Zimbabwe Safari Guide
Home to Victoria Falls and some of Southern Africa's finest walking safari traditions — a destination for safari purists seeking authentic wilderness and exceptional guiding.
Top Highlights
Best Time to Visit Zimbabwe
The dry season from May to October is peak safari time. Victoria Falls is most impressive from February to May when water levels peak after the rainy season, though spray can obscure the view. From September to December, lower water levels reveal more of the rock face and the Devil's Pool is accessible.
Hwange and Mana Pools are best from July to October when animals concentrate at water sources. Mana Pools' famous walking safari season runs from April to November. The wet season (November-March) brings rain, lush green landscapes, and excellent birding.
Zimbabwe Safari Budget Guide
Zimbabwe offers good value compared to Botswana. Budget accommodation around Victoria Falls starts from $30-80/night. Mid-range lodges $100-300/night. Luxury safari camps $400-1,500/night all-inclusive.
Hwange mid-range camps cost $200-500/night. Mana Pools exclusive camps $500-1,500/night. Victoria Falls entrance is $50/adult. A 7-10 day Zimbabwe circuit covering Victoria Falls, Hwange, and Mana Pools costs $3,000-6,000 mid-range or $6,000-15,000 luxury per person.
Getting to Zimbabwe
Victoria Falls Airport (VFA) receives flights from Johannesburg, Nairobi, and Addis Ababa. Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport (HRE) in Harare serves eastern destinations.
Most nationalities require a visa — available on arrival ($30 single entry) or the KAZA UniVisa ($50) covering Zimbabwe and Zambia. Internal flights connect Victoria Falls to Hwange (30 min) and Harare to Mana Pools (charter, 1-1.5 hours). Self-drive is possible on main routes but a 4x4 is needed for national parks.
Zimbabwe is where the art of guiding was perfected. The country's professional guide training programme is widely regarded as the gold standard in Africa, producing safari guides whose knowledge of wildlife, tracking, and bush craft is unmatched. This guiding tradition underpins a safari experience that emphasises depth of understanding over luxury, and genuine wilderness immersion over comfortable observation.
Victoria Falls — Mosi-oa-Tunya, "The Smoke That Thunders" — is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and Zimbabwe's most recognized landmark. The Zambezi River plunges 108 metres into a gorge over a width of 1.7 kilometres, generating a spray cloud visible from 50 kilometres away and creating one of Earth's most awe-inspiring natural spectacles.
Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe's largest reserve, protects vast herds of elephants and a remarkable diversity of wildlife across 14,600 square kilometres of Kalahari sandveld. The park's pumped waterholes create dramatic dry season concentrations that rival anywhere in southern Africa. Mana Pools National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Zambezi floodplain, offers what many consider Africa's finest walking safari experience — tracking elephants, wild dogs, and lions on foot with some of the continent's most experienced guides.
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