Popular Airport | Kabul Intl. Airport |
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Popular Airlines | |
Approximate Flight Duration | 5 hour 10 min |
Approximate Travel Distance | 4198 Km |
The airport, which is approximately 6 kilometers of the city center, is located on Bole Road. In the city where public transportation is not very developed, you can use minibuses to reach the airport. Taxi is another transportation alternative that is frequently preferred by visitors. In addition to these, you can get to the airport from the city center by renting a car or by benefitting from the airport shuttle service in case your hotel offers this service.
You can reach the airport by getting on a minibus from the minibus stops located in the city center. Minibuses generally carry passengers to the airport from 5:30 am to 09:00 pm. Although it is relatively cheaper compared to taxi, you should remember that drivers may demand higher amounts from tourists. The fare is about 5 Birr. They may also charge extra amount for each baggage.
Hotel shuttle service is the most comfortable alternative for your travel to the airport. In Addis Ababa city center, there are both small hotels and accommodation centers of chain hotels such as Hilton, Radisson and Sheraton. Some of these hotels offer airport shuttle service. If your hotel offers this service and you want to benefit from this service for your travel to the airport, you should definitely make a reservation in advance.
There are two types of taxis that you can get on to reach the airport. Mercedes taxis of the National Tour Operator (NTO) operate under a company and offer service with more comfortable vehicles. With their predetermined tariffs, they create a more reliable image in terms of the fares. You can ask your hotel to call a NTO taxi for you.
There is no taximeter in the taxis operating in Addis Ababa, so it is advised to agree on the fare before getting on. These yellow taxis are approximately 10 times more expensive than blue-white taxis. You can also reach the airport in a short time with a blue-white taxi which you can find in the city center or waiting in front of hotels. The average fare is between 80 and 100 Birr. The owners of these taxis aren’t companies but individuals. Since there is also no taximeter in blue-white taxis and fares are not standardized by a company, they are more flexible in terms of fares and you should definitely bargain.
You can rent a car from one of the car rental companies that you can find in the city center or from the offices of tour operators. You can also get help from your hotel about renting a car.
Since some roads in Addis Ababa have no name, there isn’t sufficient number of traffic signs throughout the city and there is no traffic light on many roundabouts, traffic flow isn’t in order. For this reason, renting a car during your visit may not be a good option. If you want to rent a car only for travelling to the airport from the city center, you should prefer a company which has an office at the airport.
In order to get to the airport with the car you have rented, connect to Bole Road in the city center, drive southeastward and follow the airport signs.
There are 2 terminals at the airport. Terminal 1, which offers service for domestic flights, is located in the old building. Terminal 2 offers service for international passenger transportation in the new building.
At Bole International Airport, there are many restaurants and cafes in addition to stores and a duty-free shop where you can do some shopping before your flight.
At the airport, there is also a lounge for passengers looking for a comfortable environment and a much larger lounge is now being constructed. Although there is no left luggage service at the airport, you can find other standard airport services such as pharmacy, currency exchange office and ATM.
Kabul, Afghanistan's capital and largest city, is a city developed economically and culturally thanks to the Hayber Pass which connects Pakistan and Afghanistan. Babylon Gardens, Kabul Zoo, Bala Hisar, Ghazi Stadium, Kabul Museum, Darul Aman Palace, Afghan National Gallery are among the places you can see in Kabul, which hosts many civilizations.
You need to get a visa before traveling to Kabul. Private, service and regular passport holders are subjected to a visa. Diplomatic passport holders can be considered immune from visa for 90 days. In case you plan to travel to Kabul, Kabul International Airport (Hamid Karzai International Airport) will welcome you.
It is possible to travel to Kabul through direct and indirect flights with many airlines, especially Turkish Airlines (THY), from Turkey. You can reach Kabul from Istanbul in about 5 hours by plane.
One flight from Istanbul Ataturk Airport to Kabul is carried out every day. It is also possible to have an indirect flight between Istanbul and Kabul.
Emirates and Flydubai fly from Istanbul to Kabul in connection with Dubai. Kabul International Airport is not too far from the city center. You can take a bus, taxi, private car or walk to the airport terminal. But let's also point out that reaching the terminal by foot may be dangerous.
The currency you will use for transportation will be the Afghan Afghani (AFN). Do not forget that 1 Turkish Lira is approximately 23 Afghanis.
Buses are the most commonly used means of transportation in Kabul. The one-way fare for these buses that provide transportation from the airport to the city is 15-20 Afghanis. If you want to travel by bus from the airport to the city, you should definitely have a booklet with language help; because the routes and numbers are written in the local language may not be very clear for the foreign tourists. For this reason, using a helpful booklet can make your job easier.
If you want to reach Kabul International Airport from Kabul city center in a comfortable way, you can use taxi. You can reach the city center in a very short time by taking a taxi among the ones waiting outside the airport terminal. You can reach the city center by taxi paying between 25-30 Turkish Liras.
You can also get to the city center of Kabul from the airport by renting a private car. Car rental companies at Kabul International Airport would like to see your driver's license before delivering the car to you.