Hwange, Zimbabwe’s largest national park, is famed for its vast elephant herds, predators, and diverse wildlife. Just three hours from Victoria Falls, it combines perfectly with the ‘Smoke that Thunders’. From lions and wild dogs to giraffe and rhino, game viewing is exceptional—by vehicle, on foot, or from waterhole hides. Accommodation ranges from luxury lodges to family-friendly camps, with private concessions offering exclusive safaris, night drives, and walking adventures.
Hwange is Zimbabwe’s largest national park, known best for its heavyweight game viewing and beautiful wild landscapes. It’s also conveniently close to Victoria Falls, lying less than a 3-hour drive away. This makes a Hwange safari easy to combine with Victoria Falls, giving travellers the chance to enjoy a classic big game safari with all the drama and activities of ‘the Smoke that Thunders’.
Hwange certainly delivers a big game safari: home to an estimated 30 000 elephants and huge herds of buffalo, this park is one of the last refuges for endangered black rhino and African wild dogs. All the big cats – lions, leopards and cheetahs – are resident and you’ll see giraffe, zebra, antelope, warthog and baboons. Spot-lit night drives and guided walks reveal smaller and more elusive creatures but some of the best game viewing is often from the comfort of a hide set over a waterhole.
Hwange safari accommodation ranges from luxurious lodges to comfortable tented camps – there are ones better suited for honeymooners, and others that are more family-friendly. A combination of similar-type accommodation usually delivers the best experience. Choose from lodges set in the park itself and ones located in adjoining private concessions. Park-based lodges have easy access to some of the best game viewing areas of the park; privately run concession-based lodges enjoy exclusive sightings and offer extra activities – night drives and walking safaris.
Talk to Safari Online about a Hwange safari. We’ll recommend the best tour or accommodation for your requirements. We can also tailor-make an itinerary for you including Victoria Falls and Zimbabwe’s other top safari destination – Mana Pools National Park – where you can add canoeing on the Zambezi River to the list of adventures.
Hwange’s long dry winter (May to October) is generally seen as the best time for game viewing. Animals are increasingly concentrated around water and the leafless landscape makes spotting them easier. It is also the time of lowest risk from malaria and the most comfortable time to visit from the perspective of climate: temperatures from May through August are mild to warm with cold nights and virtually no rain.
Travellers should note that the dry season coincides with the lowest water levels at Victoria Falls – especially September to November. The falls are in full flow from February to May but this is when game viewing conditions are not optimum in Hwange – there may be heavy rain, animals are widely dispersed and the malaria risk is at its highest.
The June to August period is a good compromise: excellent game viewing at Hwange and still an enormous amount of water going over Victoria Falls.
Hwange’s summer season will appeal to returning safari travellers, wildlife photographers and bird watchers. The mass birthing of especially impala antelopes means plenty of predator activity; the landscape is beautifully green and lush; and the arrival of summer’s migrant birds cements Hwange’s reputation as one of the best birding destinations in southern Africa.
Hwange lodges are located discreetly throughout the park, sitting on private concessions to ensure their guests enjoy a complete wilderness experience. They are classic safari accommodations: timber and thatched lodges or lamp-lit tented camps. They all look out over water, an essential feature during Hwange’s long dry season, and offer a safari experience that blends game drives and walks with cultural insights and bird watching.
Romantic travellers will love several of our recommended Hwange lodges – small, intimate camps with honeymoon suites and table for two dining. Families will also find suitable accommodation with our choice of lodges that offer children’s activities and learning programmes. And all our Hwange lodges benefit from the experience and passion of Zimbabwe’s famously well-trained guides and you’ll find a genuine friendliness in camp.
Browse our recommended Hwange lodges below or simply contact us for advice about the most suitable accommodation for your needs and budget.
One of the few camps set inside Hwange Park, The Hide offers day & night game drives plus guided walks & birding with expert guides. There are 10 comfortable tented suites plus a pool; its famous photographic hide overlooks a productive waterhole.
There are just 7 suites & a family chalet at Linkwasha, ensuring a personalised stay at our top-end choice. A private setting means night drives & walks plus game drives; a sleep-out platform means a night under the stars for the adventurous.
You can fly from Victoria Falls to Somalisa Camp & the safari begins right away. The camp sits in a private concession, ensuring exclusive game viewing. Back at camp, there are 6 well-appointed suites complete with hammock & outdoor bath.
With its rich array of wildlife, including the Big Five, Hwange National Park offers an authentic Zimbabwean experience. Become one with the wild as only canvas and gauze separate you from the African bush, allowing for each wildlife encounter to be close up; captivating and mesmerizing.
Somalisa Acacia, nestled within the heart of Hwange, is the ideal sanctuary for families seeking an authentic safari experience paired with timeless luxury. Set against the untamed backdrop of Hwange National Park, Somalisa Acacia epitomizes the natural beauty of the African wild.
There are only 6 tented chalets at this lodge but it has everything else in abundance. Photographic hides over waterholes, star-lit dining, a swimming pool & activities ranging from guided walks & game drives to cultural tours & village visits.
A Hwange Safari tour is best experienced as part of a more extensive itinerary in Zimbabwe and beyond. The Hwange National Park is Zimbabwe’s heavyweight game destination but with several other wildlife hotspots nearby, it is worth creating a more diverse safari experience. And with Victoria Falls a couple of hours’ drive away, you can finish your Hwange Safari tour with the thrills and spills of the Smoke that Thunders – white-water rafting, bungee jumping, elephant-back safaris and walking with lions.
Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools offers a chance for safari travellers to mix the big game of a Hwange safari with the equally large wildlife of the Zambezi River, viewed by 4X4, boat and kayak. Next-door Botswana has Africa’s biggest elephant herds, most easily seen at the Chobe River in the dry season, a time when Hwange’s game viewing is also at its most rewarding.
Browse our recommended itineraries below; each includes a Hwange tour as well as other tried-and-tested destinations. Or you can simply contact us for advice on making a Hwange safari part of a tailor-made tour, based on your needs and budget.
Our team of destination experts will design a holiday to meet your budget and interests. Let’s start planning your tailor-made African safari today!
A Hwange safari is usually part of a bigger itinerary featuring Zimbabwe’s other top destinations such as Victoria Falls and Mana Pools National Park. It is also a destination that lies close to another super-heavyweight in the safari business: Botswana. Ask us about combining Hwange with Botswana’s Chobe River and Okavango Delta. And if you fancy heading down south to check out everyone’s favourite city – Cape Town – or feel like an Indian Ocean getaway, then Hwange’s proximity to Victoria Falls International Airport makes it all possible.
