Travel guide
Zimbabwe Travel Guide
Most trips to Zimbabwe follow the Zambezi: Victoria Falls, the elephants of Hwange a few hours south, and the floodplain of Mana Pools, seen on foot and by canoe, joined in about ten days. A second journey by road leads through the granite hills of the south to Great Zimbabwe, the stone city that gave the country its name. The dry season, from about May to October, is the time for the parks.
Updated 2026-10-09
Deep dives
Deep dive
Mosi-oa-Tunya From the Zimbabwean Side →
From the Zimbabwean side, a path through the rainforest faces Victoria Falls along most of its length. The town of Victoria Falls is the base for the river, the gorge and Hwange.
Deep dive
Hwange, Elephant Country on the Edge of the Kalahari →
Hwange, Zimbabwe's largest park, is elephant country: herds gather at the waterholes in the dry season, with lion, buffalo, sable and painted dogs. A few hours from Victoria Falls.
Deep dive
Mana Pools, on Foot and by Canoe Along the Zambezi →
Mana Pools lies on the floodplain of the lower Zambezi, a park of winterthorn woodland and old river channels, seen on foot with a guide and by canoe. Best late in the dry season.
Deep dive
Lake Kariba, an Inland Sea on the Zambezi →
Lake Kariba, a vast lake on the Zambezi, is seen from houseboats, with tigerfish, drowned forests and the shore of Matusadona National Park.
Deep dive
Great Zimbabwe, the Houses of Stone →
Near Masvingo, the dry-stone walls of Great Zimbabwe, a city of the eleventh to fifteenth centuries, crown a granite hill and ring the Great Enclosure. A World Heritage site.
Deep dive
The Matobo Hills, a Granite World South of Bulawayo →
South of Bulawayo, the Matobo Hills are a land of granite domes and balancing rocks with caves of ancient rock art and rhinos tracked on foot. A World Heritage site.
Deep dive
Mountains, Mist and Waterfalls Along the Mozambican Border →
Along Zimbabwe's border with Mozambique, the Eastern Highlands are a cool country of mountains, waterfalls, forests and tea estates. Nyanga, the Bvumba and Chimanimani draw walkers.
Itinerary
The Falls, Two Parks and the Road South: How a Zimbabwean Trip Is Built →
The classic Zimbabwean trip joins Victoria Falls, Hwange and Mana Pools in about ten days, by road and small aircraft. A second circuit by road takes in the stone ruins and the hills.
Ways to Experience This Destination
Mosi-oa-Tunya, “the smoke that thunders”, seen from the rainforest path that faces most of the falls, with the gorge, the river above and the bridge to Zambia.
Zimbabwe's largest park, where elephants gather at the waterholes in the dry season, with lion, sable and the painted dog.
The floodplain of the lower Zambezi, walked with a guide among elephant and buffalo and paddled by canoe past the hippos.
Houseboats on a vast lake, tigerfish among the drowned trees and elephants on the shore of Matusadona.
The stone walls of a city of the eleventh to fifteenth centuries near Masvingo, the Hill Complex and the Great Enclosure with its conical tower.
Granite domes and balancing rocks south of Bulawayo, with caves of ancient rock paintings and rhinos tracked on foot.
Nyanga, the Bvumba and Chimanimani, cool mountains of waterfalls, forest and tea along the Mozambican border.
Sadza and its relishes, nyama from the braai, bream and kapenta from Kariba, and dinners under the stars at the safari camps.
City guides
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Zimbabwe?
The dry season, from about May to October, for the parks, with cool days in June, July and August and the animals gathering at the water as the heat builds towards October. Victoria Falls is at its fullest from about February to May. The rains, from about November to March, turn the country green, and many bush camps close.
What languages are spoken in Zimbabwe?
Zimbabwe has sixteen official languages, of which English, Shona and Ndebele are the most widely spoken: Shona in most of the country, Ndebele in the south-west around Bulawayo. English is used in tourism, hotels, safari camps and business, so visitors get by in English everywhere.
Will my phone work in Zimbabwe?
In Harare, Bulawayo, Victoria Falls and along the main highways, mobile coverage and data are good, and a local SIM card bought in town and registered with the passport gives a Zimbabwean number. In the national parks the signal thins or stops, and the safari camps connect to the internet by satellite, often in the main area only.
Entry rules, visa types and practical notes live on the Zimbabwe overview.
Visaja keeps this page's contact details and visa guidance under continuous review — still, requirements can change at short notice, so confirm the essentials with the mission or the official government portal before you travel.