Victoria Falls, Hwange, and wild Mana Pools: an African Bush Camps journey through Zimbabwe.
This is the classic African Bush Camps circuit through the best of Zimbabwe down the Zambezi. Open on the river at Thorntree River Lodge beside Victoria Falls, with a guided tour of the Falls and sunset cruises included. Fly into Hwange National Park for three nights at Somalisa Camp, where elephants drink at the camp's own waterhole and the game-viewing is some of the richest in the country. Finish deep in the wild at Nyamatusi Camp in Mana Pools — a UNESCO wilderness of towering trees and braided river channels, famed for walking and canoe safaris among its elephants and painted dogs.
3 nights
Victoria Falls is one of the natural wonders of the world — a mile-wide curtain of water plunging into the Batoka Gorge. Livingstone, the town on the Zambian side, is the quieter, more refined base compared to its Zimbabwean counterpart. Beyond the Falls themselves, the Zambezi upstream offers sunset cruises, cultural visits to local villages, and a roster of adrenaline activities from bungee jumping to microlight flights over the spray.
3 nights
Zimbabwe's largest national park — 3.6 million acres of teak and mopane woodland, open vlei grasslands and granite kopjes on the edge of the Kalahari. Hwange is elephant country, home to some of Africa's biggest herds, alongside lion, buffalo, giraffe, sable and painted dog that gather at its pumped waterholes through the dry season. In the remote north, Camp Hwange sits on a private 12,000-acre concession in the heart of the park, where Zimbabwe's famously rigorous pro guides lead walking safaris across the kopjes and woodland — tracking elephant on foot and reading the bush the way it is meant to be experienced. Minimal vehicle traffic and waterhole-facing camps make it one of the most authentic, value-driven wildlife areas in the region.
4 nights
A UNESCO World Heritage wilderness on the Zambezi's lower floodplain, where the river braids into the pools that give the park its name. Mana Pools is Zimbabwe at its wildest — herds of elephant (including the famous bulls that rear onto their hind legs to reach winter pods), buffalo, lion, and one of Africa's great strongholds of painted dog, all under towering albida and mahogany trees. Famed for walking and canoeing safaris on the river, it's a place for the adventurous traveller who wants the bush on foot and on the water, not just from a vehicle.
Visa — none needed. US passport holders don’t need a visa to visit Zambia as a tourist. Simply share your itinerary at the port of entry and you’ll be issued a tourist visa on arrival, good for up to 90 days (per calendar year; any extension must be approved by Zambian Immigration). If your trip crosses into Zimbabwe around Victoria Falls, ask for the KAZA UniVisa on arrival — one visa covering both Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Passport. Valid for at least 6 months beyond your arrival date, with 3 blank pages. If you transit through South Africa, you’ll also need 2 consecutive completely blank visa pages (endorsement pages don’t count).
Vaccinations. None required to enter. A yellow-fever certificate is required only if you’re arriving from a country where yellow fever is a risk.
Good to know. No limit on currency in or out. Cannabis and CBD — in any form — are illegal. A departure tax applies when you leave: it’s included in international airfares, but for private or chartered domestic flights you’ll pay a small fee in Zambian Kwacha at the airport gate.
U.S. Embassy, Lusaka: zm.usembassy.gov
Visa — required; get it in advance. US passport holders need a visa. It’s available on arrival, but applying ahead through Zimbabwe’s official eVisa site is quick and speeds you through immigration. If your trip crosses into Zambia — for instance, the Devil’s Pool experience at Victoria Falls — ask for the KAZA UniVisa instead: one visa covering both Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Passport. Valid at entry, with 2 blank pages — or at least 6 blank pages if you’re arriving via South Africa.
Vaccinations. A yellow-fever certificate is required if you’re arriving from or transiting a country where yellow fever is a risk.
Currency. No limit on what you bring in; up to US$2,000 may be taken out (more if you declared and documented it on arrival). Bring enough cash for the whole trip — small bills ($1s and $5s) are the most useful — and declare what you’re carrying at entry (Form 47).
Good to know. Immigration may ask to see a return ticket and proof of sufficient funds for your stay.
U.S. Embassy, Harare: zw.usembassy.gov
Guidance for US passport holders — if you travel on another passport, please confirm the requirements for your nationality.
Every departure runs a similar route with all-in pricing. Prices vary by season.
Inclusions: Safari lodge and camp rates are inclusive of all meals, drinks, and most activities — including game drives — but exclude top-shelf drinks and premium activities like helicopter excursions. City and beach stays follow each property's own board basis, shown on the lodge.
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