What are the top national parks in Zimbabwe?

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Zimbabwe is a paradise for wildlife lovers. Ask me for my tips for the best place to safari, and Zimbabwe would come very high on my list. The top national parks in Zimbabwe are some of the best national parks anywhere in Africa. Zimbabwe is widely regarded as having the best trained guides in the world. It’s Africa’s second-largest stronghold for elephants, and one of four nations which together guard 98% of all black rhinos. With its game drives, walking safaris, natural wonders, and boat trips, Zimbabwe’s national parks are hard to beat.

Don’t let Zimbabwe’s reputation put you off

Zimbabwe gets a seriously bad rap – mainly stemming from its political situation. Over the last twenty years there’s been a collapse in the agricultural sector, once known as the bread basket of Africa.

Cricketers have worn black armbands to mourn the death of Zimbabwean democracy, resulting in the players in question having to seek asylum in the UK.

And President Mnangagwa, who overthrew Robert Mugabe in a bloodless coup, has openly stated the opposite would never lead Zimbabwe. (In my view, this was political banter during a rally to supporters, but I’m no expert.) The economy still struggles with inflation and jobs are difficult to come by.

These facts can have people questioning whether it’s safe to visit Zimbabwe. But as a tourist to Zimbabwe, you could easily explore without realizing any of this.

Border officials are polite, Zimbabweans extraordinarily welcoming, and Zimbabwe’s top national parks operate as smoothly as anyone might hope. I was blown away by the ‘normality’ of life on the ground, although times have clearly been better and many people are struggling.

All the more reason to support them by spending some time in Zimbabwe’s top national parks. You can check out my pick of Zimbabwe’s best national parks right here.

1. Matobo Hills National Park

Also known as the Matopos Hills, Matobo Hills National Park is my personal favourite. It may not be the biggest, and it doesn’t have the widest diversity of wildlife, but it’s glorious none the same.

Its landscape of huge granite bolder piles known as kopjes, and smooth-domed hills called whaleback dwalas, is a winner every time. Add to this a treasure trove of ancient rock art sites, and the word sublime comes to mind.

So much so, that ardent capitalist and imperialist Cecil Rhodes sought to be buried among them. Visiting his metal tomb cut into the granite as the sun sets is close to miraculous. The unique landscape also resulted in Matobo being declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.

However, the main reason to make the short journey from Bulawayo to the 424 square kilometres (164 square miles) of Matobo National Park is for its rhinos.

The park protects a small but stable population of relocated black and white rhinos. I expected to see a blob in the distance from the height of a kopje dotted with baboon poo.

What I got by joining a hastily arranged day trip with Black Rhino Safaris (get in contact with them via the Bulawayo Publicity Association) was the chance to stand – yes, stand – just a handful of metres from a mother and her calf. You don’t get that in the Maasai Mara.

Although I didn’t see any, Matobo has Earth’s densest population of leopard too, thanks to the baboons and hyrax which live among the rocks. We also spotted a chameleon that wasn’t all that pleased to see us, and learnt a huge amount about the local flora.

2. Hwange National Park

Zimbabwe has 11 national parks, and Hwange is the biggest. It’s also very well positioned on the road between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls in the country’s northwest.

Even putting location to one side, Hwange is the stuff dreams are made of. Reeling off its species list is a who’s who of African icons. Elephants share the blend of seasonal grasses and wetland with gemsbok, lion, highly-endangered Cape wild dogs, cheetah, and leopard. All but rhino, in fact. They are limited to fenced reserves for their own protection.

The easiest part of Hwange to access is the Main Camp area, which sits just beside the park’s main entrance. Vlei (pans) and artificial waterholes keep the game close. For a more secluded experience, try one of the associated conservancies.

While game drives are the order of the day at Hwange, the not-so-speedy Elephant Express train (average speed 40 km or 25 mph) is a great alternative way to encounter the breadth of wildlife which inhabits the park.

You will have to be staying at Imvelo Safari Lodges’ Bomani or Camelthorn camps, however. So the Elephant Express isn’t one for budget travellers.

3. Mana Pools National Park

Nudged up against the broad sweep of the Zambezi River, Mana Pools National Park is named after the four (mana in Shona) permanent pools formed by the waters of the Zambezi. These are joined by temporary pools which form during the rainy season.

For information on when to visit Mana Pools to see the park at its most evocative, don’t miss my guide to the best time to visit Zimbabwe.

Mana Pools has a similar number of resident mammals – around 100 different species – as Hwange. These include Zimbabwe’s highest concentrations of hippo and crocodile.

But the birding is also phenomenal, Zambezi boat trips regularly encounter elephant, and evening game drives have a great chance of encountering prowling leopards.

What makes Mana Pools particularly special is the fact it allows unguided walks. You heard me. Unguided walks in lion country. (They were suspended for a while, but are permitted again now.) If you’re brave enough, there’s no thrill like it.

That said, unless you’ve been wandering the African plains for decades, you’ll miss out on a huge amount without the eagle eyes and expertise of a guide. I’d therefore suggest opting for the guided walks on offer in any case.

4. Gonarezhou National Park

Gonarezhou, or ‘the place of the elephants’ in Shona, is the second-largest national park in Zimbabwe. Elephants are, rather obviously, a big drawer, and I could watch these animals alone for days on end.

The park is home to around 12,000 elephants, making their population here one of the densest in Africa. The other members of the Big Five club are also present. These include 29 black rhino reintroduced in 2021.

Countering the image of African national parks as areas of expansive grasslands, Gonarezhou combines the banks of the Save, Mwenezi and Runde rivers with hard-to-penetrate woodland and the majesty of the Chilojo Cliffs.

Park of Gonarezhou’s success comes from the fact the park is in a relatively remote location, even for Zimbabwe, on the border with Mozambique and close to that of South Africa. The park is part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, allowing animals to wander freely between Gonarezhou, Kruger, and Limpopo national parks.

Another part of its success comes from a partnership between Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority and Frankfurt Zoological Society. It means much of the money spent on visiting the park stays with the park authorities to sustain and improve it.

At present, Gonarezhou is hardly visited. This is sure to change when more people discover the beauty of the Chilojo Cliffs, which run for around 20 km and rise 180 metres high. They overlook the Runde River.

The main accommodation within the park’s boundaries is Swimuwini Rest Camp, self-catering accommodation run by the park.

5. Chizarira National Park

One of the easier national parks to reach from Harare, Chizarira is isolated, like Gonarezhou, because of its location on the Zambezi Escarpment. It takes its modern name from the Batonga word meaning ‘great barrier.’ This barrier, the escarpment, provides incredible views towards Lake Kariba to the north.

Defined by its tree cover, Chizarira comprises miombo woodland in its north and mopane trees to its south. Among them live the majority of southern African mammal species, including elephant, giraffe, lion and leopard. Klipspringer manage to cling on around almost sheer cliff faces. Like Hwange, only rhino are missing from making Chizarira a Big Five park.

Although its buffalo and elephant populations have been diminished by poaching, Chizarira remains an excellent place to spot leopard and experience the true tranquillity of the African bush.

Chizarira is Zimbabwe’s third-largest national park.

Zimbabwe’s top national parks

There’s no doubt in my mind that Zimbabwe has some of the top national parks in Africa. Many contain the Big Five, while all provide homes for Africa’s most loved species. Offering the best guides on the continent, and far more than a standard game drive, Zimbabwe’s top national parks are, like I said in my introduction, hard to beat.