Zimbabwe Family Safari Vacations

Zimbabwe is an excellent choice for a luxury family safari. Home to some of Africa’s most beautiful national parks, the country also offers diverse landscapes, magnificent wildlife, thrilling activities, and family-friendly accommodations. However, it’s worth noting that walking and canoeing are best suited to young persons aged 16 and above. 

Led by some of the best wildlife guides in Africa, safari activities in Zimbabwe offer some incredible game-viewing, including on walking safaris where close encounters with elephants are second to none. You’ll also likely come across lion, hippo, giraffe, white rhino, wild dog, buffalo, zebra, and a fantastic array of antelope species.

Travelers to Zimbabwe can choose from a diverse range of activities suitable for all ages. Day and night game drives, walking safaris, canoeing, and river cruises provide chances to explore Zimbabwe’s variety of wildlife. Victoria Falls is amazing for all manner of adventure-led excursions, including whitewater rafting, abseiling, bungee jumping, zip-lining, and forest canopy walks.

Zimbabwe is richly biodiverse, with a seriously impressive cross-section of landscapes and abundant flora and fauna. You can expect to find a combination of sub-tropical woodland, arid bushveld, teak forests, rivers teeming with wildlife, and majestic sandstone cliffs. There’s so much to see here, and each destination has a unique natural beauty that leaves visitors utterly hooked.

Zimbabwe has some world-class camps, lodges, and exclusive-use private houses that cater to families with differing tastes and budgets. From traditional family-run bush camps with warm hospitality and outstanding guiding to fully staffed luxury villas and all the creature comforts, everyone’s preferences are satisfied here.

Located in the north-west corner of Zimbabwe, Hwange National Park is Zimbabwe’s largest national park, covering almost 15,000 sq. km of desert sands, teak and mopane woodlands, and seasonal wetlands punctuated by tall ilala palms. This vast wild space is home to healthy numbers of lion, leopard, cheetah, buffalo, giraffe, and wild dog.

Gonarezhou is Zimbabwe’s second-largest national park – a rugged terrain renowned for its vast elephant populations. This off-the-beaten-track location supports all sorts of wildlife, making it ideal for game viewing and walking safaris, as well as fishing and ancient San rock art. Visitors might encounter white and black rhinos, Lichtenstein hartebeest, sable, cheetah, wild dog, lion, and leopard.

For a family safari vacation in Zimbabwe, June, July, and August are ideal months to visit, when the days are sunny and the nights cold! September and October are still excellent game-viewing months, but the soaring temperatures make travel increasingly uncomfortable. Partly due to its remoteness, Mana Pools National Park becomes inaccessible during the rainy season, so December until April is best avoided here. Victoria Falls is most dramatic between February and July when the full spray delivers a stunningly theatrical experience.

For families with children too young to participate in walking safaris, game drives are the ideal way to cover plenty of ground and ensure you maximise wildlife-viewing opportunities. Night drives within private concessions invite travelers to explore the bush beneath starry skies, keeping a lookout for nocturnal species such as civet cat, bush baby, genet, leopard, and perhaps even the hard-to-spot aardvark.

Zimbabwe is a fantastic country for walking safaris. These are led by some of the best-trained and most experienced guides in Africa, some of whom host small, totally authentic bushcamps. Mana Pools, Hwange, and Gonarezhou are all top destinations for game viewing on foot, with close wildlife encounters part of the thrill, though please be aware that the minimum age is usually 16 years.

For families with older children (16 plus), canoeing safaris in Mana Pools and along tracts of the Zambezi River offer unforgettable wildlife encounters surrounded by Zimbabwe’s diverse and utterly captivating landscapes. Keep an eye out for thirsty elephants, beady-eyed hippos, and stealthy crocs as they slink off the river banks!

With its epic, grade-5 rapids, the Zambezi River is arguably the best place in the world for white water rafting. The adrenalin rush of rocketing through the rapids is interspersed with stretches of calm when you’re able to take in the breathtaking surroundings. The minimum age for white water rafting is 15, so those with younger kids might prefer to stick with gentler-paced canoeing on the upper Zambezi.

Zimbabwe contains a magnificent collection of ancient San Bushmen rock art, some of which can be seen in the dramatic sandstone cliffs around Gonarezhou National Park. Budding historians and archaeologists will be astonished at the sheer volume of artwork, some of it dating back thousands of years!

Victoria Falls canopy tours are a fun-filled adventure for all the family, where guests take to the network of slides, trails, and rope walkways, surrounded by spectacular hardwood forests with elevated views of the falls. Led by expert guides, this is a safe, super-fun way to introduce your kids to the world of adventure.

Zimbabwe is blessed with a wide range of ecosystems that support abundant wildlife populations. Up-close encounters with elephants are a major highlight, particularly on walking safaris! Depending on where you’re based, there’s also a good chance of seeing lion, leopard, cheetah, buffalo, African wild dog, hippo, black rhino, spotted hyena, crocodile, and plenty of antelope. From southern carmine bee-eaters to Pel’s fishing owls, red-necked falcons, and black eagles, ornithologists will also be amazed by the diverse birdlife.

Zimbabwe has a terrific stock of family-friendly accommodations, including traditional bushcamps, high-end lodges, and seriously upscale private villas. The emphasis on walking safaris means there are also plenty of simple camps overseen by some of Africa’s best wildlife guides, delivering an authentic bush experience. Quiet luxury is the overriding theme here – comfort and hospitality abound, and you’ll want for absolutely nothing!

Wilderness Chikwenya is an exclusive camp in Mana Pools National Park, with just seven tented suites, including two family units with private pools. Game drives, walking safaris, canoeing, and sunset cruises are all part of the experience.

With a beautiful location on the banks of the Zambezi river, on the edge of Mana Pools National Park, Wilderness Ruckomechi delivers luxury accommodation within a private conservancy setting where guests can enjoy boating, canoeing, fishing, and a star-bed sleepout experience.

Situated in a 5,000-acre private concession within the south-eastern part of Hwange National Park, Bomani Tented Lodge offers a combination of excellent guiding and warm hospitality. The two-bedroom family tent is ideal for those travelling with children aged 7 and older.

Better suited to older children and teens, Somalisa is a stand-out camp in Hwange National Park for its superb guiding and walking safaris. Adventurous guests can also spend a night under the stars in a treehouse sleep-out overlooking a waterhole.

On the banks of the Zambezi River, Victoria Falls River Lodge is a safari-style lodge within Zambezi National Park, close to Victoria Falls. The relaxed atmosphere, family-friendly accommodations, and large swimming pool make this a great choice for family-friendly travel.

Matetsi River House is a brilliant option for families seeking luxurious and exclusive-use accommodation close to Victoria Falls. It occupies a prime position on the Zambezi River within the Matetsi Game Reserve, where activities include game drives, safari walks, boating, and fishing.

Located in south-eastern Zimbabwe’s Malilangwe Private Reserve, Singita Pamushana is arguably the most deluxe lodge in the country. Its exclusive-use family villa, Malilangwe House, features five stunning en-suite bedrooms, extensive living/dining spaces, and a rim-flow swimming pool with gorgeous views.