13. Kariba City and Lake

This small lakeside town attracts thousands of visitors each year to the country's northernmost regions and is a major hub in the Lake Kariba and Zambezi Valley region.

Located on the edge of Zambia, it offers access to Kariba Dam The Khallab - one of the finest works of engineering in these parts.

It is also the perfect place for walking and outdoor explorations around the water's edges. Or to watch the red and pink African sunset with the locals.

Lake Kariba

12. Gonarecho National Park

You might think you're in Colorado or Arizona as you navigate the rust-colored cliffs that dominate the vistas of North Gonarechue National Park.

Covering a massive 5,000 square kilometres, this wilderness is just part of the massive Limpopo Game Reserve, which is set to extend across the border into Mozambique when fully established.

Elephants and giraffes are common sights, while you will also be able to spot packs of wild dogs and zebra among the mopane tree forests.

 

Gonarechu National Park

Read also: The most beautiful national parks in Africa

 

11. Matusadona National Park

Clinging to the southern shores of Lake Kariba, on the Zimbabwean side of the great body of water, Matusadona National Park is a remnant of the former state of Rhodesia.

After being designated by Zimbabwe following the unrest, the area retained its protected status.

It's easy to see why..

First, the entire area is beautifully untouched and roadless, with Cape buffalo and elephants.

One of the most common mammals.

Second, there is the Kariba Waters themselves, which have created vast grazing lands since the construction of the Kariba Dam, allowing ungulates and predators alike to thrive along its edges.

A herd of elephants in Matusadona National Park

 

10. Mana Pools National Park

Mana Pools National Park is located in the far north of the country, and the park is fed by the lifeblood of the to the zambezi river , which is the fourth longest river in the African continent. It is known as one of the most pristine natural areas in Zimbabwe.

It is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its amazing concentrations of wildlife, including elephant, buffalo and leopard.

Mana Pools is also a haven for water-based wildlife, with large numbers of hippos and Nile crocodiles.

They live in the four ponds that give the park its name, each created by the Zambezi River before it changed course to flow north.

The largest of these is about 3.7 miles/6 kilometers long and provides a valuable source of water even at the height of the dry season.

The abundance of water makes this park a prime spot for birds as well.

It is also the country's best destination for walking safaris and self-sufficient camping trips.

Mana Pools National Park

 

9. Chenhui

A small town at a crossroads on the main road west from Harare to Lusaka across the border in Zambia.

Nestled among the rising hills of Mashonaland West Province, it has a peaceful setting and a range of basic services – a bank, hospital and the like.

However, Chinhoyi is mainly famous for only one thing: its caves.

Known simply as the Chinhui, these caves make their way into the cliffs west of the centre.

They occupy their own national park, and divers come from far and wide to experience the high-tech deep descent into the cold subterranean waters that hide in vast caves.

Chinhoyi Caves

Read also: The most famous caves in the world

 

8. Masvingo area

Welcome Masvingo For travellers to the deeper reaches of Zimbabwe, it is one of the main drop-off points for VIP buses heading to the southern edge of the country.

And what a welcome! Sitting elegantly on the edge of Motrikoi National Park, the place has plenty of outdoor exploration to offer.

However, the most worthy site to visit has to be the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Great Zimbabwe , which lurks in the bushes about 20 kilometers away.

These 700-year-old ruins crumble and crack in the sun, revealing tales of an ancient Shona-speaking people. That’s why Masvingo is one of the best places to visit in Zimbabwe – the jewel of southern Africa.

Great Zimbabwe - Masvingo

 

7. Mutari

Mutare's gateway to the far eastern reaches of Zimbabwe and Nyanga National Park beside it, makes its home among the steep valleys of Manicaland.

Everywhere you can see the jagged peaks ofBfumba Mountains which surrounds the city, making it a pocket of civilization deep in the wilderness of South Africa.

Today, the place has developed a nice collection of backpacker guesthouses and cheap hostels, making it a great place to stop on the way to climb the hills or chase the curious Samango monkey over the rugged eastern highlands.

Mutari

 

6. Hwange National Park

Hwange National Park is located In the west of the country on the border with Botswana , It is the oldest and largest game reserve in Zimbabwe.

It covers a vast area of approximately 5,655 square miles/14,650 square kilometers, and provides refuge for more than 100 species of mammals.

It is famous for its elephants – in fact, the elephant population in Hwange is believed to be one of the largest in the world.

The park is also home to some of Africa's rarest safari animals, including the African wild dog, brown hyena and the endangered black rhinoceros.

Bird life is abundant here, with over 400 species recorded within the park.

Accommodation in Hwange National Park ranges from luxury lodges located on their own concessions, to rustic campsites that offer the opportunity to spend a night under canvas in the heart of the African bush.

Hwange National Park

5. Nyanga National Park

Perched on the surface of Zimbabwe, more than 1,800 metres above sea level, it is made up of massive hills of dolomite rock, suspended boulders that creak in the cool breeze.

Dressed in groves of cypress trees that are rare in these areas, the park hosts an array of beautiful creatures.

Many are endemic, such as the Old World Samango monkeys, with their white throats that can only be found in these parts.

You'll also find a few leopards and lions, just in case you want a taste of the perfect African safari!

Beautiful waterfalls in Nyanga National Park

4. Matobo National Park

The legendary Matobo National Park is a cross-country reserve located south of Bulawayo.

Long known for its bizarre array of rock formations and inland mountains, it is a land of sculpted granite peaks and anthropomorphic bluffs.

These have been a refuge for humans for thousands of years, and today it is possible to spy the remains of South Africa's prehistoric past carved into stone in places like Nsawatugi Cave.

Meanwhile, others come to chase ungulates in the Hove Wild area – the dedicated game park here; a land of sable antelope and wildebeest, and a herd of baboons and leopards.

One of the caves in Matobo National Park

Read also: Amazing pictures showing the beauty of the African continent

3. Bulawayo City

If you find yourself craving urban culture, visit Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second largest city (after the capital, Harare).

Founded in the mid-19th century by Ndebele king Lobhengula, the city came under the rule of the British South Africa Company.

As a result, much of the city's current architecture dates back to the colonial era.

But this second city is more than just a historical relic.

It's also an industrial and economic hub, once famous for its smoke-belching factories, and still crisscrossed by more railway lines than you can shake a Ndebele tribal trinket at.

The city is indelibly green and flowery, with wide streets lined with swaying jacaranda trees, bougainvillea cascading over rooftops and palm trees punctuating roundabouts.

In between you can see the elegant government buildings, go shopping for trinkets, or plan your next safari to the southwestern parks.

Bulawayo City

2. Harare City – Capital

Sitting on the plateaus of Zimbabwe's central highlands, this city is home to nearly three million people, making it not only the capital but also the largest city in the country.

Endless steel-clad skyscrapers rise from the Central Business District (CBD) – the country’s economic hub – and First Street and Downtown bustle with traffic and shoppers from morning until night.

There is history too, evident in the great preservation of the National Gallery, the National Archives, and the Queen Victoria Museum, not to mention the wealth of old colonial buildings.

Apart from that, visitors here can enjoy the beautiful gardens and stroll among the jacarandas that line the paths.

Harare city

Beautiful street in Harare city

1. Victoria Falls

There is a clear reason why Victoria Falls is one of the must-see places in Zimbabwe.

Like the Niagara towns of the same name in the United States and Canada, the settlement is located a stone's throw from the roaring falls that gave it its nickname.

Thousands of people flock here to see the magnificent views every year as well.

They join baboons in the bush and dive into Victoria Falls National Park just south of the centre.

They stare and gasp as the great curtain of water appears, cascading down the black rock cliffs in columns of steam and mist.

Victoria Falls - Zimbabwe

 

Zimbabwe map