Driven
Matopos, Hwange & Victoria Falls
8 days · 7 nights. The same length driven rather than flown, with rhino tracking in the Matobo Hills.
From US$3,331View
Overview
The three parks Zimbabwe is known for, joined by light aircraft rather than a long day in a vehicle. Seven nights, no repeated ground.
Two nights at Victoria Falls with the full programme already booked — the guided falls tour, a sunset and dinner cruise, a helicopter flight and lunch over the gorge. Then a charter flight to Hwange National Park, landing on a private concession on the edge of the Ngamo Plains, where a pan pulls game in all year and especially through the dry winter.
The last three nights are the reason people book this trip. Mana Pools is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Zambezi floodplain, and one of the few parks in Africa where you are permitted to walk unaccompanied. Winter concentrates elephant, buffalo, hippo and eland along the river as the inland pans dry out, and the lion and leopard follow. Activities are on foot, by canoe, by boat and by vehicle.
Because Mana Pools is seasonal, this itinerary runs April to November only. It is offered on three grades along the identical route.
At a glance
-
Flown throughoutCharter flights between all three regions, included in the rate.
-
Walking countryMana Pools is one of the few parks where walking is central.
-
Canoe the ZambeziCanoeing, boating and fishing included at Mana Pools.
-
April to NovemberMana Pools closes in the wet season, so this trip is seasonal.
Day by day
Accommodation shown is the luxury grade. Mid market and budget equivalents are listed under choosing a grade.
Days 1 & 2
Victoria Falls
Met by a safari guide at Victoria Falls Airport and transferred to your hotel. Two nights, with the following already included: a Zambezi sunset and dinner cruise, a guided tour of the falls, lunch at The Lookout Café above the gorge, a 15 minute helicopter flight over the falls, and dinner with entertainment at the Jungle Junction restaurant.
The Victoria Falls Hotel · breakfast and dinners
Days 3 & 4
Hwange National Park
A charter flight from Victoria Falls Airport to the airstrip, met by your camp guide for a game drive transfer into camp on a private concession in the south-eastern corner of Hwange.
The camp overlooks a plain and a pan that draws game all year. Activities include game drives, sunset cruises, walking, canoeing and fishing — boat hire, guide, fuel and tackle all included.
Linkwasha Camp · all meals and local beverages
Days 5, 6 & 7
Mana Pools National Park
A charter flight north to Mana Pools, met at the airstrip for a 15 minute transfer into camp on a private concession on the eastern boundary of the park, overlooking the Zambezi, the floodplains and the Rift Valley mountains beyond.
Three nights of game drives in open 4x4s, walking safaris, canoeing, motorised pontoon trips and fishing. In winter the elephant, buffalo, hippo and eland concentrate along the river, and the leopard and lion concentrate with them. The birding is exceptional — Angola pitta, Narina trogon, Livingstone’s flycatcher, western banded snake eagle and Shelley’s sunbird.
Chikwenya Camp · all meals and local beverages
Day 8
Departure
A charter flight back to Victoria Falls Airport, timed against your onward flight. Harare International can be used instead at no extra cost if it suits your routing better.
Breakfast included
What’s included
Included
- All road transfers and all air charter flights
- 7 nights’ accommodation in your chosen grade
- All meals as stated, except lunches at Victoria Falls
- Local beverages at both safari camps
- All listed activities, including canoeing, walking and fishing
- All park entry and conservation fees
- All taxes and government levies
Not included
- International flights
- Visas and any visa costs
- Lunches and extra optional activities at Victoria Falls
- Optional activities not listed in the itinerary
- Items of a personal nature
- Gratuities
- Travel and medical insurance
Rates
2026 rates per person in US dollars, for the full 7 night package. Low season is April, May and November; high season is June to October.
Luxury grade
The Victoria Falls Hotel · Linkwasha Camp · Chikwenya Camp
| Occupancy | Low · Apr, May & Nov | High · Jun–Oct |
|---|---|---|
| Per person sharing | US$8,650 | US$9,870 |
| Per person single, travelling with others | US$10,240 | US$10,950 |
| Per person single, travelling alone | US$11,865 | US$12,770 |
Mid market grade
Batonka Guest Lodge · The Hide Safari Camp · Kanga Camp
| Occupancy | Low · Apr, May & Nov | High · Jun–Oct |
|---|---|---|
| Per person sharing | US$5,840 | US$7,120 |
| Per person single, travelling with others | US$6,280 | US$8,570 |
| Per person single, travelling alone | US$7,235 | US$9,190 |
Budget grade — under canvas at Mana Pools
Victoria Falls Rainbow Hotel · Hwange Safari Lodge · Camp Zambezi
| Occupancy | Low · Apr, May & Nov | High · Jun–Oct |
|---|---|---|
| Per person sharing | US$4,557 | US$5,060 |
| Per person single, travelling with others | US$4,850 | US$5,370 |
| Per person single, travelling alone | US$6,130 | US$6,660 |
All rates are subject to availability and may change without notice. Terms and conditions apply.
See What Our Travellers Have To Say
Choosing a grade
Same route, same charter flights, same activities. The Mana Pools leg is where the grades differ most.
| Stop | Budget | Mid market | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria Falls · 2 nights | Victoria Falls Rainbow Hotel | Batonka Guest Lodge | The Victoria Falls Hotel |
| Hwange · 2 nights | Hwange Safari Lodge | The Hide Safari Camp | Linkwasha Camp |
| Mana Pools · 3 nights | Camp Zambezi | Kanga Camp | Chikwenya Camp |
| From, per person sharing | US$4,557 | US$5,840 | US$8,650 |
Why the budget grade is also the camping grade
At Mana Pools the budget option puts you at Camp Zambezi, a true bush camp on the riverbank — no electricity, no permanent structures, no plumbing. It is designed to be put up and taken down in hours and leave no trace behind.
That is not a compromise so much as a different trip. Beds are proper beds with linen and duvets, the tents have en-suite toilets for night use, there are hot showers and a long drop for the day, and laundry is done on site. Lighting is by hurricane lamp, so bring a torch. Dinner is under candelabra and a great many stars.
If sleeping under canvas is the point rather than the saving, see the camping safaris.
Other Zimbabwe safaris
Driven circuits and longer routes across the same country.
Camping
Zimbabwe Northern Circuit
12 days · 11 nights. Mana Pools under canvas plus a Kariba houseboat and Hwange.
From US$5,868View
Luxury
Hwange & Matusadonha
11 days · 10 nights. Six nights across two Hwange camps, then four on Lake Kariba.
Rate on requestView