Explore Zimbabwe on foot over 17 days
Walking safari for individual travellers and groups
Days
1 Harare: Welcome to Zimbabwe!
You will be met upon arrival at the Harare International Airport, from where you will be transferred to a very comfortable guesthouse.
One of our experienced travel consultants will meet you, to advise you on everything you want to know about your trip.
You will receive all your travel documents, i.e. vouchers for accommodation, a road map, a detailed itinerary, a list of phone numbers and contact details of all service providers.
Walking choices:
Includes:
Excludes:
2, 3, 4 Nyanga: Beautiful Mountain Wilderness
After breakfast you drive (2.5 hours) to Rusape, a small town on the highway to Mutare. You will visit a typical rural setting, where you will walk around with a local guide. Nothing surprises visitors more than walking around villages, meeting the local people who simply do what they always do: work on their small agricultural plots. It is another world, but it is a reality for half of Zimbabwe’s population.
The leisurely walks last 2 hours and a traditional and healthy lunch will be served.
After lunch a 2 hour drive will take you to a magical destination, relatively unknown, The Muturazi National park. The views here are awesome. You will stay in a charming cottage in the midst of a place called Far and Wide, a paradise, with a myriad of walking trails. This is mountainous forest area.
On arrival you can make a leisurely stroll of less than 1 hour to the escarpment which overlooks the Honde Valley.
On day 3 The trail to the Mutarazi Falls takes participants from FAR and WIDE along the Mutarazi escarpment via the Honde View point, one of Zimbabwe’s most wonderful look outs with views down into the Honde Valley and on into Mozambique, through mountain forest and to the Falls themselves. The walk is of medium difficulty and takes about three to four hours.
Day 4: The Turaco Trail is an iconic hiking trail of Zimbabwe. This section of the trial is of medium difficulty and takes about five to six hours. It sees participants start out from FAR and WIDE and walk through wild primary mountain forest, mountain grassland, valleys and mountain ridges to the summit of Chikorokoto and back to FAR and WIDE. Lunch is had along the way. The summit ridge provides exquisite views of the Pungwe Gorge and Mt Nyangani, Zimbabwe’s highest mountain.
5 and 6 Misty Vumba
After breakfast you will drive to the cosy town of Mutare, the gateway to the Vumba Mountains. On the day of arrival, in the afternoon, you can have a 1 hour easy unguided walk on the greener then green premises of the lodge.
On day 6 we created two choices:
A full day in the Vumba with a two hour guided bird walk in Bunga Tropical Forest. Even if you are not a birdwatcher you will enjoy this magical forest and its beautiful viewpoints. Then a climb at Leopard Rock and a visit to a village.
If time permits you can do light 1 – hour stroll in the Vumba Botanical Garden.
Alternatively you can do a 4 to 5 hour guided walk in the Odzi area, through farms and villages.
7 and 8 Chimanimani: Where the World Peaks
Driving through Mutare you will reach Chimanimani in about 3 hours, though the views and the steep roads will slow down your journey of about 160 km.
A paradise for hikers! The views here are different than those of Nyanga and Vumba. This is raw nature. Nothing rolls here, things peak right up to heaven so it seems.
We love Chimanimani, its skies, its peaks, its walking trails and its independent people.
On offer are various walks of different lengths and difficulty.
On the day of arrival, provided you start before 2 pm, you can do an unguided walk (3 hours) through Indigenous Msasa woodland down to the magnificent Bridal Veil Falls. This is an easy walk unless you choose to climb to the very top of the Falls, which needs an hour extra.
Alternatively you can do a light stroll into the small centre of Chimanimani, bustling with people doing their thing, with in the background the ever present peaks of the mountains.
On day 8 there is a wide choice of walks.
The premier one is the guided walk from Base Camp to the Hut: first a 40 minute drive to the base of a massive mountain, from there, using sparsely marked trails, you go up, mostly through steep riverbeds, sometimes on all fours. It takes about 2 to 2.5 hours, to reach the top. The views are breath taking, and it is worthwhile all the efforts. The descent down takes also 2 to 2.5 hours. It is a heavy challenging walk.
When you are keen to get a taste of the quartzite mountain, you can drive to Outward Bound (about 30 minutes) with a packed lunch. From there you are guided to the Mangowe waterfalls. This is 3 hour walk, moderately strenuous. At the end of that walk you can take a cool dip in Tessa’s Pool and see the San paintings, before returning to the village.
We also designed a guided walk where you will meet local people, the Greenmont walk.
Along the ridge from above the Hotel, going west, you come down through Ngangu township and to the golf course, meeting with the proud, independent and welcoming Matsetso people and walking up through their village.
Overnight in a charming guest house, with a bird filled garden, and locally grown coffee with great hosts.
9 and 10 Masvingo: Mysteries of the Great Zimbabwe Ruins
After breakfast you depart for Masvingo, the home of the famous Great Zimbabwe Ruins. The drive is about 350 km, and takes about 4 to 5 hours, on a quiet road with great landscapes.
Zimbabwe – meaning big house made of stone – derived its name from the massive stonewalls found at Great Zimbabwe. Historians and archaeologists are still excited about this place. The ruins are surrounded by unanswered questions: Who built them? Where are the graves of the deceased leaders? Why was it abandoned? We advise you to take at least 2 to 3 hours for your visit, guided by one of the excellent local guides.
On day 10 we have organised a guided walk through the rolling landscapes near the ruins. This walk takes you to various villages. Great views! Including views over Lake Mutirikwi, a great man-made lake, which supplies water to the sugarcane fields in the Lowveld.
You finish off this active day with a two-hour boat cruise on the lake, including a shoreline cruise along Lake Mutirikwi National Park, where you may encounter various Antelopes, Rhino’s and giraffes.
Overnight in a hotel near the ruins.
11 and 12 Matopos National Park: City of Kings & Balancing Rocks
You depart for Bulawayo, the second city of Zimbabwe; a drive of about 4 to 5 hours. You can do a short walk in the city centre, which has a great variety of historical buildings, one of them the famous national gallery. A visit to the Natural History Museum is an attractive option. The drive to Matopos National Park from Bulawayo centre takes about 45 minutes.
On day 12 you do a full day organised trip inside Matopos national park.
Once you have seen the landscapes In Matopos you will understand why John Cecil Rhodes wanted to be buried in its granite rocks. Worlds View offers views you have never seen before. Another must is to go on foot, with a guide, to trace the White Rhino. It is as exciting as looking for gold or diamonds. Experiencing the expertise and passion of the local guides simply adds joy and awe to your memories. The rock paintings tell you stories of the far behind past. Overnight in a stunning lodge, just a short distance from the park. Built on a granite dome, surrounded by a theatre of tumbling rocks and kopjes with magnificent views.
13 and 14 Hwange National Park: The Big 5
After breakfast you will depart for Hwange National Park which will take about 4 hours.
This is Big 5 country!
Hwange National Park is the largest national park of Zimbabwe (1.5 million hectares). It has a great diversity of wildlife, and has more than 200 bird species. The standard of professional guiding in Zimbabwe is very high. Full of passion and knowledgeable about every living thing: wildlife, insects, grasses, flowers and birds. With their guidance you may encounter elephant, buffalo, sable antelope, lion, wild dog and with some luck the leopard. But don’t be surprised to spend 15 exciting minutes near an ant-hill to hear the amazing story of what‘s going on inside!
It is this unique wildlife experience which will make you come back to the magic of Africa!
A game walk will provide you with an opportunity to get close to nature and appreciate the sights and sounds of the African wild.
Overnight in a private game lodge situated on its own concession.
15 and 16 Victoria Falls: Mosi O Tunya - The Smoke that Thunders
After breakfast you depart for the journey of about 3 hours to the Victoria Falls.
The Victoria Falls don’t need much introduction, they are known all over the world.
This is adrenaline territory: rafting, kayaking, canoeing, horse riding, and other exciting activities with weird names: Bungi Jump, Zip Line, Cable Slide and the Gorge Swing.
For the less adventurous there are boat cruises, game drives in Zambezia National Park, interaction with elephants and lions, and helicopter rides over the falls. There is simply too much to mention all.
All activities can be booked at the tour desk of your hotel, you can also pre-book activities at time of booking this tour.
17 Departure: Take your memories with you
In case you want to upgrade your car we can provide you with options using the fleets if our trading partners Europcar and Avis.
Includes: standard car, Toyota Harrier or similar, day 2 – day 15, unlimited mileage, one-way fee, fully comprehensive insurance
Excludes: fuel, toll – fees, excess from USD 500
Includes: standard car, Toyota Harrier or similar, day 2 – day 15, unlimited mileage, fuel, one-way fee, fully comprehensive insurance, all costs for driver (accommodation, meals, wages, overtime), toll fees.
The carefully chosen accommodation in the standard option is rated between 3 and 4 star. On request we can upgrade the accommodation, except in Nyanga.
Depending on your return flight to your final destination it may be more convenient to fly to either Livingstone, Lusaka or Harare. Our office will be happy to advise you on the best options.