National Parks to Visit in 2026: Gonarezhou, Zimbabwe

The park covers nearly 2,000 square miles and is known as “The Place of Elephants” for its large African elephant population. It also protects a huge swath of baobab‑studded sandstone cliffs, broad floodplains, and three major rivers (Save, Runde, Mwenezi) that support elephants, lions, buffalo, leopards, and standout birdlife — without the congestion of better-known African parks.

The Gonarezhou Conservation Trust is a partnership between Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and the Frankfurt Zoological Society, which runs the park guided by principles that prioritize wilderness, limit infrastructure, and ensure tourism benefits local communities (something often criticized in countries like Tanzania). Visiting here still feels like being in the wild, not on a mass-market, Disney-esque game drive.

A major reason to go in 2026 is to see how the park’s conservation successes are unfolding on the ground. Not only have its anti-poaching and habitat management programs been successful, but in 2025, the park re-introduced white rhinos, restoring a native species that was all but extinct in Zimbabwe by the early 1900s. For visitors, that means there’s a realistic chance of seeing elephants, big cats, wild dogs, and white rhinos in one park where tourism numbers are still low and sightings are earned rather than orchestrated.

The park finalized an updated tourism plan in 2024–2025, which prioritizes the park’s wilderness above all else. It also calls for low‑volume, high‑quality tourism and the continuation of a tourism-only border crossing from South Africa’s Kruger National Park to allow for multi-country itineraries. For now, lodging options include a few bush camps and some self-catering lodges for self-guided drives, with additional lodging options expected to open in 2026, served by newly graded and improved access roads in and around the park.

If you’re into seeing the big five and supporting local Shangaan communities, and are turned off by overly crowded parks with multiple vehicles on the roads, you owe it to yourself to consider Gonarezhou for your next (or even first) safari vacation.

How to reach Gonarezhou National Park

Buffalo Range Airport in Masvingo Province is the closest airport and is served by daily flights from Johannesburg, South Africa. From there, it’s a three-hour drive to the park, which tour guides and hotels can help arrange. You can also book charter flights from within Zimbabwe to Chipinda Pools airstrip in the park. If you’re driving, you can fly into Harare’s international airport and rent a car. The drive to Chiredzi, the park’s gateway town, takes about 5.5 hours. Make sure the vehicle you rent has 4WD for the last section of the drive into the park.