Zambezi National Park Zimbabwe

Phenomenal Game Park Right on the Door Step of Victoria Falls

Zambezi National Park together with Victoria Falls National Park cover an area of 56,000 hectares. The northern border of the Park is formed by the great Zambezi River which also forms the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia for much of its length.
 

Elephants coming down to drink in the Zambezi National Park

A wide variety of larger mammals may be found within the Zambezi National Park including elephant, lion, buffalo and leopard. In addition, herds of sable antelope, eland, zebra, giraffe, kudu, waterbuck and impala as well as many of the smaller species of game can be viewed.

The Zambezi River is home to over is 75 species of fish and is famous for its bream and fighting tiger fish. You can read more about fishing on the Zambezi here.

Zambezi National Park in Zimbabwe has two main game-viewing sections:

The Zambezi River Game Drive, with an extensive network of roads along the river accessed through the main gate of the Park, and the 25 kilometre Chamabondo Game Drive in the southern part of the Park, which begins about 5 kilometres outside of Victoria Falls town – just off the main road to Bulawayo. The roads are in reasonable condition, but please note that they do close the park after heavy rains

Our page on Victoria Falls Weather details the best season for various activities in the Falls. Generally game will congregate towards the river in the drier months and as soon as the rains arrive in November/December they will start to move inland to give the riverine vegetation a chance to recover for next year.

Activities

It is within this park that the Upper Zambezi Canoe trips are conducted. You drive through the park to your put in point and then canoe back along the Zambezi River.

Discover Safaris also operate several game viewing opportunities within the park namely, half day and full day game drives and walking safaris. Read more about Discover Safaris here.

Accommodation in Zambezi National Park

Zimbabwe National Parks has some basic self-catering lodges along the river and there are some camping facilities as well. You can read more about that on our Zambezi National Park accommodation page.

Private safari camps and lodges are also dotted along the river, with a couple of them located on islands of the Zambezi River. These are all luxury camps, offering fully inclusive stays with a range of their own activities. Of-course the activity operators in Victoria Falls town do not pick up from these safari camps, but the camps may offer daily scheduled shuttles into town. However, for you to fully enjoy Victoria Falls activities on offer, we recommend combining a stay at one of the lodges, with a few days within Victoria Falls town.

Picnic Sites

Upstream along the Zambezi River Drive, there are 25 numbered sites where day visitors may picnic or fish. These sites are attractively situated on the banks of the river and sheltered beneath the beautiful shady trees like the Natal Mahogany.

Picnicking on the Banks of the Zambezi River in the Zambezi National Park

How To Get To Zambezi National Park (Zimbabwe)

If you have flown in to the Victoria Falls Airport and are staying at one of the private safari lodges within the park, most of them will pick you up from the airport. If not, a private transfer can be arranged. Contact us for more on this. If flying into Livingstone or Kasane Airports, there are a few lodges that will pick you up, but more likely, you will need to get a private transfer in.

Self-drivers drive into Victoria Falls town via the Bulawayo Road or Mosi-oa-Tunya Road, then turn into Park Way Drive in the middle of town. This road will take you through the centre of town and then out all the way to the Zambezi National Park entrance gate. Park fees will be required for individuals as well as vehicles. These are detailed below.

Zambezi National Park Entrance Fees

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