Africa & Middle East · Destination Guide
Zimbabwe
The thundering Victoria Falls, elephant herds & ancient stone cities
Zimbabwe holds one of the seven natural wonders of the world — Victoria Falls, where the Zambezi plunges in a mile-wide curtain of thunder and spray the locals call Mosi-oa-Tunya, "the smoke that thunders." But this warm, resilient country offers far more than its famous falls.
This is classic Africa: the great elephant herds of Hwange, walking safaris in the wildlife-rich Mana Pools on the Zambezi, the balancing boulders and rock art of Matobo, and the mysterious dry-stone ruins of Great Zimbabwe — a medieval African city that gave the nation its name. Add some of the continent's friendliest people, and Zimbabwe is a safari destination of the very top rank.
The Zambezi plunges in a mile-wide curtain of thunder — "the smoke that thunders."
Don't Miss
The Unmissables
Victoria Falls
One of the seven natural wonders of the world and the largest sheet of falling water on Earth — 1.7km wide, plunging 108m into the Zambezi gorge with a roar and a rainbow-shot mist you feel long before you see. Walk the rainforest paths, raft the rapids below, or fly over it in a microlight. Simply unforgettable.
Hwange National Park
Zimbabwe's largest reserve and home to one of Africa's greatest elephant populations — tens of thousands gather at its waterholes in the dry season, alongside lion, buffalo, giraffe and wild dog. Game drives and hides here offer some of the continent's most reliable big-game viewing.
Great Zimbabwe
The haunting stone ruins of a medieval African kingdom — the largest ancient structure south of the Sahara, its towering dry-stone walls built without mortar between the 11th and 15th centuries. This UNESCO site gave the modern nation its name and stands as a powerful symbol of African civilisation.
Mana Pools & Matobo
On the Zambezi, Mana Pools is a UNESCO wilderness famed for walking safaris among elephants and its cathedral-like riverine forest. To the south, the Matobo Hills pile granite boulders into surreal balancing formations, guard ancient San rock art, and shelter one of Africa's densest leopard and rhino populations.
Timing Is Everything
When to Go
Dry season
Prime safari — animals mass at waterholes, skies clear, bush thins. The best all-round window.
Falls at full flow
Victoria Falls thunders at peak volume after the rains — spectacular (and very misty).
Shoulder
Green, warming or cooling, fewer visitors — good value with decent wildlife.
Green (wet) season
Lush and birdy but hot, humid and harder for game viewing on muddy tracks.
The Route
The Perfect Zimbabwe Itinerary
Victoria Falls
The falls from every angle, a Zambezi sunset cruise, optional rafting or a microlight flight.
Hwange
Game drives and waterhole hides among the great elephant herds and big cats.
Matobo or Great Zimbabwe
Balancing boulders and rock art with rhino tracking, or the ancient stone city.
Plan Your Spend
What Zimbabwe Costs
Backpacker
Backpacker lodges in Vic Falls, self-drive or shared safaris, local eateries, town buses.
Mid-range
Comfortable lodges, guided game drives, a falls-activity or two, transfers between parks.
Luxury
Fly-in Hwange and Mana Pools camps, private walking safaris, the historic Victoria Falls Hotel.
Estimates per person, excluding international flights. Book stays via our partners to support free guides like this one.
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