Zimbabwe vacations 2024 & 2025

In Zimbabwe you can go on safari to see elephant, lion, giraffe, and hippo, visit Victoria Falls, see ancient rock art, and explore abandoned cities. Zimbabwe is a rewarding destination for a safari experience with highly trained guides and a good chance of seeing the Big Five alongside an abundance of other wildlife.

You can walk through the mist to feel the force of Victoria Falls rumble underfoot as you approach this natural wonder or fly over the towering cascades for a bird’s eye view. Delve into Zimbabwe’s rich history by exploring a long-abandoned hilltop city or visiting the site of ancient rock art, or simply relax by a pool with a sundowner and enjoy the dramatic landscapes before you.

Zimbabwe offers a great choice of places to stay, from historic hotels to luxurious safari lodges and mobile camps that follow the wildlife. For the best experience, you might want to combine a stay in a rustic tented camp where the focus is getting close to nature with some time in a more exclusive lodge where a dramatic landscape is matched by indulgent contemporary design.

We’ve got plenty of options to choose from including small safari camps overlooking busy waterholes, private villas with balconies for wildlife watching, or a luxurious tented camp on the banks of the Zambezi. Elsewhere, you can stay at a historic hotel overlooking Victoria Falls, or wilderness chalets on a private concession. Take a look at our collection of places to stay in Zimbabwe for more ideas.

Most visitors to Zimbabwe choose to go to Hwange or Mana Pools national parks, Lake Kariba, or one of the country’s many private concessions before or after a visit to Victoria Falls. Wildlife viewing is a prime reason to visit, and Hwange National Park is the country’s top safari destination, offering the chance to see large herds of elephant and buffalo, big cats, and antelope grazing in woodlands and grasslands.

Set on the banks of the Zambezi River, the lakes and floodplains of the Mana Pools National Park have a different feel and are a good place to spot wild dog. For hippo, crocodile, and fish eagle sightings, we recommend a sunset boat trip on Lake Kariba. It’s also easy to combine time on safari with a visit to Victoria Falls, where the Zambezi plunges over steep cliffs in a thundering torrent.

Zimbabwe is a good place to spot the Big Five — lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo, and leopard — as well as cheetah, spotted hyena, wildebeest, zebra, and eland. Depending on the time of year, and your destination, you’ll encounter many other species too. Antelope, giraffe, bushbucks, and impala roam the grasslands, hippo and crocodiles lurk in the rivers and lakes, and Hwange has a large population of wild dog. Zimbabwe’s birdlife is also prolific with more than 400 bird species present in Mana Pools National Park and some lodges even guaranteeing sightings of 50 species before breakfast.

If takes between 23 and 34 hours to fly from the US to Zimbabwe.

The time zone in Zimbabwe is UTC+2 hours. Daylight Savings Time is not observed here.

The best way to get around Zimbabwe is to combine private transfers with some internal flights. The road network in Zimbabwe is well maintained and with a local guide to give you an insight into the landscape, history, and culture of places you pass, you’ll get so much more out of your drive. When transferring between parks or destinations at a distance from one another, travel by light aircraft is fast and efficient.

Your doctor can provide you with immunization advice for Zimbabwe, but you should also ensure you’re up to date with the recommended vaccinations for your home country. You can also check the recommended vaccinations by visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Malaria is a risk in parts of Zimbabwe and you should speak to your doctor about which antimalarial medication you should take. Your first line of defense, however, is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. Wear long-sleeved and long-legged clothing, use an insect repellent with 50% DEET, and a mosquito net if sleeping in rooms where windows and doors are unscreened.

Check that your passport is valid for at least six months from the date you arrive in Zimbabwe and has a minimum of three blank pages.