9 Days Zimbabwe Safari, Hwange, Victoria Falls & More
Venture into Africa’s wild heart on this 9-day Zimbabwe safari with unforgettable wildlife sightings, cultural encounters, and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
Begin your adventure in the town of Victoria Falls for a chance to visit Mosi-oa-Tunya (the ‘Smoke that thunders). Victoria Falls, and later, you can visit the local town to discover what makes it a beloved tourist destination. Next, tour Zimbabwe’s largest National Park, Hwange. With a vast array of wildlife, your stay at Camp or lodge here is the best chance of seeing the Big 5. Explore exquisite surroundings on game drives or walking safaris.
Zimbabwean guides are often lauded as some of the best in the whole world and are known for their knowledge and sheer love of their natural surroundings.
Then travel to Matobo National Park, which is allegedly the location of Ophir, the biblical land from which King Solomon got ivory, gold, and exotic birds.
The final leg of your 9-Day Zimbabwe Safari adventure takes you to the Great Zimbabwe Ruins – the greatest medieval city in sub-Saharan Africa and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This tour is perfect for anyone looking for experience an authentic safari in Southern Africa
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive In The Town Of Victoria Falls
Mhoro! Welcome to Zimbabwe.
Your 9-Day Zimbabwe Safari adventure begins as soon as you land at Victoria Falls International Airport. You will be met by your driver and transferred to your lodge near the Victoria Falls.
If you arrive early, why not check out some of the optional activities around the falls? The Zimbabwe side of the falls offers the broadest view of this colossal natural wonder. A scenic helicopter flight is an incredible way to view the fall and take you over the thundering cascades.
You can also enjoy a relaxing Zambezi River sunset boat cruise, which offers an opportunity to see a variety of waterbirds and animals such as hippos, elephants, buffalo, and massive Nile Crocodiles.
Day 2: Guided Tour of Victoria Falls
Guess what? You are at the edge of the greatest curtain of falling water on Earth. Fittingly named ‘the smoke that thunders, Victoria Falls is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the world.
After the spellbinding experience of a guided tour of the falls, you will enjoy a day of free time to take up one of the many activities’ fun and heart-racing activities in the area.
Victoria Falls is known as ‘Africa’s Adventure Capital’, and for good reason! Superb white-water rafting, bungee jumping, zip-lining, abseiling, gorge swings, canoe trips, helicopter flights, and microlighting are among the many adventurous activities enjoyed by thrill seekers at Vic Falls.
If you’re visiting during the low-water season of August to December, you can cross to the Zambian side of the falls and enjoy a swim in the Devil’s Pool – a natural rock pool at the edge of the falls.
If you are looking for a more relaxing experience, Zambezi River sunset boat cruises or day trips to the surrounding wildlife parks will be perfect for you. You can also take a local brewery tour and tasting in town and get to know your new travel pals.
Day 3: Hwange National Park
After a little time to explore in the morning, you will leave Victoria Falls behind and head to Hwange National Park.
Affectionately known as ‘Wankie’, Hwange was a royal hunting ground of the Ndebele warrior-king Mzilikazi in the early 19th century. The area was set aside as a national park in 1949.
Spanning more than 14,600 km2, it is the largest national park in Zimbabwe and the 10th biggest in Africa. It is nearly as large as Belgium, and bigger than all of the other Zimbabwe National Parks combined! This huge safari park boasts a tremendous selection of wildlife, including a selection of 100 species of mammals and over 420 bird species.
Hwange’s estimated population of over 50,000 African Elephants is one of the largest on the African continent. They have been extremely successful in Hwange, and the population has increased too far above that naturally supported by such an area, even if it is a massive area.
It is a controversial subject, and it remains to be seen what will be done about it. At the moment, Hwange remains one of the best places in the world to see these gentle giants!
Spend your afternoon exploring Hwange and discover this stunning wildlife arena in an open 4×4 safari vehicle with expert local Zimbabwe guides. Keep your eyes out for wildlife and listen closely as your guides explain more about this area and the animals that call this place home.
Day 4: Hwange National Park
Your fourth day of the 9 Days Zimbabwe Safari will start with an early breakfast, and then you are off again to enjoy wonderful Hwange.
You’ll enjoy morning and afternoon 4×4 game drives and lunch back at the lodge. Hwange’s sheer size means that its scenery, vegetation, and animals vary hugely. The park has two distinct
Hwange National Park has more animals and a greater variety of wildlife. All of Zimbabwe’s protected animals can be seen here, and interestingly, it is the only park where Brown Hyena and Gemsbok occur together in reasonable numbers.
The population of Painted Wolves (African Wild Dogs) in Hwange National Park is believed to be one of the largest groups in Africa.
Cheetahs, Spotted Hyenas, and Leopards also occur in good numbers, and the park has large numbers of African Buffalo, often in massive herds.
Nearly 500 Lions live in Hwange, and in 2015, Hwange’s Lions gained international fame with the controversial death of Cecil, a much-loved Hwange Lion killed by a trophy hunter from the United States. Other game regularly seen are Zebras, Kudus, Giraffes, Impalas, Wildebeests, Sable Antelope, Roan Antelope, Waterbuck, ┬áElands, Warthog, and Bat-eared Fox.
If your afternoon drive extends into sunset, you may be lucky and spot some of the nocturnal creatures of Hwange, such as Serval, Genet, Ground Pangolin, Galago, African Civet, Aardwolf, Cape Porcupine, and the mythical Aardvark.
Day 5: Matobo National Park
Today, you will leave Hwange in the morning and travel to Matobo National Park. Shortly after leaving Hwange, you will stop at the Painted Dog Conservation Centre.
The loss of quality habitat and poaching are driving the painted dog (also known as Painted Wolves or African wild dog) towards extinction. Learn about how they protect and increase the range and numbers of painted dogs in Zimbabwe and the Hwange ecosystem as a whole.
After that, continue your drive to Bulawayo, the second-largest city of Zimbabwe. Take a stroll through the streets lined with old colonial buildings and stop in at a local restaurant for lunch before proceeding to your camp or lodge for the next two nights.
The area has great cultural and spiritual significance to the local people, and there are many sites within the national park where important ceremonies still take place.
If you are interested in the culinary side of southern African food, tonight your cook can provide an in-depth cooking class while you help prepare this evening’s delicious meal.
Day 6: Matobo National Park
Good morning from mighty Matobo. Today, you are free to do as you want, but it is highly recommended that you head to Matobo Hills and spend the day tracking rhinos on foot and other animals with the help of your expert local guide.
Matobo National Park is home to so much wildlife, including leopards, klipspringers, warthogs, and springhares. En route, you can also learn about the various local plants and trees.
After your tour lunch, you explore another region of the national park to find old bushman paintings, see rock formations, and learn some history of the area. After that, you can visit a nearby African village to meet some of the local people.
You will gain a better understanding of the lives of these people when they were living in the hills, as well as meet with some of the local communities and personalities, including elderly chief Pondo, a character in his own right.
Day 7: Great Zimbabwe
After an amazing experience in Matobo, enjoy a delicious breakfast and check out of the lodge. Then embark on a journey to the Great Zimbabwe.
It is a drive of nearly 4 hours, passing through Masvingo, which is a small town with palm-lined, wide streets lined with rather shabby buildings. It is 27km away from the Great Zimbabwe Ruins. Check in at the lodge and spend the rest of the day at leisure.
Day 8: Great Zimbabwe Ruins Tour
After an early breakfast, visit the Great Zimbabwe Ruins. The local Shona people built the Zimbabwe ruins from the 11th century by carefully dry packing thousands of stones into intricate patterns, towers, and staircases.
Between the 13th and 15th centuries, around 20,000 people resided here on a site that was 1,722 hectares big.
It was the trading centre for the Mutapa Kingdom and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. So significant are the ruins that Zimbabwe is named after them: ‘dzimba’ means ‘houses’ and ‘mabwe’ means ‘stones’, making up ‘Zimbabwe’ or ‘Great Houses of Stone’.
After the tour, you will check out from the lodge and drive for about 300km to Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. Before you reach your lodge, you will have a city drive through Harare town which is the most populous city in Zimbabwe.
Day 9: Farewell, For Now
Finally, after an interesting 9-day Zimbabwe Safari Trip of driving through some of Zimbabwe’s most popular sites, you will check out of the Lodge after breakfast. You will then be transferred by your driver to Harare International Airport to catch your flight. As the saying goes, ‘You may leave Africa, but Africa never leaves you- we are always ready to welcome you back