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A canvas safari tent set among trees at a private tented camp

Where you’ll stay

Where to Stay on a Zimbabwe Safari

Stay styles from heritage hotels at Victoria Falls to riverfront tented camps in Mana Pools, crewed houseboats on Lake Kariba and exclusive-use bush camps in Gonarezhou. We match specific properties to your dates and availability.

Comfort levels

Four Comfort Levels

  1. ComfortWell-run lodges and classic camps with genuine warmth — excellent guiding without the extras.
  2. PremiumSpacious, characterful camps in prime locations, with exceptional service and food.
  3. LuxuryRefined camps and lodges — often with plunge pools, fine dining and the very best positions.
  4. Ultra-LuxuryExclusive-use reserves and a handful of suites: privacy, space and complete flexibility.
Area
Comfort level
Collection

23 stay styles

Comfort

Victoria Falls · town

Town Boutique Hotel

Boutique hotel

A small, friendly hotel in the town of Victoria Falls puts cafés, craft markets and activity pick-ups on your doorstep, with the rainforest gate a short drive or a longer stroll away. Rooms are simple and comfortable, and the pool is welcome after a morning spent in the spray.

  • Walking distance of cafés, markets and activity desks
  • Pool and garden for hot afternoons
  • Family rooms at many
  • Easy early pick-ups for rafting and helicopter flights

Ideal for: Families and active travelers who want to be close to the town’s restaurants and activity operators

Premium

Victoria Falls · walk to the rainforest

Edwardian Heritage Hotel

Heritage hotel

Grand hotels in this style date from the early days of the railway, with high ceilings, deep verandas and lawns that look toward the bridge and the spray rising from the gorge. A path leads from the gardens to the rainforest entrance, so you can reach the falls on foot in the cool of the early morning.

  • Terrace views toward the Victoria Falls Bridge
  • Short walk to the rainforest entrance
  • Afternoon tea and formal dining rooms
  • Pool set among old gardens

Ideal for: Couples, honeymooners and history lovers who want to walk to the falls and take tea on a terrace above the gorge

Luxury lodge deck with loungers and umbrellas at golden hourLuxury

Victoria Falls · upper Zambezi

Upper Zambezi River Lodge

Lodge

Upriver from the falls, lodges in this style stand on the banks of the Zambezi, with suites opening onto decks above the water where elephants and hippos move between the islands. The bustle of town disappears, yet the rainforest is a short drive away, and river cruises and drives in Zambezi National Park often start from the lodge itself.

  • Suites with river-facing decks, some with plunge pools
  • Sunset boating from the lodge jetty
  • Game drives in Zambezi National Park
  • Transfers to the rainforest and town at many

Ideal for: Honeymooners and couples who want a quiet river setting with the falls still within easy reach

Luxury lodge deck with loungers and umbrellas at golden hourUltra-Luxury

Victoria Falls · private concession upstream

Private Concession River Lodge

Lodge

The most exclusive stays near the falls lie on private concessions upstream, where a handful of suites or villas share a long stretch of Zambezi frontage and game drives run only for their guests. You can watch elephants from your plunge pool at breakfast and stand in the rainforest spray by mid-afternoon, with a private guide shaping each day around you.

  • Private villas or suites with plunge pools
  • Drives and walks on a private concession
  • River cruises and fishing from the lodge
  • Private guide and vehicle for falls excursions

Ideal for: Families and couples who want privacy, wildlife and the falls in one stay, away from town

Luxury lodge deck with loungers and umbrellas at golden hourComfort

Hwange · Main Camp area

Park-Edge Safari Lodge

Lodge

Just outside the Main Camp entrance, lodges in this style offer comfortable rooms, a pool and a waterhole in view of the bar, with the park’s pans a short drive away. They make the most of the tarred road from Victoria Falls and suit travelers who want Hwange’s elephants without the higher rates of the private concessions.

  • Waterhole in view of the main deck at many
  • Pool for the midday heat
  • Game drives into the Main Camp section
  • Straightforward road access from Victoria Falls

Ideal for: Families and first-time visitors who want easy access, a pool and good-value game viewing

A canvas safari tent set among trees at a private tented campPremium

Hwange · pumped pans

Pan-Side Tented Camp

Tented camp

Canvas tents on raised platforms look straight out over a pan kept full through the dry season by a solar-powered borehole, so the wildlife comes to camp as much as you go out to find it. Days are split between drives across the vleis, walks with a professional guide and quiet hours watching elephant herds arrive to drink.

  • Tents overlooking a pumped waterhole
  • Ground-level hide at some camps
  • Guided walks and game drives
  • Small numbers of guests

Ideal for: Photographers and returning travelers who want waterhole action from the veranda and the option to walk

A canvas safari tent set among trees at a private tented campLuxury

Hwange · southeast private concession

Southeast Concession Tented Camp

Tented camp

In the private concessions of Hwange’s southeast, these camps pair large, elegant tents with exclusive traversing over open vleis and pans, so you rarely share a sighting. Guiding is typically of a very high standard, and walks, sundowners at the pans and long lunches on shaded decks set the rhythm of each day.

  • Spacious tents with indoor and outdoor showers
  • Exclusive traversing in a private concession
  • Walks with licensed professional guides
  • Hides and viewing decks over the pans

Ideal for: Couples and keen wildlife watchers who want exclusivity, walking and exceptional guiding in Hwange

Luxury lodge deck with loungers and umbrellas at golden hourLuxury

Hwange · exclusive-use

Exclusive-Use Safari House

Lodge

A private house in a remote corner of Hwange, booked by one family or group at a time, comes with its own guide, vehicle, chef and staff, so meals and activities follow your timetable rather than a camp’s. Bedrooms open onto a shared deck and pool facing a waterhole, which works well for young children who need a midday nap.

  • Sole use of the house, guide and vehicle
  • Private chef and flexible mealtimes
  • Pool and deck overlooking a waterhole
  • Activities timed around children

Ideal for: Families and friends traveling together who want privacy and full control over the day

Luxury lodge deck with loungers and umbrellas at golden hourComfort

Lake Kariba · Bumi Hills

Hilltop Lake-View Lodge

Lodge

High on the hills above the southern shore near Bumi Hills, lodges in this style have sweeping views over Lake Kariba toward its flooded forest and distant islands. Rooms are comfortable rather than lavish, and boat trips, fishing and sunset cruises leave from the shore below.

  • Panoramic lake views from rooms and the pool deck
  • Boat safaris and tigerfish fishing
  • Sunset cruises among the drowned trees
  • Easy light-aircraft access via nearby airstrips

Ideal for: Travelers who want lake views, fishing and a relaxed pace at a moderate price level

Sunset silhouettes over Lake KaribaPremium

Lake Kariba · Matusadona shoreline

Crewed Private Houseboat

Houseboat

A houseboat chartered for your party alone, with a skipper, cook and crew, cruises slowly along the Matusadona shoreline and moors in a quiet bay each evening. Cabins are compact, the top deck is for meals and sunsets, and a tender boat takes you closer to elephants on the shore, into drowned-forest creeks or out fishing.

  • Private charter for your party only
  • Skipper, cook and crew on board
  • Tender boat for game viewing and fishing
  • Sun deck for meals and sunsets

Ideal for: Families and multi-generation groups who want their own space, flexible days and life on the water

A canvas safari tent set among trees at a private tented campLuxury

Lake Kariba · Matusadona

Matusadona Lakeshore Camp

Tented camp

On the edge of Matusadona National Park, where lakeshore grasslands meet the water, a small tented camp puts you in the path of grazing elephants, buffalo and hippos coming ashore at dusk. Boat safaris, walks with a professional guide and fishing are all on offer, and the park’s newly returned wild dogs and black rhino add a conservation story to your stay.

  • Tents or chalets facing the lake
  • Game viewing by boat and on foot
  • Tigerfish fishing from the camp boats
  • Very few guests on this stretch of shore

Ideal for: Couples and returning travelers who want water, walking and remoteness in one camp

A canvas safari tent set among trees at a private tented campPremium

Mana Pools · Zambezi floodplain

Floodplain Tented Camp

Tented camp · Typically open April/May–October/November

Set beneath albidas and mahoganies on the Zambezi floodplain, camps in this style have classic safari tents facing the river and the Zambian escarpment beyond. Elephants often feed through camp, and the day is built around walking with a licensed professional guide, with drives, day paddles and river sundowners filling the rest.

  • Tents facing the Zambezi
  • Daily guided walks on the floodplain
  • Day paddles and game drives
  • Simple, generous bush cooking

Ideal for: Walkers and photographers who want the heart of Mana Pools without luxury trimmings

A canvas safari tent set among trees at a private tented campLuxury

Mana Pools · riverfront

Riverfront Luxury Camp

Tented camp · Typically open April/May–October/November

A handful of spacious tents or suites stand on raised decks along the riverbank, some with open-air bathtubs, and a plunge pool in the main area looks over channels where elephants cross. Guiding is the real luxury here: small groups, walks led by highly experienced professional guides and the freedom to spend a whole afternoon with a single herd.

  • Large tents or suites on riverbank decks
  • Plunge pool in the main area
  • Walks, drives, canoeing and photographic hides
  • Private guiding on request

Ideal for: Couples and discerning walkers who want comfort, privacy and first-rate guiding on the Zambezi

Tented camp glowing at sunrise over golden hillsPremium

Mana Pools · Chitake Springs

Chitake Springs Walking Camp

Seasonal mobile camp · Dry season only, typically June–October

Seasonal camps at Chitake are deliberately simple: a few walk-in tents with bucket showers, pitched for the dry months near the springs that draw buffalo and lions down from the escarpment. There is nothing here to distract from the walking, and evenings are spent by the fire listening to the bush.

  • A few tents in a remote inland setting
  • Walking-focused days with professional guides
  • Bucket showers and simple comforts
  • Open only in the dry season

Ideal for: Experienced safari travelers who want intense, walking-focused encounters with predators and prey

Tented camp glowing at sunrise over golden hillsPremium

Mana Pools · Zambezi canoe trail

Zambezi Canoe-Trail Fly Camp

Seasonal mobile camp · Typically May–October; minimum age 14

On the canoe trail, a support crew drives ahead each day to pitch small dome tents on a sandbank or the riverbank, so camp is ready when you paddle in toward dusk. Comforts are few, just a bush shower, a basic toilet and dinner by the fire, but you fall asleep to hippos grunting in the dark.

  • Dome tents moved nightly by a support crew
  • Bush shower and basic toilet
  • Fireside dinners on the riverbank
  • Minimum age 14

Ideal for: Fit adventurers aged 14 and over who want to sleep beside the Zambezi between days in a canoe

Luxury lodge deck with loungers and umbrellas at golden hourPremium

Matobo Hills · kopje country

Granite Kopje Lodge

Lodge

Built into and around the granite boulders, lodges in this style use the rock itself as walls and viewpoints, with rooms tucked between kopjes and long views over the hills. They sit close to the national park for rhino tracking and rock-art visits, and the grounds are good for short walks looking for klipspringer, hyrax and eagles.

  • Rooms set among granite boulders
  • Close to the national park gates
  • Rhino tracking and rock-art outings arranged
  • Family rooms at some

Ideal for: Families and first-time visitors to Matobo who want character, views and easy access to the park

Luxury lodge deck with loungers and umbrellas at golden hourLuxury

Matobo Hills · granite hideaway

Boutique Granite Hideaway

Lodge

A small, design-led lodge in the Matobo Hills has only a few suites, each placed to frame a view of balancing rocks or a quiet valley. Service is personal, the pool sits among the boulders and your guide tailors each day to rhino, rock art, history or simply sitting still.

  • A handful of suites with private views
  • Pool set among the boulders
  • Private guiding for rhino tracking and rock art
  • Candlelit dinners on the granite

Ideal for: Couples and honeymooners who want intimacy, thoughtful design and the hills almost to themselves

Luxury lodge deck with loungers and umbrellas at golden hourPremium

Great Zimbabwe · near the monument

Lodge by the Ruins

Lodge

Stays near Great Zimbabwe are small lodges in the surrounding hills, a few minutes from the site entrance, some with stone-built chalets that echo the walls of the ruins. Being this close lets you climb the Hill Complex in the late afternoon and return to the Great Enclosure early the next morning, before the heat and the day visitors.

  • A few minutes’ drive from the monument
  • Chalets or rooms with views over the hills
  • Early breakfasts for first-light visits
  • Guided site tours arranged

Ideal for: History-minded travelers who want to see Great Zimbabwe in early and late light

Luxury lodge deck with loungers and umbrellas at golden hourPremium

Gonarezhou · Save River edge

Save River Clifftop Lodge

Lodge

On the northern edge of Gonarezhou, a lodge in this style sits high on cliffs above the Save River, with chalets looking down over the wide sand river and the lowveld beyond. It pairs comfortable rooms and a pool with drives into the park, making a gentler introduction to the remote southeast.

  • Chalets on the cliff edge above the Save River
  • Pool and viewing deck
  • Game drives into northern Gonarezhou
  • Set in a conservancy on the park boundary

Ideal for: Travelers who want Gonarezhou’s wildness with lodge comforts and dramatic river views

A canvas safari tent set among trees at a private tented campLuxury

Gonarezhou · Runde River & Chilojo Cliffs

Runde River Exclusive Bush Camp

Bush camp · Typically closed late November–March; the park closes to visitors 10 January–1 March

Small bush camps on the Runde River, typically about six Meru-style tents booked by one group at a time, face the red wall of the Chilojo Cliffs. Your own guide, vehicle and camp team run the days around you, with riverbed drives, walks and long evenings by the fire with no other travelers in sight.

  • Exclusive use of the whole camp
  • Private guide and vehicle
  • Views of the Chilojo Cliffs
  • Walks and riverbed drives

Ideal for: Adventurous couples, families and friends who want a whole camp and a wild park to themselves

Luxury lodge deck with loungers and umbrellas at golden hourUltra-Luxury

Gonarezhou · Malilangwe private reserve

Malilangwe Private Reserve Lodge

Lodge

Next to Gonarezhou, the private Malilangwe reserve offers a small number of very private suites and villas, where drives, walks and boating are reserved for lodge guests across a large conservation area. Service, food and design sit at the very top of the market, and the reserve’s conservation and community work can become part of your visit.

  • Very private suites or villas, many with plunge pools
  • Drives and walks reserved for lodge guests
  • Spa and fine dining
  • Conservation and community projects to visit

Ideal for: Honeymooners and travelers who want the ultimate in privacy and comfort in Zimbabwe’s lowveld

Comfort

Harare · city

City Garden Hotel

City hotel

A reliable hotel in green grounds near central Harare, with a pool, a restaurant and a straightforward run to the airport, suits a single night before or after a light-aircraft flight. It is practical rather than characterful, and ideal when your connections are tight.

  • About 30 minutes from the airport
  • Pool and garden
  • Restaurant and bar on site
  • Early breakfasts for morning flights

Ideal for: Travelers who need a comfortable, convenient overnight between international and safari flights

Premium

Harare · garden suburbs

Garden-Suburb Boutique Lodge

Boutique hotel

In Harare’s leafy northern suburbs, a boutique lodge in this style offers a handful of rooms in lush gardens, some with local art on the walls and a kitchen worth staying in for. It makes a calm first night before flying into Mana Pools and a good place to repack for the walking and canoe days ahead.

  • A small number of rooms in mature gardens
  • Pool and shaded terraces
  • Home-style or modern Zimbabwean cooking
  • Storage for luggage you won’t need in the bush

Ideal for: Travelers who want a peaceful, characterful night in Harare before or after the bush

Where you’ll stay

How We Choose Your Camps

  1. We shortlist camps for location first — where the wildlife and experiences will be on your dates.

  2. Then we match the comfort level, room types and atmosphere to your party.

  3. Every property we recommend comes from our vetted partner network.

  4. Your proposal names each camp, with photos, before you confirm anything.

Continue exploring

Floodplain and mountains of Mana Pools at dusk

Start With Your Dates

Tell us when you can travel, who is coming and whether you picture the falls, a canoe on the Zambezi or rhino tracks in the Matobo Hills. We’ll design a private Zimbabwe journey around it, and nothing is booked until you approve it.

Plan My Zimbabwe Safari