International Travel
Note
Travelers are strongly advised against travel to northern and northeastern Uganda because of rebel insurgency and tribal clashes. It is best to contact a local government travel advice department in advance of travel to determine how safe it is to travel to other national parks in Uganda.
Air
Victoria International Airline (VIA), the national flag carrier of Uganda is available for regional flights such as to Johannesburg, Dar-es-salaam and Nairobi while domestic flights can be organized by the local airlines such as Eagle Air, United Airline among others. Other airlines serving Uganda include; Air Rwanda, Air Tanzania, British Airways, Egypt air, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Gulf Air, Kenya Airways, SN Brussels and South Airways.
Air Commuter, Challenge Air, Eagle Air, Missionary Aviation Fellowship, TMK and United Airlines offer flights from Entebbe to most major towns. Charter flights are also available.
Approximate flight times
From Kampala to London is eight hours.
International airports
Entebbe (EBB) is 40km (22 miles) southwest of Kampala (travel time approx 30-50 minutes from the airport to city center). There are bus services and commuters to Kampala. Airport facilities include duty-free shops, restaurants, and banks/bureaux de change, post office, and car hire and hotel reservations.
Departure tax
No airport tax is levied on passengers upon embarking at the airport (service charge is included in the ticket).
Lake transport
Between Kampala in Uganda and Mwanza in Tanzania, it is possible to catch a boat on Lake Victoria. Ships from Kenya also lend in Jinja where a passenger can opt for them instead of the air and the road transport to enjoy the part of the cruise.
Local boat services link Entebbe to the Ssese Islands and other neighboring islands such as the Ngamba Islands Wildlife Sanctuary and Conservation Trust, Kalangala Islands.
Rail transport
Uganda Railways does not operate passenger services at present and this is only applicable for Uganda only but for the Kenya and the Tanzania there exists’ services for the passengers in the rail transport. While for the business that have large volumes of goods to transport within the three countries, rail transport can be of great especially because of its cost effectiveness.
Road transport
There are connections with all neighboring countries, although borders are not always open. However, travelers should take local advice before crossing the border with Rwanda, and should not attempt to cross the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. There is a daily scheduled bus service between Kampala and Nairobi, Arusha and Dar-es-Salaam. However chartered bus services and commuters can be arranged for local travels to link to other tourist destinations.
The following items may be imported into Uganda by visitors over 17 years without incurring customs duty (except from Kenya and Tanzania):
200 cigarettes or 225g of tobacco or a combination thereof; one bottle of spirits or wine; 568ml of perfume as per the regulations of the Uganda Revenue Authority.
Restricted exports
A special permit is required to export game trophies and other items as per the Uganda revenue Authority Regulations.
Road
Traffic drives on the left. The road network extends over 28,332km (17,605 miles). The roads are of variable quality and radiate from Kampala, although the network is sparse in the north. There are still some army and police check points on roads and railways. The speed limit is 50 mph (80 kph) or 62 mph (100 kmh) on highways. Bus Services run between most parts of Uganda but are unreliable and often very crowded. Scheduled services operate between Entebbe and Kampala (travel time – one hour) and to and from the airport. An extensive network of minibuses, known as Matatus, runs to most parts of the country and they are a quick and convenient form of transport, if a little overcrowded.
However, there is a law against overloading on buses and if this occurs, the driver and passengers are liable to pay a fine. Post-bus services operate Monday to Saturday from Kampala to main towns. There are also special taxis, identifiable by their black and white stripes, which take passengers to wherever they want to go but are more expensive than Matatus.
Documentation:
An International Driving Permit and adequate third-party insurance is required. Drivers must carry their vehicle log books and must pay for a temporary road license that usually lasts for one year