Zimbabwe

Places in Zimbabwe

• Bulawayo

  Bulawayo is a relaxed, elegant industrial city in western Zimbabwe, with wide tree-lined boulevards. It serves as a gateway to several World Heritage sites, including Khami Ruins and Matobo National Park, all within an hour's drive.

  Atlas entry

• Gweru

  Gweru is a mid-sized Zimbabwean city in the Midlands province, offering a more relaxed alternative to major tourist hubs. The city serves as a gateway to Antelope Park, home to the African Lion Environmental Research Trust (ALERT) and the world's first Lion Rehabilitation and Release into the Wild Programme.

  Atlas entry

• Harare

  Harare is Zimbabwe's capital, home to over 2.5 million people. It boasts an excellent highland climate, well-planned garden suburbs, and a collection of museums like the National Gallery of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Museum of Human Sciences.

  Atlas entry

• Hwange National Park

  Atlas entry

• Masvingo

  Masvingo is a dusty, provincial capital of about 90,000 people in southeastern Zimbabwe. Its main reason for appearing on backpacker itineraries is proximity to Great Zimbabwe, the UNESCO World Heritage stone ruins of a medieval Shona capital 25 km south of town.

  Atlas entry

• Mutare

  Mutare is Zimbabwe's third-largest city with 225,000 residents (2022) and 500,000 in the metropolitan area. As the trade hub for eastern Zimbabwe, it serves as a practical gateway to the Eastern Highlands region with railway links, pipeline transport, and highways connecting Harare to the coast.

• Nyanga National Park

  Nyanga offers Zimbabwe's most dramatic highland scenery with green hills, perennial rivers, and the country's highest waterfall. It's ideal for hikers seeking to summit Mount Nyangani, trout fishers, and nature lovers wanting to explore alpine landscapes without the crowds of more developed parks.

  Atlas entry

• Victoria Falls

  Victoria Falls (Mosi-oa-Tunya, "The Smoke That Thunders") is one of the seven natural wonders of the world — twice the height of Niagara Falls with the largest sheet of falling water on the planet. The Zimbabwean town sits directly beside the falls and serves as a major adventure tourism hub, offering bungee jumping, whitewater rafting, sunset cruises, and safaris while sharing a border with Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia.