Zimbabwe Family Safaris Packages & Holidays With Kids
Go on an exciting safari with the family to Zimbabwe. From tracking huge herds of elephants in the isolated national parks to setting eyes on “the Smoke that Thunders” at Victoria Falls for the first time, this is a journey your family will be talking about for years to come.
Zimbabwe is a great choice for a luxury family safari. The country is home to some of Africa’s most gorgeous national parks, diversified landscapes, magnificent wildlife, exhilarating activities and family-friendly lodgings. However, it should be pointed out that walking and canoeing are more suitable to the youth above the age of 16 years.
Best Zimbabwe Safari Holidays for Families
Zimbabwe offers an incredible, action-packed blend of wildlife and adventure for families. Most trips start at Victoria Falls before heading to Hwange National Park for classic Big Five game viewing. Ideal family itineraries mix exciting safaris with relaxed cultural tours and child-friendly activities.
7-Day Zimbabwe Safari
Days: 7 | Nights: 6
Experience the ultimate 7-day Zimbabwe Safari adventure by splitting your time between the breathtaking Victoria Falls and the wildlife-rich Hwange National Park. Witness massive elephant herds and the “Smoke that Thunders,” all while enjoying luxury accommodations and thrilling activities like guided walking safaris and Zambezi river cruises.
10-Day Zimbabwe Safari
Days: 10 | Nights: 9
A 10-day Zimbabwe safari is the ultimate way to experience the country’s diverse ecosystems, offering a perfect balance of predator tracking, river canoeing, and exploring the iconic Victoria Falls. This duration typically allows you to seamlessly split your time between Hwange National Park, Mana Pools, and Victoria Falls using light aircraft.
Victoria Falls And Hwange Safari
Days: 7 | Nights: 6
A 1-week Victoria Falls and Hwange Safari blends the thundering power of the falls with Zimbabwe’s premier wildlife sanctuary. You’ll spend your first days experiencing rainforest tours and Zambezi river cruises before transferring to Hwange National Park for world-class, big-game safaris.
Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Botswana & South Africa
Days: 23 | Nights: 22
This 22-Day Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Botswana & South Africa safari is the experience of the finest bespoke adventures in Africa at a fraction of the cost. This is one of the smartest vacations we sell, drawing on over 600 years of collective safari knowledge and incredibly strong business relationships.
Why Choose Zimbabwe for Your Family Safari Holiday?
Zimbabwe is an unforgettable family safari destination, blending iconic wildlife viewing in less-crowded parks (like Hwange and Mana Pools) with the thrilling adventure of Victoria Falls. It offers world-class, multi-generational hospitality with highly flexible lodge itineraries and diverse, kid-friendly activities that engage both young learners and teenagers.
Wildlife
Zimbabwe’s wildlife rangers are among the best in Africa and the game-viewing safari activities they lead are amazing, including walking safaris where the close encounters with elephants are second to none. You can look forward to lion, hippo, giraffe, white rhino, wild dog, buffalo, zebra and a wonderful selection of antelope species.
Varied Activities
Zimbabwe is a destination for all ages with a variety of activities to pick from. Zimbabwe wildlife is diverse and can be seen on day and night game drives, walking safaris, canoeing and river cruises. Victoria Falls is excellent for all sorts of adventure-led activities such as whitewater rafting, abseiling, bungee jumping, zip-lining and forest canopy tours.
Diverse Landscapes
Zimbabwe is a country of high biodiversity, with a really astounding variety of landscapes and an abundance of flora and fauna. Expect a mix of sub-tropical vegetation, dry bushveld, teak forests, rivers rich with wildlife and towering sandstone cliffs. There is so much to see here and each place has its own particular natural beauty that is sure to keep visitors totally enthralled.
Accommodation
Zimbabwe boasts numerous top class camps, lodges and exclusive-use private mansions to cater for families with different tastes and budgets. Whether you fancy traditional family owned bush camps with warm hospitality and fantastic guiding or all fully staffed luxury villas with all the creature conveniences, there is something to suit everyone’s preferences here.
What is the Best Time to Visit Zimbabwe?
The best months for a family safari holiday in Zimbabwe are June, July and August. Days are sunny and nights are freezing! September and October are still great months for game viewing, but the climbing temperatures make travel increasingly uncomfortable. Mana Pools National Park is best avoided here from December until April, partly because it is remote and inaccessible during the rainy season. The whole spray of Victoria Falls is at its most dramatic from February to July, making it a stunning theatrical spectacle.
Family Activities
Game Drives
Game drives are the best method for families with children too young to join walking safaris to cover a lot of land and make the most of your wildlife-viewing possibilities. Night drives in private concessions provide the chance to explore the bush under a blanket of stars and to see nocturnal animals such as civet cat, bush baby, genet, leopard and possibly the elusive aardvark.
Walking Safaris
Zimbabwe is a great place for walking safaris. They are guided by some of the best qualified, most experienced guides in Africa, some of whom operate small, absolutely authentic bushcamps. Mana Pools, Hwange and Gonarezhou are all superb places to go for game viewing on foot, with the opportunity to get face-to-face with wildlife being part of the excitement but be mindful that the minimum age is usually 16 years.
Canoeing
For families with older children (16 +) canoe safaris in Mana Pools and along stretches of the Zambezi River provide spectacular wildlife encounters amidst Zimbabwe’s diverse and totally enchanting scenery. Watch out for thirsty elephants, beady-eyed hippos and sneaky crocs as they slink off the river banks!
White Water Rafting
The Zambezi River with its huge grade-5 rapids is undoubtedly the best spot in the world to go white water rafting. The thrill of racing down the rapids is broken up by periods of relative stillness when you can soak in the stunning scenery. White water rafting has a minimum age of 15 years, so if you have younger kids, you might want to stick to the more leisurely paced boat tours on the upper Zambezi.
Rock Art
Zimbabwe has a wonderful collection of ancient San Bushmen rock art and part of this can be viewed in the stunning sandstone cliffs of Gonarezhou National Park. Aspiring historians and archaeologists will be awestruck by the sheer volume of artwork, some dating back thousands of years!
Canopy Tours
Victoria Falls canopy tours offer a fun-filled trip for the whole family. Guests take to the network of slides, pathways and rope walkways surrounded by stunning hardwood forests with lofty views of the falls. It’s a safe, super-fun way to expose your kids to the world of adventure, and it’s led by expert guides.
Wildlife You Can Expect to See on Safari in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is endowed with a variety of environments that support rich wildlife populations. Close encounters with elephants are a real delight, especially on walking safaris! Depending on where you go, there is a decent chance of seeing lion, leopard, cheetah, buffalo, African wild dog, hippo, black rhino, spotted hyena, crocodile and lots of antelope too. Ornithologists will also be amazed by the diversity of birdlife from southern carmine bee-eaters to Pel’s fishing owls, red-necked falcons and black eagles.