in Entebbe

Entebbe is surrounded by a lot of beautiful landscapes and attractions which most travelers choose to visit on arrival if they aren’t so tired or a day after arrival while others explore these areas a day or two before embarking on the return journey. Some of the places worth a visit in Entebbe include;

1. Uganda Wildlife Education Center
2. Mabamba swamp
3. NgambaIsland
4. The Entebbe botanical gardens
5. Uganda reptile village
6. Beaches on Lake Victoria
7. Ssese islands

Accommodtion in Entebbe

Are you looking for where to stay in Entebbe after arriving in this charming Uganda or after discovering her wondrous sites prior to returning home? There are countless lodges, hotels and guesthouses ranging from budget to luxury. They include Katomi Kingdom Resort, Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel, Lake Victoria Serena Hotel, Airport Guesthouse Entebbe, African roots Guesthouse, Entebbe Travelers Inn, Entebbe Backpackers Campsite and more.