How to travel between safari destinations in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe's safari hotspots are spread across vast and often remote wilderness areas. While it is possible to travel by road, the best way to get around Zimbabwe for safari is by combining light aircraft flights with private transfers for maximum comfort, efficiency, and access.
What is the Best Way to Travel Around Zimbabwe on Safari?
If you're planning to explore more than one safari park — such as Hwange, Matusadona (Lake Kariba), or Mana Pools — light aircraft flights are not only time-saving but essential due to the long distances and limited road access in some areas.
Most of our Zimbabwe safaris include chartered flights between lodges, such as from Victoria Falls to Hwange, then on to Lake Kariba, and finally Mana Pools, helping you avoid long, bumpy road transfers and giving you more time on safari.
Popular Safari Itineraries in Zimbabwe
A classic Zimbabwe safari itinerary includes:
- 2 nights at Victoria Falls
- 2 to 3 nights in Hwange National Park
- 2 to 3 nights at Mana Pools or Lake Kariba
This combination offers a thrilling mix of adventure, landscapes, and game viewing — from Big 5 safaris in Hwange to canoeing the Zambezi in Mana Pools.
If you're a returning traveller, go off the beaten track to Matobo Hills (granite landscapes and ancient rock art), Gonarezhou (remote safari and big elephant herds), or Matusadona (Lake Kariba views and excellent walking safaris).
The more full days you spend at a safari lodge, the more morning and afternoon game drives or walking safaris you can enjoy. This matters because each activity gives you a new opportunity to explore different terrain and increases your chances of spotting wildlife you may have missed on previous days. Travelling between camps by air makes this even more efficient.
Transport Options in Zimbabwe: What You Need to Know
Zimbabwe's top safari destinations are wild, remote, and relatively untouched — part of what makes them so special. But that same remoteness means infrastructure can be limited, especially outside the major cities. While roads connect towns and national parks, distances are long, travel times can be unpredictable, and self-driving is not recommended for first-time visitors. For travellers looking to make the most of their time in the bush, understanding your transport options in Zimbabwe is key to planning a seamless and stress-free safari.
- The quickest and most efficient way to travel between Zimbabwe's safari regions.
- Regular scheduled and private flights connect Victoria Falls, Hwange, Matusadona, Mana Pools, and Harare.
- Flight times vary from 30 minutes to 2+ hours.
- Light aircraft have strict luggage limits (typically 15kg in soft bags).
- Comfortable and reliable private shuttles are available between popular destinations.
- Groups like Wild Horizons offer scheduled transfers.
- Ideal for trips between Victoria Falls and Hwange, or airports and lodges.
- Zimbabwe's colonial-era railways offer scenic (but slow) journeys.
- The Bulawayo to Victoria Falls route is well-known.
- For a nostalgic luxury rail experience, consider booking a journey with Rovos Rail.
- However, we don't recommend train travel as a practical option for getting between safari destinations due to limited routes, outdated infrastructure, and frequent delays.
- Local buses, often referred to as "chicken buses," are not recommended for international travellers.
- They tend to be overcrowded, slow, and unreliable.
Final Thoughts: How to Plan Your Safari Transport in Zimbabwe
While road travel for short stretches is possible, air travel is by far the most practical and comfortable way to access Zimbabwe's remote safari parks. Distances are long, infrastructure is limited, and light aircraft allow you to maximise your time on safari — rather than in transit.
Some travellers hesitate at the idea of flying between camps, but it's precisely this remoteness that makes a Zimbabwe safari so special. The limited access means fewer vehicles, no crowds, and a genuinely wild, uncrowded safari experience. You won't find convoys of game drive vehicles jostling for position — just the raw beauty of Africa, as it should be.
Zimbabwe's parks feel like private wildernesses, where you can sit quietly at a waterhole without another soul in sight or follow lion tracks on foot with an expert guide in a park where you see more wildlife than tourists. It's this exclusivity and sense of untamed space that keeps safari lovers coming back.
Need help planning your route or choosing between Hwange, Mana Pools, Lake Kariba or elsewhere? Chat with one of our Africa Safari Specialists — we've been there and can help tailor the perfect Zimbabwe adventure.
