Table of Contents
- Option #1: Flight
- Option #2: Private hire
- Option #3: Self-drive
- Option #4: Bus
- The verdict: How to travel from Entebbe to Kihihi
Are you looking for the best way to travel from Entebbe to Kihihi? If so, you’ve come to the right place.
I actually live around thirty minutes away from Kihihi (pronounced locally chi-hi-hi) and make the journey from Entebbe to Kihihi regularly. I’ve driven, taken a bus, and even flown, so I’ve decided to share my reflections with you to help you plan your trip to this part of Uganda.
You might be aware that Kihihi serves as the southern gateway to Queen Elizabeth National Park and is the closest town to the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha. It’s also around one hour’s drive from Bwindi National Park, the home of gorilla trekking in Uganda.
Therefore, Kihihi is a pretty important town on Uganda’s tourist trail! So, with that in mind, here are four options for your journey from Entebbe to Kihihi, with some advice on how to make the necessary arrangements.
Option #1: Flight
The all-round best option for traveling from Entebbe to Kihihi.
Undoubtedly the best option for tourists planning to travel from Entebbe to Kihihi is to catch a flight. There’s at least one flight every day from Entebbe International Airport to Kihihi airstrip, and the journey takes between 60 and 90 minutes, depending on the weather conditions.
There are two domestic airlines in Uganda that fly this route – Aerolink and Bar Aviation. I tend to fly with Bar Aviation as they offer a generous discount to East African Residents, and I’ve found their service to be exemplary on every journey I’ve taken with them.
In terms of cost, you can expect to pay approximately $250 one-way for a flight from Entebbe to Kihihi, which is undoubtedly expensive when you compare it to certain domestic flights in the US and Europe.
But due to the comfort and efficiency of flying this route, I’d highly recommend it if you’re short on time. I explain everything you need to know about domestic flights in Uganda in this recent article, and it’s a great starting point if you’re planning to book a flight from Entebbe to Kihihi.
Option #2: Private hire
The best option if you’re planning a safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
If you don’t like the idea of taking a domestic flight, you can arrange a private hire to take you from Entebbe to Kihihi. There are many taxi drivers in and around Entebbe who would be willing to take you, but you will need to negotiate the price directly with them before departure.
But by far the best option if you’re planning for a private hire to take you to Kihihi is to get in touch with a safari company ahead of time, particularly as most tourists head to Kihihi to go on a safari in Queen Elizabeth’s Ishasha sector.
By road, it takes between 7-10 hours to drive to Kihihi, and the length of the journey depends on how many stops you make, as well as the condition of the road from Rukungiri to Kihihi (it’s a murram road, not tarmac!).
You can expect a private hire to cost between $80 and $150 per day (excluding fuel), depending on the type of vehicle that you hire and the company that you hire it from.
I’ve partnered with the good people at AJ Tours to offer you the best rates for private hire in Uganda, and thanks to their fleet of well-maintained safari vehicles, they’re perfectly positioned to take you from Entebbe to Kihihi.
They can also arrange game drives and boat trips in the park, as well as accommodation within Queen Elizabeth National Park. Feel free to get in touch with Andrew and the team to enquire about a private hire from Entebbe to Kihihi, and let them know I sent you!
Option #3: Self-drive
A great option if you’re keen to do a self-drive safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Another great option for traveling from Entebbe to Kihihi (and for traveling around Uganda more generally) is to hire a car and drive yourself.
The best option for car hire in Uganda is Road Trip Africa, and they have various vehicles for hire to suit different budgets, starting at around $50 per day for a small 4×4. I’ve put together this handy guide to hiring a car in Uganda, which you can read through to learn all about your car hire options if you like the idea of driving yourself.
If you plan to drive to Kihihi yourself, you should allocate an entire day to traveling as it’s never a good idea to drive in Uganda in the dark as a tourist.
Be sure to check out my article on driving in Uganda as a tourist so you know what to expect when you take to the road in your hired car for the first time!
Option #4: Bus
The budget-friendly option – not for the faint-hearted!
The fourth and final option for traveling from Entebbe to Kihihi is to take a bus. You will need to first travel from Entebbe to Kampala’s bus park, where you can find the Star Link coaches booking office.
Star Link runs two buses each day to Kihihi from Kampala, one during the day and one at night. I’ve taken both the day and the night bus, and I don’t recommend either of them!
This is mainly because I’m 6”3, and there isn’t a great deal of space on Ugandan buses, making for an extremely uncomfortable trip across the country.
Due to traffic in Kampala and the poor quality of the roads on the final stretch of the journey to Kihihi, it’s not uncommon for the bus to take between 10-12 hours to reach Kihihi, making it the longest of all of the options.
Perhaps the best thing about taking the bus is the price – it costs between $10 and $20 for a one-way ticket. The price is subject to change and has fluctuated a lot in recent times, but in my experience, the agents in the booking office always quote the actual price, as opposed to trying to rip you off.
So, if you’re keen on the budget option when traveling from Entebbe to Kihihi, the bus is your best bet. You can check out my review of Ugandan buses before making your decision about whether or not this is the best way to travel across the country!
The verdict: How to travel from Entebbe to Kihihi
So, there you have it – four ways to travel from Entebbe to Kihihi. If you’re taking a short vacation in Uganda and time is of the essence, booking a flight with Bar Aviation or Aerolink is by far the best option.
But if you’re planning a safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park upon your arrival in Kihihi and you don’t mind a long road trip, you can either hire a vehicle and a driver or drive yourself.
I would only recommend taking the bus as a last resort, but it’s definitely the best budget-friendly option for a journey from Entebbe to Kihihi!