What’s Entebbe Airport Like? (Review!)

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When you’re arriving in a new country for the first time, it can be helpful to know what to expect when you land at its main international airport. In Uganda, Entebbe International Airport is the gateway to the country, welcoming the vast majority of tourists who make it to the Pearl of Africa every year. 

Having flown in and out of Entebbe International Airport more times than I can remember since 2012, I can honestly say that I’ve had overwhelmingly positive experiences at the airport when flying both internationally and domestically. 

So, to help you prepare for touchdown, I’ve put together this handy guide to Entebbe International Airport. It will help you prepare for your arrival in Uganda and will provide some helpful tips as you make your way from Entebbe to your next destination. 

What’s Entebbe International Airport really like?

Entebbe International Airport is small by international standards and has only one terminal that welcomes international flights. But in my experience, the airport is well-run and easy to navigate, even if it can get a little busy at times. 

Upon arrival, you pass through the health screening section, and provided that you have all of your paperwork in order (yellow fever vaccination & Covid-19 papers), you can pass through without issue onto immigration and then to baggage collection. 

In my ten years of coming backward and forward to Uganda, from reaching the health screening check to leaving the airport has never taken more than an hour – which is pretty good going when you think of wait times in other parts of the world! 

Of course, everyone has different experiences of airports, and I’m sure you can talk to people who have waited for a long time at Entebbe Airport after a long flight. But in my personal experience, things have been plain sailing upon arrival.

When departing, there isn’t a great deal to do in the airport when you’re waiting for your flight – there are a few duty-free shops, a bookstore, a bar, and a cafeteria from which you can buy food and drink before boarding your flight. 

But given that you now need to be at the airport 3-4 hours before your departure time, make sure you have a good book to read or something downloaded on your iPad to pass the time, as is the case in all airports! 

Arriving

As mentioned, my experiences of arriving at Entebbe Airport have been overwhelmingly positive. After touchdown, your first port of call will be health screening. Here, you must present your yellow fever vaccination card and any other relevant paperwork – Covid-19 vaccination, for instance. Provided that you have your paperwork in order, you are allowed to proceed to the immigration desks. 

You need to make sure that you have the correct visa before entering Uganda. You can find all of the information you need about a tourist visa by visiting the official Ugandan immigration portal here. 

At the immigration booths, there are several lines – one for Ugandans, one for EA residents and citizens, one for diplomatic passport holders, and one for tourists (those with e-visas). You’re required to submit your fingerprints, and the immigration officer will take a photo of you before stamping your passport and allowing you to pass through to the baggage reclaim area. 

Again, I’ve never had an issue with immigration officers in Uganda and have found them to be polite and courteous. Granted, I’ve always had a visa in advance, and I imagine that if you don’t have the right paperwork, you might have an issue! As is the case when traveling to any country for the first time, make sure you check Uganda’s current entry requirements before traveling, so you don’t have any problems with immigration officers on arrival.

Baggage reclaim is the same as it is at any other airport, and in my experience, things move relatively quickly. There’s also a currency exchange alongside the baggage reclaim area, so you can buy enough Ugandan shillings to help you get to your hotel. One thing to note about baggage reclaim in Entebbe is that you are required to place your bags through a scanner before leaving the airport, and the police might ask you to see your baggage tags before permitting you to leave the airport. Just bear this in mind and have the tags to hand, just in case you’re asked for them.

All that’s left to do is to leave the airport and connect with your driver before heading out to explore the Pearl of Africa!

Departing

In the lead-up to your flight home, double-check the departure time with your airline. I’ve had a couple of experiences when flying from Entebbe Airport where the time (and even day!) of my flight has been changed. So, it makes sense to double-check before making any arrangements. 

Most airlines require you to be at the airport 3-4 hours before departure, but again, you should check this with your airline. 

When you arrive at Entebbe International Airport for your flight, you need to walk up the ramp to the departure area, which is located on the second floor of the airport. There, you will proceed through a tented area, where officials will check your health credentials before allowing you to pass into the check-in area. 

As you make your way into the new check-in area, you need to place your bags in a scanner (as is the norm at all airports) before proceeding to the required check-in desk. After checking in and depositing your bags, you make your way to the immigration desks, where officials will check your papers and place an exit stamp on your passport. 

All that’s left to do once you’ve cleared immigration is to wait for your flight in the relatively small departures lounge, and your options for shopping and refreshments are somewhat limited, as already explained! 

Facilities

Entebbe International Airport isn’t blessed with a great deal of services, and the departure lounge isn’t particularly big. There are a couple of duty-free stores from which you can buy all the usual items, a souvenir store, a bookshop, and a dedicated bar. 

There is also a cafeteria that serves hot and cold food, but it’s not the most extensive menu, and the food and drink on offer isn’t the best! It’s also expensive, but that’s often the case when you eat at an airport. 

Essentially, if you want to enjoy a hearty meal before getting on an international flight, I’d recommend eating somewhere in Entebbe beforehand. You can grab snacks at the cafeteria before boarding your flight, but I wouldn’t rely on it for a nice meal. 

While waiting for your flight to board, you can tune in to TV, which is usually showing Premier League football.  

Other than this, there’s not a great deal going on in the Entebbe Airport departure lounge, so make sure you have something to keep you entertained when you’re waiting for your flight to board. 

Airline offices at Entebbe Airport

Should you need to speak to a representative of the airline that you’re flying with for whatever reason, you will find the airline offices located just before you enter the tent for pre-departure health screening. This helpful page from Uganda’s Civil Aviation Authority provides you with all of the contact information that you need if you have to contact one of the airlines operating out of Entebbe Airport. 

Traveling to/from Entebbe Airport

There is no public transport system connecting Entebbe International Airport to Kampala, so you will need to arrange for private means to take you from Entebbe or Kampala to the airport and vice versa. I’ve put together this handy guide to traveling from Entebbe Airport to Entebbe town and also this piece on traveling from Entebbe to Kampala to help you plan your onward travel when you arrive in Uganda for the first time.

What’s Entebbe Airport famous for?

Many tourists arrive in Uganda having heard of Entebbe International Airport before. Internationally, the airport is known for the infamous “Raid on Entebbe,” – also known as Operation Entebbe, which saw Israeli Defence Forces liberate a hijacked plane in a daring rescue mission. The operation occurred in 1976 after Idi Amin had allowed a hijacked plane to land at Entebbe. Thankfully, the rescue mission was a success. 

Is Entebbe the only airport in Uganda?

Entebbe is the only international airport in Uganda and is the primary gateway for tourists visiting the Pearl of Africa for the first time. However, Uganda is connected by a network of domestic airfields, which allow tourists and citizens to travel around the country by air. I put together this helpful guide to domestic flights in Uganda if you’re planning to travel by air during your upcoming vacation.

Recap: What’s Entebbe Airport like?

In my experience, Entebbe Airport is organized and efficient, and although it’s small, it has everything you need as you enter or leave the country. If you have any specific questions about Entebbe International Airport that I haven’t covered in this article, feel free to leave a comment below, and I will get back to you!

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