In the Heart of Zimbabwe
From Hwange to Mana Pools, from Victoria Falls to Lake Kariba, a journey into the heart of wild Zimbabwe.
Duration
19 days
From
€9,670/pers.
Ideal seasons
May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Style
Guided tour
Comfort
Charm & Character
Travelers
Couple, Solo, With friends
The spirit of travel
This itinerary takes you on a discovery of authentic Zimbabwe, between safaris in emblematic parks, nights in intimate bush camps, a cruise on Lake Kariba and cultural exploration in Harare. Designed for travelers seeking immersion, it allows you to explore the country's natural and cultural wealth while enjoying carefully selected accommodations and quality guidance.
From Hwange to Mana Pools, passing through Lake Kariba and the capital, you alternate between immersion in the heart of nature, wildlife encounters and discovery of local heritage. Safaris by 4x4, on foot or by canoe offer complementary approaches to observe exceptional fauna in preserved environments. Nights in bush camps and on a catamaran bring an authentic dimension to the adventure, while stays in Harare allow you to explore another facet of Zimbabwe. A balanced itinerary that combines exploration, landscape diversity and varied experiences, guided by professional guides with perfect knowledge of their territory.
The stages of your journey
Highlights
Day-by-day itinerary
Welcome to Victoria Falls!
Upon arrival at Victoria Falls Airport, you are welcomed and transferred to the Insika Lodge 4*, near Zambezi Park. Located outside the city in a lush environment, the lodge offers a peaceful setting to begin your stay.
Check-in to a double room, dinner and night at the lodge.
Included: airport transfer, accommodation in a double room, breakfasts and dinners excluding beverages.
Not included: international flights, beverages, lunches, activities not mentioned and tips.
Safari in Zambezi Park
After breakfast at Insika Lodge, you depart with your guide for a safari in the Zambezi National Park. A picnic lunch is planned during the outing. You will be able to observe giraffes, kudus and elephants, and may catch a glimpse of lions.
Return to Insika around 4:30 pm or 5 pm, then dinner at the lodge.
Included: airport transfer to Insika Lodge 4*, accommodation in two twin rooms and one single room, breakfasts, picnic lunches, dinners and safari in the park for three people.
Not included: beverages and activities not mentioned.
Victoria Falls and Zambezi Cruise
After breakfast at Insika Lodge, your driver takes you to Victoria Falls for a guided tour of approximately two hours. You then lunch at Look Out Café.
The afternoon is free. You can visit the Victoria Falls Hotel and enjoy High Tea there. Around 4 p.m., your driver picks you up for a dinner cruise aboard the Malachite, on the Zambezi. After sunset, you are transferred to your lodge.
Included: accommodation at Insika Lodge 4* in two twin rooms and one single room, breakfasts, lunches, dinner cruise, guided tour of Victoria Falls with entrance fees and Zambezi cruise.
Not included: beverages, activities not mentioned and tips.
Rafting on the Zambezi
After an early breakfast, you depart at 7 am for a rafting descent on the Zambezi. The activity lasts more than four hours and includes passage through 25 rapids.
A picnic lunch is provided after rafting, before your return to Insika Lodge. The afternoon is free; you will find recommended addresses in your travel guide.
Included: accommodation at Insika Lodge in two twin rooms and one single room, breakfasts, rafting and picnic lunch after the activity.
Not included: dinners, beverages, activities not mentioned and tips.
Route to Hwange National Park
Chutes Victoria → Parc National de Hwange
After breakfast, you depart at 9am in an air-conditioned vehicle for Hwange National Park, crossing Ndebele villages and varied landscapes. At the Mbala gate, your guide welcomes you, then you join a 4x4 to reach Mopani Camp, in the north of the park, a less frequented area.
Set in the heart of a mopane forest, this bush camp has five tents. In the late afternoon, you set out for a 4x4 safari, followed by sundowner drinks, before dining at camp. Your guide Adam, who has worked at Hwange for over ten years and is particularly knowledgeable about walking safaris, then escorts you back to your tent. Animals, notably elephants, roam freely throughout the camp.
Included: all meals and beverages, transfers in air-conditioned vehicle then 4x4, 4x4 safari, sundowner drinks, accommodation at Mopani Camp, park and conservation fees.
Not included: guide gratuity.
Safari to Southern Hwange
After breakfast, you embark on a 4x4 safari heading south towards the Hwange National Park. Along the way, a picnic lunch is served on an observation platform, where you can watch animals come to drink.
You then proceed to Acacia Camp, a bush camp with five tents located in the heart of the park. This area offers varied landscapes and is home to Ngweshla Pan, a watering hole frequented by numerous animals.
Dinner is served at the camp. Your guide Adam, who has been working at Hwange for over ten years and has extensive experience with walking safaris, will escort you to your tent. Animals, notably elephants, roam freely throughout the camp.
Included: all meals and beverages, 4x4 safari to Acacia Camp, camp accommodation, park and conservation fees.
Not included: guide gratuity.
Safaris at Hwange
During your two days at camp Acacia, your guide Adam wakes you around 6 a.m. After coffee and breakfast, you set off for a 4x4 safari lasting approximately three hours. Hwange National Park is home to more than 450 bird species and 120 mammal species; in its north-western section, the tracks are sandy.
Back at camp around 10 a.m., you enjoy brunch, then take advantage of free time in the lounge overlooking the savanna or in your tent. Around 3 p.m., you set off for a second safari, followed by drinks at sunset. Dinner is served at camp around 6 p.m., around a large table shared with other travelers.
Depending on your preferences, you can opt for walking safaris or a full-day excursion. In the evening, a night guard accompanies you to your tent.
Included: all meals and drinks, two 4x4 safaris per day with sunset drinks or walking safaris, accommodation at camp Acacia and park fees.
Not included: guide and staff gratuities.
Lake Kariba Discovery
Parc National de Hwange → Kariba
After an early breakfast, you take a flight from Hwange. Upon arrival, expected around 11:30 AM, a transfer takes you to Hornbill Lodge, which overlooks Lake Kariba.
You settle in for two nights in double and single rooms at this lodge with Zimbabwean style. After lunch served on site, you set off on a safari in the afternoon to discover the surroundings. Dinner at the lodge.
Included: all meals, accommodation at Hornbill Lodge, domestic flight from Hwange, transfer from Kariba and afternoon safari.
Not included: beverages, activities to be booked on site with the lodge and staff gratuities
Free day at Lake Kariba
After breakfast, enjoy a free day at Lake Kariba. Depending on your preferences, you can discover the dam, take a cruise on the lake, rent a bike from the lodge to explore the surroundings or simply rest after your safaris.
You will then return to the peaceful Hornbill Lodge, facing the lake. Night in a double or single room.
Included: all meals, accommodation at Hornbill Lodge and transfer from Kariba to the lodge.
Not included: beverages, activities to book on site and staff gratuities.
Two nights on a catamaran on Lake Kariba
After breakfast on your lodge terrace, you depart at 9:30 am for two nights aboard a catamaran on the Lake Kariba. You sleep on deck, on mattresses, facing the shores where you may spot elephants.
Your skipper accompanies you, teaches you the basics of navigation and ensures your safety. Throughout your stay, enjoy the sunrises and sunsets over the lake.
Included: Six-seater Land Cruiser with driver and camp assistant, all meals and non-alcoholic beverages, accommodation on the catamaran deck.
Not included: alcoholic beverages, to be purchased the day before in Kariba.
From Kariba to Mana Pools
This morning, your catamaran stay ends with your return to port. You then drive towards the Mana Pools National Park, then join by 4x4 the Camp Zambezi, where you settle in for four nights on the river's edge.
This non-permanent bush camp places you as close to nature as possible. During your stay, you discover the park's wildlife and flora on safaris by canoe, 4x4 or on foot. Along the Zambezi, acacias and animals make up the landscape, with the Zambian mountains in the background. The BBC filmed a documentary there dedicated to African wild dogs, present in several groups in the park.
Included: transfers from Kariba to Mana Pools then by 4x4 to the camp, all meals and beverages, accommodation at Camp Zambezi, safaris by canoe, 4x4 or on foot and park taxes.
Not included: staff tips.
Safari Day at Mana Pools
Spend this day discovering Mana Pools National Park on a 4x4 safari through its various zones. Depending on your preferences, you can also choose a canoe safari on the Zambezi or a walking safari.
Night at Camp Zambezi.
Included: all meals and drinks, accommodation at Camp Zambezi, canoe, 4x4 or walking safari and park fees.
Not included: staff gratuities.
Two days of safaris at Mana Pools
After breakfast, your days continue in the Mana Pools national park, at the pace of safaris and camp life.
According to your preferences, you alternate between 4x4 safaris, walking safaris and canoe trips on the Zambezi. Each activity offers a different approach to the wildlife and landscapes that border the river.
Included: all meals and drinks, accommodation at Camp Zambezi, canoe, 4x4 or walking safaris and park fees.
Not included: staff tips.
Route to Harare
After an early breakfast, you head towards Harare. A stop is planned at the Chinhoyi Caves, before your arrival in the late afternoon in a peaceful, verdant area in the north of the city.
You are settled in a single room at the York Lodge 4*. Dinner is served at the lodge.
Included: transfer in 4x4 from Mana Pools, then in air-conditioned vehicle to Harare; single room at York Lodge 4*; breakfast, sandwich for lunch and dinner; stop at Chinhoyi Caves.
Not included: beverages, entrance fee to Chinhoyi Caves to be paid on site and activities not mentioned.
Harare and Domboshawa
After breakfast, meet up with Lynette for a guided tour of Harare. You will discover the capital's monuments and daily life in her company.
After a lunch break in a local restaurant, you take the road in mid-afternoon towards Domboshawa to admire the sunset. Return to the lodge at the end of the day. Dinner is on your own.
Included: breakfast, accommodation in a single room at the Malcom Lodge 4*, guided tour of Harare and Domboshawa, with pickup at York Lodge and return transfer.
Not included: lunch to be paid on site, dinner, drinks, entrance fee to Domboshawa and activities not mentioned.
See you soon in Zimbabwe!
After breakfast, you can stop at the Newlands craft market for your last purchases or visit the embassy according to your needs. You are then transferred to the airport for your return flight to France.
Included: breakfast and transfer from Malcom Lodge to the airport.
Not included: lunch, beverages, excursions and activities, souvenirs and international flights.
Price per person
Indicative price per person, based on double room. Each trip is customized according to your preferences.
This trip can be tailored to your preferences
This itinerary provides an excellent foundation for discovery, but it can be fully customized. Our local advisors build each trip tailored to your budget, dates and preferences.
Not included
- National park taxes, museums and monuments not mentioned in this quote (other activities).
- Travel insurance
- International flights
- Visa fees (Zimbabwe: 30 USD)
Included
- All meals and beverages throughout the entire stay, including 10 nights in all-inclusive bush camp accommodation, 3 nights with half board, 2 nights with breakfast only, as well as 3 nights with full board excluding beverages at Victoria Falls, Mlibilizi and Harare.
- 3 nights in a 4* boutique guesthouse at Victoria Falls, with airport transfers – guesthouse and the activities described in the day-by-day itinerary.
- 2 to 3 activities per day in bush lodges: safari by 4x4, on foot, by canoe.
- The activities mentioned in this quote, at a rate of 2 to 3 activities per day in all the proposed accommodations.
- All taxes of the national parks mentioned.
Practical Information
Registration is considered firm and final after payment of a deposit of 30% of the total price and acceptance of the specific terms of sale.
The balance must be paid no later than 45 days before the departure date.
See our specific terms of sale for full details.
In the event of cancellation by the traveller, the following fees apply:
- Plus de 60 jours avant le départ : 40 % du prix total (acompte retenu)
- Entre 60 et 30 jours avant le départ : 50 % du prix total
- Moins de 30 jours avant le départ : 100 % du prix total
We strongly recommend taking out cancellation insurance. See our specific terms of sale for full details.
The information below concerns travelers who are nationals of the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland and Canada traveling to Zimbabwe for a tourist stay. As entry rules may change, we recommend that you verify this information with the official authorities before your departure.
Passport
To enter Zimbabwe, your passport must be valid for a minimum of six months after the date of entry into the country and must contain at least two blank pages for immigration stamps.
The document must be in good condition (no damaged, torn or altered pages).
Visa
Nationals of the European Economic Area, Switzerland and Canada must in principle be in possession of a visa to enter Zimbabwe. This can be obtained in several ways:
on arrival at the main entry points (Harare International Airport, Victoria Falls and Beit Bridge border posts, in particular),
online, via the official Univisa Zimbabwe portal before departure.
The tourist visa is generally issued for a stay of up to 30 days, renewable once on site for an equivalent period with the Zimbabwean immigration services, up to a maximum of 90 days in total.
The visa fee is set in US dollars (USD). The authorities may request:
a departure ticket from the territory (return or onward flight),
proof of sufficient financial resources for the duration of your stay,
a confirmation of accommodation reservation.
UNIVISA (Kaza UniVisa)
Zimbabwe participates in the KAZA UniVisa programme, a joint scheme with Zambia allowing travelers to move freely between these two countries for the same visa fee. This visa is particularly suited to travelers wishing to visit Victoria Falls from both banks.
It is available on arrival at Harare Airport, Victoria Falls Airport and the Kazungula border post.
Health
No vaccination is compulsory to enter Zimbabwe, except in the event of arrival from a country at risk of yellow fever, in which case presentation of a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required on entry.
The following vaccinations are however strongly recommended:
hepatitis A and hepatitis B,
typhoid,
tetanus-diphtheria-poliomyelitis (up to date),
rabies (depending on planned activities).
Zimbabwe is a country with a high risk of malaria in the majority of regions, particularly in rural areas, national parks and lowlands. Antimalarial prophylaxis is strongly recommended. Consult a doctor or an international vaccination center before departure.
Traveling with children
Minors must hold their own valid passport covering the duration of the stay.
Zimbabwe applies strict rules concerning travel by minors. When a child travels without one or both parents, it is strongly recommended to have a parental authorization letter, ideally accompanied by a copy of the child's birth certificate(s) and the parents' identity documents. These documents may be requested by the authorities on entry and exit from the territory.
In certain European countries, an authorization to leave the territory may also be required in accordance with the regulations of the country of residence.
Other nationalities
Entry conditions may vary depending on nationality. Travelers concerned should inquire with the embassy or consulate of Zimbabwe in their country of residence.
To participate in our trips, it is strongly recommended to have evacuation assistance and foreign medical expense coverage.
Your local agency encourages you to review the specific policy developed with our partner CHAPKA ASSURANCES and AXA ASSISTANCE.
To purchase insurance, learn about coverage and rates, follow the link below.
CAP EXPLORER: The comprehensive insurance solution designed for a worry-free trip!
Choose the plan that best suits you:
Explorer'Multirisque
Explorer'Annulation
Explorer'Assistance
Explorer' Complémentaire Carte Bancaire
Specific to our trips, we strongly recommend subscribing to them.
If you choose to subscribe to one of these plans, the policy document detailing all coverage and claim filing procedures is available on the insurer's website.
Your local agency will be aware of it, but only the participant is responsible for complying with the claim reporting procedures. The participant must therefore keep this policy document with them throughout their trip.
Chapka — Cap Explorer
Our insurance partnerTravel with peace of mind with our partner Chapka. Cancellation, repatriation, medical expenses, baggage… All the coverage for a worry-free trip.
Travel with peace of mind — I'll handle the insuranceFrequently asked questions
A tourist visa is required, obtainable on arrival (in cash) or online (e-visa). A regional pass (USD 50) also allows you to travel across bordering countries to visit certain cross-border sites. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months. Before booking, consult the embassy or consulate of your country of residence in the destination to learn the exact visa fees and conditions applicable to your nationality.
Go to the My Trips section to find all your projects.
You can send a message to your host directly from the Tea Lounge.
For a quality custom trip, budget between €230 and €400 per day and per person, including accommodation, meals, internal transfers, safaris and activities. International flights (€900-1,300 return) are additional. Zimbabwe offers exceptional parks (Hwange, Mana Pools) and Victoria Falls.
Your documents are accessible in the Documents tab of your trip.
Absolutely. We adapt each itinerary to travelers' profiles. For families, we prioritize relaxed paces, family-friendly accommodations, fun and educational activities, and comfortable private transfers. Our English-speaking local guides know how to capture children's attention with age-appropriate anecdotes.
It's simple. You exchange with our local team to define your wishes, budget and dates. You receive a detailed itinerary proposal within 48 hours. You adjust every detail together until it's perfect. You confirm and travel with peace of mind. Your local agency remains available 7 days a week throughout your trip.
In case of emergency, contact your local agency immediately.
Payment is generally made in two installments.
Our agency is part of the Nomadays network, registered in France. You benefit from APST guarantee (Association Professionnelle de Solidarité du Tourisme) which covers 100% of your funds. Secure payment, repatriation insurance included, and English-speaking assistance 24/7 on the ground throughout your stay.
Let's talk about your adventure — Victoria Falls
Bespoke Southern Adventures Creator, based in Chutes Victoria
A successful safari begins with genuine listening. The more we understand how you travel, the more we can create an experience that's just right, seamless, and deeply memorable.
— Aurélia
