Best Zimbabwe Safaris & Victoria Falls Tours for 2025-2026 by Adventure Life

All Zimbabwe Safaris

10 Best Zimbabwe Safaris for 2025-2026

All Zimbabwe Safaris

10 Best Cruise + Safari Trips to Zimbabwe for 2025-2026

Trip Name	From	Days	Next Departure	Summary
Southern Africa: Travel to the Ends of the Earth with Extended Stay at the Cape Peninsula	$12,382	13	Mar 27, 2025	Travel from Cape Town to Victoria Falls, experiencing history, nature, and wildlife along the way. Embark on a 4-day cruise exploring Lake Kariba aboard African Dream. This adventure includes city tours, wildlife encounters, and offers a diverse and immersive exploration of Southern Africa. 0
Kaza Undercover	$19,428	22	May 01, 2025	Join this 22-day trip through Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, exploring landscapes and wildlife. From the lively Okavango Delta to Victoria Falls, experience game viewing and adventures. Conclude in Lower Zambezi with morning drives, canoeing, and walking safaris. Bid farewell with a shared transfer to Jeki airstrip to 0
Discover Africa	$12,045	10	Apr 04, 2025	Embark on a 10-day cruise aboard the Zambezi Queen from Cape Town to Johannesburg, featuring three nights in Cape Town with iconic sites like Table Mountain and Boulders Beach. Experience a Chobe River safari near Victoria Falls, concluding with two nights at this natural wonder. 0
Stars of South Africa	$14,795	15	Apr 04, 2025	This two-week adventure combines a stay in Cape Town, a river cruise aboard the Zambezi Queen, and a stay in the private Tintswalo Atlantic game lodge. Experience the best of South Africa with the opportunity to visit national parks, take game drives, and visit Victoria Falls, all in one itinerary! 0
Golden Trails of Africa	$19,520	17	Apr 06, 2025	Embark on a 17-day cruise with stays in Johannesburg, Victoria Falls, and Tanzania aboard the Zambezi Queen. Enjoy thrilling safaris, visit Victoria Falls, explore Tanzania’s wildlife, and search for the Big Five in the Serengeti. 0
Wildlife and the Falls	$15,345	13	Apr 06, 2025	Embark on a 13-day river cruise with stays in Johannesburg, Victoria Falls, and Kruger Park aboard the Zambezi Queen. Enjoy wildlife adventures in Chobe National Park and thrilling game drives in Greater Kruger while ticking the “Big Five” off your bucket list. 0
Victoria Falls & Chobe National Park	$2,795	5	Mar 25, 2025	This 5-day Victoria Falls and Chobe National Park tour is great for those short on time or for adding to a South Africa tour. View the iconic Victoria Falls from a sunset luxury cruise and view game from the Ngoma Safari Lodge in Botswana. 0
Victoria Falls & Hwange	$2,156	6	Mar 25, 2025	Experience a taste of the two most popular attractions in all of Zimbabwe on this short 6-day tour to Victoria Falls and Hwange National Park. Stay in the hotel closest to the Falls and take in its spectacular sight! Go on safari in Hwange National Park. Stay in a tented safari camp and go on game drives on this classic Zimbabwe safari tour. 0
Castles of Matobo Hills	$1,586	4	Mar 25, 2025	Go on safari in Zimbabwe and add this 4-day Castles of Matobo Hills extension to your trip to the Matobo National Park. Wander the rocky landscape of this unique area, track black or white rhino, spot game on safari, and learn about the history and inhabitants of this unique region in Zimbabwe. 0
Victoria Falls Extension	$1,032	3	Mar 25, 2025	Stay in a Victoria Falls hotel as a stopover to your Zimbabwe tour. Included in your two night hotel package are transfers to and from Victoria Falls town. Guided tours may be arranged in Victoria Falls, or other adventures such as whitewater rafting on the Zambezi, guided wildlife spotting tours, or even bungee jumping! 0

All Zimbabwe Hotels

6 Favorite Zimbabwe Safari Lodges for 2025-2026

All Zimbabwe Hotels

Camelthorn Lodge

Explore Hwange National Park and the Ngamo Plains with a stay at Camelthorn Lodge. Situated along the southern edge of the plains, its close proximity to waterholes and look-up blind offer tremendous wildlife safari viewing opportunities combined with evening comfort.

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Nehimba Lodge

Located along the northern region of Hwange National Park on a private concession, the comfortable Nehimba Lodge's tented platforms offer an upscale safari experience along with unique wildlife encounters, particularly with the elephants who frequent the location in the dry season.

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Somalisa Camp

Located inside Hwange National Park, Somalisa Camp offers a very comfortable stay for your Zimbabwe Safari. Experience the wildlife of Hwange National Park and enjoy the comfort of en-suite bathrooms and a splash pool as you watch wildlife from the decks of this safari lodge.

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Victoria Falls Hotel

Take a step back in time during your stay at the beautiful, historic Victoria Falls Hotel. Built in 1904, the Victoria Falls Hotel was the first hotel to be built in Victoria Falls and recent refurbishments offer guests a beautiful balance of colonial Edwardian charm and modern comforts of a world class luxury hotel. This unique and charming hotel is perfectly positioned within town so you are able to enjoy Victoria Falls to the fullest.

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Victoria Falls River Lodge

Victoria Falls River Lodge is the first private game lodge set in the Zambezi National Park. This luxury tented lodge is situated on the banks of the mighty Zambezi River – so close to Victoria Falls one can see the spray in the distance!

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Zambezi Sands

Experience a wealth of wildlife viewing opportunities on your Zimbabwe safari with a stay at Zambezi Sands situated inside Zambezi National Park. Relax in a private splash pool on your deck overlooking the landscape of the Zambezi River and her wildlife.

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Top 3 Cruise Ships for 2025-2026

Zambezi Queen

from $12,045

With a design specific for safari river cruising on the Chobe River, the 28-passenger Zambezi Queen offers a sophisticated onboard experience designed to maximize animal sightings.

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African Dream

from $8,145

Explore the deepest treasures on the African continent aboard the African Dream, a luxurious and comfortable ship designed to provide an intimate look at the nature. Built in 2017, the African Dream has a capacity for 16 passengers and allows you to experience the sounds of nature and the animals just a few yards away.

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Zimbabwean Dream

from $8,340

Introducing the Zimbabwean Dream, a ship that sails along Lake Kariba. Newly built in 2018 and specially outfitted for the exploration of Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Get an up-close and personal experience with nature at the ends of the world on board the Zimbabwean Dream as it sails along the most beautiful bends of the region for fantastic views of the surrounding wonderland.

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All Zimbabwe Articles

Zimbabwe Safari Tips & Travel Guide

An elephant stretches high at Mana Pools

Wildlife Guide for Zimbabwe and Zambia

Use this guide for your Zambia or Zimbabwe safari planning. Look up the wildlife you most want to see and find a description of where their populations are most concentrated across Zambia and Zimbabwe safari destinations. Plan your trip to maximize your wildlife viewing opportunities.

Regional Highlights of Zimbabwe
Nothing captures the wild heart of Africa quite like a safari on the expansive plains of Zimbabwe. Here are a few highlights that your expedition might include:

Victoria Falls - Considered one of the most impressive waterfalls in the world and also ranks as one of the natural wonders of the world; a magnificent sight.
Hwange National Park - On a signature Zimbabwe safari here you will see much of the trademark African prairie wildlife, including lions, elephants, dogs, and other wildlife.
Mana Pools National Park - A great place to get out on the water in canoes or pontoons to see the water-dwellers or try your hand at fishing.
Matobo National Park - Home to Nanke Cave, the Matabele village, and other fascinating cultural and natural highlights.
Mandavu Dam - An excellent point from which to view the surrounding landscapes and get a great spot for wildlife watching.
Game Drive - Buckle up for adventure as you explore on the search for lions, elephants, and perhaps even the rare black or white rhino- the highlight of any great Zimbabwe safari!

Do you want to see all Zimbabwe´s Highlights? Click here

Cultural Snapshot of Zimbabwe

Learn about the people, culture, religions, food, and language of the Zimbabwean culture. This brief introduction gives the first time traveler a glimpse into the rich and diverse culture they will encounter on a Zimbabwe tour.

Lioness on the Ngamo Plains in green season

Geography of Zimbabwe

Read a summary overview about the geography and topography of Zimbabwe. This brief synopsis will give you an introduction to the country as well as what you can expect to see on a Zimbabwe trip.

The Wilds of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe holds eleven established National Parks, each with unique characteristics and safari game. In this article, you can figure out which wildlife you can expect to spot in which parks.

Best Time to Do a Zimbabwe Safari

With temperatures ranging from warm to hot, there?s really never a bad time to do a Zimbabwe safari, but if you want to avoid afternoon rain showers, spot animals easily, and stay away from occasionally uncomfortable humidity, then shoot for the dry winter season from April through October.

Fun Facts About Zimbabwe

Q: Can you name any of the languages spoken in Zimbabwe?
A: Shona (official; most widely spoken), Ndebele (official, second most widely spoken), English (official; traditionally used for official business), 13 minority languages (official; includes Chewa, Chibarwe, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Shangani, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda, and Xhosa).

Q: Which one athlete was responsible for winning the country's only gold medals at the 2004 Olympic Games?
A: Swimmer Kirsty Coventry took home three gold medals for her country.

Q: What is Zimbabwe's population?
A: Approximately 14.5 million people.

Q: What is Zimbabwe's wildlife population?
A: 350 species of mammals, more than 500 species of birds, and 131 fish species.

Featured Lodges & Safari Camps in Zimbabwe

This list of the 14 top Zimbabwe safari lodges & tent camps you will visit on our featured tours above is not exhaustive, as we feature a number of other hotels on our Zimbabwe Lodges page.

Bomani Tented Lodge (Hwange National Park)
Gorges Lodge (overlooking Batoka Gorge by Victoria Falls)
Camelthorn Lodge (Hwange National Park & Ngamo Plains)
Nehimba Lodge (private concession of Hwange National Park)
Changa Safari Camp (Matusadona National Park)
Ruckomechi (Mana Pools National Park)
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge (just 4km from Victoria Falls)
Ilala Lodge (close to Victoria Falls)
The Hide (Hwange National Park)
Kanga Camp (Mana Pools National Park)
Somalisa Camp (Hwange National Park)
Zambezi Expeditions (Mana Pools National Park)
Camp Amalinda (Matobo Hills)
Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge (Gonarezhou National Park)

Best Time to Visit Zimbabwe on Safari

Zimbabwe is a fantastic safari destination all year round, but the best time to visit is from June to September.

It coincides with the dry season, making it an excellent time to see the animals congregating around the waterholes.

In addition, the fact that it is winter promises cooler and more pleasant temperatures.

Game You Can Expect to See in Zimbabwe (by region)

When you embark on your Zimbabwe safari expedition, you are guaranteed a front-row seat to see...

Hwange: Buffalo, Cheetah, Eland, Elephant, Kudu, Hippo, Leopard, Lion, White Rhino, Wild dog

Lower Zambezi: Buffalo, Eland, Elephant, Kudu, Hippo, Leopard, Lion

Victoria Falls Region: Buffalo, Elephant, Kudu, Wildebeest

How Much Does a Tour to Zimbabwe Cost?

Zimbabwe is a tourist destination with a wide variety of travel options, the most popular of which is a safari and the price can start at $900 for a 3-day safari and go up to $8000 for a 10-day safari.

Another way to experience the beauty of Zimbabwe is aboard a river cruise; prices start at about $7,000 for a 9-day cruise, up to $18,000 for a 17-day cruise.

In addition, Adventure Life's expert travel advisors are always ready to help you plan your next adventure.

9 Things to Know Before Traveling to Zimbabwe

Do I need a visa to travel to Zimbabwe?
You must get your Zimbabwe tourist visa at the port of entry into the country, as well as having a valid passport.

Is tipping customary in Zimbabwe?
Definitely tip your guide or ranger (around $15-20 is fine). Most nicer restaurants will include a 10% service charge, but you can include a tip if it's not already on the bill. Otherwise, tipping isn't really an expectation.

What is internet access like in Zimbabwe?
Most of our tours of Zimbabwe are safari expeditions or safari camps, so internet access is unlikely. It's possible that in more developed areas you will find a connection, but generally speaking you probably won't have internet.

Can I use my cell phone while in Zimbabwe?
Probably not. While some people do purchase SIM cards upon arrival so they can connect to the local cell towers, this only works when you are within range of them, which is not the case for most of our safaris and expeditions in the remote corners of Zimbabwe.

Do I need power adapters?
Zimbabwe's 220-240v power has both Type G British style sockets and Type D Indian Style plugs. 110v devices that aren't compatible with 220v power will require a power converter, and all devices will require a plug adapter.

What are the toilets like in Zimbabwe?
Tented camps and luxury hotels and anything in between do offer western style flushing bowl toilets for your comfort in Zimbabwe, but do be aware that toilet paper should always be thrown in the waste basket next to the toilet, and there could be some more remote areas on your expeditions that only have latrines or squat toilets.

Can I drink the water in Zimbabwe?
The water in Zimbabwe is not safe to drink, so make sure to only drink the free bottled/ filtered water provided to you by your hotel, lodge, camp, or inn.

Are credit cards accepted in Zimbabwe? Will I be able to find ATMs?
Our tours are all-inclusive, which means that you don't have to worry about any expenses once you're at your destination. If you want some extra cash for souvenirs or tips, don't count on finding an ATM or business that accepts cards while you're on your expedition. Your best bet is to take out some cash at the airport upon your arrival.

Should I purchase travel insurance?
Yes, so check out the Once You're Booked page for deals and promotions that we're offering via TravelGuard so that you can travel responsibly.