Best of Zimbabwe Self-Launched: Victoria Falls, Hwange, Matopos & Great Zimbabwe
6 days · Zimbabwe
Across Africa Tours & Travel charges £2,800
No-markup version: ~£940 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A solo-friendly, self-launched version of Across Africa Tours & Travel's 6-day "Best of Zimbabwe" loop — Victoria Falls, two days of game drives in Hwange National Park, the rock art and rhino of Matopos, the Great Zimbabwe Ruins and historic Bulawayo, finishing in Johannesburg. Instead of a private guided vehicle and lodge upgrades, you'll use Zimbabwe's genuinely workable network of shared shuttles, intercity coaches (City Link/Stallion), self-booked safari camps and day-tour operators, plus the Intercape/Greyhound coach or a cheap flight down to Johannesburg. Big Five mornings and UNESCO ruins stay; the price drops by roughly 70%. Costs are approximate backpacker/mid-budget estimates in GBP and assume 6 nights (ending after a Joburg overnight or onward flight).
Day-by-day
Victoria Falls — the Smoke That Thunders, then transfer to Hwange
Victoria Falls & Hwange National Park
Start early at Victoria Falls: walk the Rainforest Trail in the national park (US$30–50 entry depending on season) before the 10am crowds, and take a self-guided loop past the Main Falls viewpoints — July–September spray is soaking, so rent a poncho. Late morning, catch a shared shuttle or the scheduled minibus transfer from Victoria Falls to Hwange (about 2.5–3 hours, US$25–40 per seat; book via your Hwange camp or the Victoria Falls backpackers' noticeboard). Settle into a budget safari camp near the Hwange main gate, then join a sunset game drive if you arrive in time. Note Hwange is a US$ cash economy — bring small notes.
🚌Shared shuttle/minibus Victoria Falls → Hwange, 2.5–3 hrs, ~£25
🛏Budget safari camp/lodge near Hwange Main Camp (e.g. Ivory Lodge budget rooms, Hwange Main Camp rest camp, or a G Adventures-style tented camp) — approx. £28
- →Self-guided Victoria Falls Rainforest Trail (US$30–50 park fee)
- →Viewpoints: Devil's Cataract, Main Falls, Livingstone Island views from Zimbabwe side
- →Shared shuttle Victoria Falls → Hwange (~US$25–40)
- →Optional sunset game drive with camp (~US$35–45)
Hwange National Park — full-day open 4x4 game drive
Hwange National Park
Hwange is Zimbabwe's largest park and its pumped waterholes around Main Camp, Nyamandhlovu and Sinamatella pull huge elephant herds in the dry season (roughly June–October). Book a full-day open-vehicle game drive directly with a Hwange-based operator (Dusty Road Safaris, Hwange Safari Lodge day trips, or your camp's own vehicle) — expect US$90–130 per person including park fees (US$20–30/day) and lunch. Solo travellers: ask to be seated with another group at the lodge gate to halve the price. Look for elephant, buffalo, lion, wild dog, sable and 400+ bird species.
🚌Included in game-drive vehicle
🛏Same Hwange budget camp — approx. £28
- →Full-day open 4x4 game drive with Hwange operator (~US$90–130 incl. park fee)
- →Nyamandhlovu Pan waterhole hide
- →Optional night drive with spotlight (~US$40)
Hwange → Bulawayo via Matopos National Park (rhino & San rock art)
Hwange → Bulawayo / Matobo Hills
Take the early City Link or Stallion Cruise coach from Hwange/Dete to Bulawayo (about 4–5 hours, US$15–20; book at the bus office the day before, or ask your camp to reserve a seat). Drop bags at a Bulawayo guesthouse, then head out with a self-booked Matobo Hills day tour or a shared 4x4 from the national parks office — a half-day rhino-tracking walk in the Whovi Wilderness Area plus Cecil Rhodes' grave at World's View and San bushman rock art at Pomongwe Cave. Expect US$70–100 per person for a small-group day tour including park fees.
🚌Intercity coach ~4–5 hrs, ~£14
🛏Budget guesthouse/backpackers in Bulawayo (e.g. Bulawayo Club budget rooms, Southern Comfort Lodge) — approx. £25
- →City Link/Stallion coach Hwange → Bulawayo (~US$15–20)
- →Matobo Hills small-group day tour with rhino tracking walk (~US$70–100)
- →World's View & Cecil Rhodes' Grave
- →San rock art at Pomongwe Cave
Bulawayo → Masvingo and the Great Zimbabwe Ruins
Masvingo / Great Zimbabwe
Morning coach from Bulawayo to Masvingo (about 5 hours, US$15–20), then a local taxi or shared minibus the 25km out to the Great Zimbabwe Ruins (US$10–15). Hire a licensed guide at the gate (US$20–25 for a group, so share with other travellers) — the Hill Complex, Great Enclosure and the famous soapstone Zimbabwe Birds make far more sense with context. Entry is US$15 for foreigners. Stay overnight near the ruins or in Masvingo town so you get the cooler late-afternoon light for photos.
🚌Coach + shared taxi, ~£18
🛏Guesthouse/lodge near the ruins or in Masvingo (e.g. Norma Jeane's Lakeview Resort budget rooms, Clevers budget wing) — approx. £27
- →Intercity coach Bulawayo → Masvingo (~US$15–20)
- →Great Zimbabwe Ruins entry (US$15) + shared local guide (~US$20–25/group)
- →Hill Complex and Great Enclosure walk
- →Optional Great Zimbabwe museum
Masvingo → Bulawayo, historic city walk and Khami Ruins option
Masvingo → Bulawayo
Coach back to Bulawayo (about 5 hours, US$15–20). In the afternoon do a self-guided heritage walk with a printed map from the Natural History Museum: the colonial-era city centre, the Railway Museum, the Natural History Museum (US$5) and the old Stock Exchange. Optionally squeeze in a dala-dala (shared minibus, US$0.50) out to the Khami Ruins, another UNESCO World Heritage site, 22km west of town — or book a half-day guided historical tour (~US$40) if you'd rather have a guide. Evening: braai and craft beer at a Bulawayo spot, or the Bulawayo Theatre if something's on.
🚌Coach + local dala-dala, ~£16
🛏Bulawayo budget guesthouse (e.g. Banff Lodge budget rooms, Southern Comfort Lodge) — approx. £25
- →Coach Masvingo → Bulawayo (~US$15–20)
- →Self-guided Bulawayo heritage walk (Railway Museum, Natural History Museum ~US$5)
- →Optional Khami Ruins UNESCO site by dala-dala (~US$10 entry)
- →Half-day guided historical city tour (~US$40) if preferred
Bulawayo → Johannesburg (border crossing at Beitbridge)
Bulawayo → Johannesburg
Two options today. Cheapest: the overnight Intercape or Greyhound/City Link coach Bulawayo → Johannesburg (about 11–12 hours via Beitbridge, US$30–45) — book 2–3 days ahead, and note Beitbridge is slow, so allow buffer. Fastest: fly Bulawayo (BUQ)–Johannesburg (JNB) with Fastjet/Airlink (often US$100–160 one-way if booked early) and be in Joburg by lunch. For the DIY traveller who wants the full overland experience, the coach is the definitive one. Arrive Johannesburg and overnight near Park Station/Maboneng or take a late onward flight — the original tour finishes in Joburg at 17:00, so anything after 20:00 works.
🚌Overnight coach ~£35 (or flight ~£100)
🛏Joburg hostel/budget hotel near Park Station (e.g. Curiocity Backpackers, Once in Joburg) — approx. £30
- →Intercape/Greyhound coach Bulawayo → Johannesburg (~US$30–45)
- →OR Fastjet/Airlink flight BUQ–JNB (~US$100–160)
- →Beitbridge border crossing (coach)
- →Optional evening in Maboneng or Braamfontein, Johannesburg
Self-launched vs. Across Africa Tours & Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Across Africa Tours & Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£940 | £2,800 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,860 per person (66%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Across Africa Tours & Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£940
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Best of Zimbabwe Self-Launched: Victoria Falls, Hwange, Matopos & Great Zimbabwe cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £940 per person for 6 days in Zimbabwe. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Across Africa Tours & Travel?+
Yes — Across Africa Tours & Travel charges around £2,800 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £940 — a saving of roughly £1,860 (66%) per person.
How long is the Zimbabwe trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 day-by-day stops through Zimbabwe.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, wildlife, culture trip through Zimbabwe, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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