Cost of safari in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe is a stunning landlocked nation in southern Africa that is home to a wide variety of terrain, a wealth of wildlife, and gorgeous scenery. One of the seven natural wonders of the world and a UNESCO heritage site, it is most famous for the stunning Victoria Falls, which are thought to be the greatest “curtain” of water that drops many feet below on the great Zambezi river.

Many vacationers who want to travel to this stunning nation wonder how much a safari in Zimbabwe will cost. We lay down some of the major elements that influence your safari’s total cost in this post.

Factors influencing safari prices in Zimbabwe

The majority of people think of viewing the Big Five animals when discussing safaris in Africa, but Zimbabwe offers its tourists much more than just the classic game drive. These “other activities” are considered “optional” because the guest’s participation is contingent upon their safari budget. Your safari will cost more the more optional activities you have included in your spending plan.

The price of some of the optional activities offered in Zimbabwe is displayed in the table below.

		Cost in US Dollars
	Activity	Foreign Visitors	locals	Residents of SADC
1.	Victoria Falls bungee jump	$160 a person
2.	White-water rafting	$130 / person / day
3.	Moonlight viewing	$40 / day	$15	$40
4.	Boat Cruise	$8 / person / cruise	$3	$6

 

Zambia National Park Safari Entrance Prices

There are a number of different national parks located within Zimbabwe and each of these offers a very unique safari experience. However all holidaymakers are required to pay a park entrance fee or conservation fee as highlighted below.

		Internationals		Residents of  SADC		Local citizens
	National park	Adults	Children	Adults	Children	Adults	Children
1.	manapools	$20	$10	$15	$8	$8	$4
2.	Hwange	$20	$10	$15	$8	$5	$3
3.	Zambezi	$15	$8	$12	$6	$5	$3
4.	Matusadona	$15	$8	$12	$6	$5	$3
5.	Matobo	$15	$8	$12	$6	$5	$3
6.	Gonaarezhou	$5	$3	$4	$2	$3	$1
	Other Places
7.	Kariba, Cunningham, Cheworw, Chizarira, Marongora	$10	$5	$8	$4	$5	$3
8.	Nyanga, Chivero, Kyle, Mushandike, Umzingwane, Osborne, Ewnrigg, Sebakwe	$10	$5	$8	$4	$3	$2

 

Vehicle entrance fees to different National Parks

	Category	Locally Registered vehicles for Group A	Other Parks Locally Registered vehicles	Foreign Registered vehicle (All Parks)
1.	Mining Lorries	50,00	50,00	N/A
2.	Buses /Lorries (other)	20,00	20,00	30,00
3.	schools Buses/Lorries	10,00	10,00	30,00
4.	Caravan	3,00	5,00	10,00
5.	Trailers	3,00	5,00	10,00
6.	Minibuses-up to 25 seats	15,00	15,00	30,00
7.	Saloon vehicle pick-up and 4 wheel drive vehicles	3,00	5,00	10,00

 

Group A Parks: Kyle, Sebakwe, Matobo, Osborne, Chivero,Chimanini, Mushandike, Sebakwe, Haroni, Rusita, Umzingwane, Doma, Osborne, Ewanrigg, Chinhoyi Caves, Vumba, Darwendale, Chimanimani, Tuli, Nyamaneche, Boulton, Chipinge, Mbazhe Sanctuary, Binga, Chabalala, Mupfure, R.P, Bangala,Chirisa, Chirinda, Manjinji, Dande, Manjirenji Pan, Hartley A, Mazvikadei, Malapati, Sengwa Res, Ngezi, Chete, Umfurudzi

 Cost of Zambia Safari Accommodation

Another factor that will greatly affect the cost of your safari in Zimbabwe is the cost of Accommodation. Zimbabwe offers a variety of accommodation facilities within its national parks among which are campsites, guesthouses, lodges and tented camps making it suitable for all types of travelers regardless of one’s travel budget. The cost of accommodation will be determined by the level of comfort you wish to enjoy throughout your holiday.

Table showing the average cost of Accommodation in Zimbabwe

	Category	Cost in USD per night	Cost in EURO per night
1.	Price of 1 star hotel	60 USD	51 EURO
2.	Price of 2 star hotel	114 USD	97 EURO
3.	Price of 3 star hotel	127 USD	108 EURO
4.	Price of 4 star hotel	210 USD	179 EURO
5.	Price of 5 star hotel	Over 350 USD	298 EURO

Cost of Meals in Zimbabwe

Meals in Zimbabwe vary in price depending on where you stay. Since the nation is primarily a fast-food destination, you will notice that the average fast-food lunch costs roughly $6.5; nevertheless, you should bear in mind that the cost of food at safari lodges, sit-in restaurants, and even street food is higher than that of fast food.

Therefore, depending on your budget, you might decide to reserve all-inclusive lodging packages or, for a more economical choice, eat lunches and evenings outside of your lodging. Those on a very tight budget could choose to camp or stay in self-catering guest rooms, where you can cook in a communal kitchen.

Is it a group safari or a solo trip?

When comparing the daily cost of a safari in Zimbabwe to traveling with friends, coworkers, lovers, or even joining organized group trips, the expense of a safari for a single visitor will be higher. You will discover that, in contrast to traveling alone, there are a number of expenses that may be split among the group when you are traveling in a group.

These include the cost of the vehicle, the transportation price, the guide fee, and even the cost of the accommodations, some of which can be divided. For this reason, group travel or group excursions are recommended for low-budget vacationers.

Safari with a guide or self-drive?

All vacationers visiting Zimbabwe have the choice between going on a self-drive safari or a guided safari, which is typically planned by travel agencies. Since your entire trip will be meticulously organized, it is clear that the former option would provide you with a more comfortable safari experience; nevertheless, there is a cost associated with this.

In order to reduce expenses, low-budget tourists should choose self-drive safaris. The cost of hiring a professional safari guide in Zimbabwe can range from $20 to $100 per day, depending on if the guide will also act as an interpreter or if they specialize in something like birding.

The two primary safari seasons in Zimbabwe are the High Safari Season and the Low Safari Season, and each has a significant impact on the price of a Zimbabwe safari. Safari costs increase during the high season, which is the dry season and lasts from May to November.

This is because there is a strong demand for lodging, which drives up hotel rates—some even double—due to the huge volume of visitors. However, during the off-peak period, very few visitors visit the nation, thus most lodging establishments and tour operators offer enticingly low safari rates in an effort to draw travelers.

The length of the safari

Due to the wide variety of safari itineraries available in Zimbabwe, travelers can choose to spend anywhere from three days to twenty-one days on a safari; however, the longer you stay in this stunning country, the less money you will spend, particularly when considering daily safari rates.

Thankfully, a lot of lodging establishments provide exclusive “long-stay” discounts to visitors who stay longer than three days, and some even lower the price of other safari activities for extended stays. Therefore, you might decide to extend your safari stay in order to reduce the expense of your safari.

The ideal time to travel to Zimbabwe

The greatest time to go on safari in Zimbabwe is during the dry season, which runs from May to October. This is because the country has little rainfall and has a very low risk of malaria. This time of year offers excellent game viewing, but September and October see extremely high temperatures that make it uncomfortable and hot.

In contrast, the optimum time to visit the Victoria Falls is between April and May, when the summer rains have just stopped and the enormous Zambezi River is full of water. Since there is less water between August and December, it is the perfect time of year to enjoy various water sports like white water rafting because the rapids are not submerged.