Zimbabwe highlights tour and holiday

On arrival in Harare, you will be welcomed by your English speaking tour guide. Travel south-east to the Eastern Highlands, a region of rugged mountains and scenic beauty. You will have the opportunity to experience the Bvumba Mountains, dominated by savannah woodland, offering spectacular views over the highlands and tropical lowlands of Mozambique. Although small in area, the mountains are a botanical paradise and home to some of the rarest butterflies in the region. Overnight in the Mutare region at Leopard Rock Hotel or similar. Dinner included. 

After breakfast, the journey continues to the home of the architectural magnificence of the Great Zimbabwe Ruins. The majestic Lodge at the Ancient City sits spectacularly on a granite ridge within the shadows of the iconic Great Zimbabwe National Monument, offering guests a royal level of comfort and hospitality, something the ancestors would’ve been proud of. Overnight at Lodge at the Ancient City or similar. Breakfast and dinner included. 

Your day begins with a tour of the Great Zimbabwe Monument, a World Heritage Site. The Great Zimbabwe Monument is believed to have been fashioned between 1250 and 1450 AD, from regular rectangular granite blocks skilfully placed on top of one another without the use of tools, giving us an idea of the stone masonry skills few could emulate today. This World Heritage Site is a unique historical, cultural and archaeological landmark home to many unusual artefacts, including the Zimbabwe bird (a national emblem and the subject of its own myths and legends). Overnight at Lodge at the Ancient City or similar. Breakfast and dinner included. 

This morning we will set off to the Matobo Hills, a range of domes, spires and balancing rock formations which have been hewn out of the solid granite plateau through millions of years of erosion and weathering. Matobo National Park is also the burial place of Cecil John Rhodes and Mzilikazi, the great Ndebele King. The Park - a World Heritage Site - is home to a broad variety of wild game and bird species. Overnight at Matobo Hills Lodge or similar. Breakfast and dinner included. 

Enjoy a tour of the Matobo Hills National Park, a unique park that is not only home to wildlife but also some of the most breathtaking scenery and striking granite rock formations. Our journey continues to Hwange National Park, world renowned for its impressive size of 14,650 km² and its wide variety of game that call the park home: buffalo, zebra, giraffe, all the big cats, hyena, wild dog, rhino and the world's largest concentration of elephants. Overnight at Sable Sands Lodge or similar. Breakfast and dinner included. 

Today we embark on morning and afternoon open-vehicle game drives in the Hwange concession. Hwange National Park contains 105 mammal species, including 19 large herbivores and eight large carnivores. Elephant make up the largest proportion of the biomass. All Zimbabwe's specially protected animals are to be found within this park and it is the only protected area where gemsbok and brown hyena occur in reasonable numbers. The population of wild dog to be found here is thought to be of one of the largest surviving groups in Africa today. Overnight at Sable Sands Lodge or similar. Breakfast and dinner included. 

After breakfast we head towards the Painted Dog Sanctuary. Commonly known as African wild dogs, these “painted dogs” are among the continent's most endangered species. The sanctuary builds on education, community involvement and international support to improve the quality of life and numbers of the wild dogs. We make our way to the district of Binga, a fishing, boating and cultural centre towards the western end of Lake Kariba's southern shore.

After arriving in the district, we embark on a scenic cruise, where we have the opportunity to view some of Africa’s wildlife that make this lake their personal watering hole. Overnight at Masumu Lodge or similar. Breakfast and dinner included. 

Enjoy a leisurely day at Lake Kariba, joining a relaxing boat cruise, in search of lion, elephant, rhino, leopard, cheetah, impala, kudu and eland as they make their way to the lake for water. Overnight at Masumu Lodge or similar. Breakfast and dinner included.

Your journey ends with a transfer to Victoria Falls Airport for your onward flight. Breakfast included.