Zimbabwe has always offered exceptional big-game safari, with intimate encounters with black and white rhinos, thousands of elephants, and exclusive concessions and thrilling game walks. New luxury camps and private reserves have opened in the last few years, as the country’s safari industry has been re-energized. These highlights of Zimbabwe safaris celebrate Zimbabwe’s new and exclusive experiences, including aerial charters, modern luxury camps, and wonderful wildlife encounters.
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
Matetsi Private Game Reserve - Safari from Your Suite
In the Sotho language, Victoria Falls is known as Mosi-oa-Tunya, translated as “The Smoke that Thunders.” This name is stunningly appropriate, the roaring Zambezi River tumbling into a mist-filled chasm, sending clouds of condensation hundreds of meters into the air. Even from your lodge, 24 miles upriver, it’s possible to see the spray and hear the dramatic growl of the water. Matetsi Private Game Reserve has 17 miles of private river frontage and over 50,000 hectares of pristine wilderness. This safari oasis is within easy reach of the falls, yet fully surrounded by Zimbabwe’s four-legged wildlife. You’re greeted at the airport and transferred to your river lodge. Safari is private here, and you watch animals directly from your river-facing suite; hippos quarreling, baboons playing, zebras grazing, and buffalos wandering as you dip into the private plunge pool on your verandah. There’s also a fabulous circular bath that looks out over the Zambezi, a lazy space for recovering from the flight.
What's Included:
Day 2
Matetsi Private Game Reserve - Downriver to Victoria Falls, Upriver to the Hippos
Day 3
Hwange National Park - Following the Elephants Through the Wilderness
Day 4
Hwange National Park - Decadent Big-Game Safari
Day 5
Hwange National Park - Luxury Tented Safari
Day 6
Lake Kariba - Private Aerial Safari
Day 7
Lake Kariba - Evocative Wildlife Encounters
Day 8
Matobo Hills National Park - Walking Amongst Black and White Rhinos
Day 9
Matobo Hills National Park - Intrigue Within World’s View
Day 10
Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve - The Opulence of a Private Zimbabwean Safari
Day 11
Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve - A Full Day in Southern Africa’s Gonarezhou National Park
Day 12
Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve - Relaxing Final Day of Luxury Safari
Day 13
Johannesburg - Departure
Trip Highlights
- Celebrate the revitalization of Zimbabwean safari by staying in a handcrafted collection of new boutique properties, including opulent camps surrounded by marauding elephants
- Uncover the intimacy of safari in two private concessions, where the wildlife wanders right past your suite, and the game viewing is as easy as it comes
- Explore the thrilling enormity of the Zimbabwean wilderness with three nights in Hwange National Park, where thousands of elephants gather at waterholes, and you’re never far from lions
- Hop across the country on a combination of scheduled and chartered light aircraft flights, touching down on remote airstrips after an astonishing aerial flight
- Walk amongst black and white rhinos in Matobo Hills National Park, the new and exclusive safari addition to a landscape that Cecil Rhodes nicknamed “World’s View”
- Start this highlights of Zimbabwe safari in Matetsi Private Game Reserve, where hippos and buffalo join you just a few miles upriver from Victoria Falls
- Escape onto the shores of Lake Kariba for adventurous safari mornings in Matusadona National Park and languid afternoons on the water
- Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve has just established itself as Zimbabwe’s premier private safari destination; three days here provides the opulent final stop on this 13-day safari
- At Malilangwe, take the option to spend a day in the neighboring vast and unexplored Gonarezhou National Park
- Get up close and personal with some of Africa’s rarest animals, including black rhinos, brown hyenas, and wild dogs
Starting Price
$19,100 per person (excluding international flights)
What's Included
- Accommodations
- In-country transportation
- Some or all activities and tours
- Expert trip planning
- 24x7 support during your trip
Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.
Reviews of Zicasso's Referral Service
4.94 stars based on 576 reviews.
The trip was the best we have ever had. Africa is a very special place. Zicasso's travel expert did a fantastic job of organizing the itinerary. The only disappointment was that we were not scheduled to see the mass migration across the river.
Reviewed By Andrew K.
Our special trip surpassed all of our expectations!
We had a large group wanting to go on safari and started planning around a year in advance. We also had small children coming with us and we were celebrating a milestone birthday! My first call was with Zicasso’s travel agent, who had the best enthusiasm and confidence in delivering what we wanted. The other travel partner was my main point of contact afterwards and she probably ended up answering at least 10,000 questions for me!
Each moment of the trip was specially curated and special. They did a great job finding camps that would give us a unique experience rather than becoming redundant. The hospitality at the camps and accommodations were unique and comfortable. We were all so happy with how everything went! We would definitely use this travel company again for our travel needs!
Reviewed By Shruti B.
We had an amazing trip, planned by Zicasso's travel partner. This is the first time I've ever used a travel agent and I'll admit, I was nervous. She took all of our feedback into consideration while planning. I highly recommend!
Reviewed By Kris C.
The trip was carefully planned and we received optimal assistance throughout the trip and constant availability and monitoring during the journey. Our Zicasso travel agent was very professional and always available to respond to our requests and needs. The choice of hotels was excellent and reflected the expectations. The activities offered in the different locations were very well structured and the guides were of high quality, particularly those in Chobe National Park and Okavango Delta.
Reviewed By Roberto B.
Zicasso's trip designer arranged a flawless, extraordinary trip.
Reviewed By Bernard L.
We’re still not over our trip! Everything was absolutely fantastic. Thank you for organizing such a great experience and making it so effortless for me. I already have family and friends asking who I went through, and I’m guessing some of them will be reaching out to you in the next year.
I do have one small piece of constructive feedback about our camp in the Olifants West Nature Reserve. The staff, lodge, and food were wonderful, but unfortunately, the safari guide fell short. We had just come from the camp in the Thornybush Game Reserve (where we left our hearts—the guide there was truly exceptional, with such a great personality), so the difference stood out even more. At the Olifants West Nature Reserve camp, we saw very few animals and the guide didn’t engage much—he barely spoke, and when he did, it wasn’t very professional or kind, especially toward my son. My son even said the trip might have worked better in reverse, since after Botswana it was hard to adjust to seeing only a few animals a day.
That said, I’m so grateful for how smoothly you planned everything, especially on such short notice. It really was a trip of a lifetime for us.
Thank you again!
Reviewed By Mona P.