Day 1: Arrive Victoria Falls
Met at Victoria Falls airport and driven up to Shongwe Lookout, on the escarpment above the Zambezi gorges. Time to settle in, then a sunset cruise on the river above the Falls if you want to start gently.
Private Tour 8 days
Classic Zimbabwe: Victoria Falls, Hwange & Matobo
The Falls, the elephants and the granite, in eight days
Hwange National Park, Khami Ruins, Matobo Hills, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe · 8 days · From $5,950 per person · Booked direct with Josh Elliott, owner-operator
Duration8 Days
Regions4
Max guests8
Activity levelEasy
Priced per personFrom $5,950
Best monthsJune to October
Overview
Zimbabwe's three great set pieces in one eight-day route, plus a fourth that most itineraries leave off the map entirely.
It opens at Victoria Falls. Two nights at Shongwe Lookout above the Zambezi gorges, the rainforest walk along the rim, and the river running above the lip before it drops.
From there you go south into Hwange, the largest national park in the country and its elephant heartland. Three nights at Hwange Safari Lodge, where a floodlit waterhole sits in front of the deck and game drives run morning and evening. Two full days in the park rather than one, which is the difference between ticking off animals and actually watching them.
Then Matabeleland, which is the part other operators skip. A night at Khami Lodge on our own private estate outside Bulawayo, with the UNESCO-listed Khami Ruins a few minutes away and almost nobody else on the site. Then a night at Matobo Hills Lodge among the granite, where you track white rhino on foot and stand in front of San paintings older than the ruins by thousands of years.
Four lodges, four distinct kinds of day, one country and no wasted transfers. Private throughout, maximum eight guests, and every departure tailor-made: we move the lodges up or down and change the pacing to suit you.
When to go: June to October is the strongest window, when the elephants concentrate on the Hwange pans. The Falls are at their fullest from February to May, so come earlier in the year if the water matters more to you than the game.
Why book direct with ZimTravellers?
Owner-plannedYou deal with Josh, directly
Generations deepFive generations in Zimbabwe
Private by defaultYour guide, your vehicle
A direct lineMessages answered by Josh himself
Classic Zimbabwe: Victoria Falls, Hwange & MatoboThe route, day by day
Itinerary
Day by day.
VICTORIA FALLS
Day 2: Victoria Falls
The rainforest walk along the rim, timed for the light and the spray, with a guide who can tell you what you are looking at. The afternoon is open. The gorge below the bridge is where the adrenaline sits, and doing nothing at all is a legitimate choice.
HWANGE NATIONAL PARK
Day 3: South to Hwange
Out of Victoria Falls after breakfast and south to Hwange, Zimbabwe's largest national park. You arrive at Hwange Safari Lodge in time for an afternoon game drive, and the waterhole in front of the deck takes over from there.
Day 4: Hwange National Park
A full day in the park. Out early while it is cool and the light is low, back for the middle of the day, out again in the afternoon. Hwange holds one of the largest elephant populations in Africa and in the dry months they come to the pans in numbers that are hard to describe.
Day 5: Hwange National Park
A second full day, which is what makes the difference. Lion, buffalo, sable and wild dog are all here, and the second day is usually when you stop chasing a list and start watching properly. Hide time if you would rather sit still.
KHAMI
Day 6: Bulawayo, Khami Ruins and Khami Lodge
South to Bulawayo, then out to our own estate at Khami. A private afternoon at the UNESCO-listed Khami Ruins, the stone capital that succeeded Great Zimbabwe, usually with nobody else on the site. The night is at Khami Lodge, on 6,500 private acres.
MATOBO HILLS
Day 7: Matobo Hills
Into the Matobo Hills. Tracking white rhino on foot with a ranger, and San paintings read off a cave wall by a guide who grew up in these hills. Sunset from the granite before dinner at Matobo Hills Lodge.
Day 8: Depart Bulawayo
Transfer to Bulawayo Airport, timed around your confirmed flight and the airline’s check-in requirements.
Where you will stay
Hand-picked, night by night.
Things to know
Cancellation policy
25% charge (deposit): 90+ days out.
50% charge: 61 to 90 days.
75% charge: 31 to 60 days.
A 25% deposit confirms your itinerary.
Booking basics
Requested and confirmed within one working day.
Prices per person, based on two travelling together.
Private (max 8 guests).
Operated by ZimTravellers (own itinerary; partner lodges as listed).
Participation & safety
Physical level: Easy.
Private and tailor-made journey cancellation
- A 25% deposit is required to confirm your itinerary and is non-refundable.
- If we receive your written cancellation more than 90 days before departure, the cancellation charge is 25% of the total booking price.
- For cancellations received 61-90 days before departure, the charge is 50%.
- For cancellations received 31-60 days before departure, the charge is 75%.
- For cancellations received 30 days or fewer before departure, or in the event of a no-show, the charge is 100%.
- Certain camps, lodges, private vehicles, permits and special arrangements may impose earlier or higher non-refundable charges. Any such condition will be itemised and disclosed before you pay your deposit and will apply only to the affected component.
- Changes requested after services have been confirmed are subject to availability, supplier charges and repricing. A reduction in the number of travellers may increase the per-person price for those who continue to travel.
How booking works
- Send your dates and party size. We confirm availability within one working day, usually sooner.
- Nothing is charged until your booking is confirmed.
What’s included
Included
- Accommodation as listed or similar
- Meals and activities as per each lodge package
- Private guiding and all road transfers on the route
- Victoria Falls rainforest entry and guided walk
- Hwange National Park game drives, morning and evening
- Private Khami Ruins visit
- Matobo rhino tracking on foot and a guided rock-art cave
- Direct WhatsApp line to Josh before, during and after the tour
Not included
- International flights
- Visas
- Travel insurance
- Premium drinks unless included by the lodge
- Optional adventure activities at Victoria Falls
- Gratuities
- Items of a personal nature
Practical
Best timeJune to October
PaceEasy
StartsVictoria Falls
EndsBulawayo
Group sizePrivate (max 8 guests)
