By air
Victoria Falls Airport (VFA), ~2.5 h by road
Africa · Zimbabwe
Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe's largest park and its elephant herds
Getting there
Best time to visit
July to October — dry season at the waterholes
Don't miss
Main Camp
Nyamandhlovu Pan
Sinamatella
Masuma Dam
Things to do
Game drives
Walking safaris
Waterhole watching
Birdwatching
Where to eat
What to pack
Binoculars, sunscreen, hat, warm layers for early drives
A quieter corner
The Nyamandhlovu Pan viewing platform
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Hwange National Park?
July to October — dry season at the waterholes. What to pack: Binoculars, sunscreen, hat, warm layers for early drives.
How do I get to Hwange National Park?
Fly into Victoria Falls Airport (VFA), ~2.5 h by road.
What is there to do in Hwange National Park?
Game drives, walking safaris, waterhole watching, birdwatching. A quieter find: The Nyamandhlovu Pan viewing platform.
What should I eat in Hwange National Park?
Sadza with stews, grilled meats and camp breakfasts.
About Hwange National Park
- Inland
- Forest
Where it is
Hwange National Park is the largest national park in Zimbabwe, covering dry woodland and grassland in the west of the country on the edge of the Kalahari.
History
The area was set aside as a game reserve in 1928 and became a national park in 1961. Its name comes from a local Nambya chief. Because it has few permanent rivers, its first warden began pumping water into pans, a practice that still keeps wildlife here in the dry season.
People
Villages around the park are home to Nambya, Ndebele and Tonga communities, and many guides and rangers come from these areas.
Known for
- Large herds of elephants
- Pumped waterholes
- Lions and painted wolves
- Teak and mopane woodland
Did you know?
Most of Hwange's waterholes are kept full by boreholes in the dry season, because the park has almost no natural permanent water.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.