This 7 Days Zimbabwe Safari is the perfect trip to book if you have a sense of adventure. You tour will start in Victoria Falls which is the top tourist attraction of Zimbabwe.
From there, you will spend a few days in Hwange National Park (one of Africa’s forgotten game parks) on a camping/lodge combination safari.
What makes this a special 7 Days Zimbabwe safari is that you will spend a couple of nights camping at some of the best waterholes in Hwange National Park. For this reason, you have to book in advance. From here, you will either return to Victoria Falls or do an extension tour to Lake Kariba, Mana Pools National Park or an additional night in Victoria Falls.
7 Days Zimbabwe Safari: Summary
Day 1: Arrive in Victoria Falls & enjoy a Zambezi River boat cruise
Day 2: Victoria Falls, and afternoon optional adventure activity
Day 3: Victoria Falls to Hwange National Park
Day 4: Hwange National Park
Day 5: Hwange National Park
Day 6: Hwange National Park
Day 7: Hwange National Park to Victoria Falls Airport and Departure
7 Days Zimbabwe Safari: Details
Day 1: Arrive In Victoria Falls & Enjoy A Zambezi River Boat Cruise
Your fantastic 7 Days Zimbabwe Safari will start today in the town of Victoria Falls in the west of Zimbabwe. Your guide will pick you up at your guesthouse or hotel. As you have probably already seen, Victoria Falls town is hip and happening!
The town also has outstanding accommodation options as well as a wide selection of African curios and authentic art sold by friendly locals who are wonderfully welcoming and eager to make your stay enjoyable.
The town is rightfully referred to as ‘the adventure capital of Africa’, and there are plenty of adrenaline-inducing activities to choose from in and around town, such as kayaking, canoeing, white-water rafting, river-boarding, bungee-jumping, abseiling, gorge swings, horse riding and more. You’ll do that tomorrow!
While you don’t have a long time in the car, it may be a good idea to learn a bit more about where you are. Zimbabwe is well known for being one of the most beautiful destinations in Africa with a pleasant year-round climate; the country’s tourism is bouncing back in a big way!
The country has 10 national parks, 4 botanical gardens, 9 recreational parks, 4 safari areas and 3 wildlife sanctuaries. Collectively, these areas are referred to as the Wildlife Estate, and they cover an area around 47,000km2 which is equivalent to an astounding 12.5% of the total land area of the country.
Zimbabwe is home to almost 200 mammal species, including the famed African Big 5 animals. In addition, the country boasts many reptile species, nearly 700 species of bird, 131 fish species and many other fascinating species of fauna and flora.
After that, you make your way to your first exciting activity of this 7 Days Zimbabwe Safari: a boat cruise on the mighty Zambezi River! This spectacular 2,574 km long waterway is one of the most famous rivers on African continent, and there are many stories, folklore tales and legends associated with it.
Zambezi River originates in northwest Zambia. It then flows through eastern Angola and along the north-eastern border of Namibia and the northern border of Botswana.
The river then continues between Zambia and Zimbabwe to Mozambique, where it crosses the country to empty into the Indian Ocean. The first people to call it Zambezi were the Monomatapa people of the region and Vasco da Gama was the first European to cross the river in 1498.
You’ll head to the river and board one of the many comfortable cruisers or houseboats that do this trip every day, with staff that know the river intimately. As you leisurely glide down the river for a few hours, you’ll be provided with some snacks and drinks. It is a truly unforgettable experience and a great way to start your 7 Days Zimbabwe Safari!
Remember to look not just at the beautiful sunset (awesome photos guaranteed!), but also the fauna and flora on the water and at shoreline.
You can see Elephants, Buffalos, massive Nile Crocodiles, and unique birds like Brown-necked Parrot, Western Banded Snake Eagle, Western Osprey, African Skimmer, African Finfoot and White-backed Night Heron to name just a few.
After your cruise you will be driven back to your guest house or hotel and have dinner, before you settle in for a good night’s sleep after your first day.
Day 2: Victoria Falls, And Afternoon Optional Adventure Activity
After a delightful breakfast today, you will make your way to the famous Victoria Falls where you’ll spend the morning enjoying one of the natural wonders of the world and strolling through the riverine woodland around the falls.
In 1851, Scottish explorer David Livingstone first heard of the massive waterfall, but he didn’t go to see it until 1855. He spent the night on Kalai Island a few kilometres upstream of the falls, having come down river by foot, and the next morning set off in a small canoe to approach the thundering smoke he had seen from a distance.
He landed on the largest island on the lip of the falls, now called Livingstone Island and from there got his first view of the fall. He wrote, ‘No one can imagine the beauty of the view from anything witnessed in England. It had never been seen before by European eyes, but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight’.
Victoria Falls is known to locals as Mosi-oa-Tunya, or ‘The Smoke That Thunders’. The falls are a World Heritage Site and one of the ‘Seven Natural Wonders of the World’. When it’s at its peak, which is around April every year, an incredible 750,000 m3 of water thunders down the cliff face per minute year, making it the largest waterfall in the world by volume!
However, no amount of cool facts can prepare you for the sight of this colossal waterfall that plunges into the Zambezi gorge. It is just magnificent and extraordinary, and a must-see for adventure and nature lovers from all over the world.
Remember to bring your cameras – as you will need to snap a lot of pictures at the Vic Falls! Also don’t forget to hire a raincoat when entering the small park adjacent to the falls; even in the dry season the spray form the falls can make you pretty wet.
As you stroll around the park’s trails, you’ll be on the lookout for some unique bird species that call the little park home. Smaller animals including Bushbuck are also present in the park.
After an exhilarating morning, you will have lunch somewhere in town close to the falls. All of the afternoon is yours! The town of Victoria Falls is rightly referred to as ‘Africa’s adventure capital’, and there is a variety to do here.
You Can Choose From Several Optional Activities This Afternoon, Including
- Bungee jumping off the Victoria Falls bridge
- A helicopter or microlight flight over the falls and surrounding area (highly recommended)
- White water rafting on the Zambezi river
- Abseiling at the Victoria Falls gorge
- Ziplinning at the Victoria Falls gorge
- Gorge swings at the Victoria Falls gorge
- Canoe trips on the Zambezi river
- Horse riding excursion
- Local shopping excursion
- Art Village tour
After your exciting afternoon you will once again return to the guesthouse or hotel and enjoy dinner. Then it’s time for bed, because tomorrow you go to Hwange!
Day 3: Victoria Falls To Hwange National Park
You will enjoy an early breakfast this morning, and then depart the town of Victoria Falls. You are heading south, in the direction of Hwange National Park.
Spanning more than 14,600 km2, ‘Wankie’ as it is affectionately known, is the largest national park in Zimbabwe and the 10th biggest in Africa. It is nearly as large as Belgium, and bigger than all of other Zimbabwe National parks combined!
Hwange, which was designated as a wildlife reserve in 1928, was formerly the royal hunting grounds of the Ndebele warrior king Mzilikazi. In 1949, the National Park Act made it a national park. It was named after a local Nhanzwa chief, Hwange Rosumbani.
You enter the Hwange National Park via Nantwich gate. You should get at your lodge of choice in time for lunch. After checking into your lodging, you can enjoy a short siesta or take around to get acquainted with your surroundings and to stretch your legs.
In late afternoon, you will head out on a game drive, ticking the first mammals on your safari list. Hwange contains8 large carnivores, 19 large herbivores, and many other smaller mammal species, and is truly one of the great wildlife reserves in Africa.
You’ll see why we love Hwange so much on this first drive; this is what Africa must have been like 150 years ago, with unspoiled bush and plentiful game.
After an exciting game drive you’ll return to camp to relax and have dinner. Remember to look up at the stars tonight before going to bed; they are truly spectacular out here in the African bush.
Day 4: Hwange National Park
Your day of the 7 Days Zimbabwe Safari will start with an early breakfast and then you are off again to enjoy wonderful ‘Wankie’. You’ll have morning and afternoon game drives and lunch back at the lodge. Hwange’s sheer size means that its scenery, vegetation and animals vary hugely. The park has two distinct geographic zones.
The northern region, which is the focus of your safari and is a portion of the Zambezi watershed, is mostly made up of Mopane woodland, which sets it apart from the other regions. Elsewhere, the Kalahari scrublands drain into Botswana’s Makgadikgadi depression. This habitat is dominated by swampy depressions and open grasslands.
Hwange National Park has more animals and a greater variety of mammal species (over 100) than any other national park or wildlife area in Zimbabwe, as well as over 420 species of birds. All of Zimbabwe’s protected animals are to be seen here and interestingly it is the only park where Gemsbok and Brown Hyena occur together in reasonable numbers.
The population of African Painted Wolves (Wild Dogs) to be found in Hwange is thought to be of one of the larger groups in Africa.
Cheetahs, Leopards, Spotted Hyenas also occur in good numbers, and the park has large numbers of African Buffalo and Elephants, often is massive herds.
Nearly 500 Lions live in the park and in 2015, Hwange’s Lions gained international fame with the controversial death of Cecil, a much-loved Hwange Lion killed by a trophy hunter from the United States. Other game regularly seen in Hwange National Park are Plains Zebra, Greater Kudu, Giraffe, Impala, Common Wildebeest, Sable Antelope, Roan Antelope, Waterbuck, Common Eland, Warthog, Bat-eared Fox and many more.
Black and White Rhinos are sometimes spotted by a fortunate few.
If your afternoon drive extends into dusk, you may be lucky and see some of Hwange’s nocturnal creatures like Serval, Common Genet, Temminck’s Ground Pangolin, Southern Lesser Galago, African Civet, Aardwolf, Cape Porcupine and the mythical Aardvark. You’ll return to camp in the early evening to relax and have dinner. You’ll then retire for a good night’s rest.
Day 5: Hwange National Park
This morning you’ll have a good breakfast before setting off for another day of morning and afternoon game drives. You’ll once again return to the lodge for lunch and a short siesta (or a splash in the pool) in the heat of the day.
You should see some great numbers of game, with the highest numbers of animals spotted in the dry season months of July, August, September and October when the wildlife congregates around the shrunken water holes, ensuring spectacular sightings, including exciting predator-prey interactions.
Some waterholes have viewing platforms and hides where you can get out of the vehicle and stretch your legs a bit. The underground hides also give a completely different perspective of the wildlife around you. The hides and platforms are naturally also superb spots for anyone who is keen on wildlife photography.
The road network is also pretty good, with all of them linking the most important wildlife viewing areas and of course the waterholes, ensuring a great time on safari for you!
After your afternoon game drive you’ll return to the lodge or camp to freshen up and have dinner as you reminisce about your wonderful time so far and maybe start planning your next safari! Africa is a continent with the most remarkable sunsets and Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park is no different. Remember to take some photos – you will treasure them forever.
You will then head to bed and a good night’s rest; remember to listen out for the roar of a Lion or a nightjar’s call before falling asleep – Isn’t Africa fantastic!
Day 6: Hwange National Park
Today is your final full day in wonderful Hwange National Park. You’ll once again follow the same pattern as your previous days of this 7 Days Zimbabwe Safari, with morning and afternoon game drives, and returning for lunch and some time to chill in the rooms or around a swimming pool.
After breakfast you go out into the wilderness again. You’re guaranteed to see many of the park’s estimated 50,000 African Elephants.
They’ve been enormously successful in Hwange National Park and the population has increased too far above that naturally supported by such an area, even if it is a huge area. It is a controversial subject and it remains to be seen what will be done about it. At the moment, Hwange National Park remains one of the best places in the world to see these gentle giants!
Hwange is not all about elephants though, and is also a birder’s paradise. More than 420 species have been recorded, including about 50 different raptors.
Several special species occur here including Martial Eagle, African Hobby, Dickinson’s Kestrel, Egyptian Vulture, Secretarybird, Grey Crowned Crane, Kori Bustard, Southern Ground Hornbill, Bradfield’s Hornbill to name but a few.
After your game drive in the afternoon, you’ll return to the lodge for your farewell dinner, having made friends for life on this amazing 7 Days Zimbabwe Safari adventure.
Day 7: Hwange National Park To Victoria Falls Airport And Departure
Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, as they say, and your 7 Days Zimbabwe Safari is almost finished.
You’ll start the day with breakfast, and then check out after your wonderful time in Hwange. You’ll say your goodbye to the wonderful staff and make your way out of the park.
You’ll turn northwest to the Victoria Falls Airport, a short drive away. Here you’ll board your onward or homeward flights.
