Zimbabwe punches above its weight in the luxury safari market. Operators like Wilderness Safaris and &Beyond have invested decades in the country’s two premier game areas - Hwange and Mana Pools - and the camps they run offer a standard of guiding, cuisine, and environmental design that competes with the best in Africa. Visitor numbers remain far lower than Botswana or Tanzania, which means the bush genuinely feels private.
This guide covers the best luxury options across Zimbabwe’s main safari areas, with current price guidance and honest assessments of what each property delivers. For an understanding of how luxury costs stack up against budget and mid-range, see our Zimbabwe safari cost guide.
Hwange National Park - Fly-In Luxury Camps
Hwange is Zimbabwe’s largest national park and home to the highest concentration of luxury fly-in camps in the country. The dry season (June–October) concentrates extraordinary numbers of elephants and predators around the permanent waterholes on private concessions.
Linkwasha Camp - Wilderness Safaris
Price: approximately USD 750–1,100 per person per night, fully inclusive Location: Linkwasha concession, northwest Hwange Capacity: 8 tents, 16 guests maximum
Linkwasha is positioned at the edge of the Linkwasha Vlei, a seasonal floodplain that forms one of the most productive wildlife-watching positions in the entire park. In peak dry season (August–October), herds of 200–400 elephants converge on the vlei at mid-morning - visible from the camp’s elevated wooden deck without moving. Predator sightings (lion, leopard, wild dog) are consistent.
The eight en-suite tents sit on raised platforms with private decks. Décor is understated - canvas and natural wood rather than five-star hotel chrome. Meals are served at long communal tables under the stars or in the main lounge; the cuisine standard is genuinely impressive for a remote bush location. All transfers from Victoria Falls Town airstrip are included (25-minute light aircraft flight). Book through Wilderness Safaris directly or via a reputable Africa-specialist travel agent.
Search flights to Victoria Falls as the nearest international hub before flying into Hwange.
Little Makalolo Camp - Wilderness Safaris
Price: approximately USD 600–950 per person per night, fully inclusive Location: Linkwasha concession, northwest Hwange Capacity: 6 tents, 12 guests maximum
Little Makalolo shares the same Wilderness Safaris concession as Linkwasha, with a different waterhole position that offers arguably even closer sightings from the main lounge. Six tents create an exceptionally intimate atmosphere - at 12 guests maximum, this is one of the smallest camps in the country, which shows in the guiding attention and the absence of any crowd feeling.
Game drives are conducted at dawn and late afternoon; guided walks are offered in the morning. The same tracker-guide team operates both Makalolo camps, meaning guides know the concession intimately. Rates are slightly below Linkwasha due to the smaller camp infrastructure, but the wildlife experience is comparable.
Davison’s Camp - Wilderness Safaris
Price: approximately USD 500–800 per person per night, fully inclusive Location: Hwange National Park concession Capacity: 9 tents, 18 guests maximum
Davison’s represents the more accessible entry point into Wilderness Safaris’ Hwange operation. Nine tents and slightly higher capacity means rates are more approachable without sacrificing guiding quality - the same professional standards apply across all three camps. The waterhole at Davison’s is productive across a longer portion of the day than some competitors, with elephant activity from early morning through to late afternoon.
Fly-in from Victoria Falls or Hwange Town airstrip. Fully inclusive rates include all meals, drinks, twice-daily game drives, walks, park fees, and transfers.
Somalisa Camp - &Beyond
Price: approximately USD 700–1,000 per person per night, fully inclusive Location: Somalisa concession, eastern Hwange Capacity: 7 tents, 14 guests maximum
Somalisa is &Beyond’s flagship Zimbabwe camp and occupies a private concession in the eastern sector of Hwange, near the Somalisa floodplain. The eastern sector sees fewer visitors than the Linkwasha area, delivering genuine seclusion. Seven classic safari tents with en-suite bathrooms and private plunge pools. The guiding focus here is heavily on predator tracking - the concession has regular lion, leopard, and painted dog activity.
Mana Pools National Park - World-Class Walking Safaris
Mana Pools is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Zambezi River and the country’s most exclusive park. Entry numbers are strictly controlled. The defining experience is on foot - Mana Pools’ walking safaris, guided by licenced professional hunters and ecologists, are considered among the best in Africa.
Ruckomechi Camp - Wilderness Safaris
Price: approximately USD 900–1,300 per person per night, fully inclusive Location: Ruckomechi concession, western Mana Pools Capacity: 10 tents, 20 guests maximum
Ruckomechi is the gold standard of Zimbabwe safari camps and one of the finest lodges on the continent. Positioned on the Zambezi floodplain with views directly into Zambia, the camp offers the distinctive Mana Pools experience: walking alongside buffalo herds, watching elephants balanced on their hind legs reaching for ana tree pods, canoeing down channels between sandbanks while hippos surface nearby.
The camp’s ten tents are positioned along the Zambezi escarpment; five are classic canvas, five are newer elevated structures. The guiding team holds some of the longest-serving professional guide licences in Zimbabwe. Ruckomechi books out 10–14 months ahead for peak season (September–October). Book via Wilderness Safaris or through a specialist African travel consultant immediately if these dates are in your plans.
Check availability at Ruckomechi and Mana Pools camps
Chikwenya Camp - Zimbabwe Safari Company
Price: approximately USD 700–950 per person per night, fully inclusive Location: Eastern Mana Pools, Chikwenya concession Capacity: 7 tents, 14 guests maximum
Chikwenya sits at the confluence of the Sapi and Zambezi rivers in the eastern portion of Mana Pools. The camp was fully rebuilt and reopened in recent years with a strong environmental design - raised walkways connect tents set in a dense riverine forest, and the sightlines from the dining area across the floodplain are exceptional. Chikwenya has strong painted dog tracking, particularly in the shoulder seasons (May–June, November).
Victoria Falls - Luxury Properties With Game Access
Victoria Falls isn’t a safari destination in itself, but the town has several high-quality properties that serve as bases for day safaris into Hwange and for multi-activity itineraries.
Matetsi River Lodge - &Beyond
Price: approximately USD 600–900 per room per night, fully inclusive Location: Matetsi Private Game Reserve, 40 km from Victoria Falls Capacity: 18 suites
Matetsi sits on a 135,000-hectare private game reserve along the Zambezi River, between Victoria Falls and Lake Kariba. It functions as a hybrid: a genuine game reserve with four-hour game drives on the private concession, plus easy access to the Falls themselves (30-minute drive). The 18 suites are among the most architecturally refined in Zimbabwe - floor-to-ceiling glass, private plunge pools overlooking the river.
Game on the Matetsi reserve includes elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, and giraffe. The concession is much larger than the immediate Victoria Falls area, giving game drives space to cover varied terrain. Rates include all meals, drinks, twice-daily game drives, and park fees.
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The Victoria Falls Hotel
Price: approximately USD 300–600 per room per night, B&B Location: Victoria Falls Town, Zimbabwe Capacity: 161 rooms
The Victoria Falls Hotel is a 1904 colonial-era landmark that offers a fundamentally different experience to the bush camps - this is a grand hotel rather than a game lodge. The value is in its position (the only property with direct views of the Victoria Falls Bridge and the spray from the gorge), its historical atmosphere, and its use as a base for day activities. Game drives into Hwange are available as day excursions from the hotel.
Eastern Highlands - Mountain Luxury
Leopard Rock Hotel
Price: approximately USD 150–250 per room per night, B&B or half-board Location: Vumba Mountains, near Mutare Capacity: 67 rooms
Leopard Rock sits in the Vumba Mountains above Mutare, surrounded by highland forest and a golf course. The property is not a game lodge - it does not offer game drives or Big Five viewing - but it represents the premium option in the Eastern Highlands and appeals to travellers seeking mountain scenery, birding, and hiking rather than safari. The hotel has a genuine colonial-era elegance that is rare in Zimbabwe. National park entry to Bvumba Botanical Gardens is a short drive.
Find rooms in Mutare and the Eastern Highlands
Matobo Hills - Tented Luxury
Camp Amalinda
Price: approximately USD 160–250 per person per night, fully inclusive Location: Matobo National Park concession Capacity: 6 suites, 12 guests maximum
Camp Amalinda integrates into Matobo’s distinctive boulder landscape - the suites are built around and under enormous granite boulders, with open-fronted designs that blur the boundary between interior and landscape. The area’s main activities are rhino tracking on foot, San rock art tours, and game drives through the hills. This is not Big Five territory in the Hwange sense, but the immersive boulder camp design and the intimacy of guided walks make it a compelling alternative for repeat safari visitors.
Matobo Hills Lodge
Price: approximately USD 110–180 per person per night, fully inclusive Location: Private land adjacent to Matobo National Park Capacity: 10 cottages
Matobo Hills Lodge operates as a full-board property with guided game drives into the park and rhino tracking experiences. The cottages are stone-built and well-appointed without reaching the pure luxury tier. This is a strong mid-range-to-upper option for travellers combining Matobo with Bulawayo.
Browse all Matobo Hills accommodation
How to Plan a Luxury Zimbabwe Safari Circuit
The two most popular luxury itineraries in Zimbabwe:
Victoria Falls + Hwange (5–6 nights): Fly into Victoria Falls international airport → 2–3 nights at Matetsi or a Victoria Falls town property → light aircraft to Hwange airstrip → 3–4 nights at Linkwasha, Davison’s, or Somalisa → fly back to Victoria Falls for departure. This itinerary works year-round; peak season is July–October.
Hwange + Mana Pools (7–9 nights): The classic Zimbabwe circuit for serious safari travellers. Fly into Victoria Falls → 3–4 nights Hwange luxury camp → light aircraft connection (via Harare) to Mana Pools airstrip → 3–4 nights Ruckomechi or Chikwenya → fly out from Harare. This requires more complex internal routing but delivers two of Africa’s finest wildlife areas back to back.
For a day-by-day version of either circuit, see our Zimbabwe honeymoon itinerary and 14-day Zimbabwe itinerary.