Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Zimbabwe: Hwange, Matobo and Great Zimbabwe
10 days from Victoria Falls to Harare: three nights at Hwange, two in the Matobo Hills and a night at Great Zimbabwe, with three long road days.
10 days · Victoria Falls to Harare · up to 12 guests
Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwe side, photographed in June 2014; water levels differ by season Photo: ninara from Helsinki, Finland, CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/), via Wikimedia Commons, resized
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 10 days, 9 nights
- Start and end
- Victoria Falls to Harare
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Plan for game drives of 3 to 4 hours, guided bush walks of 2 to 3 hours on uneven ground, a possible rhino-tracking walk on foot, and three long road days. Walking activities depend on park permits and guide judgement. Easier options exist but are not step-free, and timings are estimates.
- Meals included
- 9 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners
- Season
- Dry-season safari
Highlights
Why this trip
- Victoria Falls on foot through the rainforest, plus a Zambezi sunset cruise
- Three nights in Hwange for open-vehicle game drives and a proposed walking safari
- Rhino tracking on foot with licensed operators and rangers, and San rock art, in the Matobo Hills, if permitted
- Cecil Rhodes's grave at World's View, told plainly
- Great Zimbabwe's stone city
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls Airport (VFA) to a hotel in Victoria Falls town
- Dinner
- Stay in Victoria Falls
Fly into Victoria Falls Airport and transfer to a hotel in the town, which sits close to the spray of the falls. If you land early, take a short walk through town or rest after the flight.
Evening
In the evening your guide, once appointed, meets the group for a briefing on the ten days: two nights at the falls, three at a camp in Hwange, two in the Matobo Hills, then a long road east to Great Zimbabwe and Harare. We explain how long road days work and why game drives start before dawn. A welcome dinner is planned in town. Please check currency rules and card acceptance in Zimbabwe before travel, and carry some cash.
Included
- Airport transfer
- Group briefing
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
The falls and a Zambezi sunset cruise
Victoria Falls rainforest walk and a sunset boat on the Zambezi
- Breakfast
- Stay in Victoria Falls
- By boat
Morning
After breakfast we plan a walk along the trail through the Victoria Falls rainforest, with viewpoints facing the main falls and the gorge. Water volume changes through the year. Reference sources report the flood season as about February to May, peaking in April, when the foot of the falls can be hidden by spray, and a low flow from about September, with the minimum in November, when more of the rock face shows. In a May to October trip the view therefore depends on the month, and we cannot promise a particular volume. Wear waterproofs and carry a dry bag for cameras.
Evening
In the late afternoon we plan a sunset boat trip on the Zambezi above the falls, a calm cruise where hippos and birds may be seen; the operator is to be confirmed and wildlife is never guaranteed. Dinner is free so you can choose a restaurant in town. Easier option: the shorter viewpoint section only.
Included
- Guided walk at Victoria Falls (park entry fee to be confirmed)
- Zambezi sunset cruise (operator to be confirmed)
Optional experiences
- Helicopter flight over the falls, run by a licensed operator (cost to be quoted)
Easier option: Main viewpoints only
More active option: Longer trail with the guide
Free time: Free evening
Activity: Park entry fees, hours and the cruise operator are not confirmed. Optional flights are operator-run.
To Hwange
Victoria Falls to the Hwange area
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Hwange
We drive south-east to Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe's largest. ZimParks gives directions of 172 km from Victoria Falls along the Bulawayo road to the Cross Mabale turn-off, then 23 km of tar to Main Camp, about 195 km in all, but a camp deeper in the park or on its edge takes longer, so the transfer depends on where we stay and has not been fixed. The camp or lodge is to be quoted.
Afternoon
We aim to arrive in time for an afternoon game drive in an open vehicle. ZimParks describes Hwange as having the country's largest elephant population, and waterholes draw animals through the dry season. Wildlife is never guaranteed.
Included
- Road transfer to Hwange
- Afternoon game drive
Free time: Free time at the lodge
Activity: Camp or lodge, transfer route and board basis not confirmed. Camp to be quoted.
Game drives in Hwange
Hwange National Park: morning and afternoon game drives
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Hwange
A full day of game drives with a guide in an open vehicle, normally an early drive and a late one, with time at camp between. We watch waterholes where elephants, buffalo, giraffe and antelope may come to drink in the dry season. ZimParks describes Hwange as holding Africa's largest wild dog population, though sightings of painted dogs, also called African wild dogs, vary and are not promised. A visit to a painted dog conservation project is proposed only if one can be confirmed. Lion and leopard are present but are not promised either. Dress in layers, as conditions vary through the day, and expect dust. Easier option: a single game drive and a rest at camp, with the second drive left optional.
Included
- Morning and afternoon game drives
- Painted dog project visit (only if confirmed)
Optional experiences
- Night drive (if permitted)
Easier option: One drive only
More active option: Both drives plus a waterhole hide
Free time: Mid-day at the lodge
Activity: No wildlife sighting is guaranteed.
A walking safari in Hwange
Hwange: a guided walk with an armed guide and a final game drive
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Hwange
Morning
Today we propose a guided walking safari with an armed guide, at a time and place chosen on the day for safety, usually in the morning. The Government of Canada notes that wildlife viewing can be risky on foot or at close range, that you should leave a vehicle only when a professional guide or warden confirms it is safe, and that you should follow park rules and warden instructions. We follow that advice exactly. The walk is not available if the park or camp does not permit it, and it can be shortened or cancelled if elephants or other animals are close. Tracks, dung, birds and plants are often the best finds.
Afternoon
The afternoon is a game drive or a rest. Easier option: a game drive instead.
Included
- Guided walking safari (subject to park and lodge rules)
- Game drive
Easier option: A game drive instead of the walk
Free time: Afternoon rest
Activity: Walking safaris depend on the park permit and the operator's conditions, including minimum age and fitness.
A long road day to Matobo
Hwange to Bulawayo and the Matobo Hills
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Matobo Hills
This is a long road day. ZimParks gives Main Camp as 283 km from Bulawayo, and the Matobo Hills lie beyond Bulawayo, so we expect a drive of well over 300 km, to be confirmed.
Afternoon
We leave after an early breakfast and stop in Bulawayo for lunch, with time to look at the central streets, before continuing to a lodge in or near the Matobo Hills, to be quoted.
Evening
The Government of Canada rates roads in Zimbabwe as poor, with potholes, pedestrians and animals, and advises avoiding driving after dark, so we aim to arrive before dusk. It also notes that protests have occurred in central Bulawayo, so the guide watches local news. The evening is quiet among granite domes.
Included
- Road transfer
- Lunch in Bulawayo
Free time: Free evening
Activity: Distances are estimates; the lodge is not confirmed.
Rhino tracking and San rock art
Matobo Hills: a rhino walk, rock art and World's View
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Matobo Hills
Reference sources describe the Matobo Hills as a World Heritage landscape of granite domes, balancing rocks and caves. ZimParks describes Matobo as one of three intensive rhino protection zones in the Parks estate, with black and white rhino present, though no sighting is promised. Rhino tracking on foot with a ranger is run by licensed operators, and we propose it only if the operator and park rules allow; the operator and fees are to be confirmed. We plan to visit a cave with San rock paintings, with the guide explaining who made them and how the images are dated; reference sources name Nswatugi and Pomongwe among the best-known rock art sites, and hours and fees must be confirmed. At World's View, ZimParks says the grave of Cecil Rhodes lies on the summit of Malindidzimu, and the guide tells the history of his role in colonial conquest plainly, and what Zimbabweans make of it today.
Included
- Guided rhino tracking on foot with a ranger (only if permitted and quoted)
- San rock art visit
- World's View
Easier option: Drive-up viewpoints and a short rock art walk
More active option: A longer walk among the domes
Free time: Free late afternoon
Activity: Park fees, ranger, operator and the specific rock art site are not confirmed.
To Great Zimbabwe
Matobo and Bulawayo to Great Zimbabwe near Masvingo
- Breakfast
- Stay in Great Zimbabwe
Another long road day, east from Matobo through Bulawayo to Great Zimbabwe near Masvingo. The ruins lie beyond Masvingo, so with the Matobo start we expect a long day, and we give no fixed hours. Great Zimbabwe is a stone city whose Great Enclosure has massive curved dry-stone walls. Reference sources date it to roughly the 11th to 15th centuries and attribute it to the ancestors of the Shona. The National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe lists museum hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Afternoon
daily, but no hours for Great Zimbabwe itself, so we confirm with the site before planning a late-afternoon walk. We stay near the site or at Lake Mutirikwi, to be quoted. Pack water, a hat and sturdy shoes for uneven ground.
Included
- Road transfer
- Great Zimbabwe first visit if time allows
Free time: Free evening
Activity: Site hours, entry fees and lodge not confirmed.
The stone city and on to Harare
Great Zimbabwe, then the road to Harare
- Breakfast
- Stay in Harare
Morning
We spend the morning at Great Zimbabwe with a guide, walking the Hill Complex, the Valley Ruins and the Great Enclosure. The guide explains how the site was built, the Zimbabwe birds carved in soapstone, and the colonial-era argument that denied African builders, which, according to reference sources, scholars have since rejected. Allow 2 to 4 hours for the ruins.
Afternoon
After lunch we drive to Harare, another long road day, which we do not give a time for. Masvingo has no regular scheduled flights that we can confirm: Air Zimbabwe ran special services in September 2026 for an expo only, so we do not plan to fly from here. We overnight in Harare, which gives a margin for tomorrow's flight.
Included
- Guided Great Zimbabwe visit
- Road transfer to Harare
Easier option: Great Enclosure only
More active option: Hill Complex climb
Free time: Free evening in Harare
Activity: Masvingo flights are not planned; they are not confirmed beyond a September 2026 expo.
Departure from Harare
Harare hotel to Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport (HRE)
- Breakfast
Morning
After breakfast we transfer to Harare's airport for your onward flight. Do not book a flight until we have agreed a transfer time with you, and check airline check-in requirements and the airport's current status and name in advance. If you want to extend your trip in Harare or fly back to Victoria Falls, those are not included and would need a quote. Zimbabwe has limited domestic flight options, and our plan does not rely on them. Keep your passport and any visa documents in your hand luggage. A hotel extension is not included. Traffic in Harare can be heavy in the morning, and fuel, electricity and road conditions can change at short notice.
Included
- Airport transfer
- Victoria Falls2 nights
- Hwange3 nights
- Matobo Hills2 nights
- Great Zimbabwe1 night
- Harare1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: May to October is the dry season. Conditions vary through the day, and dust is common on drives. Victoria Falls carries the most water in the flood season, reported as roughly February to May, and less from about September, so the view in May to October varies with the month. Wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want safari, walking and history in one trip
- Anyone who accepts long road days
- Guests curious about Great Zimbabwe and the Matobo Hills
Not for you if you want
- Step-free access: bush walks, rock art and ruins are uneven
- Travellers who need to avoid long road days
- Anyone wanting a confirmed departure now: this itinerary is still in development
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
9 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Victoria Falls2 nights
- Hwange3 nights
- Matobo Hills2 nights
- Great Zimbabwe1 night
- Harare1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 9 nights in hotels, lodges and camps: 2 in Victoria Falls, 3 in Hwange, 2 in the Matobo Hills, 1 at Great Zimbabwe, 1 in Harare
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- Properties named only when confirmed in a written quote
Transport
- Airport transfers at Victoria Falls and Harare
- A vehicle and driver for the road legs, to be confirmed
- Open safari vehicles in Hwange; Matobo vehicles to be confirmed
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group, appointment to be confirmed
- Park and camp guides, including an armed guide for walks if permitted
Activities
- Victoria Falls rainforest walk and sunset cruise
- Hwange game drives and a walking safari, if permitted
- Matobo rhino walk, if permitted and quoted, and a rock art visit
- Great Zimbabwe guided visit
Meals
- Breakfast daily from day 2 (9)
- 5 lunches: Hwange camp (days 3 to 5), Bulawayo (day 6) and a picnic in Matobo (day 7)
- 4 dinners: the welcome dinner (day 1) and the Hwange camp (days 3 to 5)
- All subject to the written quote
Not included
- International flights to Victoria Falls and from Harare
- Travel insurance
- Visa or travel authorisation fees, if any apply to your passport
- Park and monument fees as published by ZimParks and the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe, unless the written quote states they are included
- Meals not listed
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities, such as a helicopter flight
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- Price on request
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
Is this trip bookable now?
Not yet. It is a proposed itinerary in development, not an available departure. Camps, lodges, guides, vehicles and permits have not been appointed or booked. You can send an enquiry for a written quote; an enquiry takes no payment and confirms no booking.
What does the price include?
No public price is shown. The written quote sets the final price, taxes, inclusions, operator and terms. Park and monument fees, as published by ZimParks and the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe, are included or excluded as that quote states.
Can we fly out of Masvingo?
We do not plan on it. A trade-press report says Air Zimbabwe ran Harare to Masvingo and Victoria Falls to Masvingo flights from 5 to 12 September 2026 for an expo, with no continuation confirmed. The route ends in Harare by road.
How long are the road days?
Days 6, 8 and 9 are long: Hwange to Matobo, Matobo to Great Zimbabwe and Great Zimbabwe to Harare. Distances in the plan are estimates, and hours are not fixed. The Government of Canada describes roads as poor and advises avoiding driving after dark.
Will we see painted dogs and rhino?
Not guaranteed. ZimParks describes Hwange as important for wild dogs and Matobo as an intensive rhino protection zone, but sightings in the wild vary. Rhino tracking on foot with a ranger is run by licensed operators and is proposed only if permitted.
Is a walking safari safe?
It is planned with an armed guide, if the park permits, who would decide where and when. It can be shortened or cancelled if animals are near. The Government of Canada notes wildlife viewing can be risky on foot, so follow the guide's instructions exactly. Walks depend on permits.
What health precautions apply?
The Government of Canada notes a malaria risk in certain areas and times of year, so ask a travel clinic about prophylaxis. It says there is no yellow fever risk in Zimbabwe, but proof of vaccination is required if you arrive from or transit through a country with yellow fever transmission.
Is Zimbabwe safe to visit?
We cannot give a blanket clearance. The Government of Canada, last updated 13 October 2026, advises a high degree of caution due to crime and notes protests in central areas of Bulawayo and Harare. Check your own government's advice before travelling.
When does Victoria Falls have the most water?
Reference sources report the flood season as about February to May, peaking in April, and low water from about September, with the minimum in November. A May to October trip therefore sees varying flow, and we cannot promise a particular view. Helicopter flights are optional and operator-run.
Does it connect with other trips?
Yes. See our Victoria Falls short break and our Botswana, Okavango, Chobe and Victoria Falls trip. Transfers between trips are not included and need a quote.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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