Zimbabwe's parks, compared
5 parks on wildlife, activities, cost, access and health. Every rating opens to show why.
Three parks side by side reads best. Tap a park to swap it in or out.
| Compare | MatoboBest for self-drive | GonarezhouBest for birding | HwangeBest for big game | Mana PoolsBest for walking | MatusadonaAbout 1,400 km² |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1No game peak | 3Sep to Nov | 4Aug to early Nov | 4Aug to Oct | 3June to October, on the lakeshore | |
1No game peak; May to Sep for walking and rock artBlack eagle nest sites: 100+ monitored; Eagle survey: Every year since 1963; Raptor species: 50+, 32 breeding | 3Sep to NovElephants: ±11,000; Elephant density: 2.18 / km² (2022); Wild dog: Documented stronghold | 4bestAug to early NovElephants: ±40,000 in dry season; Large carnivores: 8 species; Wild dog: Major stronghold | 4bestAug to OctElephant sightings: 100% of visitors; Wild dog sightings: 58%; Hippo & crocodile: Largest in Zimbabwe | 3June to October, on the lakeshoreElephant: About 480 (2022 count); Hippo on the shoreline: Over 2,100 (2021 survey); Wild dog: 20 reintroduced, Feb 2026 | |
| Elephant | Rare | Guaranteed | Guaranteed | Guaranteed | Likely |
| Lion | Absent | Fair chance | Likely | Likely | Fair chance |
| Leopard | Rare | Fair chance | Fair chance | Fair chance | Rare |
| Buffalo | Not published | Likely | Likely | Likely | Likely |
| Wild dog | Absent | Rare | Fair chance | Fair chance | Rare |
| Cheetah | Not published | Rare | Rare | Rare | Absent |
| Hippo | Fair chance | Likely | Rare | Guaranteed | Guaranteed |
| Giraffe | Likely | Not published | Likely | Absent | Not published |
2340 speciesAbout 340 bird species listed on the wildlife page. | 3best400 speciesAbout 400 bird species listed on the wildlife page. | 3best400 speciesAbout 400 bird species listed on the wildlife page. | 3best380 speciesAbout 380 bird species listed on the wildlife page. | 2350 speciesAbout 350 bird species listed on the wildlife page. | |
| 5Self-drive | 5Self-drive | 5Self-drive | 5Water | 5Water | |
4A park you walk into rather than drive through: walking on the granite domes is widely practised, every private lodge offers guided walks, and there are no resident lions. | 2Guided walking runs only through registered third-party operators, with ages, rules and rates unpublished; the one short option is a 3 km trail to Chivilila Falls from Chilo Gorge on the boundary. | 3Camps with licensed guides run walks of about three hours from 07:00 for two to six people, minimum age twelve to sixteen, but they are arranged on the day and cannot always be guaranteed. | 5bestOne of a tiny handful of parks where the public may walk unaccompanied, on a permit and on the open floodplain; a ZimParks ranger walks with you at $12 per person per hour, and under-16s may not walk. | 4Guided walks of two to three hours with park guides at about $40, and the Matusadona Trails, multi-day escarpment backpacking at $275 a day; walking only with a designated official and no under-12s on the Trails. | |
1No night activity is listed; park hours are usually given as 06:00 to 18:00 and driving after dark outside towns is discouraged. | 1Night-driving policy is not published and the guide says to assume the conservative answer; the camp curfew keeps you in camp from 18:00 or 18:30. | 2bestDriving after dark is prohibited inside the park and everyone must be in camp by 18:00; advertised night drives run only on the private concessions and forestry land bordering it. | 2bestNight driving and spotlighting are prohibited and a curfew keeps you in camp from 18:00 or 18:30; only Kavinga and the Ruckomechi concession on private land at the edges run night drives. | 2bestThe park runs no night drives; only Bumi Hills offers them, on its own concession outside the boundary. | |
1The guide says to assume the dams carry bilharzia and not to swim, and fishing rules are not in the tariff. | 2Catch-and-release tigerfishing on the Runde for overnight visitors with a permit is the only water activity; no operator could be confirmed for canoeing. | 1The park has no rivers: surface water comes from pumped pans, hippo occur only at the dams, and the activity list has no boat or canoe trips. | 5bestCanoe safaris on the Zambezi are the signature, from half days to multi-day trails, alongside tigerfishing from bank or canoe on a $15 licence; motorboats are not allowed in the park. | 5bestMorning and evening cruises from Tashinga and every lodge, the Sanyati Gorge by boat, houseboats along the shore and tigerfishing under a five-fish limit; canoeing is not offered. | |
5bestTar from Bulawayo to Maleme, gravel roads suitable for most vehicles, and a high-clearance 4x4 only for the fenced game section and some outlying areas. | 5bestThe Trust calls self-drive the park's primary offering: wild campsites, river drives on the Runde and Mwenezi, and Chipinda Pools gate 55 km and 1 to 1.5 h from Chiredzi, with a true 4x4 needed for most of the park. | 5bestSelf-driving is normal and allowed: tar to Main Camp, 195 km and 3 to 4 h from Victoria Falls in 2026, ZimParks pitches at $23, and a high-clearance 4x4 for the internal roads. | 4Self-drivers are welcome on the designated roads: 384 km and 6 to 7 h from Harare with a Marongora check-in and 74 km of gravel, a high-clearance 4x4 required and the park closed in practice Dec to Mar. | 2Self-drive is allowed from sunrise to sunset, but getting a vehicle in means the private McMaster ferry, 3 to 3.5 h plus about 2 h of bush road, or 9 to 10 h from Harare with a 4x4 recommended. | |
| $12cheapest bed | $50cheapest bed | $10cheapest bed | $120cheapest bed | $30cheapest bed | |
$18 / $10bestInternational adult per day, the lower figure if you sleep inside the park ({'name': 'Official ZimParks tariff (De-Gazetted Tariff 2026), published February 2026', 'url': 'https://www.zimparks.org.zw/media/2026/02/De-Gazetted-Tariff-2026.pdf'}, 2026-09-24). | $25 / $15International adult per day, the lower figure if you sleep inside the park ({'name': 'Official ZimParks Gonarezhou tariff 2026 and the Gonarezhou Conservation Trust rate card', 'url': 'https://www.zimparks.org.zw/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Gonarezhou-Fees.pdf'}, 2026-07-27). | $24 / $12International adult per day, the lower figure if you sleep inside the park ({'name': 'Official ZimParks tariff, published February 2026', 'url': 'https://www.zimparks.org.zw/media/2026/02/De-Gazetted-Tariff-2026.pdf'}, 2026-07-26). | $24International adult per day ({'name': 'Official ZimParks tariff, published February 2026', 'url': 'https://www.zimparks.org.zw/media/2026/02/De-Gazetted-Tariff-2026.pdf'}, 2026-07-26). | $30International adult per day ({'name': 'ZimParks De-Gazetted Tariff 2026 (Matusadona conservation row p.12, vehicles p.23)', 'url': 'https://www.zimparks.org.zw/media/2026/02/De-Gazetted-Tariff-2026.pdf'}, 2026-09-24). | |
$12Lowest listed rate per person per night across 18 places; 13 are budget tier. | $50Lowest listed rate per person per night across 14 places; 8 are budget tier. | $10bestLowest listed rate per person per night across 32 places; 7 are budget tier. | $120Lowest listed rate per person per night across 21 places; 6 are budget tier. | $30Lowest listed rate per person per night across 38 places; 22 are budget tier. | |
$154Median of 8 priced places; top end $447. | $130bestMedian of 13 priced places; top end $600. | $490Median of 29 priced places; top end $803. | $235Median of 9 priced places; top end $1,140. | $630Median of 6 priced places; top end $999. | |
5bestCheapest listed bed $12, 13 of 18 places in the budget tier, park fee $10 a day. | 4Cheapest listed bed $50, 8 of 14 places in the budget tier, park fee $15 a day. | 4Cheapest listed bed $10, 7 of 32 places in the budget tier, park fee $12 a day. | 2Cheapest listed bed $120, 6 of 21 places in the budget tier, park fee $24 a day. | 3Cheapest listed bed $30, 22 of 38 places in the budget tier, park fee $30 a day. | |
| $818mid-range | $2,170mid-range | $350camping | $915mid-range | ||
$161bestBudget one: self-drive camping at Maleme | $875Budget one: self-drive camping, the trip most people take | $350Budget one: self-drive camping at Main Camp | $810Budget one: self-drive camping at Nyamepi | Not published | |
$818bestBudget two: Farmhouse Lodge, dinner, bed and breakfast | $2,170Budget two: a mid-range lodge stay at Bosman's | Not published | $915Budget two: a ZimParks lodge, Hippo, Nyati or Muvee | Not published | |
Not published | $3,630bestBudget three: fly-in and top-end | $10,602Budget three: fly-in to Wilderness Linkwasha | $6,240Budget three: fly-in to Wilderness Ruckomechi | Not published | |
| Bulawayo (BUQ)nearest airport | Buffalo Range (BFO)nearest airport | Victoria Falls (VFA)nearest airport | Harare, 384 km, 6 to 7 h by roadnearest airport | Kariba townnearest airport | |
Bulawayo (BUQ), about 55 to 60 km to the boundaryFrom the getting-there and flights pages. | Buffalo Range (BFO), about 1 h to Chipinda PoolsFrom the getting-there and flights pages. | Victoria Falls (VFA), 3 to 4 h by road in 2026From the getting-there and flights pages. | Harare, 384 km, 6 to 7 h by road; ±1 h 35 by light aircraftFrom the getting-there and flights pages. | Kariba town, about 1 h by speedboat to TashingaFrom the getting-there and flights pages. | |
Not needed to Maleme; recommended in the game sectionFrom the getting-there page. | Required for most of the parkFrom the getting-there page. | Needed inside the park; essential Dec to MarFrom the getting-there page. | High-clearance 4x4 requiredFrom the getting-there page. | RecommendedFrom the getting-there page. | |
| No game peakpeak game viewing | Sep to Novpeak game viewing | Aug to early Novpeak game viewing | Aug to Octpeak game viewing | June to October, on the lakeshorepeak game viewing | |
No game peak; May to Sep for walking and rock artFrom the best-time page. | Sep to NovFrom the best-time page. | Aug to early NovFrom the best-time page. | Aug to OctFrom the best-time page. | June to October, on the lakeshoreFrom the best-time page. | |
Open all yearFrom the best-time page. | Closed 10 Jan to 1 Mar; remote camps late Nov to Mar or AprFrom the best-time page. | Open all yearFrom the best-time page. | Effectively closed Dec to MarchFrom the best-time page. | No closure published; interior roads may close in the rains (unconfirmed)From the best-time page. | |
| Low, per secondary sourcesmalaria | High Nov to Jun, lower Jul to Octmalaria | High Nov to Jun, lower Jul to Octmalaria | High all year in the Zambezi Vall…malaria | Prophylaxis recommended by the pa…malaria | |
Low, per secondary sourcesFrom the health page. | High Nov to Jun, lower Jul to OctFrom the health page. | High Nov to Jun, lower Jul to OctFrom the health page. | High all year in the Zambezi ValleyFrom the health page. | Prophylaxis recommended by the parkFrom the health page. | |
Not publishedNo Matobo page mentions tsetse. | Not publishedBiting flies are common and overlander guides give tsetse advice, but the guide could not verify an official confirmation of tsetse in the park. | Not publishedThe health and best-time pages do not mention tsetse; only the history page records the fly across much of the park in the 1920s. | PresentZimbabwe's surviving tsetse belts sit in the Zambezi Valley; worst in the mopane and jesse bush between escarpment and river. | Not publishedThe guide found no Matusadona-specific source; the management plan says tsetse were eradicated from the surrounding communal areas. | |
OctoberMean daily maximum of the hottest month, from the health page. | October, 32.5°C mean daily maxMean daily maximum of the hottest month, from the health page. | October, 34.7°C mean daily maxMean daily maximum of the hottest month, from the health page. | October, 36.9°C mean daily maxMean daily maximum of the hottest month, from the health page. | October, up to 40°C and moreMean daily maximum of the hottest month, from the health page. | |
Bulawayo, the nearest city, about 30 kmFrom the health page. | Chiredzi, 1 to 1.5 h from the north gateAir evacuation: Chipinda Pools, Mabalauta, Mahenye. | Bulawayo, 4 h plus by roadAir evacuation: MARS and ACE, both based in Victoria Falls. | Kariba, Karoi, Chinhoyi (stabilisation only); serious cases by air to HarareAir evacuation: MARS (Kariba base) or ACE (Chirundu, Chinhoyi) to Harare. | Clinic at Tashinga headquarters; hospitals a boat ride or a long day's drive awayAir evacuation: Recommended by the park. | |
| 4Families | 5Wilderness | 5First safari | 4Wilderness | 4Wilderness | |
4bestMalaria risk is described as low, Bulawayo is about 30 km away and Matobo Hills Lodge has family chalets with cots; the real hazards are wet granite and near-freezing June to August nights. | 2Malaria risk is high Nov to Jun, camps are mostly unfenced, the nearest hospitals are in Chiredzi 1 to 1.5 h from the gate and the park closes 10 Jan to 1 Mar; lion and leopard are only a chance and no camp publishes a minimum age. | 4bestMalaria risk is lower in the Jul to Oct peak months, Ivory Lodge takes children from two inside a fence and Somalisa Acacia runs a children's club; the park's camps are unfenced and full hospital care means Bulawayo, 4 h plus. | 2Every camp is unfenced, malaria risk is high all year in the Zambezi Valley, tsetse is present and under-16s cannot walk; Nyamatusi Mahogany is the family exception with a kids' programme. | 3There is a clinic at Tashinga and Changa has family tents with adjoining children's tents, but every camp is unfenced, the park recommends malaria prophylaxis and Jenje and the Trails take no one under 12. | |
2Not a big-game park: no resident lions or elephants, leopard takes luck, and the plains game lives in a fenced, restocked section of about 105 km². | 2Elephant is guaranteed but lion and leopard are a chance and wild dog takes luck, the game is thinly spread, and the camps assume your own 4x4, water, food and recovery gear. | 5bestElephant is guaranteed and lion likely, Victoria Falls airport has around eleven airlines, and beds run from $10 camping to concession camps on a tar approach. | 3Elephant is seen by 100 per cent of visitors and lion by 89, but access is a 6 to 7 h drive or a charter and night drives are banned. | 2Hippo, crocodile and impala are guaranteed and elephant likely, but lion is only a chance in what the guide calls a recovering park. | |
2Well under an hour from Bulawayo, with a fenced and restocked game section and the festive weeks busier with Zimbabwean holidaymakers. | 5bestHours without seeing another vehicle in the remote interior, 19 camping areas where solitude is the default, and no shop or fuel anywhere inside. | 3Main Camp and the southern pans take 80 per cent of visitors, while the private concessions and the south-west at Jozibanini see almost no vehicles in a 14,650 km² park. | 4Unfenced camps, a five-vehicle cap at sightings and no facilities at all at Chitake Springs, though most visitors share the 15 by 3 km floodplain and September books out up to a year ahead. | 4Across the lake from the nearest town, with a park fleet of two pontoon boats and four vehicles in 2023 and no more than three vehicles allowed at a sighting. |
Each park in one line
Matobo Granite domes, painted caves and black eagles, half an hour from Bulawayo.
Gonarezhou Zimbabwe's empty south-east: red cliffs over the Runde, around 11,000 elephants and campsites you have to yourself.
Hwange Zimbabwe's big, easy park: about sixty pumped waterholes, around 40,000 dry-season elephants and tar from Victoria Falls.
Mana Pools A Zambezi floodplain where you may walk among big game, canoe past hippo pods and sleep unfenced.
Matusadona A lakeshore park on Kariba where the boat does as much work as the vehicle.