Must-see attractions in Zimbabwe

  • Trees in front of Victoria Falls, Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe

    Victoria Falls National Park

    Victoria Falls (town)

    Here on the Zimbabwe side of the falls you're in for a real treat. Some two-thirds of Victoria Falls are located here, including the main falls themselves…

  • The Great Enclosure at the Great Zimbabwe National Monument, nearly 100 metres across and 255 metres in circumference, it's the largest ancient structure in Sub-Saharan Africa

    Great Zimbabwe

    Zimbabwe

    The mysterious ruined city of Great Zimbabwe dates back to the 11th to 15th centuries AD and remains the emblem and heart of the nation. The Unesco World…

  • Viewpoint, Gonarezhou National Park , Zimbabwe

    Gonarezhou National Park

    Zimbabwe

    Hidden in the southeast corner of the country is the stunning Gonarezhou National Park, ZImbabwe's second largest park (5000 sq km) and regarded by many…

  • Crowned Crane from Hwange National Park.

    Hwange National Park

    Zimbabwe

    One of the 10 largest national parks in Africa, and the largest in Zimbabwe, at 14,651 sq km, Hwange National Park, pronounced ‘Wang-ee’, has a ridiculous…

  • Balancing rocks, Matopos, Zimbabwe

    Matobo National Park

    Zimbabwe

    Home to some of the most majestic granite scenery in the world, the Matobo National Park is one of the unsung highlights of Zimbabwe. This Unesco World…

  • African elephants - Loxodonta africana - walking past a waterhole in acacia woodlands at dawn,  Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe, Africa

    Mana Pools National Park

    Zimbabwe

    This magnificent 2200-sq-km national park is a Unesco World Heritage–listed site and its magic stems from its remoteness and pervading sense of the wild…

  • National Heroes Acre, Harare, Zimbabwe

    National Heroes' Acre

    Harare

    The grandiose obelisk of Heroes' Acre, overlooking the town, is straight out of Pyongyang, yet lies just 7km from Harare. Designed with the assistance of…

  • Natural History Museum

    Bulawayo

    Zimbabwe's largest and best museum makes for an essential visit. Set over three floors, it offers a great overview of the country's natural,…

  • National Gallery of Zimbabwe

    Harare

    In the southeast corner of Harare Gardens, this lovely gallery has multiple spaces exhibiting a mix of contemporary local, African and international…

  • Jafuta Heritage Centre

    Victoria Falls (town)

    This impressive little museum details the cultural heritage of Zimbabwe's indigenous ethnic groups. There's good background information on the Shona,…

  • Chimanimani Mountains, Chimanimani, Manicaland, Zimbabwe

    Chimanimani National Park

    Zimbabwe

    With its pristine wilderness, Chimanimani National Park is a hiker's paradise. Sharing a border with Mozambique, the park is still very wild and unspoiled…

  • Khami Ruins

    Bulawayo

    Just 22km from Bulawayo, the Unesco World Heritage–listed Khami Ruins may not have the grandeur of Great Zimbabwe, but it's an impressive archaeological…

  • World's View (Malindidzimu Hill)

    Matobo National Park

    One of Zimbabwe's most breathtaking sites, the aptly named World's View takes in epic 360-degree views of the park. The peacefulness up here is immense,…

  • Bulawayo Railway Museum

    Bulawayo

    Whether you're a train enthusiast or not, Bulwayo's Railway Museum rarely disappoints. Its passionate curator, Gordon Murray, will take you on a tour of…

  • Chilojo Cliffs

    Zimbabwe

    In addition to wildlife, another of Gonarezhou's major drawcards are its majestic Chilojo Cliffs. These spectacular red-and-white banded sandstone columns…

  • Rock Art Caves

    Matobo National Park

    Dotted around the 425-sq-km Matobo National Park are 3000 officially registered rock-art sites, including one of the best collections in the world of San…

  • Matusadona National Park

    Zimbabwe

    Situated on the southern shore of Lake Kariba, the beautiful Matusadona National Park is home to the Big Five, including the endangered black rhino. While…

  • National Art Gallery

    Bulawayo

    Set in a beautiful 100-year-old, colonial, double-terrace Edwardian building, the National Art Gallery shows temporary and permanent exhibitions of…

  • Delta Gallery

    Harare

    A must for contemporary art lovers is this gallery inside the charming colonial house of eminent Rhodesian painter Robert Paul (1906–79). It showcases…

  • Ziwa Ruins

    Zimbabwe

    These National Monument ruins of communities who specialised in pottery date to AD 200 and are one of Zimbabwe's more impressive archaeological sites. The…

  • Wild is Life

    Harare

    A wildlife sanctuary with a difference – sip on afternoon tea and champagne while getting a hands-on experience with the injured, rescued or orphaned…

  • Tengenenge Art Community

    Zimbabwe

    A must for those in interested in Shona sculpture, as well as traditional Zimbabwean culture, the Tengenenge Art Community overall makes for a rewarding…

  • ZIMBABWE - MARCH 14: Burchell's Zebra (Equus quagga), Harare, Mukuvisi Woodlands Wildlife and Environment Centre, Zimbabwe. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)

    Mukuvisi Woodlands Environmental Centre

    Harare

    Only 7km from the city, most of the 265 hectares here are natural msasa parkland where zebras, giraffes and antelope species roam free. View from the…

  • Lake Chivero Recreational Park

    Zimbabwe

    Only 32km from the capital, Lake Chivero is one of the best places in Zimbabwe to spot rhinos in the wild. Run by the national parks, it's home to several…

  • Nyanga National Park

    Zimbabwe

    Scenic and secluded, beautiful Nyanga National Park is 100km north of the Bvumba, the central mountains of the Eastern Highlands. Some parts may remind…

  • Bushman Rock Safaris

    Zimbabwe

    Part winery, part game reserve, part polo field, part boutique lodge: Bushman Rock has a number of faces to it. The vineyard was established in the 1930s…

  • Painted Dog Visitor Centre

    Zimbabwe

    An interesting place to visit in-between safaris or en route to the park is this NGO, which works towards the protection of the critically endangered…

  • National Botanic Gardens

    Harare

    If you thought Harare couldn't get any more relaxed, you clearly haven't visited its botanical gardens. Spread over 68 hectares, it's an extremely…

  • National Archives of Zimbabwe

    Harare

    Founded in 1935, this building is the repository for the history of Rhodesia and modern Zimbabwe. It's worth a visit to see artefacts, photos, accounts of…

  • Zambezi National Park

    Victoria Falls (town)

    Just 5km from the town centre is this vastly underrated national park, comprising 40km of Zambezi River frontage and a spread of wildlife-rich mopane …

  • Church of Santa Barbara

    Zimbabwe

    This circular, hilltop, Italian-built church was built in the memory of 86 African and Italian construction workers who lost their lives while building…

  • Eastgate Centre

    Harare

    Inspired by the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, the Eastgate Centre shopping complex is noteworthy for its sustainable design based on a termite mound, which…

  • Snake Pit

    Victoria Falls (town)

    Black mambas, spitting cobras and puff adders ain't things you want to come across in the wild, so fortunately they're all here to see behind the safety…

  • Chinhoyi Caves Recreational Park

    Zimbabwe

    Located 4km north of Chinhoyi, along the main highway (135km from Harare), this cave network is worth a stop for its underground lake that's coloured a…

  • Tobacco Floor

    Harare

    Not quite the NY stock exchange but certainly fast paced. Get among the action on the floors where farmers on one side sell bales of tobacco to brokers on…

  • Cecil Kop Wildlife & Nature Reserve

    Zimbabwe

    Only 2km from Mutare, this low-key nature reserve is definitely worth a visit if you're hanging around town. Set over 1500 hectares, it's home to…

  • Kariba Dam Wall

    Zimbabwe

    Forming the border between Zambia (Siavonga) and Zimbabwe is the Kariba dam wall. It's an impressive engineering feat that you can walk the length across;…

  • Rhodes Nyanga Historical Exhibition

    Zimbabwe

    The Nyanga Historical Exhibition is housed in Cecil Rhodes' (1853–1902) former stables in the grounds next door to the Rhodes Nyanga Hotel. It has a…

  • Dam Observation Point

    Zimbabwe

    Head up to Observation Point for excellent sweeping views of the lake and Kariba Dam. The Kariba Publicity Association is based up here and it houses some…

More destinations you need to see