Zimbabwe Places: 25 Best Places to Visit in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe, a landlocked nation in southern Africa, is renowned for its dramatic landscapes and a wide variety of wildlife, much of which is found within national parks, reserves, and national safari areas. Victoria Falls, on the banks of the mighty river, the Zambezi, is a breathtaking 108m drop into the narrow Batoka Gorge where white-water rafts and bungee jumping are available. On the opposite bank of the river, Matusadona National Park and Mana Pools National Park lie just downstream, home to hippopotamus, rhino, and birdlife.
35 Best Places to Visit in Zambia
1. Hwange National Park
Hwange National Park is located in the west of the country. The park is made up of grassland and mopane forest. Large herds of elephants, lions, and African wild dogs roam the park. In the northwest, the animals congregate at the dams of Mandavu, Masuma, and other hidden lookouts.
The 18th-century ruins and pre-colonial rock carvings of the Bumbusi National Monument can be seen from the north-west. In the southeast, there are waterholes, one of which is the high-altitude Nyamandhlove Pan. – Zimbabwe Places
2. Great Zimbabwe
Great Zimbabwe is a medieval city located in the southeast hills of the present-day country of Zimbabwe, close to Lake Mutirikwa and Masvingo. It is believed that the city was the capital of a large kingdom in the Late Iron Age. Little is known about the history of the city.
Work on the city began as early as the 9th century, and went on until the 15th century, when it was abandoned. The city was built by ancestors of modern-day Shona people living in Zimbabwe and surrounding countries. The Stone City covers an area of approximately 7.22 square kilometers.
At its peak, the city could have accommodated as many as 18,000 people, with a population density of about 2,500 people per square kilometer. The city is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. – Zimbabwe Places
3. Mana Pools National Park
Located in the extreme north of the country, Mana Pools National Park covers the southern bank and the islands of the River Zambezi, which forms Zimbabwe’s southern border with the Republic of Zambia. Mana Pools is renowned for its wildlife viewing, which takes place alongside the river and on the flood plains of the park.
Large groups of elephants and hippos, as well as Nile crocodiles, congregate at the Long Pool at dawn. In the southern part of the park, lions congregate around the Chitake Springs waterhole, where they wait for prey. – Zimbabwe Places
4. Chinhoyi Caves
Located in north central Zimbabwe, the Chinhoyi caves are a group of limestone caves and dolomites. It is a National Park, designated in 1955, and is administered by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. The caves are situated in Makonde District in Mashonaland West province. They are about 9 kilometers by road northwest of the nearest large town and the location of district and provincial headquarters.
Mashonaland Caves lies about 135 kilometers northwest of the capital city of Harare. The Caves are situated on the main road from Harare to Chirundu. Chirundu is about 250 kilometers further northwest of the Caves on the International border with the Republic of Zambia. – Zimbabwe Places
5. Lake Kariba
Lake Kariba is the world’s largest man-made lake and reservoir in terms of volume. It is located on the border between the Republic of Zambia and the Republic of Zimbabwe, about 1,300 kilometers north of the Indian Ocean. Lake Kariba was created in 1958 and filled in 1963 by the construction of a dam at the northeastern end of the lake, which flooded the Kariba gorge on the River Zambezi.
Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, was built for the dam’s construction workers, while several other settlements, including Binga village and “Mlibizi” in Zimbabwe, as well as “Siavonga” and “Sinazongwe” in Zambia, have been built to accommodate people displaced by rising waters. – Zimbabwe Places
6. Matobo National Park
Matobo National Park is located in the southwest of the country. Matobo Hills is one of the park’s most famous features. It is made up of a series of torsion-absorbing rock formations that have been carved out by the erosion of the plateau’s granite outcrops. The cave walls of Nswatugi cave are adorned with Stone Age stone carvings. The park is home to some of Zimbabwe’s most important wildlife populations.
Black eagles are found in the park, as well as both white and black rhinos. At the summit of the national park, the grave of the former British colony of Rhodesia, Cecil Rhodes, is carved. – Zimbabwe Places
7. Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls is a waterfall located on the banks of the River Zambezi in southern Africa. It is on the Zambian-Zimbabwean border and is considered to be one of the largest waterfalls in the world. The waterfalls reach a maximum height of 1,715 meters and a minimum height of 1,065 meters.
The location of Victoria Falls has a long history, with archaeological sites and oral histories dating back to the early 19th century. Although the falls were known to European geographers from the 17th century, it was not until 1855 that a Scottish missionary named the falls after Queen Victoria that it became a tourist destination.
Since the mid-20th century, Victoria Falls has become increasingly important as a tourist destination, with both Zambian and Zimbabwean national parks and tourist infrastructure located at the falls. Recent research conducted in the late 20th century suggests that the nature of the falls may be altered by precipitation variability caused by climate change. – Zimbabwe Places
8. Nyanga National Park
Situated in Zimbabwe’s Eastern Highlands, Nyanga National Park is one of the country’s oldest national parks, one of the first to be declared in Zimbabwe. It covers the highest land in the country, with green hills, and perennial rivers. Most of the park’s terrain consists of rolling lowland, sometimes lightly forested, at altitudes ranging from 1,800 to 2,593 m.
The park is home to Mount Nyangani in the center, while Mutarazi Falls is in the south. Nyanga National Park incorporates the old Mutarazi Falls National Park on its southern border. The original boundaries of the park ran beyond Udu Dam on the east bank of what is now the eastern boundary of the park and were sold in the 1970s. The Warrendale section immediately behind the Udu Dam was recovered in the early 1980s. – Zimbabwe Places
9. Matusadona National Park
Matusadona National Park is located in northern Zimbabwe on the southern shores of Lake Kariba.
The name of the park is derived from the local bushland of Matusadonha. Matusadona National Park was declared a nonhunting area on 7 November 1958. It was declared a Game Reserve on the same day in 1963.
In 1975, it was upgraded to a National Park under Rhodesia’s Parks and Wildlife Act.
Matsadona National Park covers an area of 1,400 km with flat plains and steep mountains.
The park is home to a diverse range of fauna and flora. The area encompasses a mix of untouched and rugged wilderness.
Before the construction of the Kariba Dam and Lake Kariba, the area was completely inaccessible.
The establishment of the lake has had a profound impact on the ecology of the park.
Grazing on the lake’s shore has contributed to the growth of large mammals, particularly elephants and Cape buffalo in the park. – Zimbabwe Places
10. Mukuvisi Woodlands
mukuvisi woodland is one of Zimbabwe’s national treasures. It’s one of the few large green spaces still open to the general public in Harare, with over 18,000 school children visiting annually.
Deforestation and habitat loss are at an all-time high across the country. Zimbabwe’s incredible wildlife is limited to national parks and other conservancies. For some people, the Mukuvisi woodlands are the only place they can see our wild animals and appreciate our country’s natural, incredibly beautiful miombo woodlands
Originally proposed as a green belt in 1910, those advocating for these Woodlands fought against suburban development for the area until 1979, when the Mukuvisi Woodlands Association was established. In 1980, a formal lease agreement was signed between the association and the Harare Municipality, lasting until 2090. – Zimbabwe Places
11. Bulawayo
Bulawayo is a city located in the southwest of the country. It is the gateway to the national park of Matobo, which is home to the rock formations of Matobo Hills and the Stone Age cave art of the Stone Age.
The park is home to rhino and black eagle rhinos. Nearby is the game reserve of Tsabalala, where zebra roam the plains and impala roam the savannas. To the west is the ruined city of Khami, which dates back to the 15th century.
The ruins of Khami include stone walls and a terrace. The Bulawayo Museum of Natural History displays finds from this site. – Zimbabwe Places
12. Harare
Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, is located on the outskirts of the picturesque Harare Gardens. The National Gallery of Zimbabwe houses the country’s largest collection of contemporary African art, as well as traditional treasures such as baskets, textiles, and jewelry, as well as musical instruments.
The city’s most striking natural feature is the Epworth balancing rocks, a granite formation southeast of Harare. The city is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including zebras, giraffes, and wildebeest, all of which congregate in the Mukuvisi woodlands, which boast bike trails and a bird sanctuary. – Zimbabwe Places
13. Gonarezhou National Park
Gonarezhou National Park is located in Masvingo province, southeast of Chimanimani, on the Mozambican border. The park covers an area of 5.053 km2 and is the country’s second-largest national park after Hwange National Park.
The name ‘Gonarezhou’ translates from Shona meaning ‘Place of Elephants’.Due to the park’s vast size and rugged terrain and its remote location from major tourist attractions, large parts of the park remain undisturbed wilderness.
The park forms part of a peace park that links the Kruger National Park in South Africa with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique and allows animals to move freely between the sanctuaries. The northeastern end of the park is in the Zambezi and Mopane forest while the southwest end is in the Southern African bushveld ecoregion. – Zimbabwe Places
14. Khami
Khami is a ruined city situated 22 kilometers west of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. It was the capital of Butua Kingdom under the Torwa dynasty and is currently a national monument. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986. The Torwa dynasty ruled for about 200 years, beginning around 1450. It appears that the city was founded at the time the state disappeared from Great Zimbabwe.
Chamire Dombo took the city in 1683, leading an army of rebels known as the “Rozvi” from the “Mwenemutapa” State. The excavations at the site indicate that it was not occupied after the occupation by these “Rozvi”.The Rozvi made another phase site in Khami their new capital. They were driven out of the area in the 1830s by Nguni-speaking, Ndebele raiders. – Zimbabwe Places
15. Zambezi River
The Zambezi River, also known as the Zambeze or the Zambesi, is the fourth longest river in Africa. It is the longest river in Africa east of the Nile, and the largest river flowing from Africa into the Indian Ocean. The river’s drainage basin covers an area of 1,390 000 km2 which is slightly less than half the size of the Nile.
The river originates in Zambia and rises in eastern Angola. It flows along Namibia’s northeastern border and Botswana’s northeastern border. It then flows along the Zambian-Zambian border until it reaches Mozambique. From Mozambique, the river flows through the country until it reaches the Indian Ocean.
The most famous feature of the river is Victoria Falls. Other falls include Chavuma Falls at the Zambian-Angolan border and Ngonye Falls near Sioma, Western Zambia. – Zimbabwe Places
16. Victoria Falls Bridge
The Victoria Falls bridge crosses the river just below the Victoria Falls and is constructed over the second gorge of the falls. Since the river forms the boundary between the two countries, the bridge links them. The approaches to both ends of the bridge have border posts at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and Livingston, Zambia.
The Victoria Falls Bridge was designed by Cecil Rhodes as part of his grandiose and ill-fated Cape to Cairo railway project. Although Rhodes never visited the falls and died before construction began, he is recorded as telling the engineers to “build the bridge over the Zambezi so that as the trains pass, the spray of the falls will catch the train”.
The bridge’s design was carried out by Sir Douglas Fox and Associates, with the help of stress calculations by Ralph Freeman. The main central arch of the bridge follows a parabolic curve. – Zimbabwe Places
17. Mutarazi Falls
Mutarazi Falls, also known as Mutarazi Falls, is a waterfall located in Mutasa District, Manicaland Province in Zimbabwe.Mutarazi Falls falls into Honde Valley in two tiers.Mutarazi Falls are located on 2,495 hectares of the Mutarazi National Park, which borders the Nyanga National Park on the southern border.
The Mtarazi River originates at the eastern edge of the escarpment of the highlands of Zimbabwe. – Zimbabwe Places
18. Chimanimani National Reserve
Chimanimani National Park is a protected area located in Manica Province, Mozambique. The park is situated on the border between Mozambique and Zimbabwe and is part of the larger Chimanimani Transfrontier Park. The park was established in 2003 as a national reserve and was upgraded to a national park in 2020.
The park covers an area of approximately 656 km2. The park protects the Mozambique part of the Chimanimani mountains, which includes Monte Binga, Mozambique’s highest peak at 2436 m. The park also includes a larger buffer zone of 1723 km2.
The buffer zone extends from the south to the east, and from the north to the Moribane forest reserves, which include the Mpunga forest reserve, Maronga forest reserve, and the Zomba forest reserve. – Zimbabwe Places
19. Lake Mutirikwi
The name “Lake Kyle” or “Lake Kyle Dam” is derived from Kyle Farm, which occupied much of the land needed for the lake. The name “Kyle” also originates from the Kyle district of Scotland, from where the pioneer of “The Lowveld” Tom MacDougall originated.
The lake is located in the south-eastern part of Zimbabwe, south-east of the capital, Masvingo, and covers an area of approximately 90 km² or 35 sq mi.
The lake was formed in 1960 by the construction of a dam, known as the “Kyle Dam”, on the river, the “Mutirikwi”.Concor constructed the dam to supply water to lowveld estates on the southwest lowveld around Triangle, where sugar cane is the main crop. – Zimbabwe Places
20. Bvumba Mountains
The Bubba Mountains or Zumba Mountains are part of the eastern Highlands of the Manicaland provinces of Zimbabwe and adjacent Manica provinces of Mozambique. They are located about 10 km southeast of Mutare, Zimbabwe.
The Bubba rises to Castle Beacon at the border between Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Together with the Chimanimani mountains on the south and the Nyanga mountains on the north, the Bvumba is known as the “mountains of the mist”.
The mornings often begin with a mist that lifts by mid-afternoon. The mountains are mostly in Zimbabwe, but stretch north-east into the mountains of Mozambique, with the mountains capped by cool green hills that are home to country hotels, the Leopard Rock hotel, a casino, and a golf course, as well as a botanical garden with one of Africa’s best views. The mountain is also known for its coffee plantations. – Zimbabwe Places
21. Victoria Falls Snake Park
Zimbabwe is home to some of the world’s largest and most venomous snakes, spiders, and scorpions. The snakes are housed in large natural cages in an open-air building where visitors can observe these misunderstood creatures up close and personal in a secure environment.
The Snake Park is located in the heart of Victoria Falls and provides fun interactive educational tours where visitors can touch live snakes. – Zimbabwe Places
22. Antelope Park
Antelope Park is one of the world’s most award-winning safari destinations. Founded in 1987, it was named Zimbabwe’s leading Private Game Reserve in 2016 and 2017 and was named “Best Private Game Reserve in Zimbabwe” in 2018 by the World Tourism Awards.
At Antelope Park, we believe that your safari experience is an opportunity to give back. Every guest and volunteer who spends time with us directly contributes to a wide range of conservation, and community development initiatives in and around the park and beyond.
We’re proud to be home to ALERT, a multi-disciplinary conservation organization with a focus on 9 of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. – Zimbabwe Places
23. Kuimba Shiri Bird Sanctuary
The bird sanctuary at Kuimba Shiri Bird Park is one of the best places to take your children to see the birds. The bird sanctuary is located on the banks of Lake Chivero and is home to over four hundred species of birds. It is also the only bird park in Zimbabwe.
The bird sanctuary has knowledgeable guides who will provide you with lots of interesting information about all the different species of birds. At 16h00, the falcons and owl show is a sight to behold. There is also the Admiral’s Cabin where you can relax and enjoy something to eat or drink. – Zimbabwe Places
24. Bulawayo Railway Museum
Bulawayo Railway Museum, established in 1972, is a multi-exhibit railway museum in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. It houses several exhibitions on the railway history of Zimbabwe, formerly known as Rhodesia. The museum’s oldest exhibition dates back to 1897, and includes the personal railway coach of Cecil Rhodes.
It is owned by NRZ, the national railway company of Zimbabwe. Due to a lack of rolling stock at the time, some of the museum’s steam-powered locomotives were refurbished and restored to service in the past. – Zimbabwe Places
25. Shona Sculpture Gallery
We are a stunning sculpture gallery located in the heart of Harare, ZANU-WANU’S capital. We specialize in the renowned Shona sculpture Art Movement. We promote the very best of Shona sculpture art. We have a beautiful sculpture garden in the heart of the city of Harare, a luxurious and lush oasis.
It is a place of serenity and serenity where you can enjoy works of art, large and small, by the finest of Zimbabwe’s sculptors, from the world’s most famous names to the most up-and-coming contemporary painters. We also have an online Gallery full of amazing artworks so you can purchase them with confidence from world experts at the source. – Zimbabwe Places
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