Entry to Hwange National Park is paid per person, per day: international day visitors pay US$24 in conservation fees (US$12 if you're staying overnight inside the park), plus a vehicle fee of US$10 for foreign-registered cars. Day-visitor gates are listed as 08:00 to 16:30, and you must be back in camp or out of the park before they close.
Hwange's gates open daily, year-round. Day-visitor hours are currently listed as 08:00–16:30, though ZimParks' management plan records summer gate times of 06:00–18:30, and the authority has signalled summer hours may be extended further.
You must be back in camp or out of the park before the gates close — confirm current times with ZimParks or your camp before you travel.
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| Day | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Monday–Sunday | 06:00–18:30 | Summer gate times per ZimParks' management plan. Day visitors are currently listed as 08:00–16:30 (per Africa's Eden), so arrive well before the 16:30 closing time. Driving inside the park is only permitted between official gate opening and closing; camps lock down at night. |
The park itself stays open year-round, and the wet season from November to March sees far fewer tourists. Note that some lodges close entirely between December and March, so check your camp's dates before booking a green-season trip.
Daily conservation fees per person (2026 ZimParks tariff) run from US$24 for international day visitors down to US$5 for Zimbabwean day visitors, with a discount if you're staying inside the park — US$12 international, US$10 SADC, US$3 local. Vehicle entry is charged separately on top. All prices include VAT, and if you're overnighting in the park, your conservation fee typically covers multiple days.
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| Category | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| International day visitor (conservation fee) | US$24 per person per day | Applies to Main Camp, Robins and Sinamatella; typically valid for multiple days when staying inside the park |
| International accommodated guest (conservation fee) | US$12 per person per day | For visitors staying overnight inside the park |
| SADC day visitor | US$18 per person per day | Proof of SADC residency required; drops to US$10 when accommodated inside the park |
| Zimbabwean day visitor | US$5 per person per day | Local accommodated guests pay US$3; locals may pay in local currency at the prevailing rate |
| Foreign-registered vehicle (saloon/pickup/4WD) | US$10 per day (day visit) / US$3 per day (accommodated) | Charged per vehicle in addition to conservation fees |
| Local-registered vehicle (saloon/pickup/4WD) | US$5 per day (day visit) / US$2 per day (accommodated) | Minibuses up to 25 seats: US$15/day local, US$30/day foreign |
| Camping/caravan site | US$12 (local) / US$23 (international) per site per night | Maximum 3 people per site |
| Overnight picnic site (Shumba, Ngweshla, Masuma, Deteema, Kennedy 1, Mandavu) | US$165 (local) / US$235 (international) per site per night | Maximum 6 people; advance reservation essential in peak season |
| Bush camp (Jambile) | US$24 (local) / US$35 (international) per person per night | Guvalala and Makwa platforms cost US$35/US$60 per person per night |
| Main Camp chalets and lodges | From US$35 (1-bed chalet, local rate) to US$235 (executive lodge, international rate) | ZimParks-run accommodation at Main Camp |
No regular free entry days.
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View All ToursJune to October, the dry season, is the best time to visit Hwange: thinning bush and shrinking water sources pull wildlife to the pumped pans, with July to October bringing up to 50,000 elephants into the park. September and October are the prime elephant months but the hottest. Crowds peak in August and September, so pick June or November for cheaper, quieter game viewing.
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| Period | Crowd Level | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| First light (06:00–08:00) | Low | Gates open around 6am in summer and this is when predators and big herds are active, so it suits overnight guests who can be at a hide like Nyamandhlovu Pan before day visitors arrive. |
| Morning (08:00–11:00) | Moderate | Day visitors enter from 08:00 and the roads around Main Camp fill up, but game viewing is still strong — a good window for families and first-timers on self-drive loops. |
| Midday (11:00–14:00) | High | The heat drives hundreds of elephants to single waterholes in September and October, so park yourself at Masuma Dam or Dom Waterhole and let the animals come to you — worth it despite the traffic at popular hides. |
| Late afternoon (14:00–16:30) | Moderate | The second game-viewing surge begins as temperatures drop, though day visitors must exit by 16:30 — ideal for photographers staying inside the park who can linger at waterholes after the gates clear. |
| Evening and night (after 18:00) | Low | Day driving is prohibited and camps lock down, so the only way to be out now is a night drive from a lodge in a private concession, targeting brown hyena, bat-eared fox and springhare. |
Plan on 3–5 days in Hwange National Park — enough to settle into the safari rhythm and track down carnivores and rarer antelope. Day trips from Victoria Falls (about 3 hours each way) are possible but rushed, and you'll miss the prime dawn and dusk game-viewing hours. With 6 days or more, split your stay between two lodges or areas of this vast park, such as Main Camp and the remote Robins side.
Reserve lodges and ZimParks camps several months ahead if you're going June through October — that's when wildlife crowds the waterholes and the best sites (Masuma and Ngweshla picnic sites front the busiest pans) fill first. If you'd rather save money and share the park with fewer vehicles, shift to June or November: still good game, cheaper rates.
Day-visitor gates are listed as 08:00 to 16:30, and ZimParks enforces closing times strictly — latecomers can be turned away or stranded, since driving after dark inside the park is banned. Arrive well before closing, then spend your midday hours at a hide like Nyamandhlovu Pan, Masuma Dam or Dom Waterhole, where the animals come to you while the heat keeps them drinking.
Conservation fees are pegged in US dollars — international day visitors pay US$24 per person per day, dropping to US$12 if you're staying inside the park, plus US$10 per day for a foreign-registered vehicle. All charges are VAT-inclusive, and if you stay overnight inside the park your fee typically covers multiple days. Zimbabwean visitors can pay in local currency at the prevailing rate.
August nights drop to 4-6°C and open-vehicle game drives at first light feel every degree of it — bring a beanie, gloves and fleece over your neutral-coloured safari kit. By October, midday temperatures push past 30°C, so pack sun protection and more water than you think you need.
September and October are the prime elephant months, when hundreds can gather at a single pumped pan in the midday heat — up to 50,000 elephants, roughly a tenth of Africa's total, move through the park in the dry season. Stake out the Nyamandhlovu Pan or Masuma Dam hides at dawn and late afternoon, when breeding herds and predators come to drink. Avoid November to March if elephants are your priority: rains scatter the herds and thick bush hides them.
Under ZimParks' 2026 tariff, international day visitors pay US$24 per person per day, dropping to US$12 if you're staying inside the park. SADC visitors pay US$18 (day) or US$10 (accommodated), while Zimbabwean residents pay US$5 and US$3 respectively. All fees are VAT-inclusive, and locals can pay in local currency at the prevailing rate.
Day-visitor gates are currently listed as 08:00 to 16:30, though ZimParks' management plan records 6am to 6:30pm in summer, and hours may be extended. You must be back in camp or out of the park before the gates close — latecomers risk being turned away, and driving after dark inside the park is prohibited. Confirm current times with ZimParks or your camp before you travel.
A foreign-registered saloon, pickup or 4WD pays US$10 per day for day visits, or US$3 per day if you're staying overnight in the park. Local vehicles pay US$5 (day) or US$2 (accommodated), and minibuses with up to 25 seats pay US$15 local or US$30 foreign per day. Inside the park the speed limit is usually 40 km/h, and you should give elephants plenty of space.
Campsites run US$12 per site per night for locals and US$23 for international visitors, with a maximum of 3 people per site. The exclusive overnight picnic sites — Shumba, Ngweshla, Masuma, Deteema, Kennedy 1 and Mandavu, each capped at 6 people — cost US$165 local or US$235 international per site per night. Book these well ahead, since the waterhole-front sites like Masuma and Ngweshla go first in peak season.
ZimParks chalets and lodges at Main Camp range from US$35 per night for a 1-bed chalet (local rate) up to US$235 for the executive lodge at the international rate. Add the US$12 accommodated conservation fee per person per day. These government rest camps are the budget option — book several months ahead for June to October.
It's possible but rushed: the drive is about 200 km each way, roughly 3 hours on the surfaced road to Main Gate, and organized day safaris cost about US$270-350 per person. You'll miss the dawn and dusk game-viewing hours, which are the best of the day. If you can, stay 3-5 days instead — that's enough time to settle into the safari rhythm and reach the rarer animals.
June and November are the shoulder months — quieter and cheaper than the busy August-September period, while June still falls in the dry season with good game viewing. Peak season is June to October, when animals concentrate at the waterholes and July-October brings the big elephant gatherings. Avoid November to March if you're on a budget but hate rain: roads get rough, some lodges close, and malaria risk peaks.
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