Zimbabwe’s tourism is concentrated around Victoria Falls in the northwest, Hwange National Park an hour’s drive from the falls, Matobo Hills near Bulawayo, and Great Zimbabwe near Masvingo. The five tours below cover the full range - from a two-hour river cruise to a full-day Big Five game drive - and are all bookable through GetYourGuide with verified reviews.
All are bookable through GetYourGuide with verified reviews and, in most cases, free cancellation.
1. Victoria Falls: 2-Hour Zambezi River Sunset Cruise
Victoria Falls: 2-Hour Luxury Zambezi River Sunset Cruise (from $55 per person)
The Zambezi River above Victoria Falls is wide, island-dotted, and home to hippos, crocodiles, and large populations of elephants that come to the banks to drink in the late afternoon. The two-hour sunset cruise runs upstream from the Victoria Falls waterfront, where the wildlife is accustomed to boats and the light turns the water gold in the last hour before dark.
The cruise includes a welcome drink and snacks; most operators offer an open bar of soft drinks, beer, and wine throughout. Hippos are reliably sighted - the Zambezi has one of Africa’s densest hippo populations. Elephants crossing between islands are common in the dry season (June–October) when other water sources have dried up.
Departures are timed to the sunset, which in Victoria Falls runs from around 17:30 in June to 18:30 in November. Book the time that lines up with actual sunset for your visit date.
Duration: 2 hours | Difficulty: Easy (boat-based)
Includes: Welcome drink, open bar, snacks, guide
The sunset cruise is the standard way to mark an arrival in Victoria Falls and works as a first evening activity before the more physically demanding experiences the following day.
2. Hwange National Park: Big Five Game Drive from Victoria Falls
Hwange Big 5 Wildlife Safari - Day Trip from Victoria Falls (from $180 per person)
Hwange is Zimbabwe’s largest national park - 14,651 sq km of mixed woodland, savannah, and artificial watering holes that concentrate wildlife during the dry season. The elephant population of approximately 40,000 is one of the largest in Africa, and the park holds lion, leopard, wild dog, cheetah, sable antelope, roan antelope, and the full suite of plains herbivores alongside them.
The day trip from Victoria Falls departs at 6:00 am (it’s a 2-hour drive to the park entrance), runs two game drives with a break for lunch at a camp inside the park, and returns to Victoria Falls by early evening. A private vehicle gives you full flexibility to follow specific animals; shared vehicles follow a fixed route but are significantly cheaper.
Hwange’s artificially pumped waterholes make dry-season game viewing exceptionally reliable - the park was designed so that waterholes were placed throughout to prevent the wildlife dying of thirst, and animals aggregate around them predictably.
Duration: 12 hours | Difficulty: Easy (vehicle-based)
Includes: Transport from Victoria Falls, two game drives, lunch, guide, park fees
The Big Five are theoretically possible in a single day, but wild dog sightings are the most exciting: Hwange has one of the strongest wild dog populations in southern Africa.
3. Matobo Hills: Day Trip with Rhino Tracking from Bulawayo
Matobo Hills Day Trip with Rhino Tracking (from $140 per person)
Matobo National Park, 35 km south of Bulawayo, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with two distinct draws: an extraordinary landscape of granite boulders balanced in improbable formations over thousands of square kilometres, and a successful white rhino reintroduction programme that allows visitors to track rhinos on foot with armed rangers.
The rhino tracking component is the main event. Matobo holds both white rhino and black rhino; the tracking typically brings you within 30–50 metres of white rhino on foot - an experience that’s both statistically rare and fundamentally different from seeing rhinos from a vehicle. The landscape around the tracking area is also home to rock hyrax, vervet monkeys, and large populations of Verreaux’s eagle.
The tour also includes Cecil Rhodes’ grave at World’s View (the famous hill panorama he chose as his burial site), and the painted rock shelters at Nswatugi Cave with San Bushmen paintings estimated to be 2,000–6,000 years old.
Duration: 7 hours | Difficulty: Moderate (walking on uneven terrain during tracking)
Includes: Transport from Bulawayo, guide, rhino tracking, lunch, park fees
Tracking on foot with rhinos is one of the genuinely unusual experiences available in southern Africa. The combination of ancient rock art, dramatic geology, and close wildlife contact in a single day is exceptional value.
4. Great Zimbabwe: Ruins Day Trip from Masvingo (or Harare)
Great Zimbabwe Ruins Day Trip from Bulawayo (from $320 per person)
Great Zimbabwe is the largest pre-colonial stone structure in sub-Saharan Africa - a complex of dry-stone walls, towers, and enclosures built between the 11th and 15th centuries by the ancestors of the Shona people, at its height the capital of an empire controlling the gold and ivory trade from the interior to the Swahili coast. The country takes its name from it.
The site divides into three sections: the Hill Complex (the original royal residence on a granite outcrop), the Great Enclosure (the largest single structure, with walls 11 metres high and 5 metres thick at the base), and the Valley Ruins (a series of residential compounds stretching across the surrounding terrain). The conical tower inside the Great Enclosure - 9 metres tall, solid stone, purpose unknown - is the most photographed feature.
Note: this tour departs from Bulawayo (a 4-hour drive) which makes it a long day. From Harare or Masvingo the distances are shorter. Self-driving from Masvingo (a 30-minute drive) with a site guide hired on arrival is a practical alternative for those with a car.
Duration: 12 hours from Bulawayo | Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Includes: Transport, guide, site entry
5. Victoria Falls: Zambezi River White-Water Rafting
Victoria Falls: Zambezi River White Water Rafting Experience (from $120 per person)
The stretch of the Zambezi immediately below Victoria Falls is rated one of the most technically demanding commercially run rivers in the world - Grade 4–5 rapids through the Batoka Gorge, with rapid names like “Oblivion” and “The Mother” giving an honest indication of what to expect. The put-in point is at the base of the gorge (a steep 30-minute walk down) and the take-out requires a similar climb.
The half-day rafting experience runs through 15–25 rapids depending on season and water level. High water (December–March) covers some rapids but makes others more violent; low water (July–October) exposes all rapids and is considered the more challenging season. Safety kayakers and throw bags are positioned throughout the gorge. The post-rafting lunch with open bar at the cliff-top gives an appropriate way to recover.
Not suitable for non-swimmers, people with back or neck problems, or anyone under 15. The gorge scramble at the end requires a basic level of fitness regardless of the rafting itself.
Duration: Half day | Difficulty: Strenuous
Includes: Guide, safety equipment, wetsuit, lunch and open bar at the end
How to Choose
| Tour | Duration | Best for | From Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zambezi Sunset Cruise | 2 hrs | First evening, wildlife on the river | $55 |
| Hwange Big 5 Game Drive | 12 hrs | Wildlife, large elephant herds, wild dog | $180 |
| Matobo Rhino Tracking | 7 hrs | On-foot rhino encounter, rock art, geology | $140 |
| Great Zimbabwe Ruins | 12 hrs | UNESCO history, pre-colonial architecture | $320 |
| Zambezi White-Water Rafting | Half day | Adrenaline, Grade 4–5 rapids | $120 |
Prices are per person, in USD, as of 2026. All tours offer free cancellation; check individual listings for specific cancellation windows. Browse all Zimbabwe tours on GetYourGuide.