> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.travel-info.co.zw/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Zambezi National Park > Zambezi National Park guide for 2026: the river drive and Chamabonda Vlei sections next to Victoria Falls, wildlife, 2026 ZimParks fees, lodges, best time to visit, and nearby Kazuma Pan. **Zambezi National Park is the easiest safari from Victoria Falls: the park gate is a few minutes' drive from town, and the park runs upstream along about 40 km of the Zambezi River.** It's the place for a half-day game drive, a river cruise or a night in a riverside lodge, with elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard and sable all present. The dry months, roughly May to October, are best for game viewing. Fly into Victoria Falls International Airport, or drive the A8 from Bulawayo (437 km). **Written by [Bryan Fawcett](/about-this-guide).** > [!NOTE] > > **Last reviewed: 21 October 2026** against the ZimParks Zambezi National Park and Kazuma Pan National Park pages, the official ZimParks 2026 tariff, and lodge operators' own websites. Fees and activities change. Check before you go. ## Zambezi National Park at a glance | | | | - | - | | **Size** | 56,000 hectares together with Victoria Falls National Park (ZimParks) | | **River frontage** | About 40 km of the Zambezi River | | **Sections** | The riverine side (Zambezi River Drive) and the Chamabonda Vlei side, split by the Kazungula road | | **From town** | About 6 km from Victoria Falls town to the main gate | | **Big game** | Elephant, lion, buffalo and leopard. No rhino is listed by ZimParks | | **Fee (2026)** | US\$18 a day (land) for international visitors. See [park fees](/essentials/park-fees) | ## The two sections The tar road from Victoria Falls to the Kazungula border post runs through the park and splits it in two. ### The riverine side (Zambezi River Drive) This is the main section, entered through the main gate a few kilometres upstream of Victoria Falls. A network of game-drive roads follows the river, with numbered picnic sites where self-drive day visitors can stop to picnic or fish (with the right fishing permit). This is where the private lodges and the ZimParks riverside accommodation are. ### Chamabonda Vlei The southern section is reached off the A8 Bulawayo road, about 5 km south of Victoria Falls town. A game drive of about 25 km runs along the Chamabonda Vlei, an open grassland. Viewing platforms here can be hired for overnight camping. ### On the river ZimParks lists a separate **river** conservation fee for the Zambezi National Park as well as the **land** fee. River cruises and fishing trips upstream of the falls pass along the park's river frontage. Your operator will tell you which fee applies to your activity. ## Wildlife ZimParks says the park "boasts four of the big five": **elephant, lion, buffalo and leopard**. It also lists herds of **sable, kudu, impala, zebra and giraffe**. * **Birds:** over **400 species** have been recorded, including the lanner falcon, goliath heron and African skimmer. * **Fish:** more than **75 fish species** live in this stretch of the Zambezi, including bream and tigerfish. * **Habitat:** mostly Zambezian and mopane savanna woodland, with a small area of Zambezi teak woodland in the south. > [!WARNING] > > ZimParks warns visitors to keep clear of elephants with calves. Hippos and crocodiles live along the river, so stay in your vehicle except at designated picnic sites. ## Getting there * **From Victoria Falls town:** about **6 km**, roughly 10 minutes on a good tar road. ZimParks directs drivers along Park Way Drive through the town centre and out to the main gate. Chamabonda Vlei is about 5 km south of town off the A8. * **From Bulawayo:** **437 km** on the A8 to Victoria Falls (ZimParks). * **By air:** fly into Victoria Falls International Airport and continue by road. Many lodges arrange transfers. * **Guided drives:** most hotels and tour operators in Victoria Falls offer guided game drives into the park, so you don't need your own vehicle. See [distances and driving times](/essentials/distances) and our [airport guide](/essentials/airport-guide). ## Where to stay Most visitors stay in Victoria Falls town and visit the park on a game drive or river cruise. If you want to sleep in the park, there are three kinds of option. * **Private riverside lodges.** A small number of lodges sit on the Zambezi inside the park, with game drives, river cruises and walks. Two that confirm on their own websites that they are inside the park are **Old Drift Lodge** (Wild Horizons, luxury tented suites) and **Victoria Falls River Lodge**. * **ZimParks chalets.** ZimParks has self-catering riverside chalets near the park entrance. Book through [ZimParks](https://www.zimparks.org.zw). * **Camping.** ZimParks has a few remote campsites along the river upstream, and the Chamabonda viewing platforms can be hired for a night. You need your own camping and cooking kit. See our [Victoria Falls guide](/destinations/victoria-falls) for hotels in town. ## Park fees The 2026 ZimParks tariff lists separate fees for the **land** and **river** sections of the Zambezi National Park. Prices are in US dollars per person per day. | Section | International day | International overnight | SADC day | SADC overnight | Local day | Local overnight | | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | | Land | 18 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 3 | | River | 12 | 10 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 3 | * **Vehicle:** US$10 a day for a foreign-registered car (US$3 a day if staying overnight), US$5 for a Zimbabwe-registered car (US$2 overnight). * **Lodges and tours** often include park fees in the price. Ask before you pay twice. See our [2026 national park fees guide](/essentials/park-fees) for camping fees and how to pay. The [Victoria Falls Rainforest](/destinations/victoria-falls) has its own, separate entrance fee. ## Best time to visit * **About May to October (dry season):** the best game viewing. The bush thins out and animals come to the river to drink. It gets very hot in October. * **November to April (rains):** green and lush, with migrant birds, but animals spread out away from the river and some park roads can be muddy. * **Combine it with the falls.** The falls are at their fullest from about February to May. See [Victoria Falls: Zimbabwe side vs Zambia side](/destinations/victoria-falls-zimbabwe-vs-zambia) and [weather by month](/essentials/weather-by-month). ZimParks suggests cool clothing, a hat and sunscreen from September to March, and warm clothing for the evenings from April to August. ## Kazuma Pan National Park If you have a 4x4 and time to spare, **Kazuma Pan** is a small, remote park in the far north-west, on the Botswana border. ZimParks describes it as "one of the most remote and least visited protected areas in Zimbabwe", at **33,500 hectares**. * **Landscape:** the open grassland of the Kazuma depression, which can flood in the rains and draws waterbirds, and the Katshetshete River catchment in the east. * **Wildlife:** in the dry season the grasslands attract herds including **oribi, roan, sable, tsessebe and eland**. Animals gather at the pumped waterpoints at **Corner Pan** and **Insiza** as the area dries up. * **2026 fees:** US$24 a day for international visitors, or US$12 a day if staying overnight. See [park fees](/essentials/park-fees). * **Plan ahead:** check access and camping with ZimParks before you go. ## Practical tips * **Go early or late.** Morning and late-afternoon drives are cooler and animals are more active. * **Bring binoculars and a bird book or app.** ZimParks recommends both. * **Wear earthy colours.** Avoid bright red, yellow and green. * **Carry US dollars in small notes** for fees. See [currency and money](/essentials/currency-and-money). * **Fishing needs a permit.** Ask at the gate or your lodge. * **Ask about malaria.** Get advice from a travel clinic before you go. See [health and safety](/essentials/health-and-safety). ## Related guides > **[Victoria Falls](/destinations/victoria-falls)** > > The falls, the town, hotels and activities. > **[Hwange National Park](/destinations/hwange-national-park)** > > Zimbabwe's largest park, south-east of Victoria Falls. > **[National park fees 2026](/essentials/park-fees)** > > Official ZimParks fees for every park. > **[Walking and canoe safaris](/planning/walking-and-canoe-safaris)** > > Seeing the Zambezi on foot and by canoe. ## Sources * [Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) — Zambezi National Park](https://www.zimparks.org.zw/zambezi-national-park/), accessed 21 October 2026 * [Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) — Kazuma Pan National Park](https://www.zimparks.org.zw/kazuma-pan-national-park/), accessed 21 October 2026 * [Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) — De-Gazetted Tariff 2026 (PDF)](https://www.zimparks.org.zw/media/2026/02/De-Gazetted-Tariff-2026.pdf), dated February 2026, accessed 21 October 2026 * [Wild Zambezi — Zambezi National Park](https://www.wildzambezi.com/locations/16/zambezi-national-park), accessed 21 October 2026 * [Wild Horizons — Which Wild Horizons Lodge Is Right for You?](https://wildhorizons.co.za/which-wild-horizons-lodge-is-right-for-you/), accessed 21 October 2026 * [Victoria Falls River Lodge — National parks](https://victoriafallsriverlodge.com/national-parks/), accessed 21 October 2026 Premium booking partner Plan your Zambezi National Park trip with a local Moses Adventures builds tailored Zimbabwe trips and has visited every destination they sell. 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