Zimbabwe: Hwange, Matobo and Great Zimbabwe

1. Day 1: Arrive in Victoria Falls

   Victoria Falls Airport (VFA) to a hotel in Victoria Falls town

   • Dinner
   • Stay in Victoria Falls
   Day 1 details

   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. 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

2. Day 2: The falls and a Zambezi sunset cruise

   Victoria Falls rainforest walk and a sunset boat on the Zambezi

   • By boat
   • Breakfast
   • Stay in Victoria Falls
   Day 2 details

   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. 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.

3. Day 3: To Hwange

   Victoria Falls to the Hwange area

   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in Hwange
   Day 3 details

   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. 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.

   

4. Day 4: Game drives in Hwange

   Hwange National Park: morning and afternoon game drives

   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in Hwange
   Day 4 details

   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.

   

5. Day 5: 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
   Day 5 details

   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. 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.

6. Day 6: A long road day to Matobo

   Hwange to Bulawayo and the Matobo Hills

   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Matobo Hills
   Day 6 details

   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. 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. 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.

   

7. Day 7: Rhino tracking and San rock art

   Matobo Hills: a rhino walk, rock art and World's View

   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Matobo Hills
   Day 7 details

   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.

   

8. Day 8: To Great Zimbabwe

   Matobo and Bulawayo to Great Zimbabwe near Masvingo

   • Breakfast
   • Stay in Great Zimbabwe
   Day 8 details

   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. 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.

   

9. Day 9: The stone city and on to Harare

   Great Zimbabwe, then the road to Harare

   • Breakfast
   • Stay in Harare
   Day 9 details

   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. 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.

   

10. Day 10: Departure from Harare

    Harare hotel to Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport (HRE)

    • Breakfast
    Day 10 details

    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

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.

• Victoria Falls2 nights
• Hwange3 nights
• Matobo Hills2 nights
• Great Zimbabwe1 night
• Harare1 night