Zimbabwe Activities Month by Month
What you can do in Zimbabwe depends heavily on the month. The river, the heat and the state of the roads all change with the seasons, so this guide is organised by time of year.
August to November: the main safari and rafting months
Low water on the Zambezi opens the full white-water run through the Batoka Gorge from about August to late December. Operators set a minimum age of 15, and the walk out of the gorge is steep, about 250 m. Prices start at about US$120 plus a river levy of roughly US$12.
This is also the best time for game viewing in Hwange National Park, because animals crowd around pumped waterholes. October can pass 40 C, so plan early starts and a rest at midday. In Mana Pools, the walking season is in full swing. A ZimParks permit allows walking, and a licensed guide is recommended because elephants, buffalo, hippos and lions share the floodplain.
Devil’s Pool, on Livingstone Island in Zambia, is usually open from about mid-August to mid-January. You reach it by boat from the Zambian bank and need Zambian entry.
December to March: green season
Rain brings lush scenery and thinner crowds. Roads can become impassable, and flooding limits access to Mana Pools from about mid-December to the end of March. Rafting switches to high-water runs from about January to March, which skip the first stretch of rapids. The falls grow steadily larger, and the river closes to rafting around March to June when the flood peaks.
April to July: cooler and clearer
Gonarezhou is open for dry-season trips from about April, and the top of the Chilojo Cliffs usually opens around June or July. The Eastern Highlands, including Nyanga, Bvumba and Chimanimani, suit hiking from April to October. Rafting runs on high water again from about May to July.
Activities that work in any month
- Bridge bungee: The 111 m jump from Victoria Falls Bridge, run by Shearwater, gives about 4 seconds of freefall and costs roughly US$130 to 200 depending on the seller.
- Canopy tour: Wild Horizons has 9 zip-lines across the gorge. Ask about age limits.
- Sunset cruise: A levy of about US$12 applies on the Zambezi.
- Matobo and Great Zimbabwe: Rock paintings, granite hills and stone ruins suit any month, and early mornings are cooler.
- Harare art stops: The National Gallery of Zimbabwe and Chapungu Sculpture Park show Zimbabwean stone sculpture.
Money and safety
Expect operators to quote in US dollars, and bring small clean notes. Swimming is unsafe in rivers, lakes and dams because of crocodiles, hippos and bilharzia. Elephant rides and lion walks are not recommended.
Read more: Sightseeing in Zimbabwe and Multi-day trips .
See current advice from the UK government . Compare activities on Viator .