Chizarira National Park presents extraordinary opportunities for research and engagement. Combining the iconic Zambezi valley; a vast, scenic, and rarely visited National Park; and legendary conservation royalty in the form of Dr. Norman Monks, Chizarira promises to be a landmark site in the coming years.

The Zambezi Valley is a unique environment consisting of a string of inter-linked national parks, straddling eight countries. These parks play host to the continent’s greatest elephant population as well as the ‘Big 5’. Each park is of great strategic significance, with Chizarira National Park being the most vulnerable. Managed in conjunction with the Chete and Chirisa Safari areas, the reserve covers just less than 2000km2, an area 2.5 times the size of the Maasai Mara.

Size of Chizarira National Park

Chizarira National Park lies in Northern Zimbabwe. At 2,000 square kilometers (490,000 acres), it is the third-largest national park in Zimbabwe, and also one of the least known because of its isolated situation on the Zambezi Escarpment.

Location of Chizarira National Park

The hidden gorges are located in the north-western areas of Zimbabwe on top of the Zambezi escarpment.

How to get to Chizarira National Park

It is located in the northwest of the country, just south of Lake Kariba and about 200km/124mi from Victoria Falls. It is at least a four to five-hour drive. The condition of the access roads is often very bad, and a good 4WD is essential. In the Dry season, the road is often a 4WD challenge.

Things to do in Chizarira National Park

Game drives

Elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, spotted hyena, hippo, Nile crocodile along the lakeshore, kudu, roan antelope, bushbuck, waterbuck, tsessebe, nyala, sable antelope,

Birding tours

Over 400 bird species (around 70% of Zimbabwe’s total) The Big Five birds of the area include the African Broadbill, Livingstone’s Flycatcher, Yellow-spotted Nicator, Emerald Cuckoo, and the rare and elusive Angola Pitta. Chizarira is also home to the Taita Falcon which nests with the National Park.

When to visit Chizarira National Park

The best time to visit Chizarira national park is July to October, game viewing is at its best at waterholes and rivers. Sunny, clear skies, and an absence of mosquitoes are other advantages of visiting at this time of year. The greenery does flourish when the rains come, but this tends to be outweighed by unreliable roads.

Where to stay in Chizarira National Park

Mucheni View Camp

Located on the edge of the Zambezi Escarpment with spectacular views of the Zambezi Valley floor and cool breezes, there is a thatched shelter, a long drop toilet, and braai stand, water from the Park headquarter 4 KM away.

Mucheni Gorge Camp

Situated on the edge of a gorge, there is a thatched shelter, a long drop toilet, and a braai stand, water is available from the Parks headquarters 3.5 KM away.

Busi Camp

Situated 40 KM from the Park headquarters on the scenic Busi River and is home to large herds of buffalo and elephant and lions. Access to this camp requires 4×4 and high clearance vehicles, close by are flood plains with Acacia Albida trees.