Region

Matabeleland

Base in Bulawayo; do Matobo and Khami as day drives. Add Hwange only if you have 3+ nights.

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Key facts · Zimbabwe

Best months: May–Oct
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: US dollar in practice
Language: 16 official languages
Plugs: D · G · 220–240 V
Time zone: Central Africa Time

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 7Nine African countries on this site have no trip line bec…Across the subregion, plan every road leg to arrive befor…

Africa ↗When a route touches a yellow-fever country — even a transit of 12 hours or more — keep the original yellow card (ICVP) in your hand luggage; health desks and airlines can refuse boarding or entry without it.
Africa ↗Nine African countries on this site have no trip line because governments advise against travel; several others have no-go regions. Read your government's advice for every country on the route before paying deposits.
Southern Africa ↗A rental car may leave its home country only with the rental company's cross-border letter, the registration papers and paid road taxes at each post; driving into Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique or Angola without them ends at the border.
Southern Africa ↗Across the subregion, plan every road leg to arrive before sunset: livestock, wildlife, pedestrians and unlit trucks make night driving the main cause of serious visitor accidents.
Zimbabwe ↗Check visa and entry rules for your passport on official Zimbabwean government sources; if you will cross to Zambia, ask about the KAZA UniVisa and whether it is available to you.
Zimbabwe ↗Do not photograph government buildings, police, the military or border posts.
Zimbabwe ↗Bring enough US dollars in small, clean notes; do not rely on ATMs or foreign cards outside Victoria Falls, Harare and lodges.

Matabeleland is Zimbabwe's southwest: Bulawayo as the base, the Matobo Hills for rhinos on foot and rock art, Khami for stone ruins, and Hwange on the western edge for big-game safari. Roads are long and dusty; pick one base and drive out from it rather than moving hotels every night.

Where to sleep

3 places in this region

Sleep base

BulawayoCity guide
Wide streets, airport, museums; the practical base for Matobo and Khami.
Best May–Aug
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Bulawayo →
Hwange National ParkGuide: planned
On the western side; 3–4 nights for elephants at the pans.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.

Day trip

Matobo National ParkGuide: planned
South of Bulawayo; rhino tracking and rock art.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

3 nights: Bulawayo 3, Matobo and Khami as day drives
5 nights: Bulawayo 2 + Hwange 3 (transfer by road or light aircraft)

Bulawayo to Hwange by road is a long day; a light aircraft transfer costs more but saves the drive.
Southern Matabeleland is hot and dusty for much of the year — carry water and sun cover.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Matobo National Park	Bulawayo	45 min	unknown	Go early; rhino-tracking walks are the main draw. Park fees are paid per person per day at the gate.
Khami Ruins	Bulawayo	30 min	unknown	Half-day; a small stone-ruin site west of the city.

Bags between cities

No luggage-forwarding habit here; most travellers drive or fly with their bags.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Bulawayo	×	×	×	ok	go	go	go	go	×	×	×	×
Zimbabwe (country-wide)	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Bulawayo and the Matobo Hillssouthwest highveld	wet	wet	wet	ok	best	best	best	best	best	best	ok	wet

best: dry, mildok: workablewet: daily rain

Bulawayo and the Matobo Hills: Dry season roughly May–October is best for game and rock-art walks; the rains come roughly November–March with afternoon storms and green bush. Southern Matabeleland is hot and dusty for much of the year.

Dry-season months are also the peak for Hwange; book safari camps ahead.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Johannesburg (South Africa)	Bulawayo	Flight to Bulawayo (Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo) or drive via the Beitbridge border post	~1 h 30 flight	Beitbridge is the main border crossing with South Africa; allow time for queues.
Victoria Falls	Bulawayo / Hwange	Road on the A6, or light aircraft	~5 h to Bulawayo by road	Hwange sits between the two; break the drive there.
Harare	Bulawayo	Road on the A4, or domestic flight	~6 h by road	Check current road conditions before driving.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Zimbabwe national parks entry

check

Park fees are paid per person per day at the gate; confirm current rates for Matobo and Hwange.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Mopani worms (dried caterpillars)	Markets and roadside stalls	A local snack; sold dried and eaten as-is or cooked.
Sadza with relish	Bulawayo restaurants and homes	Stiff maize-meal porridge, the staple; usually eaten by hand with a stew or greens.

Go next

Victoria Falls

Road on the A6 or a short flight

The classic pairing with Hwange.

Victoria Falls and Hwange

Combine as one loop

Falls plus safari in one leg.

Lake Kariba and the Lower Zambezi

planned

Flight or long road via Harare

Houseboats and Matusadona.

Southeastern Zimbabwe

planned

Road or flight via Harare

Great Zimbabwe and Gonarezhou.

Eastern Highlands

planned

Road via Harare

Mountains and waterfalls.

Mashonaland

planned

Road via Harare

Central and northern Zimbabwe.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 2 bases
Day trips: 2, 30 min to 45 min
Nights suggested: 3–5 nights
Ways in: 3 listed
Best months: May–Oct

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

Plan your trip to Zimbabwe Up to Zimbabwe

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

officialZimbabwe Tourism Authority
officialZimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority
secondaryWikivoyage: Matabeleland, revision 5265561 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ask about Matabeleland

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