Hwange is Zimbabwe’s flagship park — 14,600 square kilometers of Kalahari sandveld holding around 30,000 elephant, strong lion prides and one of Africa’s most important populations of endangered painted dog.
Zimbabwe’s professional-guide license is the hardest to earn in Africa, and it shows: walking here is superb, and the private concessions run pumped waterholes where the dry-season procession of elephant is continuous. The park sits two hours from Victoria Falls.
Hwange is Zimbabwe’s flagship park and one of Africa’s great elephant strongholds — 40,000 or more in the dry season, drawn to pumped waterholes where lodges set their hides. It is quietly one of the best-value Big Five safaris in Southern Africa, and just two hours from Victoria Falls.
Highlights of Hwange National Park
Elephant at the waterholes
Dry-season herds queue at the pans in their hundreds — watched from sunken hides.
Painted dogs
Hwange is a stronghold for Africa’s most endangered large carnivore.
Walking with pro guides
Zimbabwe’s full professional guides are licensed to walk you close — safely.
Victoria Falls gateway
Two hours by road from the Falls — an easy, natural combination.
Explore Victoria Falls gateway →Best time to visit
Dry season — the waterhole spectacle at its peak.
Green season — migrant birds, newborn game and painted-dog denning later in the year.
In the rainy months many of these same camps drop their rates by 20–40% — emerald landscapes, newborn wildlife, superb birding and far fewer vehicles. Peak season isn't the only great season: tell us your budget and we'll show you what the green season buys.
Planning & cost
Fully tailor-made — priced privately to your camps, season and travel style. No fixed packages.
Every journey is private and tailor-made — your own guide and vehicle, the finest lodges, and a specialist on call throughout.
Everything else,
answered before you ask
The practical details that apply to every safari we plan — so this page is the only one you need.
Money & tipping
US dollars are accepted at virtually every camp, and cards work at lodges and city hotels. Your trip is fully inclusive, so cash is mainly for tips: plan on roughly $10–20 per guest per day for your guide and $10–15 for camp staff, handed over at the end of each stay. We send exact guidance with your final documents.
Health & safety
See a travel clinic 6–8 weeks before departure for routine shots and malaria advice (most safari regions require prophylaxis; parts of South Africa are malaria-free). Camps are remote but professionally run, with radio contact and evacuation cover — we require travel insurance that includes emergency medical evacuation.
Staying connected
Nearly all lodges have Wi-Fi in the main areas (often in-tent too), and an eSIM from your US carrier covers the cities. Expect to be offline on game drives — most guests come to see that as the point. Family back home can always reach you through us, day or night.
What to pack
Soft duffel bags only (light aircraft cap luggage around 33 lb / 15 kg), neutral-colored layers for cold mornings and warm afternoons, and binoculars. Laundry is included at almost every camp, so pack for 4–5 days no matter the trip length.
Full packing list →Continue exploring
Zimbabwe
A Zimbabwe safari runs from Victoria Falls to Hwange’s elephants and the wild canoeing of Mana Pools.
Explore → ExperienceVictoria Falls
The greatest curtain of falling water on earth — a natural wonder.
Explore → ZimbabweMana Pools National Park
Mana Pools — canoe the Zambezi through a UNESCO World Heritage wilderness.
Explore →Hwange National Park FAQs
Getting to Zimbabwe — flights, visas and health
Current at the time of writing. We re-confirm every requirement for your exact routing before you travel — and we will tell you what to apply for, and when.
Let's design your Hwange National Park journey.
Tell us how you like to travel and our experts will craft your private, tailor-made itinerary — no obligation.
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