Kampala: What to Know Before You Go

Short answer: apply for your Uganda e-visa (or the three-country East Africa Tourist Visa) and carry your Yellow Fever certificate before flying into Entebbe, plan sightseeing by hillside cluster to beat valley traffic, and use regulated apps such as Uber, Bolt or SafeBoda to move around.

How Kampala's hills and valleys work

Kampala is defined by topography. Historically built across seven prominent hills (Old Kampala, Mengo, Kibuli, Namirembe, Rubaga, Nsambya and Nakasero), the capital has grown into a ring of green ridges separated by lower commercial valleys. Wealthier residential enclaves, embassies, cathedrals and garden restaurants sit high on the breezy hilltops of Kololo, Nakasero, Muyenga and Bugolobi, while the main markets, minibus parks and wholesale streets fill the lower bowl around downtown Nakivubo and Clock Tower. Because arterial roads funnel through the valleys, a two-kilometre hop from one hill to the next can take ten minutes at mid-morning or forty minutes during the evening commute. Group each half-day around adjacent hills, as mapped out in our three-day Kampala route.

Visas, Yellow Fever and Entebbe arrival

All travellers entering Uganda through Entebbe International Airport (EBB) must apply online in advance via the official Ugandan immigration e-visa portal and present a valid Yellow Fever vaccination certificate on arrival. If you are combining Kampala with Kigali or Nairobi, select the East Africa Tourist Visa, which covers multiple entries across Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya on a single stamp. See our Entebbe expressway and transport advice for smooth transfers into town.

Payments, mobile money and safety

Uganda's currency is the Ugandan shilling (UGX). Upscale hotels, supermarkets and restaurants on Acacia Avenue (John Babiiha Avenue) in Kololo accept Visa and Mastercard, while cash is essential for Nakasero Market fruit stalls, roadside rolex stands and craft markets. When exchanging US dollars in town, bring crisp post-2013 bills without tears or ink stamps, keep smartphones secure in slow-moving traffic, and take registered taxis after dark.