Zimbabwe
Republic of Zimbabwe
Southern Africa · ZWE
Editorial Snapshot
Why Go To Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe suits travelers who want classic southern Africa wildlife with stronger heritage value and a little less polish than Botswana or South Africa. It works best as Victoria Falls plus one serious park or cultural anchor such as Hwange, Mana Pools, or Great Zimbabwe rather than as a full-country sweep.
Popular For
Things To See
- Victoria Falls
- Hwange National Park
- Mana Pools National Park
- Great Zimbabwe
- Matobo National Park
- Chimanimani
Best Months
Know Before You Go
- Zimbabwe is easiest to plan when you decide early whether the trip is park-heavy, heritage-heavy, or Falls-led.
- Road travel can make sense, but internal flights and lodge transfers are sometimes the cleaner option on shorter trips.
- Great Zimbabwe is worth making room for if you want the country to feel like more than a safari add-on.
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Flights
Hotels & Accommodations
Compare stays across major booking options
Open hotel and accommodation options for Zimbabwe.
Guidebooks
📚Browse Zimbabwe Guidebooks on AmazonTours & Activities
Country Data
Stats At A Glance
Practical travel, safety, climate, and quality-of-life stats for Zimbabwe.
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Harare
- Population
- 17,073,087
- Area
- 390,757 km²
- Region
- Southern Africa
Languages
- Chibarwe
- English
- Kalanga
- Khoisan
- Ndau
- Northern Ndebele
- Chewa
- Shona
- Sotho
- Tonga
- Tswana
- Tsonga
- Venda
- Xhosa
- Zimbabwean Sign Language
Currency
Zimbabwean dollar ($)
ZWL
Exchange rate unavailable for USD.
Cost of Living (World Bank)
42.1
Price level index (US = 100)
- Groceries
- 35.0
- Restaurants
- 33.8
- Rent
- 9.6
Safety & Peace
higher score = safer everyday environment · derived from World Bank homicide data
lower score = more peaceful · 1.0–3.5 scale
Monthly Climate Averages
These weather averages are based on data for Harare (17.82°S, 31.03°E).
LGBTQ+ Friendly
14/100
Traveler LGBTQ score
- Legal protections
- 2/100
- Lived safety
- 36/100
This score blends legal protections with lived-safety context so strong laws alone do not automatically push a country to the top of the ranking.
- Homosexuality legal❌
- Relationship recognitionNone
- Adoption recognition❌
- Anti-discrimination laws❌
- Employment protections❌
- Legal gender recognition❌
- Conversion therapy ban❌
Human Development Index (UNDP)
0.598
Medium human development
- 5-year change
- +0.012
- 10-year change
- +0.044
- Trend
- improving
- Data year
- 2023
- Gender Dev. Index (GDI)
- 0.944
- Gender Inequality Index (GII)
- 0.519
- Planetary-adjusted HDI (PHDI)
- 0.585
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (5)
- 🏛️
Matobo Hills
Inscribed 2003
- 🌿
Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls
Inscribed 1989
- 🏛️
Great Zimbabwe National Monument
Inscribed 1986
- 🏛️
Khami Ruins National Monument
Inscribed 1986
- 🌿
Mana Pools National Park, Sapi and Chewore Safari Areas
Inscribed 1984
Natural Beauty (World Bank)
- Protected land area
- 28.3%
- Forest cover
- 44.7%
Source: World Bank.
Wildlife & Birdwatching
- Threatened mammal species (IUCN)
- 10
- Threatened bird species (IUCN)
- 22
Source: World Bank / IUCN Red List. Higher counts indicate richer biodiversity, typically in tropical rainforest, island, and savannah ecosystems.
Food & Cuisine
23/100
Food and dining score
Built from two layers: dining-scene breadth and open prestige signals. We combine restaurant density, cuisine diversity, distinguished restaurants, and gastronomy-city recognitions from open data sources.
Luxury Infrastructure
72/100
Luxury & premium accommodation score
Based on OpenStreetMap luxury hotel density and World Bank international tourism receipts.
US Travel Advisory
Reissued after periodic review with updates to crime and civil unrest information. Exercise increased caution in Zimbabwe due to crime and official harassment of U.S. citizens. Country Summary: Opportunistic crime, such as pickpocketing, theft, and smashing of car windows with intent to steal, is common. Violent crime, such as assault, carjacking, and home invasion, also occurs. Criminals often target foreigners and residents suspected of having large sums of cash. Demonstrations may occur and increase in frequency around political events, such as elections. Large gatherings are often restricted by the government and can quickly escalate to violence. Foreigners, journalists, and non-governmental organizations may be subject to heightened scrutiny in Zimbabwe. Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Zimbabwe. If you decide to travel to Zimbabwe: Stay alert and avoid openly displaying cash. Carry a copy of your passport and visa and leave originals in your hotel safe. Stay away from political rallies, demonstrations, and crowds. Monitor local media for breaking events and be prepared to adjust your plans. Keep travel documents up to date and easily accessible. Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency. Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter. Review the Country Security Report for Zimbabwe. Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the Traveler’s Checklist. Visit the CDC page for the latest Travel Health Information related to your travel.
Read full advisory →Data current as of May 2026 and subject to change. Travel advisory information is sourced from the U.S. State Department and reflects conditions at the time of data collection, not real-time conditions. Do not rely solely on this information for travel decisions. Always check current government advisories for your nationality. Terms of Use · About our data