Routes and access
How to get to Matobo National Park
Matobo is one of the easiest parks in Zimbabwe to reach. Bulawayo is about 30 km north of the boundary, the road is tarred all the way to Maleme Dam, and the gate is well under an hour's drive from the city.
If you only want the answer
Drive south from Bulawayo on Robert Mugabe Way, which becomes the Matopos Road, for about 30 km to the park boundary. The road stays tarred, narrowing to a single lane, as far as Maleme Dam and rest camp, roughly 20 km inside. Fill up with fuel in Bulawayo, carry US dollars in cash, and plan to arrive before dark. There is no public transport into the park.
By road from Bulawayo
From the city centre take Robert Mugabe Way, which becomes the Matopos Road, and follow it south. ZimParks puts the park boundary about 30 km from Bulawayo; other sources give 25 to 35 km depending on where they measure from. In ZimParks' words, the two-lane tarred road continues as a single-lane tarred road to Maleme Dam and the rest camp. The remaining roads in the park are gravel and suitable for most vehicles, while some areas need a high-clearance 4x4.
The main entrance is off the Matopos Road. Wikivoyage describes it as a left turn after about 30 km and a further 2 km to the gate. ZimParks publishes no list of gates, so we do not name any beyond that. Maleme Rest Camp is about 20 km inside the main entrance, and World's View about 13 km south of it.
The western side and the Kezi road
The Kezi road, also called the Maphisa road, skirts the west of the park and gives access to the Nswatugi side and the fenced game section. Nswatugi Cave can be reached either from the Kezi road or on the loop road from Maleme Dam. Several of the private lodges, Farmhouse Lodge among them, are reached from this road. A high-clearance 4x4 is recommended in the game section.
Distances
| From | To | Distance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulawayo city centre | Park boundary | About 30 km | ZimParks |
| Main entrance | Maleme Rest Camp | About 20 km | temba.co.za |
| Main entrance | World's View | About 13 km | Wikivoyage |
| Bulawayo airport (BUQ) | Bulawayo city | 25 km | Airports Company of Zimbabwe |
| Bulawayo airport (BUQ) | Park boundary | About 55 to 60 km | Our sum of the two figures above; not measured |
Victoria Falls to Matobo runs by road via Hwange and Bulawayo. We have not yet measured that route and do not give a figure for it.
What vehicle you need
- Any ordinary car reaches Maleme, Pomongwe and World's View on tar and good gravel.
- A high-clearance 4x4 is recommended for the fenced game section and needed for some outlying areas; Toghwana may need one in the wet season.
- Big Cave Camp is reached by 4x4 only, according to the lodge.
- Overland trucks must keep to defined routes at Matobo under the 2026 ZimParks tariff.
- Wet granite and gravel after rain are slippery; slow down on the roads to the outlying camps between December and March.
Fuel and cash
We found no fuel station inside the park in any source, and ZimParks tells visitors to bring enough food for their stay. Fill the tank in Bulawayo. Distances inside the park are short, so a full tank covers a normal visit with plenty to spare. The UK Foreign Office warns that fuel availability in Zimbabwe can be unreliable and advises carrying cash, because card acceptance is inconsistent. Take US dollars in small notes for the ZimParks gate and the NMMZ ticket office.
Without a car
There is no public transport into the park. Wikivoyage, last updated in July 2024, quotes taxis from Bulawayo at US$30 to 40; treat that as dated. Ask your lodge about a transfer from Bulawayo; Amalinda's inclusive rate covers transfers within 20 km.
Driving after dark
The UK Foreign Office strongly discourages driving after dark outside the main towns, because of unlit vehicles and stray livestock. With park hours usually given as 06:00 to 18:00, plan to reach your camp or lodge before sunset.
Something this page does not answer?
ZimParks publishes no gate list for Matobo, so if your route depends on a particular entrance, ask us and we will find out what we can.
Ask us. We answer questions about the park itself, and we can usually tell you which camps work on one route and who to write to. If what you want is a trip someone else arranges, we will say so and hand you to an operator we know, and we earn a commission if that becomes a booking.
Nothing on this site sits behind the form. Every figure we have is already on the page.